25 Best Video Game Consoles Ever, Ranked

Yes, the console suffered from some pretty infamous technical issues. Yes, Nintendo eventually allowed the console to be flooded with sub-par titles. However, the NES remains both a magical part of gaming’s history as well the oldest console you could likely still enjoy to this day.

4. Sony PlayStation

Despite thoroughly beating its clearest competition (the Sega Saturn) right out of the gate, Sony never let up when it came to evolving the PlayStation. As a result, they not only quickly established themselves as a true industry player but helped reshape the entire idea of what gaming hardware could and should provide. 

The PlayStation’s multimedia functionality and library of mass-market masterpieces made it a centerpiece of entertainment centers across the world. Unlike the Wii, though, the PlayStation didn’t really rely on gimmicks to reach people who had previously expressed only a passing interest in gaming (at best).

Instead, the PlayStation’s functionality and Sony’s commitment to cinematic presentation simply inspired everyone to look at gaming in ways they never really did before. All the while, PlayStation’s numerous all-time great developers were able to push some of their biggest, boldest, and best ideas to new audiences that were more willing than ever to reconsider what a video game was. Hell, some are still nostalgic for the console’s beautifully blocky visuals. 

It’s a testament to the quality of the N64 that the PlayStation isn’t considered to be the runaway cultural winner of its generation. From its controller to its library, nearly everything about the PlayStation feels wonderfully modern without sacrificing many retro charms. 

3. Nintendo DS

The Nintendo DS was always something of a Trojan Horse. While the handheld’s main marketing gimmicks were its two screens and touchscreen capabilities, the true ace up the Nintendo DS’ two sleeves was the absurd quality of its library. 

The Nintendo DS is arguably the last Nintendo console that is least defined by the quality of its Nintendo games. Yes, most of those first-party games were exceptional, but they were the tip of the iceberg. Capcom, Konami, Atlus, Level-5, and more all brought their A+ games to the handheld. It was the kind of platform that not only brought the best out of those that contributed to it but inspired all-time great talents to consider entirely new kinds of experiences. Remarkably, 150+ million people joined them for the ride.

Based on how things are going now, the DS will likely end up being the greatest standalone piece of handheld gaming hardware ever made.

2. Super Nintendo

You can’t overstate the difficult position the NES faced, but you shouldn’t underestimate the challenges the SNES had to endure. After all, millions of gamers during the early ‘80s weren’t necessarily burned by introductory consoles; they were burned by successive consoles of diminishing returns that belittled the entire idea that new was better. The NES was incredible, but did people really need a “super” Nintendo?

Obviously, we know the answer to that question is a resounding ‘yes.” Some of the best Super Nintendo games are indeed superior versions of their NES counterparts. However, many of the best SNES games offered something that nobody had ever dreamed of before. That’s what the SNES really was; it was a dream factory. 

Does that sound corny? Who cares. The SNES made people believe that gaming was capable of not only growing with new technology but growing far beyond their expectations. It was the home of wildly entertaining games as well as absolute art that has only become more powerful and poignant over the years. We may never see such an incredible collection of talent unite over a console quite the way they united over the SNES. 

1. PlayStation 2

I tried to argue against the idea that the best-selling video game console ever is also the best video game console ever. Ultimately, though, 155+ million people had it right. The PS2 represents the absolute apex of console gaming. 

We can talk about the intangibles. The DVD player, the failures of the competition, the delayed releases of the Xbox and GameCube…it’s not that they don’t matter, but rather that they only tell a small part of a larger story. The PlayStation 2 offered a home gaming experience that sometimes felt too great to be true. Both legacy studios and the greatest emerging developers rallied around this beautifully designed console in order to continuously challenge each other with an often unbelievably steady stream of all-time classic releases. The appeal of the PlayStation 2 remains surprisingly powerful to this day. While many of its best games have since found homes elsewhere, you can never fully recreate its absurdly stacked library with any other device.

In the midst of an all-time great console generation, it was nearly impossible to imagine not owning a PlayStation 2. It was a crowd-pleaser that revolutionized the industry as it set sales records. You’re not hopelessly nostalgic for the PS2 era; you just can’t help but love a console that elevated absolutely everything.