The most beautiful consoles in history

Index

Dreamcast (1998) Xbox One S (2016) Gamecube (2001) PlayStation 4 (2013) PlayStation Portable Go (2009) Atari 2600 (1977) Nintendo Wii (2006) Panasonic 3DO (1993) Super Nintendo (1990) Sega Mega Drive (1988) The announcement of PlayStation 5 has split the world of gamers in two. On the one hand there are those who appreciated the bold style of the new Sony console, while on the other there were those who would have preferred a somewhat more anonymous design, which would be less noticeable without the risk of attracting too much attention in everyday life. But the aesthetic impact of the next generation of consoles will actually be only the last chapter of a challenge with rounded corners and colors that has been taking place for decades in the homes of millions of people. Over time, the design of the consoles has in fact come in different shapes and colors, with a traditional or a little more extravagant appearance well before PlayStation 5 (and let's not forget Xbox Series X) showed itself to the audience of gamers.

Taken from the stimulation of our aesthetic sense gained with the discussions of the last few weeks on the appearance of the next generation consoles, we decided to draw up our ranking of the ten most beautiful consoles in history. To prepare it, we have given ourselves a few simple rules: changes and covers applied to the models that have arrived on the market are excluded, as are the various limited editions. Instead, we have included in the list of possible candidates all the revisions made after the model initially arrived on the market. You are ready? Here we go!

Dreamcast (1998)

at the top of the list of regrets the biggest in the history of the console will always be the Dreamcast. So take advantage of this special classification, to recognize the console published by Sega back in 1998 its merits, starting with a shape that's anything but trivial. While historically in the design of their console, many often focused on the desire to convey an idea of extreme power or expensive toy, the Dreamcast was pointing on a different philosophy. Already looking at the console you could tell it was designed with fun imprinted in the mind, thanks to an essential form, but at the same time pleasant to see, but especially to four ports per controller in plain view on the front. And what about the built-in modem? A precise idea of what would have been the future, had, unfortunately for Sega in advance of what would have been the spread of online gambling in the future years.

Xbox One S (2016)

The appearance of the original version of the Xbox One always reminded us that one of the old VHS video recorders that between the years '80 and '90 have accompanied the console inside of our homes as technology purchase. From the point of view of the shape we liked so much more than that of Xbox 360, before Microsoft decided to debut the new Xbox One S. An excellent review of the console release in 2013, and the envy of all purchasers of the first class now not only for its small size compared to the original (40% less), but for the coloring, which sees prevail in a stylish white with black trims. To accompany, we find a design much more stylish than the original, which makes the Xbox One's extremely pleasant to see. We dare say one of the most beautiful of this genre that you can currently want in the living room.

Gamecube (2001)

as already said above, many are historically concentrated in the creation of monoliths able to convey a sense of power, immovable, just looking at them, the Gamecube, Nintendo was bucking and it was just... a cube. Essential I can no longer in shape then, but at the same time with that doversoso touch of color is guaranteed by the purple, which with its effect shocking sopperiva to the lack of a design from the particular lines. An object designed to be manageable beyond belief, transportable, together with its small disc, not only around the entire house, but also to that of any friends without having to worry about its bulk specially reduced.

PlayStation 4 (2013)

It is presented, in our homes, so nearly anonymous, differentiating itself with its straight lines from curves that had marked the different versions of the PlayStation 3. At a distance of almost seven years, but we can say that the PlayStation 4 has aged well, both in its basic and Pro, to the point that we fear the impact it will have when to replace it there will be the more flashy PlayStation 5 with its white. A design that is elegant but unobtrusive, which is able to be appreciated more and more in the course of the years in the shape of a parallelepiped, nice to see both horizontal and vertical. We will miss him.

PlayStation Portable Go (2009)

Even if there is no podium, Sony still manages to place an important shotgun with the PlayStation Portable Go , which is the only portable console to enter in this ranking. Already in its basic version, the appearance of the PSP was in our opinion very interesting, but it is the edition Go arrived a few years later for us, most impressed under the aesthetic profile. With the retirement of the UMD drive, Sony took the opportunity to go to break cleanly with the old design of the PSP destinies by making their version even more stylish. Even if the form was indeed similar, the effect of the slide of the display still today, after more than a decade, could not leave indifferent.

the Atari 2600 (1977)

There was a time in which the tvs that we had in our homes, not had one screen ultra-thin but a magnificent cathode-ray tube to make them huge. In addition to the most common materials, exterior coatings, were of various kinds. The older ones also had the wood, taken to perfection by the Atari 2600 with a front fascia that makes it look today, undoubtedly vintage, but after more than forty years also extremely daring. A console is the protagonist and the symbol of an era in which at the end of the years '70 in the homes was the beginning of the technology boom, a period in which as well as the aforementioned belt of wood exudes from any other aspect of the Atari 2600. Bases think of the sticks above (among which the one for the ignition) or the joystick at super minimal. Poetry.

Nintendo Wii (2006)

as Well as its predecessor the Gamecube, even Nintendo's Wii remains a symbol of the ability of the company to the japanese to go against the current. While Microsoft and Sony were fighting with their console to the sound of rather significant dimensions, the Nintendo Wii arrived as a Gamecube with the idea to take advantage of all the spaces, even those that are reduced. Also thanks to the choices of this type, Nintendo foresaw the spread that the console would have then been in a lot of companies, with its 101 million of units sold, thus contributing to the affirmation of video games as a mass phenomenon. With his size, good, Nintendo Wii fit at any location without giving in the eye, including the one from the living room where he knew, however, make the figure of the once caught the eye of people present.

Panasonic 3DO (1993)

If the only appearance would be enough to establish itself on the market to the detriment of the competition, from the console forgotten for excellence 3DO would be today otherwise. Instead, they are only a few of us remember now of the existence of the platform is put on the market from Panasonic, which with its granite was able to summon even sacred images. The four pillars on which 3DO stood gave, in fact, the console on the appearance of a species of altar in the game, but they could also be seen as the four engines of a spaceship, projected towards the future. Too bad that with the arrival of the first PlayStation, these engines may never be able to light up fully, finishing in the wayside shortly afterwards.

Super Nintendo (1990)

With three different platforms, Nintendo can boast the largest number of consoles in this special top ten, where he could not miss the good old Super Nintendo. In this case, our luck was not to reside in North America, where the SNES came with a version that is much more ugly in terms of aesthetics compared to the harmonious marketed in Japan and Europe. A console entry in the history, instantly recognisable for its appearance recently returned to our homes thanks to the release of the SNES Mini. The spread of the latter confirms that even today, this console is loved by many, even in appearance.

Sega Mega Drive (1988)

We have been for a few minutes to look at side-by-side photos of the first Mega Drive Sega and Model 2, in order to understand which of them deserved to conclude this ranking. In the end he prevailed in the original design of the console, which has become a bit of a symbol of the '80s as well as the Atari 2600 was the 70's. The peculiarity of the design of the Mega Drive was not to look at any of the other platforms from the game, aiming straight to the world of audio equipment of the highest level (see volume control headphones) and to race cars. Just as the latter binds the famous round form raised where was the housing for the cartridges. With this series of choices Sega wanted to communicate the intention to target a more adult audience than the competitor, the Super Nintendo, but ended up having the best.

our ranking of the console, the most beautiful of the story ends here. What other would have deserved the second you find a place in this top ten? At the expense of who? Please let us know in the comments!