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Created by American physicist William A. Higinbotham for visitors at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Tennis for Two is credited as the first video game. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Credited as the first arcade game machine, Atari's Computer Space released in 1971. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
The Magnavox Odyssey was the first home video game console to release. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Atari's first of many home consoles, the Atari 2600. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Due to the over saturation of the video game market with simple, uninspired video games, the video game market crashed. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/
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Known as the Famicom in Japan, Ninendo's NES released in 1985, and is credited for reviving the video game market. Some games that released on this console are Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda released on this console. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Sega's second console, the Master System, released in October of 1986 to compete with Nintendo's NES. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Revolutionizing the idea of handheld gaming on the go, Nintendo released the Game Boy on April 21, 1989. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
The first of the fourth generation video game consoles, the Sega Genesis released in 1989. It featured competitive 16 bit graphics. Sonic the Hedgehog released on this console. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Nintendo's first 16 bit console, the SNES released in 1991. It directly completed with the Sega Genesis. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
The Sega Saturn was the first of the fifth generation of video game consoles to release. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Sony's first video game console, the PlayStation released in 1995. It was the first console to use compact discs, and it allowed its users to also play music CDs on it. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Known for its iconic games such as Super Mario 64, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Banjo-Kazooie, the Nintendo 64 was the last of the fifth generation video game consoles to release. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Sega's last home console, the Sega Dreamcast released in 1999. It was the first of the sixth generation of video game consoles to release. It was also the first console to feature online play. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Known for being the best selling console of all time, the PlayStation 2 is Sony's second console that they released. A main factor for the PlayStation's success was the success of the PS2 was its ability to play DVDs on it. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Nintendo's sixth generation console, the GameCube released in 2001. Games like Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Mario Sunshine are featured on this console. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Microsoft's first console, the Xbox released in 2001. Despite Microsoft being new to the video game market, their Xbox outsold both Sega's Dreamcast and Nintendo's GameCube. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
The leading game marketplace on PC, Steam, released on September 12, 2003. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
The best selling handheld console of all time, the Nintendo DS, released on November 21, 2004. It was the first console to feature two screens, with the lower one being a touch screen. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Microsoft's second console, and the first console in the seventh generation of video game consoles, the Xbox 360, released in 2005. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Releasing almost exactly one year after the Xbox 360, Sony's PlayStation 3 released on November 17, 2006. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
The best selling console out of the seventh generation consoles, Nintendo's Wii released on November 19, 2006. Its success can mainly be contributed to its unique motion controls, marketing the Wii in the light that anyone can play it. -
Nintendo's largest disappointment in a console, the Wii U, released on November 18, 2012. Not counting the Virtual Boy, the Wii U is Nintendo's worst selling console to date, only selling 13.56 million units. -
The second eighth generation console, the PlayStation 4, released on November 15, 2013. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Microsoft's part in the eighth generation of consoles, the Xbox One, released on November 22, 2013, just days after the PlayStation 4. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Rounding off the eighth generations of consoles, Nintendo released the Nintendo Switch on March 3, 2017 to great success. The Nintendo Switch became the third best selling console of all time with 139.36 million units being sold. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Starting off the ninth generation of consoles, Microsoft released their Xbox Series X/S on November 10, 2020. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/ -
Quickly following Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S, Sony's PlayStation 5 released on November 12, 2020. Source: https://www.museumofplay.org/video-game-history-timeline/