Sometimes, we look at consoles almo𓆏st like a means to an end, the games on the systems determining them. Video game consoles last in our minds much longer than that though. Those games cꦦan be incredible, but they can be ported. The console themselves have to stand out just as much.
And that's where their design comes in. We're focussing on pure looks here, not inherent practicality, unique features, or in comparison to anything else. Sometimes, a console can exceed its own library by merit of its looks alone, and there are plenty of iconic ones.
10 PS Vita
Did you know that vita means life? Because it doesn't seem like Sony did. Sony hasn't ever had a console that's failed, even with all the woes of the PS3. In fact, the PS Vita is basically the predecessor of the PS4, though Sony never gave it the support it deserv♓ed, especi♑ally in the West.
Good thing it had a strong design for it because unfortunately didn't have much else. It was a natural evolution of the PSP, though with a smoother design and a second analog stick. Its big feature was the patterned touchpad on the back that was criminally unde🃏rused and became the 𝓡basi🅺s for the DualShock 4 controller.
9 🗹 Nintendo 🐲Switch
Nintendo has a funny history with names, though they tend to veer towards the incredibly self-explanatory, and the Switch is no different. It switches between a handheld and home console, trading power for 🐼portability. But nothing is ever simple with Nintendo, and there are plenty of unique elements at pl🦩ay.
Both controllers detach separately, and can be used paired or individually. It can be held like a traditional portable, or put in its dock. It also has its own little kickstand, though don't trust it to work that well on the original, whereas it's excellent on the much-improved OLED model. Each individual piece of the Switch can seem basic, but the modular nature of it all makes it alluring, despite other internal pitfalls.
8 ♈ 𒐪 PlayStation
There is a whole bunch of history behind the original 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:PlayStation, and the console was a groundbreaking revolution i🌳n gaming and internals, but was something of a looker as well, now sporting a classic look we ﷺall know and love.
This isn't to say games consoles prior didn't have any style to them, quite the contrary. The original PS1 though was a simple thing, with only three buttons to open the console, turn it on and off, and reset it. But those buttons were so large and poppy, those edges defined but not too sharp. It had a presence and definition that made it obvious to use but not an eyesore either.
7 GameCube
The GameCube has a funny history to it, being remembered incredibly fondly for its controller and library of games. However, at the time of its release, it was actually a commercial failure for Nintendo, losing them considerable market share until the release of the Wii years later. Retrospe🎀ct is a powerful tool though, making its failures more obvious, but letting us appreciate the good too.
For one, the controller is still beloved and seen as essential for many Nintendo games, such as Smash Bros. Second, no one attempted a more, well, cubed design until the Xbox Series X. No one else has also been daring enough to make their console purple by default, and it's made the GameCube all the more memorable in the long run, especially since it had a handle to just carry it anywhere.
6 🥀PlayStation 5 🙈
It might seem unfair to include a console that's not even two years old yet on a list of best console designs, yet it can't be denied the exact vibe the PS5 exudes. All memes aside, it꧃ genuinely looks like an old fan edit, concepts that ran across YouTube videos in the Xbox ✨720 era. A better time, and one Sony for some reason felt necessary to harken back to.
There are a lot of daring choices in the PS5, and it seems Sony simply felt comfortable enough in their success that they would make some goliath that struggles to fit into an average TV unit. It could be argued it's not the best design, but it's so damn enticing that it's definitely not something that will be easily forgotten.
5 SNES
People pretty commonly fall into the trap of thinking the NES was there in the first round of home gaming systems, but rather it was just one of the few that kicked off their popularity. And after the great foundations laid by the NES, the SNES came along and cooked some of Nintendo's most famed game series' into existence.
No offense to the American SNES here, but it pales in comparison to the EU/JP version. Where the US version was a flat grey and hard lines, the latter was smoother with various shades and a bunch more colo﷽rs on the console and controller too. It gives off extreme cassette player vibes and was a small little shape that could fit anywhere too.
4 Xbox 360 (Original) ༒
The reveal of the original Xbox was a surreal, unforgettable experience, though the console itself... wasn't much to look at. It had a comedically large "x" plastered across the console, and the controller was frankly more popular, though it didn't inspire much love visually. And then the Xbox 360 came along and showed that Xbox had the means to make a console that had some fꦉun in its design and function.
The hourglass figure of the design is in༺credibly iconic now, though not as much as the segmented Xbox power button. Each section lit up to match the number of controllers connected, though it may be remembered more through the dreaded Red Ring of Death. The silver ejectin𒉰g disc tray along the length is reminiscent of a DVD player. It feels like a product of the time, and yet also incredibly timeless.
3 🃏 PlayStatio❀n 2 (Slimline)
Following on from the success of the PlayStation 1 despite a rocky development, Sony was at its full power with the PS2. Though a much larger console in comparison to the original PS1,🍒 it changed gaming forever. The later revision of the PS2 resulted in its dramatically downsized slim version, which is simply a superior design.
The slim version took the best elements of the original console, the flat top and ports, and ergonomic port placement. In fact, despite being dramatically smaller, almost everything is in the same position too⭕, with only the disc tray now popping open instead of ejecting. On top of that, it became easier to transport and store, and had all the same power as the original.
2 Game Boy
In the same way the NES is typically viewed as the first home console, the Game Boy is often seen as the first portable console. And though it wasn't, it was the first to make an impact and prove that portable gaming was something that could genuinely be great. In fact, the Game Boy proved it was great.
Of course, the Game Boy had its limitations. Its screen wasn't exactly the most visible and it obviously lacked the color of TVs back then, but it had genuinely high-quality games, a simple but easy-to-use design, and perhaps most importantly for a handheld console, could actually be transported in a pocket.
1 DS Lite
Initially developed to be complementary to the Game Boy Advance systems, the 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Nintendo DS (dual screen, in typical Nintendo style) quickly overshadowed it and became its successor. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:There was little else like it, before or since. 🐭Taking the clamshell design of the Game Boy Advance SP, the dual-screen became central to all games on the system.
Funny thing is, most people probably think of the DS Lite when they think of the console, having quickly replaced the bulkier original with a more ergonomic, smoother design that would become the basis for all future DS systems. There's a reason it's still the best-selling portable system there is, and it's because it excels everywhere a portable system should.
