Video Game consoles
Console |
Controller |
Games |
Odyssey - 1972
The first video game console sold to people. It hooked up to your television. It had two rectangle controllers that were connected with wires. The Odyssey came with 6 game cartridges that played 12 games. The games featured simple dots and lines on the screen. All games were played in black and white. The games had no sound. The Odyssey cost $99 (equivalent to $566 in 2016).
- First console
- Black and white
- Rectangle controllers
- Turning knobs on controllers
- Cartridges
- 12 games
- Simple lines and dots
- No sound
- $99 (equivalent to $566 in 2016)
Console |
Controller |
Games |
Atari - 1977
The Atari was the first console to use cartridges that had game code. It came with the game cartridge, Pacman. Atari had a range of 136 games, including ET, Pitfall and Donkey Kong. The Atari used joystick controllers. It's games used colour and 8-bit sound. It included 128 bytes of memory so you were able to save games. It's release price was US$199 (equivalent to $786.49 in 2016).
- Game code
- Joystick controllers
- Cartridges
- 2D
- 128 bytes of memory
- Save games
- Colour
- 8-bit sound
Console & controller |
Cartridge |
Games |
Nintendo Entertainment System - 1985
The original Nintendo. It was called 'The Family Computer' in Japan. It has been called 'The Greatest Console Of All Time'. The Nintendo Entertainment System broke all sales records with popular games Super Mario, Zelda and Metroid. It cost $299. It had 2000 bytes of memory and was able to save games. To play you used rectangle controllers with a directional pad and A B buttons.
- Japanese
- Mario, Zelda, Metroid
- Game cartridges
- 2D
- $299
- 2000 bytes of memory
- Rectangle controllers with wires
- Directional pad and A B buttons
- 8-bit processor
Super Nintendo - 1991
The Super Nintendo was a 16-bit processor console and began to move into 3D gaming. It introduced advanced graphics and sound. It's controllers included a directional pad and 4 coloured buttons. It had very popular games such as Donkey Kong Country. The Super Nintendo remained popular for a long time. The games continued to come in cartridges. It cost $199.
- Moving into 3D gaming
- Cartridges
- Controller with directional pad and 4 coloured buttons
- $199
- 16-bit processor
- 12800 bytes of memory
- Maximum 256 colours on screen
Console & controller |
Disc |
Game |
Playstation 1 - 1995
The most popular console of the 1990's. It had 3D texture and mapping. Playstation was the first console to use CDs instead of cartridges. CDs were able to hold more gaming data so the games were bigger and had much better graphics. Because the CDs had so much data on them ,games took a long time to load. Popular games included Crash Bandicoot, Spyro The Dragon, Tony Hawk Skateboarding and EA Sports games such as FIFA and NBA Live. The controllers had a directional pad, 14 buttons and two joy sticks. It also had controllers that vibrate. The Playstation had memory cards that came separately that you saved your games on.
- Controllers with 14 buttons
- Vibrating controllers
- Memory Cards
- Slow loading
- Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Tony Hawk Skateboarding, EA Sports
- 3D mapping and texture
- CDs
- 32-bit processor
Nintendo 64 - 1997
Nintendo's entry into the 32-bit era. Games still came in cartridges and had faster loading times than the Playstation. Nintendo 64 had 4 controllers with a directional pad, a joystick and 10 buttons. Popular games were Super Mario 64, Legend of Zelda, Banjo Kazooie, Pokemon Stadium and Goldeneye 007. Games could be saved on the cartridge. It cost $199.
- Fast loading
- Four controllers
- 3D mapping and texture
- Super Mario 64, Legend of Zelda, Banjo Kazooie, Pokemon Stadium, Goldeneye 007
- $199
- 64-bit processor
X-Box - 2001
Super computer company Microsoft's first console. Most powerful graphics of it's time. It had a 128-processor and a built in hard drive. It was big, clunky and very heavy. Xbox released one of the most popular games of all time, Halo. Xbox released Xbox Live, allowing gamers from across the world to play with each other over the internet.
- Big and clunky
- Very powerful computer
- Chunky controllers
- Xbox Live
- Able to play over the internet
Nintendo Wii - 2006
The Nintendo Wii introduced the Wii Remote controller, which can be used as a handheld pointing device and which detects movement in three dimensions. It is wireless. The Wii stores 512 megabytes of memory on an SD card. The Wii is the smallest of all Nintendo consoles.
- Wireless controller
- 512 Megabytes of memory on an SD card
- Very small console
X-Box 360 - 2006
The Xbox 360 expanded on Xbox live. It helped online gaming become massive all over the world. It has wireless controllers that used batteries. Xbox 360 came with headphones so you could talk to your friends. The Xbox 360 was much more slim and light compared to the Xbox.As well as games, it played and downloaded music and movies. It had 512 megabytes of storage. The Xbox 360 introduced Kinnect - a device that allowed people to control the Xbox with their voice and hand movements. It cost $407.
- Xbox Live
- Online gaming
- Slim and light
- Wireless controllers
- Headphones
- Movies and music
- 512 megabytes of storage
- Kinnect
- $407
Playstation 4 - 2013
The Playstation 4 has state of the art graphics. It's controllers are wireless with a touchpad and speakers. The controller also has a share button so you can share what you are playing with your friends. The Playstation 4 has an online store where you can buy games, watch movies and go on the internet. It stores 8GB of memory. Playstation has released a Virtual Reality Headset. You were it on your head over yours eyes. It makes you feel like you are in the game. Playstation 4 costs $500.
- State of the art graphics
- Controllers with touchpad and speakers
- Share button
- Virtual reality
- 8GB of memory
- $500