So with PC's and mobile phones flying off shelves, consoles and handhelds seem to be going down in demand. Even though it is a possibility a resurgeance could occur, many predict that they will shortly die. But which will die first? As of now in 8th gen, here are stats. (note: using data from 50th week of sales in first year)

PS4- 17.3m (Dec. 13th 2014)

XB1- 10.1m (Dec. 13th 2014)

WiiU- 4.6m (Dec. 14th 2013)

Average units sold: 10.6

3DS- 10.7m (Dec. 15th, 2012)

PSV- 3.8m (Dec. 15th, 2012)

Average units sold: 7.3m

3DS is hard to add in because it was there for less than the others. Only one holiday (not even completed) of sales and not a full year, but it was on the market for quite some time by then.

Let's look at last gen now.

Wii- 17.3m (Dec. 15th, 2007. Side not, PS4 and Wii are neck and neck on here, despite a smaller launch for Wii)

PS3- 8.1m (Dec. 15th, 2007)

XB360- 7.2m (Dec. 16th, 2006. Also note, almost 1m lower than PS3 at this point)

Average Sold: 10.9m

DS- 11.9m

PSP- 8.8m

Average sold: 10.4m

So as probably everyone predicted, everything has gone down. But which gap is wider?

Consoles: 10.9-10.6= 0.3m gap

Handhelds: 10.4-7.3= 3.1m gap

Even if the whole year of 3DS 2011 was added, little would change. The gap would still be wider than consoles.

Proof that the consoles will last longer than handhelds? No, take it as you see it. Just showing the gap from gen on gen. But I think Nintendo will make both until they're completely out of money, whether Sony and Microsoft drop out or not.

Well... If we assume that this is going to be Sony's last handheld and the third parties that are supporting the vita would migrate to Nintendo platform when Nintendo launches their next gen handheld, then I can see the handheld market lasting a long time! But its hard to tell though. Apple, Google, Samsung and etc are always pushing mobile and Consoles seem to always have this "cloud" future so who knows

It could go either way ...

Cloud gaming is a possible threat to console manufacturers and the like but if Nintendo continues the downward trend handheld gaming then there will be no future on that front ...

Both will lose marketshare, none of them will die.

I really don't think handhelds can die... Pokemon mate. That's enough.

Handhelds are rapidly nearing dead already. I reckon consoles could do well for quite some time yet.

Consoles and Handhelds will never die. When i was working in the gaming industry, me and my coworkers never considered PC gaming as gaming industry. PC gaming was, is, and will always be a dying industry.

"Ubisoft: PC has Piracy Rate of 93-95%, F2P the Future. Free-to-play model helps recoup money in territories where piracy is rife. By Daniel KrupaUbisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot has revealed that the percentage of people who pay in free-to-play games is roughly the same as those who buy boxed games (approximately 5-7%)."

Handhelds :(

http://www.pcr-online.biz/news/read/pc-games-have-surpassed-console-games-globally/033849

Its not PC's that will kill home consoles, its streaming games like you do with PSNow. Problem is much of the world is well behind on the internet infrastructure needed to do this. What kills handheld gaming, mobile gaming. Something that has blown up worldwide, even in the less fortunate parts of the world.
Handhelds will and are the ones to go first, Vita should be Sony's last and 3DS is well down on NDS... hell it will be lucky to catch GBA. While its still early days in the home console market this gen the PS4 and to a lesser extent the Xbox One have been setting all sorts of positive sales records.