A practical analysis by Rodrigo Copetti
Looking at the evolution of video game consoles is fascinating. While conventional PCs tend to evolve ‘incrementally’, new generations of consoles introduce completely new ways of working. What you see here is a series of articles aimed at uncovering the rationale behind the latest trends in technology. They will also demonstrate why each system can’t be summarised by its ‘bits’, megahertz, amount of RAM and whatnot.
This is not a developer manual, just an in-depth introduction to how each system works internally. Bear in mind that tech has gotten really complicated lately, so if you struggle to follow my latest articles, try reading the early ones first. They introduce many concepts and definitions that are constantly revisited.
Basic knowledge of computing is preferable, however, I try really hard to adapt my content for wider audiences, so please don’t be afraid to give it a try! But if that’s not enough, you may want to look at the supporting readings.
While I try to be as accurate as possible, if you find any mistakes please give me a shout. Finally, if you prefer reading offline, check out the multiple book editions.
Without further ado, here they are!
3rd generation
Known as '8-bit' consoles, these machines brought more sophisticated graphics and richer sounds than their predecessors. After all, a big market crash just occurred and newer standards had to be set.
Outstanding GPU features: Scrollable tile maps and larger colour palettes.
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
More than a 6502 machine
Sega Master System
Competent straight out of the box
4th generation
DMA, horizontal interrupts, multiple modes... These are some examples of the new concepts that brought the new '16-bit' generation, opening the door to new genres of games.
Notable CPU advancements: Multiplication and division instructions, DMA and dual-processing.
Outstanding GPU features: Affine transformations and horizontal interrupts.
PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
A small but quick leap
Mega Drive / Genesis
New techniques of composition
Game Boy / Color
Simple and portable
Super Nintendo
Old hardware with mind-blowing features
5th generation
3D gaming has become a need but 'how' is not clear yet. The response? Every company presented their own different vision.
Notable CPU advancements: Pipelined datapaths and L1 cache.
Outstanding GPU features: Programmable vertex pipelines, Z-buffering and perspective corrections.
Sega Saturn
What can you do with 8 processors?
PlayStation
A confident newcomer
Virtual Boy
Hidden potential with an unfortunate ending
Nintendo 64
A constrained performant
6th generation
Most of the graphics limitations from the previous generation are no more. Portable consoles start to resemble familiar systems.
Notable CPU advancements: Superscalar architectures, SIMD instructions and L2 cache.
Outstanding GPU features: Programmable pixel pipelines and anisotropic filters.
PlayStation 2
Overshadowing superiors
Game Boy Advance
Colourful technology powered by two AA batteries
7th generation
Consoles have evolved into supercomputers and multimedia hubs. These machines are now more capable than just playing games, which is why security is now a critical factor.
Notable CPU advancements: Thread level parallelism and symmetrical multi-core architectures.
Outstanding GPU features: Unified shader model and HDR rendering.
Nintendo DS
Novel forms of interaction
PlayStation Portable
'Portable' does not imply 'Limited'
Xbox 360
A supercomputer for the rest of us
PlayStation 3
A supercomputer from another planet
Wii
Unique techniques of innovation
8th generation
The entertainment market has now been conquered by cheap smartphones and tablets. Social media capabilities become the first priority of every peripheral. It's time for traditional video-game companies to renovate their status quo, and they better do it quick.
Nintendo 3DS
Abundant tech, confusing marketing
Roadmap
There are many consoles I could write about... If you are wondering what's next on my list here it is:
### Next articles
- Sony PSVita (Part 2)
- Nintendo Switch
### Retro consoles / In-between the next articles
- Panasonic 3DO
- Atari Jag
- Atari 2600
- WonderSwan
- Mega Drive add-ons (MegaCD and 32x)
#### Personal computers repackaged as consoles
- Apple Pippin
- Atari XEGS
- Amiga CD32
### Modern consoles / More research needed
- Sony PlayStation 4
- Microsoft Xbox One
- Sony PlayStation 5
- Microsoft Xbox Series X/S
- Playdate
### Honourable articles / For another series
- Commodore 64
- Amiga 500 (featuring the Original Chip Set)
- Amiga 3000 (featuring the Enhanced Chip Set)
- Amiga 4000 (featuring the Advanced Graphics Architecture)If you find my articles interesting then please consider donating. Your contribution will be used to fund the purchase of tools and resources that will help me to improve the quality of existing articles and upcoming ones. I also provide a list of interesting materials to acquire at the end of each article.
You can also buy the book editions in English. I treat profits as donations.
As a token of gratitude, your name will be included in the credits section of the next article or your nominated one, unless stated otherwise.
Stay updated
I post updates on my Twitter profile, but you can also get an email when a new article is out. You can unsubscribe at any time, I use Mailchimp to handle this.
Afterword
If you want to know more about this series, here I've compiled common questions that people have asked me in the past.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why do you care about old hardware/consoles?
Because I believe it’s the best way to properly comprehend present (and future) technology. Current advancements don’t pop out of nowhere, they may even carry past technology that only became popular many years later. Moreover, learning the fundamentals also allows me to filter misinformation out (which I’ve seen plenty of).
Apart from that, it’s continuous food for thought.
Have you thought about turning this series into a book?
Definitely! I already started compiling the series and actively expanding. Furthermore, if you’re an editor/publisher and would like to work together on this, please get in touch.
Can you write about X?
Chances are I’d like to, however, time and budget are my main constraints.
I know information about X that could help your article.
I found a mistake here (…).
Please open an issue on the Github repo so I can review it (and other people can contribute as well).
I don’t mind being wrong! But I can only do so much if people keep the corrections for themselves or only discuss them on a separate forum.
Which is better, the PlayStation 7 Pro Max or the Xbox Series 720 Slim?
The point of the articles is so you can form an educated opinion by yourself. Although, nothing beats the Nintendo Switch U 64 OLED!
Something else.
You can also check out the about page or drop me a line.