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History of video game consoles (eighth generation)

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History of video games

The eighth generation of video game consoles began in 2012. The eighth generation began with the release of Wii U. The PlayStation 4 was announced on February 20, 2013.[1] It was released worldwide on November 15, 2013. Microsoft announced the Xbox One on May 21, 2013.[2] It had its first regional release on November 22, 2013.[3] For handheld game consoles, the generation began in February 2011. The first handheld was the Nintendo 3DS. The PlayStation Vita was released in December 2011 in Japan. It was available for the Western countries in February 2012.

It is believed by the video game media that the eighth generation home consoles compete with the smartphone, tablet, and Smart TV gaming markets.[4][5][6][7][8][9] Because of this, some analysts incorrectly believed the eight generation would be the last generation of home consoles.[10] Other microconsoles such as the NVIDIA Shield, Steam Box, Ouya and GameStick are attempting to compete in this market.[11][12][13] Nintendo officially discontinued the Wii U on January 31, 2017 in anticipation of the March 3, 2017 worldwide release of the Nintendo Switch. The Switch is a "hybrid" console that acts as both a home console and handheld device, and it is unclear if it is a late entry to the eighth generation or the beginning of a ninth generation of home consoles. Computer science teacher Mr. Kerry, has taught pupils about these consoles for years and believes the generations of consoles will stop at around gen 10.

Systems

Comparison

Name Wii U PlayStation 4 Xbox One
Logo      
Manufacturer Nintendo Sony Microsoft
Console   File:Ps4-system-imageblock-us-13jun14.png  
Release dates November 18, 2012 November 15, 2013 NA: November 22, 2013

EU: November 22, 2013 (some countries, September 2, 2014, for others)

AU: November 22, 2013

BR: November 22, 2013

JP: September 4, 2014

CN: September 29, 2014

Launch prices Basic Model
  • US$299.99
  • £/€, set by individual retailers
  • A$348.00
  • ¥26,250

Deluxe/Premium Model

  • US$349.99
  • £/€, set by individual retailers
  • A$428.00
  • ¥31,500
 US$399.99, €399.99, £349.99 US$499/€499/£429/JP¥49,980/CN¥3,699
Units shipped Worldwide: 13.56 million (as of 16 December 2016)[14] N/A N/A
Best-selling game Mario Kart 8, 8.26 million units (as of 31 December 2016)[15] N/A N/A
Media Wii U Optical Disc @ 22.5MB/s
25 GB (single layer)[16]		 Blu-ray, DVD Blu-ray, DVD
CPU Tri-Core IBM PowerPC "Espresso"[17] Octa-Core AMD "Jaguar" Octa-Core AMD
GPU AMD Radeon "Latte" GPGPU @ 550 MHz[18] Custom AMD Radeon, architecture and performance similar to a Radeon 7870 @ 800 MHz[19] Custom AMD Radeon, architecture and performance similar to a Radeon 7790 @ 800 MHz[19]
Memory 2 GB DDR3 RAM

(1 GB available for games / 1 GB available for system)

8 GB GDDR5 RAM

(7 GB available for games / 1 GB available for system)

8 GB DDR3 RAM

(5 GB available for games / 3 GB available for system)

Storage 8 GB (Basic), 32 GB (Deluxe/Premium) internal flash memory
Supports up to 32 GB SDHC memory cards (for Wii mode) Up to 2 TB USB hard disk drive[20] for e-Shop games & save storage 		HDD with unconfirmed capacity 500 GB HDD
Video

† Resolutions other than 576i and 480i available via HDMI and YPBPR only.

† Resolutions other than 576i and 480i available via HDMI only.

  • 4K, 1080p, 1080i and 720p
  • HDMI in / HDMI out
Integrated 3DTV support Yes[21] Yes Yes
Second screen Off-TV Play Remote Play SmartGlass
Audio
  • Analog stereo via the Analog AV port.
  • Six-channel PCM linear output via HDMI
 TBA TBA
Peripheral abilities
Controller
Online services
Nintendo Network[24]

Accounts

Social network

Miiverse

Games

Cloud storage

TBD

Communication

  • Wii U Chat (video calls/voice chat)
  • Friend List (up to 100 friends)
    • Block List
    • Player History (online players met)
  • Notifications
  • SpotPass
  • Cross Platform with Nintendo 3DS

Online Shop

Nintendo eShop

Entertainment

Internet Navigation

Loyalty Programs

Other Utilities

  • Parental controls
  • eManuals[32]
  • Nintendo Customer Service (video game console warranty and help/repair support)
  • Nintendo Online Store (physical products only)

System Update

Wii U System Update
Miiverse3DS [b]
  • Personal Profile (up to 400 characters)
  • Communities:
    • Game/App communities
    • News communities
    • Developer's Room communities
    • Private communities
  • Share:
    • Comments & Drawings
    • Activity Feed (most recent post of any followed users)
    • Accomplishments
    • Tags (records/challenges)
    • In-game screenshots
    • YouTube videos
  • News Feed
  • Friend List (up to 100 friends)
  • Follow (Profile can follow up to 1000 users)
  • Instant messaging
  • Notifications
 N/A
Nintendo eShop

Games/Apps

Entertainment

Nintendo TVii
PlayStation Network Xbox Live
Regional lockout Yes[33] TBA TBA
Games can be shared/resold without a fee Yes Yes Yes
Requires an Internet connection No No[34] No
List of games List of Wii U games List of PlayStation 4 games List of Xbox One games
Backward compatibility Nintendo optical discs

Downloadable only

Optical disc/download

Not compatible with PlayStation 3 titles due to hardware incompatibility; other systems unannounced

Gaikai cloud streaming (not at launch)

Compatible with some Xbox 360 and Xbox titles

Handheld consoles

Handheld comparison

Name Nintendo 3DS / 3DS XL PlayStation Vita
Logo    
Manufacturer Nintendo Sony
Console    
Release dates Nintendo 3DS
  • JP 26 February 2011
  • EU 25 March 2011
  • NA 27 March 2011
  • AUS 31 March 2011

Nintendo 3DS XL

  • JP 28 July 2012
  • EU 28 July 2012
  • NA 19 August 2012
  • AUS 23 August 2012
 All versions
  • JP 17 December 2011
  • EU 22 February 2012
  • NA 22 February 2012
  • AUS 23 February 2012
Launch prices Nintendo 3DS
  • ¥25,000
  • US$249.99[35]
  • £/€, set by individual retailers[36]
  • A$349.95[37]

Nintendo 3DS XL

  • ¥18,900
  • US$199.99
  • £/€, set by individual retailers
  • A$249.9
 Wi-Fi
  • ¥24,980
  • $249
  • €249
  • £229.99

Wi-Fi+3G

  • ¥29,980
  • $299
  • €299
  • £279.99[38]
2013 prices Nintendo 3DS
  • $169.99[39]
  • €169.99
  • ¥15,000[40]
  • A$249.99[40] (as of 12 August 2011)

Nintendo 3DS XL
Same as launch prices

Wi-Fi
  • ¥19,980

Same as launch prices
Wi-Fi+3G

  • ¥19,980

Same as launch prices

Units shipped Worldwide: 31.09 million (as of 31 March 2013)[14] Worldwide: 2.2 million (as of 30 June 2012)[41]
Best-selling game Super Mario 3D Land, 8.29 million units (as of 31 March 2013)[42] N/A
Display Top:
Autostereoscopic (3D) LCD 800 × 240 px (400 × 240 px per eye)
  • 3.53 in (90 mm) (Nintendo 3DS)
  • 4.88 in (124 mm) (Nintendo 3DS XL)

Bottom:

2D LCD Touchscreen 320 × 240 px QVGA
  • 3.02 in (77 mm) (Nintendo 3DS)
  • 4.18 in (106 mm) (Nintendo 3DS XL)
 5 in (130 mm) OLED 960 × 544 px[43]
3D enabled Yes No
CPU Dual-core ARM11 MPCore Quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore[43][44]
GPU Digital Media Professionals PICA200 PowerVR SGX543MP4+[43]
Memory 128 MB FCRAM, 6 MB VRAM 512 MB RAM, 128 MB VRAM[45]
Camera One front-facing and a set of two rear-facing 3D 0.3 MP (VGA) camera sensors Front and rear 0.3 MP (VGA) camera sensors[43]
Storage

2 GB (1.5 GB usable) NAND flash internal storage
Supports up to 128GB SDXC cards, and up to 32GB SDHC cards[46]

  • 2 GB SD card included (Nintendo 3DS)
  • 4 GB SDHC card included (Nintendo 3DS XL)
 No internal storage
4 GB to 32 GB of proprietary removable memory sticks
Media Nintendo 3DS Game Card (1–8 GB)
Nintendo DS Game Card (8–512 MB) 		PlayStation Vita Game Card (2–4 GB)
User interface
Battery Nintendo 3DS
1300 mAh lithium-ion battery
  • 3DS Mode: 3–5 hours
  • DS Mode: 5–8 hours

Nintendo 3DS XL

1750 mAh lithium-ion battery
  • 3DS Mode: 3.5–6.5 hours
  • DS Mode: 6–10 hours

(determined by screen brightness, Wi-Fi, sound volume, and 3D effect)

All versions
2200 mAh lithium-ion battery
  • Gameplay: 3–5 hours
  • Video playback: 5 hours
  • Music: 9 hours[49]

(determined by screen brightness, Wi-Fi, sound volume, and whether 3G is active)

Connectivity
Stylus Nintendo 3DS
Extendable up to 100 mm (3.9 in) long

Nintendo 3DS XL

96 mm (3.8 in) long
 N/A
Weight Nintendo 3DS
235 grams (8.3 oz)

Nintendo 3DS XL

336 grams (11.9 oz)
 Wi-Fi model
260 grams (9.2 oz)

Wi-Fi+3G model

279 grams (9.8 oz)
Dimensions Nintendo 3DS
  • 134 mm (5.3 in) W
  • 74 mm (2.9 in) D
  • 22 mm (0.87 in) H

Nintendo 3DS XL

  • 156 mm (6.1 in) W
  • 93 mm (3.7 in) D
  • 22 mm (0.87 in)
 All versions
  • 182 mm (7.2 in) W
  • 83.6 mm (3.29 in) D
  • 18.6 mm (0.73 in) H[43]
Online services
Nintendo Network
Accounts
  • Universal Friend Code System (Friend Card)
  • Personal Mii (one linked per account)
  • Friend List (up to 100 friends)

Social network

Miiverse

Games

Communication

Online Shop

Nintendo eShop

Entertainment

Internet Navigation

Loyalty Programs

Other Utilities

  • Parental controls
  • eManuals[32]
  • Nintendo Customer Service (video game console warranty and help/repair support)
  • Nintendo Online Store (physical products only)

System Update

Nintendo 3DS System Update
Miiverse
  • Personal Profile
  • Comunities:
    • Game/App communities
    • News communities
    • Developer's Room communities
    • Private communities (online matchmaking)
  • Share:
    • Comments
    • Drawings
    • Accomplishments
    • Tags (records/challenges)
    • In-game screenshots
    • YouTube videos
  • News Feed
  • Friend List (up to 100 friends)
  • Instant messaging
  • Notifications
Nintendo eShop

Games/Apps

Entertainment

  • Nintendo TV (Official Nintendo Magazine)
  • Short Films
  • Nintendo eShop News
  • Nintendo Direct
Sony Entertainment Network
Preloaded applications
  • Trophies
  • PlayStation Store
  • Friends
  • Party
  • Group Messaging
  • Notifications
  • Music
  • Videos
  • Photos
  • Internet Browser
  • Email
  • Maps
  • Settings
  • Content Manager
  • Remote Play
  • Cross-Controller
  • Welcome Park
  • near
Regional lockout Yes[54] No[55]
List of games List of Nintendo 3DS games List of PlayStation Vita games
Backward compatibility Nintendo Game Cards

Downloadable only

Downloadable only

References

  1. ↑ PS4 release date specs confirmed
  2. ↑ "Microsoft Confirms Next-Gen Xbox Announcement". IGN. 2013-04-24. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
  3. ↑ Bass, Dina; King, Ian (30 November 2012). "Microsoft Said to Plan Next Xbox for 2013 Holiday Season". Bloomberg. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
  4. ↑ Cull, James (20 June 2011). "Nvidia Tegra: The Future of Android Gaming". appstorm.net. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  5. ↑ "Mobile Gaming is Dominating the Gaming Industry". Geekaphone. 27 July 2011.
  6. ↑ Alpeyev, Pavel (19 June 2011). "Nintendo May Fail to Replicate Wii Success as IPhone Games Bloom". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2011-06-22.
  7. ↑ Gallagher, Dan (21 June 2011). "Sony, Nintendo Place Big Bets on Handhelds". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2011-06-22.
  8. ↑ Agnello, Anthony John (9 February 2012). "Will Smart TVs End the Game Console Business?". InvestorPlace. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  9. ↑ "PlayStation 2 manufacture ends after 12 years". The Guardian. 4 January 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
  10. ↑ "PlayStation 2 manufacture ends after 12 years". The Guardian. January 4, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
  11. ↑ Langshaw, Mark; Reynolds, Matthew (January 13, 2013). "Can Android consoles Ouya, Project Shield challenge PlayStation, Xbox?". DigitalSpy.com. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
  12. ↑ Kelly, Tadhg (January 10, 2013). "With Ouya, GameStick, Steam Box and more, will 2013 be the year of the 'microconsole'?". Edge Online. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
  13. ↑ Pereira, Chris (January 15, 2013). "Digital and Nontraditional: Breaking Down Ouya, Steam Box, And Other New Wave Systems". 1up.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Consolidated Sales Transition by Region" (PDF). Nintendo. 2016-12-16. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
  15. ↑ "Nintendo Top Selling Software Sales". Nintendo. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 01 March 2017. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  16. ↑ By Spencer . 13 September 2012 . 12:04 am (13 September 2012). "Wii U Has 2GB of Main Memory, Discs Are 25GB". Siliconera. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  17. ↑ Mudgal, Kartik (29 November 2012). "Wii U CPU and GPU Clock Speeds revealed, slower than PS3/360". GamingBolt.com. Retrieved 29 November 2012.
  18. ↑ "AMD and Nintendo Join Forces in Creating A New Way to Enjoy Console Gaming Entertainment". Marketwire.com. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Xbox One vs. PS4 vs. PC: How the hardware specs compare".
  20. ↑ "| Wii U Internal Storage Space Information". Nintendo.com. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  21. ↑ Navarro, Alex (7 July 2011). "Nintendo Begrudgingly Acknowledges Wii U 3D Support". Giantbomb.com. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  22. ↑ "Xbox One hardware and specs: 8-core CPU, 8GB RAM, 500GB hard drive and more". Engadget.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "How to Start an 8-Player Smash Battle (Super Smash Bros. Wii U) | Nintendo Support". en-americas-support.nintendo.com. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
  24. ↑ "Corporate Management Policy Briefing/Third Quarter Financial Results Briefing for Fiscal Year Ending March 2012". Nintendo.co.jp. 27 January 2012. Retrieved 2012-08-17.
  25. ↑ Whitehead, Thomas (2012-10-23). "The Wii U Nintendo Network Will Connect to EA's Origin". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 2012-10-24.
  26. ↑ Jackson, Mike (2012-11-10). "Ubisoft targeting UPlay for Wii U 'sometime after launch'". ComputersAndVideoGames.com. Retrieved 2012-11-12.
  27. ↑ "Mario Kart 8". www.nintendo.com. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
  28. ↑ "Nintendo TVii End of Service FAQ | Nintendo Support". en-americas-support.nintendo.com. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
  29. ↑ http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu/features/browser-specs
  30. ↑ "Club Nintendo Program Discontinuation | Nintendo Support". en-americas-support.nintendo.com. Retrieved 2017-03-02.
  31. ↑ "My Nintendo / e-Shop points". Retrieved 03/01/2016. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 "We'll be right back". gengame.net.
  33. ↑ "Wii U Will Be Region-Locked – IGN". Uk.ign.com. 24 September 2012. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  34. ↑ "Michael Denny on PS4′s philosophy, future & building something both developers & gamers want". Archived from the original on 1 June 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2013.
  35. ↑ Kaluszka, Aaron (19 January 2011). "3DS North American Price, Date, Colors Set". Nintendo World Report.
  36. ↑ $250 3DS launching March 27 GameSpot
  37. ↑ Nick Vuckovic (8 February 2011). "Nintendo 3DS launches in Australia on March 31st for $349". Vooks.net. Archived from the original on 2011-03-10. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
  38. ↑ Bob Munir (6 June 2011). "E3: Sony's PlayStation Vita due end of 2011 for $249". destructoid.com. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
  39. ↑ "An exciting message for people who own a Nintendo 3DS and those who want to". Nintendo.com. Retrieved 2011-08-04.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 "3DS price cut 40% in Japan, now $169.99 in the U.S. – Video Games Reviews, Cheats". Geek.com. 28 July 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-10-30. Retrieved 2011-08-04.
  41. ↑ Gilbert, Ben (20 August 2012). "PlayStation Vita sales topped 2.2 million worldwise as of June 30". Joystiq.com. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  42. ↑ "Nintendo Top Selling Software Sales". Nintendo. 24 April 2013. Retrieved 2013-04-24.
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 43.3 43.4 43.5 43.6 "Official PlayStation website: PlayStation Vita, PS Vita". Archived from the original on 2012-10-30. Retrieved 2011-03-07.
  44. ↑ "Sony outs tech specs for NGP". VG247. 27 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-04.
  45. ↑ ""PlayStation®Vita" Expands Its Entertainment Experience by Introducing Various Applications for Social Networking Services and Communications". SYS-CON Media. 17 August 2011.
  46. ↑ "Nintendo 3DS can accept 128GB SDXC cards". Nintendo Everything. 28 August 2012.
  47. ↑ "Nintendo 3DS™ family of systems – Official Site - Compare Systems". www.nintendo.com.
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 48.2 48.3 48.4 48.5 48.6 Cullen, Johnny (24 January 2011). "Sony outs tech specs for NGP". VG247. Retrieved 25 January 2011.
  49. ↑ Lowe, Scott (22 December 2011). "How Good is the PS Vita's Battery Life?". IGN. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  50. ↑ "Nintendo 3DS To Get E-Book Service In Japan". Siliconera. {{cite web}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  51. ↑ Nintendo Shares Updated 3DS Specs Archived 2012-05-25 at Archive.today andriasang.com
  52. ↑ Nintendo 3DS features Game Coins system Archived 2011-04-06 at the Wayback Machine aussie-nintendo
  53. ↑ DS games on 3DS – a few more details Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine GoNintendo
  54. ↑ "Nintendo 3DS Region Locked – IGN". Uk.ign.com. 11 January 2011. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
  55. ↑ Pereira, Chris. "Vita is Not Region Locked, Says Sony Exec". 1up.com. Retrieved 2012-11-19.
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