10 Best Video Game Console Revisions, Ranked

Video game consoles have long been, and continue to be, a dominant way to play video games. Whether it’s a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X/S, consoles offer an experience that gaming PCs can’t fully replicate. In addition, consoles tend to be more convenient than gaming PCs.

However, things aren’t always perfect the first time around, and this is especially true for consoles. Manufacturers often release new revisions to update or upgrade their hardware. Revisions like the PlayStation 3 Slim and Xbox 360 S offer players improved experiences compared to the original models.

10

The New-Style NES Can Play Almost Literally Every NES Game

But It Lacks Composite Video

The Nintendo Entertainment System is undoubtedly one of the most influential video game consoles ever made. It helped Nintendo usurp Atari as the dominant manufacturer of video game consoles, and it helped set the former up for a prosperous future. However, not all was well with the original model, especially with its loading mechanism prone to breakdowns with time, rendering even the best NES games completely unplayable.

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Nintendo addressed these issues with the release of the New-Style NES, commonly known as the NES-101. Unlike the original front-loading design, the New-Style NES featured a top-loading mechanism. It could play nearly every NES game, including unlicensed and European titles. However, a major drawback, especially compared to the identical Famicom AV released in Japan, is that the New-Style NES only supports RF output.

9

The PlayStation 3 Slim Debloated the PS3

But It Removed PS2 Game Support

The PlayStation 3 was Sony’s follow-up to the massively successful PlayStation 2. At launch, the PlayStation 3 had a notoriously high price, largely due to the capabilities of the original model. It featured Super Audio CD playback and a variety of flash memory card readers. While these features had their merits, they also contributed to the unnecessarily high cost of the original PlayStation 3 model.

In 2009, Sony released an important update to the PlayStation 3: a thinner model known as the PS3 Slim. This cost-reduced version removed most of the flash memory card readers and Super Audio CD playback. The lower price benefited the PlayStation 3, helping it surpass the Xbox 360. If only support for PlayStation 2 games hadn’t been removed.​​​​​​​

8

The Nintendo DSi Made the DS Into a Handheld Wii

It Also Got Rid of Game Boy Advance Game Compatibility

The Nintendo DS is arguably the best 32-bit handheld video game console ever made, which is more than just a superlative. It was basically a Game Boy Advance with two screens and a more powerful graphics processor, enabling more complex and visually impressive handheld titles. Coincidentally, the Nintendo Wii became one of the best home video game consoles ever made, prompting Nintendo to create a portable version of its experience.​​​​​​​

The result of Nintendo’s plan was the release of the Nintendo DSi, an upgraded version of the Nintendo DS. Functionally, it resembled a Wii in a clamshell design, featuring a Wii-inspired home screen and the ability to download games via the DSi Shop. However, a major drawback was the removal of the bottom cartridge slot, making the DSi incompatible with Game Boy Advance games and certain Nintendo DS add-ons.

7

The PlayStation 2 Slimline Made the PS2 Smaller

It Also Lacked the Expansion Bay

The PlayStation 2 was the wildly successful follow-up to Sony’s equally successful PlayStation console. It was a more powerful system, featuring a faster 64-bit processor, a stronger graphics chip, and four times the memory of the original PlayStation. As a result, games on the PlayStation 2 looked significantly better than anything that came before it, including those on the Nintendo 64 and Sega Dreamcast.​​​​​​​

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However, the original PlayStation 2 model was admittedly a little big and noisy, and it had features that weren’t necessary to experience the best PlayStation console. Sony addressed this with the release of the PlayStation 2 Slimline, which reduced the console’s size and removed the expansion bay designed for a hard drive. This change significantly lightened the PlayStation 2, allowing players to more easily enjoy its extensive library of solid titles.​​​​​​​

6

The Game Boy Advance SP Made the Game Boy Smaller

It Is Like a Precursor to the Nintendo DS

The Game Boy Advance was the long-overdue follow-up to Nintendo’s aging yet enduring Game Boy and Game Boy Color. Released in response to the launch of several high-tech competitors, the Game Boy Advance functioned much like a handheld Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Its graphical effects and sound capabilities fit that profile, making its games the best-looking on any handheld system at the time.​​​​​​​

However, the Game Boy Advance had a major flaw: the lack of a backlight or even a front light, making its innovative graphics difficult to see in certain conditions. Nintendo addressed this with the release of the Game Boy Advance SP, which featured a more compact clamshell design that foreshadowed the future Nintendo DS. Its standout feature was a built-in front light, which more than compensated for the absence of a headphone port.

5

The PS One Made the Biggest Video Game Console Smaller

It Also Supported an LCD Screen Attachment

The PlayStation was Sony’s wildly successful entry into the home console market. It largely overshadowed the dominant systems of the time, the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and later outperformed its contemporaries, the Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn. The PlayStation became a gold mine for the video game industry, producing countless great and best-selling PS1 games.​​​​​​​

Several years later, the PlayStation received an iconic hardware revision: the PS One. The PS One removed several rarely used ports and, more frustratingly, eliminated the separate reset button, leaving the power button to serve both functions. However, the PS One’s compact design more than made up for these changes. Paired with the optional LCD screen attachment, it offered a great way to enjoy many PlayStation classics.

4

The Sega Genesis Model 2 Is a More Modest Extreme

More Refinement Doesn’t Make It Less Edgy

The Sega Genesis was the more successful follow-up to the Sega Master System, the latter of which gained little to no traction outside Brazil. By contrast, the Sega Genesis, known outside North America as the Sega Mega Drive, was a worldwide success. It had fierce competition with the Super Nintendo, bringing the issue of superior graphics and sound to the forefront of the video game industry.

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In 1993, Sega released a refined version of the Genesis, known outside North America as the Mega Drive II and in North America as the Genesis Model 2. The Genesis Model 2 revision removed several unnecessary ports, including a volume slide and a headphone port. This sleek refinement would dominate the image of the Sega Genesis for the remainder of its life, with system add-ons reflecting this updated look.​​​​​​​

3

The Xbox 360 S Fixed the Xbox 360

The Xbox 360 Won’t Break Down as Easily Now

The Xbox 360 was Microsoft’s successful follow-up to the original Xbox console. It was far more powerful than Nintendo’s GameCube, Sony’s PlayStation 2, and even Microsoft’s own Xbox. For many, the Xbox 360 defined the state of video gaming in the 2000s and early 2010s. However, the original Xbox 360 model was notoriously prone to hardware failure, as evidenced by the infamous “Red Ring of Death.”

Microsoft addressed the Xbox 360’s issues with the release of the Xbox 360 S in 2010. This sleek refinement to the Xbox 360 video game console removed the unnecessary memory card ports and added built-in Wi-Fi to the system. While the original model may hold more nostalgic value, the Xbox 360 S offered improved reliability and functionality.​​​​​​​

2

The New Nintendo 3DS Made the 3DS Even Better

It Had a Faster Processor and Added Amiibo Support

The Nintendo 3DS was an advanced follow-up to the Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi. It initially faltered in the handheld video game console market but later picked up steam thanks to the launch of several popular titles. Today, the Nintendo 3DS is seen in a nostalgic light, owing to the rise of smartphone gaming that displaced the traditional mode of the handheld video game console.​​​​​​​

Adding to the nostalgia surrounding the 3DS was the launch of the New Nintendo 3DS a few years later. The New Nintendo 3DS improved on the original model in several ways. Its faster processor allowed New 3DS exclusive games to take full advantage of the system’s increased speed. Additionally, the New Nintendo 3DS included full Amiibo support, making it feel more like a portable version of the Wii U.

1

The Xbox One X Is a Very Fast Video Game Console

It Made the Most Powerful Video Game Console of Its Day Even More Powerful

The Xbox One is something of Microsoft’s PlayStation 3 moment, as it included features not seen as particularly necessary to play its line-up of games. This caused Sony to make a surefire comeback with their PlayStation 4 video game console, leaving the Xbox One in the dust. Despite this, the Xbox One is still fondly looked back on as a very powerful video game console for its day.

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In 2017, Microsoft released what is arguably one of the best video game console revisions ever made: the Xbox One X. Essentially, the Xbox One X was an even more powerful version of the Xbox One. It quadrupled the original model’s memory and featured a significantly faster processor. This made the Xbox One X a formidable console and a perfect substitute for the average gaming PC.