List of best-selling game consoles
Platform Firm Released Units sold
PlayStation 2 Sony 2000 155 million
Nintendo DS Nintendo 2004 154.02 million
Game Boy , Game Boy Color Nintendo 1989 , 1998 118.69 million
PlayStation 4 Sony 2013 108.9 million
PlayStation Sony 1994 102.49 million
Wii Nintendo 2006 101.63 million
PlayStation 3 Sony 2006 87.4 million
Xbox 360 Microsoft 2005 84 million
Game Boy Advance Nintendo 2001 81.51 million
PlayStation Portable Sony 2004 80-82 million ( estimate )
Nintendo 3DS Nintendo 2011 75.71 million
Nintendo Entertainment System Nintendo 1983 61.91 million
Nintendo Switch Nintendo 2017 52.48 million
Super Nintendo Entertainment System Nintendo 1990 49.1 million
Xbox One Microsoft 2013 46.9 million ( estimate )
Sega Genesis Sega 1988 35 million
Nintendo 64 Nintendo 1996 32.93 million
Atari 2600 Atari 1977 30 million
Xbox Microsoft 2001 24 million
GameCube Nintendo 2001 21.74 million
A video game console is a standardized computing device tailored for video gaming that requires a monitor or television set as an output. These self-contained pieces of electronic equipment weigh between 2 and 9 pounds (1-4 kg) on average, and their compact size allows them to be easily used in a variety of locations with an electrical outlet. Handheld controllers are commonly used as input devices. Video game consoles may use one or more storage media like hard disk drives, optical discs, and memory cards for content. Each are usually developed by a single business organization. Dedicated consoles are a subset of these devices only able to play built-in games. Video game consoles in general are also described as dedicated in distinction from the more versatile personal computer and other consumer electronics. 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. A handheld game console is a lightweight device with a built-in screen, games controls, speakers, and has greater portability than a standard video game console. It is capable of playing multiple games unlike tabletop and handheld electronic game devices. Tabletop and handheld electronic game devices of the 1970s and 1980s are the precursors of handheld game consoles.