Sony's PlayStation 2 is the best-selling game system overall with over 155 million units worldwide.[1] A home video game console is a standardized computing device tailored for video gaming that requires a computer monitor or television set as an output.[2] These self-contained pieces of electronic equipment[2] weigh between 2 and 9 pounds (1–4 kg) on average,[3] and their compact size allows them to be easily used in a variety of locations with an electrical outlet.[3] Handheld controllers are commonly used as input devices. Video game consoles may use one or more data storage device, such as hard disk drives, optical discs, and memory cards for downloaded content.[3] Each are usually developed by a single business organization.[2] Dedicated consoles are a subset of these devices only able to play built-in games.[4][5] Video game consoles in general are also described as "dedicated" in distinction from the more versatile personal computer and other consumer electronics.[6][7][8] Sanders Associates engineer Ralph H. Baer along with company employees Bill Harrison and Bill Rusch licensed their television gaming technology to contemporary major TV manufacturer Magnavox. This resulted in Magnavox Odyssey's 1972 release—the first commercially available video game console.[9] A handheld game console is a lightweight device with a built-in screen, games controls, speakers,[10] and has greater portability than a standard video game console.[3] It is capable of playing multiple games unlike tabletop and handheld electronic game devices. Tabletop and handheld electronic game devices of the 1970s and early 1980s are the precursors of handheld game consoles.[11] Mattel introduced the first handheld electronic game with the 1977 release of Auto Race.[12] Later, several companies—including Coleco and Milton Bradley—made their own single-game, lightweight tabletop or handheld electronic game devices.[13] The oldest handheld game console with interchangeable cartridges is the Milton Bradley Microvision in 1979.[14] Nintendo is credited with popularizing the handheld console concept with the Game Boy's release in 1989[11] and continues to dominate the handheld console market.[15][16] Best-selling game consolesThe Game Boy (combined with the Game Boy Color) was the first handheld system to sell over 100 million units, selling 118.69 million units worldwide. It popularised the handheld gaming market. The Nintendo DS product line are the best-selling handheld consoles, selling 154.02 million units worldwide. The original DS sold 18.79 million units. The majority of sales came from the DS Lite at 93.86 million units.[17] Latter two members of the DS product line, the DSi and DSi XL, helped to further drive sales by moving 41.37 million units combined.[17] The first popular home console, the Atari 2600 (1980 version pictured), was released in 1977.[18] Sony's PlayStation Portable signified the company's debut in the handheld market. Forbes editor Penelope Patsuris noted "The competition marks the first time that a company with real clout has challenged the lock that Nintendo has had on handheld gaming for 15 years."[15] The following table contains video game consoles that have sold at least 1 million units worldwide either through to consumers or inside retail channels. Each console include sales from every iteration unless otherwise noted. The years correspond to when the home or handheld game console was first released—excluding test markets. Each year links to the corresponding "year in video games". # Background shading indicates consoles currently on the market. Million-selling game consoles
>Final sales are greater than the reported figure. See notes. Notes
References
1 WonderSwan Famitsu sources
2 Release year sources
Bibliography
|