10 Best Video Game Consoles of All Time

Naming something as one of the best video game consoles of all time is almost impossible. One console dominates commercially and doesn't meaningfully change game development. But another one might sell fewer units yet influence entire generations of games.

Still, the question stands. That’s why, for this ranking, we considered five factors:

• the strength of each console’s game library and exclusives;
• lifetime hardware sales;
• technical and hardware innovation;
• cultural influence;
• longevity.

Some consoles earned their place because they reached enormous audiences. Some of the introduced technology or design ideas that shaped how developers approached graphics, controls, multiplayer, portability, or production itself.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/round-up/best-handheld-gaming-consoles

Longevity also extends beyond the original release cycle, as features and player habits persist long after launch, across backward-compatibility, remasters, digital ecosystems, or enduring formats like local co-op games on PS5 that continue traditions established by much older systems.

Below, we rank the top 10 gaming consoles based on that combined methodology (even if we wanted to be a little bit nostalgic). We also break down the best-selling consoles in history, look separately at the strongest handheld systems, and answer common questions.

This ranking isn’t based on a public vote or one number (total sales). We compared every console to the same five criteria, with more weight given to those areas that, in our opinion, best reflect a platform’s contribution to gaming.

1. Game library and exclusives: 30%. The biggest weight is given to the quality, depth, and historical significance of the games on offer. We also consider whether the exclusives helped define the console or established franchises and design approaches that influenced later releases.
2. Lifetime units sold: 20%. Commercial performance tells you how far a platform reached players and developers.
3. Hardware innovation: 20%. Here we look at changes in processing, graphics, storage, controllers, connectivity, portability, and other hardware decisions that expanded what developers could build.
4. Cultural impact: 20%. Some systems changed gaming way more than specs.
5. Longevity and support: 10%. A good platform lives on after launch through software support (later revisions), backward compatibility, active communities, or ideas that carry over into next-generation consoles.

We balance the scales. A record-breaking console doesn’t win by default, nor can a technically ambitious system be high on innovation alone; final position depends on how well each platform combines commercial reach with software, technology, and lasting influence.

One more important thing: sales data is separate from editorial judgment. Every lifetime sales figure used in this article is linked to a source (manufacturer financial reports and company disclosures whenever possible).

Release: 2000
Maker: Sony Computer Entertainment
Lifetime sales: 160+ million units worldwide

The PlayStation 2 wins because few systems have commercial reach and software library quality quite so convincingly. Sony launched the console in 2000 with DVD playback, backward compatibility with original PlayStation discs, and hardware for much more ambitious 3D games.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/round-up/best-handheld-gaming-consoles

Its library showed just how big that opportunity was. Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec came out for PS2 in 2001 and pushed console racing towards realism; God of War in ’05 showed what cinematic presentation could look like alongside large-scale action on the same hardware.

From a production standpoint, the PS2 generation is especially important. DVD storage gave studios more room for environments, audio, cinematics, and other assets; the console’s unconventional architecture required careful optimization; as projects grew larger, the game development stages around asset creation and technical integration became more and more important to keeping larger productions manageable.

That’s why the PS2 is still our choice for the best gaming console of all time: it’s not just how many people owned one but also how large the scale of game production became with it.

Release: 2017
Maker: Nintendo
Lifetime sales: 156.59 million units worldwide

Nintendo Switch basically collapsed the distinction between home console and handheld so that the same game could go from TV to tabletop to portable play. Detachable Joy-Con controllers took it even further by making local multiplayer part of the hardware itself. Nintendo launched Switch worldwide on March 3, 2017

Source: https://www.currys.co.uk/techtalk/gaming-news/nintendo-news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-nintendo-switch.html

That flexibility also set a different development goal. Studios had to design games that were readable and responsive on a small portable screen but worked well on television (sometimes with several control configurations to work out). For developers, the Switch showed how hardware innovation could change production priorities without competing solely on raw processing power.

Its software library solidified that position. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild came out alongside hardware and became one of the most iconic examples of Nintendo’s open-world design; Mario Kart 8 Deluxe took the system’s portability and local multiplayer strengths and made it one of its longest-lasting releases.

Its legacy isn’t about winning a specifications race but changing where, when, and how a console game could be played.

Release: 2006
Maker: Nintendo
Lifetime sales: 101.63 million units worldwide

Nintendo Wii is third because it changed what console hardware had to do. Instead of competing on processing power alone, Nintendo built the system around motion input and a controller that could translate physical gestures into game actions. The Wii launched in late 2006, and Nintendo made accessibility part of its hardware concept for the first time in the industry.

Source: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2022/11/apple-wii-modder-updates-2006-console-with-an-m1-and-other-mac-mini-parts/

We can see that clearly in Wii Sports. Tennis, bowling, boxing, golf, and baseball were all designed around movements that players could understand intuitively, so the controller itself was part of the visual and interaction design of the game. Later, Super Mario Galaxy showed that the same hardware could support a much more traditional large-scale production but integrate pointing and motion controls directly into traversal and interaction.

Release: 2013
Maker: Sony Computer Entertainment
Lifetime sales: more than 117.2 million units worldwide

The PS4 is fourth because it had a huge installed base and hardware designed to be easier for developers to work with. Sony built the system around PC-like architecture (an enhanced GPU, 8 GB unified GDDR5 memory), etc., with the explicit aim of making game creation less complicated than on previous PlayStation hardware.

Source: https://portaltele.com.ua/news/games/sony-pripinyaye-obslugovuvannya-playstation-4-playstation-4-pro-ta-playstation-vr.html

That was important as AAA production got heavier. Studios were building larger environments, more detailed characters, more complex lighting setups, and much denser asset libraries, so predictable hardware and an architecture that was relatively accessible kept the technical side of game development manageable.

The library gave developers a lot of room to show what that hardware could do. Bloodborne used dense Gothic environments, elaborate creature design, atmospheric lighting, and aggressive visual effects to create a very PS4-identifying identity.

PS4 was not the most radical hardware experiment of its generation, but that is part of why it ranks so high among the best consoles ever. It mattered because it gave development teams a capable (if relatively simple) platform and then enough audience to support increasingly ambitious productions throughout most of the generation.

Release: 1990 in Japan as the Super Famicom; 1991 in the U.S.
Maker: Nintendo
Lifetime sales: 49.10 million units worldwide

This video game console sold far fewer units than any of those above it. Its position, though, comes from its library strength and hardware influence on 2D game production. Nintendo gave developers better color, sound, memory, and graphics effects; Mode 7 allowed backgrounds to be rotated and scaled, which gave us a convincing sense of depth.

Source: https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2021/08/anniversary_the_snes_launched_in_north_america_30_years_ago

From a production standpoint, the SNES is also an important example of developers getting more out of hardware-specific art and engineering. Studios had to design sprites, backgrounds, animation, audio, and level layouts around memory and cartridge constraints. Those constraints made optimization part of the creative process from the start of game development.

That influence makes the SNES an unusually strong legacy for a console with 49.10 million lifetime sales: among the best consoles of all time, it’s fifth because it helped define many of the visual and production principles that marked the peak of 16-bit development.

Release: 2004
Maker: Nintendo
Lifetime sales: 154.02 million units worldwide

Nintendo DS made interface design a major part of handheld game development. The dual-screen layout, lower touchscreen, microphone, and wireless communication gave studios several new ways to structure interaction and multiplayer around portable hardware. And around those features this handheld console was built.

Source: https://www.gamesradar.com/best-ds-games/

That hardware produced games that would not have been possible on a conventional handheld. Nintendogs centered much of its interaction around touch controls, voice commands, and wireless communication. Mario Kart DS was the other side of the coin: traditional game structure with local wireless play, online functionality, and advantages of a second screen.

For production teams, the DS created an unusual design problem: the second display had to justify itself. UI information could be moved away from the main playfield, touch interaction could replace conventional button inputs, and projects could be designed around short sessions or entirely different audiences. So then developers had to start thinking about hardware interaction much earlier because the console’s defining features were inseparable from the experience itself.

Release: 1994
Maker: Sony Computer Entertainment
Lifetime sales: over 102 million units worldwide

First love is always memorable, especially in a 3D format. The original PlayStation put console production firmly into 3D mode and changed the economics of publishing games. Its 32-bit hardware was built around real-time polygonal graphics; CD-ROMs replaced cartridges, giving developers far more storage than cartridges could provide.

Source: https://stonewars.com/rumors/lego-playstation-1-72306-rumors/

Those capabilities are important because studios were starting to build games around 3D environments instead of adapting established 2D techniques. Final Fantasy VII used the extra disc capacity for a much bigger audiovisual production, and Sony even cites the CD format as one of the reasons why that project could be developed on PlayStation. Gran Turismo, meanwhile, became one of the platform’s defining demonstrations of 3D racing and helped create a franchise associated with PlayStation hardware itself.

The controller evolved along with the software. Sony introduced dual analog sticks in 1997 and followed up with the DualShock two years later. Developers got finer control over movement and vibration feedback at a time when 3D spaces were becoming core to gaming console design.

Release: 1989
Maker: Nintendo
Lifetime sales: 118.69 million units worldwide

This is the case where the quote “All your perfect imperfections” totally makes sense. Its limitations were actually central to its production identity.

Source: https://www.engadget.com/2019-04-21-nintendo-game-boy-30th-anniversary.html

Developers had a 160 × 144 display, four shades of grey, limited memory, and an 8-bit processor, so there was unusually strong emphasis on readable sprites, economical animation, small environments, and clear visual feedback. The result was that art direction had to survive severe technical constraints.

Two legendary games explain much of its wider impact. Tetris came with the Game Boy at launch and showed what could be done with short, immediately understandable play on portable hardware. Pokémon Red and Blue turned connectivity into part of the game itself (trading and battles between systems as fundamental mechanics rather than optional extras).

118.69 million units sold later, the Game Boy belongs in the pantheon of best consoles made, not because it had cutting-edge graphics but because it set a durable model for portable production.

Release: 1996
Maker: Nintendo
Lifetime sales: 32.93 million units worldwide

The Nintendo 64’s commercial performance understates its influence on 3D game development. Nintendo built the console around 64-bit hardware and then gave it an analog Control Stick that had full 360-degree movement, so developers had a much better model for moving through three-dimensional environments.

Source: https://www.notebookcheck.net/8BitDo-releases-two-new-devices-to-celebrate-Nintendo-64-gaming.1253531.0.html

The hardware also encouraged experimentation outside graphics: four controller ports made local multiplayer unusually easy to get into, accessories like the Rumble Pak gave physical feedback, and the Expansion Pak allowed compatible games to use additional memory.

Release: 1988 in Japan; 1989 in North America
Maker: Sega
Lifetime sales: around 34.06 million units worldwide

The Sega Genesis (Mega Drive outside North America) closes the list because sales weren’t huge like most above it, but its influence was big. Sega released hardware with a 16-bit CPU ahead of several major competitors. Thanks to that, studios had a platform that was particularly well suited to fast action and visually distinctive sprite games. Sega itself says that Mega Drive is “the machine that helped us establish our company internationally.”

Source: https://www.timeextension.com/news/2025/01/love-the-genesis-mega-drive-then-check-out-this-epic-eleven-and-a-half-hour-documentary

Sonic the Hedgehog was the poster child. Sega designed the game around speed, movement responsiveness, big scrolling stages, and instantly recognizable character art so hardware capabilities could shape an entire production concept. The original title came out in 1991 and launched Sonic as Sega’s flagship character.

The Genesis also plays a big part in this list because Sega treated the console as an expandable platform. The Mega-CD added CD-ROM support; the Mega Modem tried game distribution and remote multiplayer over telephone lines. Not every extension was commercially successful, but they show how console makers were testing ideas that later became normal parts of platform ecosystems.

The ranking changes considerably when we ignore library quality, innovation, and cultural influence and look only at hardware sales. Based on the latest manufacturer data available, these are the top-selling consoles of all time:

1. PlayStation 2. Sony. Sixth generation. 160+ million units.
2. Nintendo Switch. Nintendo. Eighth generation. 156.59 million units.
3. Nintendo DS. Nintendo. Seventh generation. 154.02 million units.
4. Game Boy / Game Boy Color. Nintendo. Fourth-generation handheld family. 118.69 million units.
5. PlayStation 4. Sony. Eighth generation. More than 117.2 million units.
6. Original PlayStation. Sony. Fifth generation. More than 102 million units.
7. Nintendo Wii. Nintendo. Seventh generation: 101.63 million units.

Sales and greatness do not produce exactly the same ranking. And this is an important note to remember.

Handheld hardware has followed a different path from traditional home consoles, with portability, battery life, controls, and software compatibility often mattering the most. These systems stand out when considering the best handheld console designs and their influence on portable game development.

Game Boy / Nintendo
The Game Boy established the cartridge-based handheld model and proved that battery life, affordability, and a strong library could outweigh technical limitations.

Nintendo DS/ Nintendo
Dual screens, touch input, a microphone, and wireless connectivity gave developers interaction options that conventional handhelds did not offer.

PlayStation Portable (PSP) / Sony
PSP pushed portable production closer to the scope of contemporary console games while adding multimedia playback.

PlayStation Vita / Sony
Vita combined dual analog sticks with a touchscreen, rear touchpad, cameras, and an OLED display on the original model, making it one of Sony's most ambitious attempts at console-style portable development. Its commercial reach was limited compared with PSP, but its hardware anticipated several ideas that became increasingly common in premium handheld gaming.

Nintendo Switch / Nintendo
The Switch blurred the line between handheld and home console by letting the same software run in portable and docked modes. That hybrid approach also made scalable UI and cross-platform games increasingly relevant considerations for teams targeting several hardware environments.

Steam Deck / Valve
Steam Deck brought established PC libraries into a console-like portable format. So this console is far from another closed handheld ecosystem. Its custom AMD APU, standardized controls, SteamOS, and compatibility tools gave developers a new reason to consider handheld performance profiles when supporting PC releases and the best upcoming co-op games. Valve describes it as an all-in-one portable PC gaming system.

Source: https://www.techradar.com/gaming/the-steam-deck-keeps-winning-me-over-heres-why-its-my-most-played-console-of-2024

Console generations group systems released during roughly the same technological era (usually based on shared advances in processing power, graphics, storage, media formats, and controls). The framework is not rigid (modern hardware cycles overlap), but generally nine generations of home consoles are recognized by the industry.

1. First generation: Magnavox Odyssey and Atari Home Pong
2. Second generation: Atari 2600 and Intellivision
3. Third generation: NES and Sega Master System
4. Fourth generation: SNES and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive
5. Fifth generation: Original PlayStation and Nintendo 64
6. Sixth generation: PlayStation 2 and the original Xbox
7. Seventh generation: PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
8. Eighth generation: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch

The ninth and current generation started in 2020 with PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, but Nintendo Switch 2 (released in 2025) is still on the market even though Nintendo’s hardware cycles don’t fit neatly into those categories. Generations also help to explain why lists of best-selling video game consoles can’t be compared based on hardware power alone: every system competed under very different technological and market conditions.

Hardware makes the possibilities, but games give a console its identity. The best console generations are remembered by worlds, characters, mechanics, and visual styles that developers built with what they had at their disposal.

The original PlayStation was defined by FFVII, Metal Gear Solid, and Gran Turismo; Nintendo 64 was Super Mario 64, Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and GoldenEye 007. Better hardware expands the production canvas, but it still takes art direction, thoughtful game design, and solid engineering to turn those capabilities into something players remember years later.

That challenge gets even more difficult when a project needs to work on several systems. Cross-platform development means keeping the same creative identity but adapting performance, controls, interfaces, assets, and technical requirements to different hardware. The final game should feel consistent even though much of the work behind each version is not.

Argentics is a full-cycle game development and game art studio. We work on projects from early concept to visual development through concept, engineering, testing, and release. If you have teams building their own title and looking for support along that process Argentics has game development services available.

Let’s talk about your project and which consoles you want it to be live on!