Console Wars: Through the Generations
An argument between many gamers today is about which console is the best. Some argue that one is better than the others due to its exclusives, (PlayStation. This is an argument made for the PlayStation 4) while others believe that the most powerful console is the best. The latter is what we’re focusing on today, as we take a quick look into what the most powerful console has been throughout the generations, starting with the GameCube, PS2, and original Xbox era, since this was the first place where the Big Three were in competition.
Starting with the first (first we’re comparing, as there were definitely consoles before this) generation, an article by Popular Mechanics gives us more than we need to answer the question. As the article discusses, the PlayStation 2 was the oldest of the consoles and had a slight disadvantage due to this. With more time to be put into the GameCube and original Xbox, they were more powerful than the PS2. To rank them from least powerful to most powerful, we have: PS2, GameCube, then Xbox.
PS2 (Wikipedia) 
GameCube (Wikipedia) 
Xbox (Wikipedia)
Moving to the next generation, we will have the PS3, Nintendo Wii, and Xbox 360 face off against each other. Of the three generations that we’re covering today, this one is likely the most difficult to answer, due to the increasingly different specs used by consoles. Using an article by ITProToday, we can see a direct comparison of specs between the consoles, and I’m making the conclusion that the Wii isn’t even in the contest (a theme from this point forward). With the Wii out of the way, there can still be difficulty determining which console is most powerful, but, I’m giving the win to the Xbox 360 due to some slight differences. This puts the rankings in this generation, from least powerful to most powerful, as such: Wii, PlayStation 3, then Xbox 360.
The next generation is the most recent (excluding the next, which will start soon). This generation, we have the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and (to give Nintendo a slight boost over the Wii U incident) the Nintendo Switch. In order to make this less complicated, since there are multiple different models of each system (even the Switch, although it only has a longer-lasting battery), we’ll base judgment off of the base models that shipped at launch. With the craze over the newer models, it can be difficult to find exactly which console was the most powerful at launch, but, to simplify this, I can assure that the tides changed with this generation and the PS4 came out on top in terms of power, followed by the Xbox One and then the Nintendo Switch. PCMag has an interesting article about the differences between the consoles that I found fun to read, so, I recommend checking it out here: PCMag.
Fun Fact: While Nintendo has not won the power contest since the other two of the big three entered the contest, it continues to push innovation more-so than its competitors, with the Wii introducing motion controls, the Wii U being a hybrid console, displaying on the TV and having a sort of gamepad functionality, and finally, the Nintendo Switch being the first portable console that is fully functional whether docked and displayed on a TV/monitor or in handheld mode, delivering convenience to players no matter their situation.
Gaming Cafe image from: Pinterest
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