The first video game console came out in the early 1970s and was quite rudimentary. Between then and 2025, which marked the release of the latest new console, the Nintendo Switch 2, there have been a ton of different consoles from several companies. PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo have stood the test of time as the big three, with others like Sega falling out of the race.
Not all of them have been good consoles, though. Pretty much every single brand has at least a misfire, with some, like the Nintendo Wii U, being egregious failures. But for the most part, they’ve all been pretty good. Here are the five best, though.
5. Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 was a fantastic console. It was innovative for online gaming, which is something so big today that it’s impossible to deny credit to Microsoft’s 2005 console. Despite primarily competing with the PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii a year later, it still sold really well.
The 360 also boasted a pretty good lineup of games for people to play, especially multiplayer titles. Call of Duty: Black Ops II, GTA V, Modern Warfare 3, Halo 3, Skyrim, Forza Motorsport 3, Gears of War, Batman: Arkham City, Fable II, and Left 4 Dead 2 are among the best games ever, and they’re all on the 360. The Kinect feature was a bit of a misfire, which prevents the 360 from placing any higher.
4. PlayStation 5
The PlayStation 5 is arguably the definitive modern console. It’s the most high-powered and is still easily winning the exclusive (even though they go to PC eventually) battle with Xbox. It also boasts one of the best controllers of all time with the DualSense.
While it can be argued that the PS5 era of games hasn’t quite been the generational leap that many expected, the games are flat-out good. Spider-Man 2, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Astro Bot, Demon’s Souls, Black Myth: Wukong, and Stellar Blade are among the best games available on the platform.
3. PlayStation 2
It is undeniable how good the PlayStation 2 was. It had a great controller, and it helped vault the brand to new heights. While the original PlayStation was good, the PS2’s success directly helped lead to future consoles, so there is no PlayStation 5 without it, obviously.
It also had a really solid lineup of games to play. GTA: San Andreas, Gran Turismo 3, Tekken 5, Final Fantasy X, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Kingdom Hearts, God of War, Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, and Ratchet & Clank are just some of the incredible games that this console had.
And without its success and those games’ success, there’s no God of War: Ragnarok and others, which only adds to the incredible lore of the PS2.
2. Nintendo Wii
The Nintendo Wii is fundamentally a brilliant console. Are the motion controls perfect? No, but they are unique, and they’re better than any other console that has attempted it. It’s the premier couch co-op console, too, and so many people still have and play this console all the time, even though it is almost two decades old now.
What’s more, the library of games is incredible. The Wii series, which includes Wii Sports, Wii Party, Wii Sports Resort, and Wii Play, is pretty much unmatched in terms of party games. But it also has Mario Kart Wii, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Super Mario Galaxy, Just Dance 3, and Donkey Kong Country Returns.
1. Nintendo Switch
It’s almost impossible to argue against the Nintendo Switch at this point. While the stats are a little inflated simply because Nintendo waited forever to make the Switch 2, it’s still one of the most successful consoles of all time. The Switch passed the PlayStation 2 last year for the most-sold console in the United States and trails just by a few globally.
It is the perfect console, too. It has a wealth of retro games accessible, which is something most other consoles cannot say. Where else can you play a new game and a game from the 1980s? Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and Super Metroid are all available thanks to Nintendo Switch Online.
And to top it all off, the Switch has a truly elite lineup of original games. This era for Nintendo is easily one of its best: Pokémon Legends: Arceus, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Super Mario Bros. Wonder, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 3, Pikmin 4, and that’s not remotely all of the excellent games the Switch has.
