Topic

Video Game Consoles

Video Game Consoles Events

1972 The Magnavox Odyssey, First Video Game Console
The Magnavox Odyssey is the world's first home video game console. It was first demonstrated in May, 24th, 1972 and released that fall, predating the Atari Pong home consoles by three yea...
1976 Coleco Releases its Telstar Console
The Telstar is a series of video game consoles produced by Coleco from 1976 to 1978. Starting with Telstar Pong clone based on General Instrument's AY-3-8500 chip in 1976, there were 14 c...
1977 Oct Atari 2600 Released in North America
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of ...
1979 Intellivision Video Game Console Released
The Intellivision is a video game console released by Mattel in 1979. Development of the console began in 1978, less than a year after the introduction of its main competitor, the Atari 2...
1982 Nov Atari Releases the 5200
The Atari 5200 SuperSystem, or simply the Atari 5200, is a video game console that was introduced in 1982 by Atari Inc. as a replacement for the famous Atari 2600. The 5200 was created to...
1982 Dec Atari Releases E.T., Often Called the Worst Video Game Ever Made
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is an adventure video game developed and published by Atari, Inc. for the Atari 2600 video game console. It was based on the film of the same name, and was desi...
1984 May Atari Releases the 7800 in North America
The Atari 7800 ProSystem, or simply the Atari 7800, is a video game console re-released by Atari Corporation in June 1986. The original release had occurred two years earlier under Atari ...
1985 Nintendo Releases the R.O.B. (Robotic Operating Buddy) as an Accessory to the NES
R.O.B. (Robotic Operating Buddy) is an accessory for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in July 1985 in Japan as the Famicom Robot and later that year as R.O.B. in North A...
1985 Oct 18 Nintendo Entertainment System Released in the US
The Nintendo Entertainment System (abbreviated to NES or Nintendo) is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe and Australia in 1985. In most of ...
1987 Oct Sega First Releases the Master System in North America
The Sega Master System is an 8-bit cartridge-based video game console that was manufactured by Sega and was first released in 1986. Its original Japanese incarnation was the Sega Mark III...
1989 Aug 14 Sega Releases the Genesis in North America
The Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console released by Sega in Japan in 1988 and Europe in 1990. The console was released in Europe and Japan under the name Mega Drive, as Sega...
1989 Aug 29 NEC Releases the TurboGrafx-16 in North America
The TurboGrafx-16 (in full, the TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem), known in Japan as the PC Engine (PCエンジン, Pīshī Enjin), is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, ...
1990 SNK Releases the Neo Geo
The Neo Geo is a cartridge-based arcade and home video game system released in 1990 by Japanese game company SNK. The hardware featured comparatively colorful 2D graphics and high-quality...
1990 Oct 6 Sega Game Gear Released in Japan
The Sega Game Gear is a handheld game console which was Sega's response to Nintendo's Game Boy. It was the third commercially available color handheld console, after the Atari Lynx and th...
1991 Aug Super Nintendo Entertainment System Released in North America
he Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNES and Super Nintendo) is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasi...
1992 Oct 15 Sega Releases the Sega CD in North America
The Sega CD is an add-on device for the Genesis video game console, designed and produced by Sega and released in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and North America. In North Americ...
1993 Nov 18 Atari Releases the Jaguar in North America
The Atari Jaguar is a video game console, released by Atari Corporation in 1993. It was designed to surpass the Mega Drive/Genesis and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in processin...
1994 Nov Sega 32X Released in North America
The Sega 32X, codenamed Project Mars, is an add-on for the Sega Genesis video game console by Sega. In Japan, it was distributed under the name Sega Super 32X. In North America, its na...
1995 May 11 Sega Saturn Released in North America
The Sega Saturn (セガサターン, Sega Satān) is a 32-bit video game console that was first released on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe. The s...
1995 Jul 21 Nintendo's Virtual Boy Arrives in Japanese Retail
Nintendo's Virtual Boy (バーチャルボーイ, Bācharu Bōi (also known as the VR-32 during development) was the first portable game console capable of displaying "true 3D graphics" out of the box. Mos...
1995 Sep 9 Sony Releases the Playstation in North America
The PlayStation (abbreviated PS, PSone, PS1, or PSX due to its internal code name PlayStation eXperimental) is a 32-bit fifth generation video game console released by Sony Computer Enter...
1996 Sep 29 Nintento 64 Arrives in North American Retail
During the developmental stages the N64 was referred to by its code name, Project Reality. The name Project Reality came from the speculation within Nintendo that this console could pro...
1999 Sep 9 Sega's Dreamcast Console is Available in North American Retail
The Dreamcast (ドリームキャスト, Dorīmukyasuto) is the last video game console made by Sega, and is the successor to the Sega Saturn. The Dreamcast is part of the sixth generation of video game c...
2000 Oct 26 Sony Releases Playstation 2 in North America
The PlayStation 2 (often shortened to PS2) is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony. The successor to the PlayStation, and the predecessor to the PlayStation 3, the P...
2001 Nov 15 Microsoft Releases Xbox in North America
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console produced by Microsoft. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console market, and competed with Sony's PlayStation 2, Sega's Drea...
2001 Nov 18 Nintendo Gamecube Hits the Shelves in North America
The Nintendo GameCube is Nintendo's fourth home video game console and is part of the sixth generation console era. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 and predecessor to Nintendo's Wi...
2005 Nov 22 Microsoft Releases Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft, and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seven...
2006 Nov 11 Sony Releases Playstation 3
The PlayStation 3 (officially marketed PLAYSTATION 3, commonly abbreviated PS3) is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment, and the successor to the Play...
2009 Aug 18 Sony Announces PS3 Redesign and Price Cut
And there you have it, the fabled Sony PS3 price cut as well as confirmation of a trimmer, slimmer iteration of the PS3 after over a year's worth of gossip and false leads and photo-forge...
2011 Jun 7 Nintendo Unveils Wii U, Successor to Wii
Yesterday, Nintendo unveiled the Wii U with great fanfare at the 2011 Electronic Entertainment Expo. The console sports a host of innovative new features, thanks in large part to its revo...