The generation offered few signature hardware innovations.Sony andMicrosoft continued to produce new systems with similar designs and capabilities as their predecessors, but with improved performance (processing speed, higher-resolution graphics, and increased storage capacity) that further moved consoles into confluence with personal computers, and furthering support fordigital distribution andgames as a service.Motion-controlled games of theseventh generation had waned in popularity, but consoles were preparing for advancement ofvirtual reality (VR), with Sony introducing thePlayStation VR in 2016.[1][2] Sony focused heavily on its first-party developers and console exclusives as key selling points, while Microsoft expanded its gaming services, creating theXbox Game Pass subscription service for Xbox and Windows computers, and itsxCloud game streaming service. Microsoft and Sony consoles saw mid-generation refreshes, with high-end revisionsPlayStation 4 Pro and theXbox One X, and lower-costPlayStation 4 Slim andXbox One S models that lacked some features. As of September 2023, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One families had sold an estimated 117 and 58 million units, respectively.
Nintendo remained on a separate path from Sony or Microsoft in itsblue ocean strategy. The Wii U was designed to be a more robustWii to appeal to dedicated gamers, but its means and intended use cases were lost in how it was marketed. The Wii U substantially undersold Nintendo's projections, selling only 13.5 million units by its discontinuation in 2017, which drove Nintendo to release the Nintendo Switch by 2017, its design and marketing accounting for several of the faults of the Wii U while meeting a broad range of global demographics and possible gaming configurations, including hybrid use between a home and handheld console. Later, Nintendo released theNintendo Switch Lite, a version that lacked the Switch's docking capabilities but had other component optimizations and was otherwise compatible with all games, and theNintendo Switch – OLED Model, a mid-lifetime refreshed model that featured an OLED screen with a built-in Ethernet port for a wired internet connection, though it did not introduce any performance improvements. By June 2025, all Switch models have shipped over 158.92 million units,[3] outselling the Wii and ranking third in all-time console sales.
Handheld consoles fought against increasing pressure ofmobile gaming. TheNintendo 3DS and 2DS succeeded theNintendo DS line, while thePlayStation Vita was the successor to thePlayStation Portable. Combined shipped units of the Nintendo 3DS/2DS family had reached 75 million by September 2019, but the Vita was estimated to have only sold about 10 million by the end of 2015. Sony discontinued the unit in 2019 and stated it had no present plans for handheld systems. Nintendo discontinued the Nintendo 3DS in 2020, ending the Nintendo DS families of systems. The Switch Lite acts as its de facto handheld successor.
The eighth-generation console market was also influenced by the lifting ofChina's ban on video game consoles in 2015, as well as the growth of the mobile gaming sector. A number of retromicroconsoles were also released during this period.
In November 2020, Sony and Microsoft released thePlayStation 5 andXbox Series X and Series S respectively. Considered to be their highly anticipatednext-generation systems, they continue the trend from the eighth generation with overall general improved computational performance, graphical output, and strongbackward compatibility support to minimize the disruption of upgrading to the new platform.
This generation was predicted to face competition fromsmartphones,tablets, andsmart TVs.[4][5][6][7][8][9] In 2013, gaming revenue onAndroid overtook portable game console revenue, while remaining a distant second toiOS gaming revenue.[10] Infiscal year (FY) 2013 (ending early 2013), Nintendo sold 23.7 million consoles,[11] while Apple sold 58.2 millioniPads in FY 2012 (ending late 2012).[12] One particular threat to the traditional console game sales model has been thefree-to-play model, wherein most users play free, and either a small number of dedicated players spend enough to cover the rest, or the game is supported by advertising.[13]
The PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Wii U all useAMDGPUs, and two of them (PS4 and XBO) also use AMDCPUs on anx86-64 architecture, similar to commonpersonal computers (as opposed to the IBMPowerPC Architecture used in the previous generation). Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony were not aware that they were all using AMD hardware until their consoles were announced.[14] This shift was considered to be beneficial formulti-platform development, due to the increased similarities between PC hardware and console hardware. It also provided a boost inmarket share for AMD (which had faced increased competition fromIntel in the PC market).[15]
Cloud gaming options for the consoles also were developed in the eighth generation.PlayStation Now enables cloud gaming of PlayStation 2, 3, and 4 games to current PlayStation consoles and personal computers. Microsoft began developing a comparable servicexCloud for Xbox and Windows games.Google releasedStadia, a dedicated cloud gaming platform designed around reduced latency and advanced features not typical of these other cloud gaming options.
While earlier console generations generally lasted five to six years, the shift from seventh to eighth generation lasted about eight.[19] Unusually, the prior generation's best-selling unit, the Wii, was the first to be replaced in the eighth generation.[19] In 2011, Microsoft and Sony officials said they considered themselves only halfway through a ten-year lifecycle for their seventh-generation offerings.[20][21][22][23] The companies also said the addition of cameras andmotion-based controllers like Xbox'sKinect andPlayStation Move extended these systems' lifetimes.[24] Nintendo presidentSatoru Iwata said that his company would release the Wii U due to declining sales of seventh-generation home consoles and that "the market is now waiting for a new proposal for home consoles".[25] Sony considered making its next console a digital download-only machine, but decided against it due to concerns about the inconsistency of internet speeds available globally, especially indeveloping countries.[26]
The introduction of the high-end PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X in 2016 and 2017, respectively, led to some journalists to call these machines part of a "half generation" step within the 8th generation, new consoles that would continue to drive sales without introducing a significantly different line of hardware that would segment their consumer base.[27][28]
In 2020, Microsoft and Sony released their 9th-generation consoles:Xbox Series X andPlayStation 5. Both said they wanted a soft transition, meaning that the new hardware plays most or all of the platform's previous games.[29][30][31][32] Microsoft said Xbox Series X can play all Xbox One games, including games from the Xbox 360 and original Xbox console that are playable on the Xbox One, and introduced its Smart Delivery program to update some Xbox One games to enable play on the Xbox Series X. Sony has said the "overwhelming majority" of PlayStation 4 games play on the PlayStation 5, and that many run at higher frame rates and resolutions.[33]
The eighth generation of consoles also saw manufacturers re-enter the Chinese market. Since 2000, the Chinese government had banned the sale and distribution of video game consoles, citing concerns on their effect on youth. The ban led console gaming to a niche sector, including ablack market for the purchase of these consoles, while also causing personal computing gaming to take off within China, including the spread ofInternet cafes andPC bangs.[34] This ban lasted through January 2014, where the Chinese government first opened up to allow the sale of consoles in theShanghai Free-Trade Zone (FTZ).[35] By July 2015, the ban on video game consoles was wholly lifted.[36] Access to the Chinese video game market is lucrative, having an estimated 500 million potential players[37] and representing overUS$24 billion in revenues as of 2016.[38]
Microsoft and Sony quickly took advantage of the lifting of the ban, announcing sales of the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 platforms within the FTZ shortly after the 2014 announcement. Microsoft established a partnership with BesTV New Media Co, a subsidiary of theShanghai Media Group, to sell Xbox One units in China,[39] with units first shipping by September 2014.[40] Sony worked withShanghai Oriental Pearl Media in May 2014 to establish manufacturing in the FTZ,[37] with the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita shipping into China by March 2015.[41] CEO of Sony Computer EntertainmentAndrew House explained in September 2013 that the company intended to use the PlayStation Vita TV as a low-cost alternative for consumers in an attempt to penetrate the Chinese gaming market.[42]
Nintendo did not initially seek to bring the Wii U into China; Nintendo of America presidentReggie Fils-Aimé stated that China was of interest to the company after the ban was lifted, but considered that there were similar difficulties with establishing sales there as they had recently had with Brazil.[43] Later, Nintendo had teamed up withTencent by April 2019 to help sell and distribute the Nintendo Switch as well as aid its games through the Chinese government approval process led byNational Radio and Television Administration.[44][45]
In November 2010, Nintendo of America CEOReggie Fils-Aimé stated that the release of the next generation of Nintendo would be determined by the continued success of theWii.[46]Nintendo announced its successor to the Wii, the Wii U, at theElectronic Entertainment Expo 2011 on June 7, 2011.[47] After the announcement, several journalists classified the system as the first eighth generation home console.[19][48][49] However, prominent sources have disputed this because of its comparative lack of power and older disc media type with respect to the announced specifications for PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One.[50][51]
The Wii U's main controller, theWii U GamePad, features an embedded touchscreen that can work as an auxiliary interactive screen in a fashion similar to the Nintendo DS/3DS, or if compatible with "Off TV Play", can even act as the main screen itself, enabling games to be played without the need of a television. The Wii U is compatible with its predecessor's peripherals, such as theWii Remote Plus, theNunchuk, and theWii Balance Board.[52]
The Wii U was released in North America on November 18, 2012, in Europe on November 30, 2012, and in Japan on December 8, 2012. It came in two versions, the whiteBasic Model and the blackDeluxe/Premium Model, at the price of $299 and $349 US Dollars, respectively. On August 28, 2013, Nintendo announced the production of the Basic model has ended and expected supplies to be exhausted by September 20, 2013. On October 4, 2013, the Deluxe/Premium model was price cut from US$349 to US$299.[53]
The Wii U was initially expected to have lifetime sales of about over 100 million, comparable to the Wii.[54] However, it only managed to have lifetime sales of about only 13 million, in sharp contrast with the Wii. This financially hurt Nintendo, with several financial quarters running at a loss through 2014. Nintendo had anticipated the Wii U would sell similarly to the Wii, but it ended up selling worse than theGameCube and became Nintendo's least successful home console to date.[55] Nintendo officially discontinued the Wii U on January 31, 2017, due to its commercial failure, to make way for its second competitor, the Nintendo Switch, released one month later.[56]
On February 20, 2013, Sony announced the PlayStation 4 during a press conference inNew York City. The console places an emphasis on features surrounding social interaction. Gameplay videos can be shared via thePlayStation Network and other services. Users can stream games being played by themselves or others (either through the console, or directly toTwitch). TheDualShock 4 is similar to the previousDualShock 3 controller with the addition of atouchpad and a "Share" button along with aLight-emitting diode bar on the front to allow motion tracking. ThePlayStation Camera camera accessory is offered for the system, withstereo camera lenses up to 1280×800px resolution with support for depth sensing similar to Microsoft'sKinect. It also remains compatible with thePlayStation Move peripherals.Second screen capabilities are available throughmobile apps and thePlayStation Vita, as well ascloud gaming streaming through theGaikai service.[57][58]
The PlayStation 4 was released on November 15, 2013, in North America and November 29, 2013, in Australia and Europe at US$399.99, A$549 and €399 respectively.
On May 21, 2013, Microsoft announced the Xbox One at an event inRedmond, Washington. The console focuses on entertainment, including the ability to pass television programming from aset-top box over HDMI and use a built-inelectronic program guide, and the ability forcomputer multitasking by snapping applications (such asSkype andInternet Explorer) to the side of the screen, similarly toWindows 8. The controller has "Impulse Triggers" that provideHaptic technology feedback, and the ability to automatically record and save highlights from gameplay. An updated version ofKinect was developed with a1080p camera and expanded voice controls. Originally bundled with the console it has since been excluded.[59][60]
The Xbox One was released in North America, Europe, and Australia on November 22, 2013, at a launch price of US$499.99, €499 and A$599 respectively with Japan, and was later released in 26 other markets in 2014. It had two mid-generation upgrades, one cheaper option released in 2016 called the Xbox One S, and the other called the Xbox One X which added 4K gaming. Microsoft claimed that the Xbox One X was the "World's most powerful console" and 40% more powerful than any other console at the time of its release.
Production of the Xbox One family of consoles were discontinued shortly after the launch of their successor, theXbox Series X and S, at the end of 2020.[61]
Due to the commercial failure of the Wii U, along with competition frommobile gaming, then-presidentSatoru Iwata sought to revitalize the company by creating a new strategy for Nintendo that includedembracing mobile gaming, and developing new hardware that would be attractive to a wider range of audiences.[62] The hardware product was announced under the codename NX in a press conference held withDeNA on March 17, 2015,[63] and fully revealed as theNintendo Switch on October 20, 2016. It was released worldwide on March 3, 2017, competing with the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.
The Switch is considered by Nintendo a home console that has multiple ways to play. The main unit, the Console, is a tablet-sized device with a touch-sensitive screen. It can be inserted into a Docking Station which allows games to be played on a connected television. Alternatively, twoJoy-Con, motion-sensitive controllers comparable to the Wii Remotes, can be slotted onto the sides of the Console so the unit can be played as a handheld. Further, the Console can be set on a kickstand, allowing multiple players to see the screen and play games with separate Joy-Con. Additionally, Nintendo built the Switch on standard industry components, allowing for ease of porting games onto the system using standard software libraries andgame engines rather than Nintendo's usual proprietary approaches. This enabled them to bring several third-party and independent game developers on board prior to launch to assure some third-party games in their software library.
Despite the Switch being significantly weaker in terms of processing power than its competitors, it was met with critical praise and commercial success. Nintendo had anticipated selling about 10 million Switches in the first year of release but ended up exceeding this projection with total first-year sales of over 17 million units, exceeding the Wii U's lifetime sales. In late 2017, the Nintendo Switch was the fastest selling console in US history, and in November 2018 it was the fastest selling of all the 8th generation consoles in the US.[64]
A hardware revision, the Switch Lite, was announced on July 10, 2019, and was released on September 20, 2019. The unit integrates the Joy-Con onto the main console with a smaller form-factor, making the unit strictly handheld rather than a hybrid system. Further details are described below under Handhelds. A refreshed model, the Nintendo Switch – OLED Model, was announced on July 6, 2021, and was released on October 8, 2021, featuring a 7-inch OLED screen, a wider and adjustable stand, enhanced audio, a wired LAN port built into the dock, and 64 GB of internal storage.
This table lists all major consoles and subsequent mid-generation releases, and does not include minor revisions or hardware changes, such as the "slim" revision of the PlayStation 4.
Comparison of eighth-generation video game home consoles
When lying down on its side: Width: 172mm (6.7in) Height: 46mm (1.8in) Length: 268.5mm (10.5in) (can be oriented vertically using a stand)
Console laying flat: Width: 102 mm (4.0 in) Height: 13.9 mm (0.55 in) Length: 203.1 mm (8.00 in)(Console only) 239 mm (9.4 in)(Joy-Con attached) (must be oriented vertically)
Console laying flat: Width: 102 mm (4.0 in) Height: 13.9 mm (0.55 in) Length: 203.1 mm (8.00 in)(Console only) 239 mm (9.4 in)(Joy-Con attached) (must be oriented vertically)
PlayStation 4 When lying down on its side: Width: 275mm (10.8in) Height: 53mm (2.0in) Length: 305mm (12.0in) (can be oriented vertically using a stand)
PlayStation 4 Slim When lying down on its side: Width: 265mm (10.4in) Height: 39mm (1.5in) Length: 288mm (11.3in) (can be oriented vertically using a stand)
When lying down on its side: Width: 295mm (11.6in) Height: 55mm (2.2in) Length: 327mm (12.9in) (can be oriented vertically using a stand)[143]
When lying down on its side: Width: 309mm (12.1in) Height: 83mm (3.2in) Length: 258mm (10.1in) (must be oriented horizontally)[146]
When lying down on its side: Width: 295mm (11.6in) Height: 64mm (2.5in) Length: 227mm (8.9in) (can be oriented vertically using a stand)[92]
When lying down on its side: Width: 300mm (11.8in) Height: 60mm (2.4in) Length: 240mm (9.4in) (can be oriented vertically using a stand)[106][147]
Weight
1.5 kg (3.3 lb)
0.297 kg (0.65 lb)(Console only) 0.398 kg (0.88 lb)(Joy-Con attached)
0.319 kg (0.70 lb)(Console only) 0.420 kg (0.93 lb)(Joy-Con attached)
Stereo output via extension port on controller (requires adapter for 3.5mm jacks) and via 3.5mm jack port (present only on 2nd and 3rd controller revisions)
^Select games from previous generations are available for digital purchase and download on Nintendo's eShop. This is limited to games published by third parties, or specifically ported to the Nintendo Switch. NoVirtual Console system exists, and no legacy games purchased on previous consoles may be transferred to the Nintendo Switch, as they could be from the Wii to the Wii U.
^PlayStation Now cloud support for selected PlayStation 3 games began in January 2015 for North America. Subscription required.[98]
^Select Xbox 360 andXbox games; Requires download of digital version of game at no additional charge to existing owners of the game.[99][100][101]
^abc64kB per core (32kB for instructions and 32kB for data).
^The quad-coreARM Cortex-A57 cluster has a total of 320kB ofL1 cache, distributed by 80kB per each core (48kB for instructions and 32kB for data). The quad-coreARM Cortex-A53 cluster has a total of 256kB of L1 cache, distributed by 64kB per each core (32kB for instructions and 32kB for data).
^Cores 0 and 2 have 512kB ofL2 cache each, while core 1 has 2MB.
^Consoles manufactured after August 2019 featured chips made on the 16nm process, improving battery life and performance. These consoles were shipped featuring slightly different boxes those manufactured before August, but Nintendo has not otherwise differentiated between the two models.
^abWhen docked, thegraphics processing unit (GPU) can run at from 307.2 to 768MHz (capable of 0.157 to 0.393TFLOP/s, respectively). When undocked, the GPU can run at from 307.2 to 460MHz (capable of 0.157 to 0.236TFLOP/s, respectively).
A trend starting from the eighth generation of handheld systems was the general shift from dedicated handheld gaming consoles to mobile gaming on smart devices, such assmartphones andtablets. As such, smart devices had eroded sales of dedicated handheld gaming consoles, with analysts of the time predicting that smart devices would have replaced handheld gaming consoles.[176]
The Nintendo 3DS was released in Japan on February 26, 2011; in Europe on March 25, 2011; in North America on March 27, 2011;[182][183] and in Australia on March 31, 2011. On July 28, 2011, Nintendo announced a major price drop starting August 12. In addition, as of September 2011 consumers who bought the system at its original price have access to tenNintendo Entertainment System games before they are available to the general public, after which the games may be updated to the versions publicly released on theNintendo eShop. In December 2011, tenGame Boy Advance games were made available to consumers who bought the system at its original price at no charge, with Nintendo stating it has no plans to release to the general public.[184]
On June 21, 2012, Nintendo announced a bigger model of the 3DS called theNintendo 3DS XL. Both screens are 90% larger than the original 3DS, but the resolution is the same. It also has a slightly longer battery life. It was released on July 28, 2012, in Europe and August 19, 2012, in North America as well as Australasia on August 23, 2012, and Brazil on September 1, 2012.[185]
On August 28, 2013, Nintendo announced a low cost, 2D version of the 3DS called theNintendo 2DS. This redesign plays all Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS games, albeit without a stereoscopic 3D option. Unlike previous machines of the DS family, the Nintendo 2DS uses aslate-like design instead of aclamshell one. The console launched on October 12 in both Europe and North America[186] as well as Australasia.[187]
On August 29, 2014, Nintendo announced an enhanced revision of the 3DS called theNew Nintendo 3DS andNew Nintendo 3DS XL. The newer system uses microSD cards rather than full-sized and has a second analog "nub" input, the C-stick, Super-Stable 3D™ (face-tracking technology that allows the glasses-free stereoscopic 3D display to constantly adapt to the user's exact eye position as the player shifts his or her arms and body) and an upgraded processor that allows for more advanced NN3DS-exclusive games (e.g., a 3D port of acclaimed Wii gameXenoblade Chronicles) which cannot be played on the original Nintendo 3DS/2DS, although New Nintendo 3DS can still be played with all 3DSand mostDSi games. It was released in Japan on October 11, 2014; in Australasia on November 21, 2014; in Europe on February 13, 2015; in North America on February 13, 2015, for the XL version. The smaller version for North America was released on September 25, 2015, bundled with the gameAnimal Crossing: Happy Home Designer.[188] In April 2017, Nintendo announced theNew Nintendo 2DS XL, released in Japan on July 13, 2017, and in North America on July 28, 2017. It is a streamlined version of the New Nintendo 3DS XL, with identical screen sizes, but with a thinner build and without stereoscopic 3D.[189]
The 3DS family was formally discontinued in September 2020.
The device is backward-compatible with a subset of the PSP andPS One games digitally released on thePlayStation Network via thePlayStation Store.[196] The graphics for PSP releases are upscaled, with a smoothing filter to reduce pixelation.[197]
Lifetime sales of the Vita have not been released by Sony but have been estimated between 15 and 16 million.[198][199] Sony discontinued the PlayStation Vita on March 1, 2019,[200] and has no plans for a successor.[201][202]
Nintendo released the Nintendo Switch Lite, a hardware revision of the Switch, worldwide on September 20, 2019. Designed as a less expensive version of the Switch, the Switch Lite integrates the Joy-Con onto the hardware unit itself, eliminating some of the Joy-Con's features, which prevents a small number of games in the Switch's library that exclusively require television or tabletop modes from being used on the Switch. Additionally, the Switch Lite cannot be docked. The unit is smaller and lighter than the main Switch console, and uses updated lower-powered hardware that improves its battery performance. It otherwise supports all other features of the Switch, including its communication capabilities.
^Robinson, Martin (June 4, 2009)."E3 2009: 360 to Stick Around Until 2015". IGN.Archived from the original on February 20, 2014. RetrievedNovember 11, 2010. "The Xbox 360's recently unveiled motion control technology will help extend the console's life span into 2015, according to Microsoft executive Shane Kim."
^次世代コンソールゲーム機 「プレイステーション 5」に名称決定 [Next generation game console named "PlayStation 5"] (press release) (in Japanese), Sony Interactive Entertainment, October 8, 2019, archived fromthe original on October 20, 2019, retrievedDecember 2, 2019
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