A console is in the same generation as the consoles it is competing with. And a generation is defined by their innovations.
Generations used to bring a lot new to the table, or make something preexisting common.
1. Gen: Play video games at home on your TV
2. Gen: You can now have multiple games for the same system.
3. Gen: Groundwork for the controller design we know today (NES controller), advanced tech made side-scrolling games possible. Some games allowed you to save progress on cartridge.
4. Gen: 16-bit processors made the range of colours bigger and removed limitations on stuff like character design. Pseudo-3D graphics (especially for background effects). Multiple buttoms on controllers. Fighting games ala Street Fighter 2 became possible.
5. Gen: 32/64-bit processors. Fully 3D graphics, games like Super Mario 64 now possible. Analogue sticks for controllers. Rumble. Games on optical disc. (Was Saturn the first console with internal storage?)
6. Gen: Online-multiplayer. Dual-analogue controls. Analogue triggers. Emulation of earlier systems. DVD playback. Big open world games like GTA III now possible. VMU.
7. Gen: Expanded Online services. Online stores with digital games etc. DLC. Wireless controllers as standard. Motion controls. HD graphics. Wifi. Blu-ray playback.
8. Gen: Off-TV play, Touch-controls on home console (Wii U and to some degree PS4), VR, 4K UHD
8. generation really hasn't brought much new to the table. And nothing of huge significance, unless VR really takes off, so I question if generations even make sense anymore. Switch will probably be 8. gen, since it will mostly compete with PS4 and Xbox One, but we don't know that yet for sure. It does have a lot of innovations in it, so it does feel like a step up. But I would still classify it as 8. gen, if any gen.
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