Trying to think.
The more I collect/research the more it's hard to tell.
Cover based shooters starting in 6th gen, popularized by Uncharted/Gears in 7th gen.
Same with rewind in Alfa Romeo Racing Italiano for PS2 before Grid 2008 and Forza Motorsport 3 set the standard and disappointed me losing the RPG elements and good use of rewind to be more 'use whenever with ok tracking to use it but not always' and well limited rewinds. They dumbed it down in my opinion. Alfa Romeo Racing Italiano's use of it wasn't perfect, but that depth just gone and RPG systems don't even fit into rewind systems ever in games which is weird with how RPG happy games are these days for 'depth' then gameplay mechanics with abilities or items (some games but not really as much anymore, it's more rare if a game does or if it's more 6th gen inspired instead).
The way Xbox had the hard drive, ripping CDs to the console to play music, or Live Arcade. Analogue triggers as well as GameCube or Dreamcast. But pressure sensitive buttons on PS2/Xbox apparently? I know PS2 had it and have games with it and felt it for sure but Xbox I've heard it's a thing but don't know.
Sure more USBs or streaming these days. But accessing media.
Keyboards and mouse for games on SNES, PS1, and more not just for game chat. Or modern era those compatible with it.
TV tuners for Japanese handhelds or consoles. The PS3 one that was with a box and a disk (I don't have the box though). Xbox One intending the same thing just well more the 2nd HDMI port or apps maybe I forget.
Multi-app/game offering like Windows 8, RIP 2013 to 2017 with that and Kinect for Xbox One. Sigh. Sony doing game share over the years, on PSP or PS5 or the picture in picture in over the Sackboy's Big Adventure footage in a showcase before PS5 launch. Cards? The Miles Morales fast travel or trophies or other stuff. I don't know finding the showcase with Cards to me as the feature I can't remember which it was.
Download Play, Adhoc for DS and PSP instead of link cables.
Motion and rumble/vibration on Gameboy Color and GBA games before Wii. Rumble on DS as an addon.
Multi-monitor for games like Gran Turismo 3, 4, 5, 6.
But also save locking between devices (GT PSP, 5, 6, Sport and 7 it's more server based then device or memory card or hard drive or user based, Forza Motorsport 3 and 4 did the same when moving saves). Memory cards to transfer and trade things.
Ratchet and Clank or others with progress or items bought (weapons in this case, those they offered between the games or the employee discount from the 1st game) and allowed in other games that had them. I remember Bayonetta series on Switch I think did it with costumes? Or something.
Intellivision or Colecovision I forget but had services for satellite games sent to cartridges, which Nintendo and Sega did later but mostly in the SNES/Genesis era. I mean Sega Mega Modem anyone for the Mega Drive? N64 Randnet and well 64DD as well with expansion packs like F Zero X got, while GTA London for PS1 as an example. Before Xbox OG had DLC for games. When it was more likely to be Sims 2 Pets or Sims 1 or whatever expansions as separate games or whatever themes.
Sega Saturn too had the satellite gaming too? Or whatever the USA retailer catalogues had of 'online' back then.
Genesis VR that was cancelled. Still 90s VR for those it was compatible with.
PS2 Eye Toy having not only AR or motion tracking but also Eye Toy Chat, not just online chat via games clearly or camera use for games, but pre-Wii U chat Or whatever else on other consoles. Sure it's console but still.
Gameboy Workboy anyone? The portable NES that I forget if it was cancelled. I need to read up on that again.
Xavix Port before the Wii (same staff behind the Famicom horse betting and banking or other 'computer' uses)
Tiger Gamecom or Tapwave Zodiac with 2 slots yet DSi never got that feature. No SD IO or so on DSi was sad, that GBA spot not getting other peripheral support to offer that or something. SD IO was more a thing for PDAs or Pocket PCs.
Reality Vision for PC came before Eye Toy but was more of the Eye Toy Play kind of thing while Eye Toy took things much further.
Buzz buzzers (Playlink PS4 party games years later on smartphones). Singstar being karaoke games, compared to just karaoke on a what JVC X Eye or whatever else of consoles at different times.
DDR and music games. Parappa the Rapper and rhythm games. Rhythm Heaven series as just rhythm minigames.
Web browsers on game consoles over the years. LAN, many TVs multiple copies of the game, online gaming not just satellite gaming with other carts to do things and leaderboards or whatever play sessions. Link cables for consoles and handhelds.
Advertising over the years.
Voice synthesizer for the Intellivision I think it was.
Music apps on PS1, PS2, Xbox, etc. over the years even I guess Mario Paint or Donkey Kong's Fun with Music or whatever for consoles and PC.
Typing of the Dead for Dreamcast or Pokemon Teaches Typing for DS
IR or Bluetooth or other use cases in controllers for connectivity. Bluetooth for the Tapwave Zodiac to transfer things (even modern photos to it, slowly but still with old Bluetooth and back compat it's impressive).
Different cartridges or carts or disks over time. Technology in them over time.
Vib Ribbon or Dance Factory as games with the 'put a CD in as the game is in RAM of the console and well generate level'. Monster Rancher with it's monster related stuff I think I've never played it but I remember that being a feature.
Randomly or procedurally generated dungeons in Daggerfall or other games I assume. To No Man's Sky planets.
Haven Call of the King with it's planets and zoom in scale of the planets besides a few waves of enemies to travel between planets. Star Wars Battlefront 3 aka Elite Squadron with a cutscene or seamless travel of ground and space. No Man's Sky's scale of either of those to see years later.
PS1 Net Yaroze for Indie development. PS2 Linux Kit. PS3 Other OS, or PS Home aka very hub like or minigames. 360 had it's arcade thing with retro games as well. That and getting games via eshops, whether Wiiware, DSiware, PS Minis or just PS3 games digitally, 360 and it's variations before just making them more clear over time.
Demos or VHS videos with ads/trailers.
TV/Movie support on Video CDs/CD Video? I don't know if PS1 or Saturn or Sega CD or Turbo Grafx supported those at all. Or Phillips CDI as well CDI disks. If just music CDs or karaoke disks sure. Dreamcast MilCDs after all.
Parental controls for PS2, PSP, 360 (no idea OG Xbox and it's use of the DVD and CD support I don't own one I need to get one or research more) etc. other consoles over time.
Super Gameboy, Transfer Pak, Rumble Pak, Control Pack, Gameboy Player for other features.
For saves. Memory cards. I still know but forget Xbox OG even had memory cards yet remember more the 360 had them while do many other consoles prior.
Saving a profile and your name in Zelda NES or whichever of the time.
Rewritable carts for Famicom Disk System or the Genesis rental ones or whatever else.
Magazines, guidebooks, wikis, FAQs.
Pioneer LaserActive or Phillips CDI, Sega Saturn and others with modules for save managers or more RAM or other console models (the LaserActive had, I forget which the CDI had but of course RAM for Saturn and N64).
Digital only physical games, codes in boxes, remember DLC disks for 360? Or multi pack games over the years for many platforms?
Games for Windows Live? Xbox one? PS5? Online server DRM back in 360 era for Windows Vista/7, before Windows 8, what good times. XD SecureROM or StarForce or whatever else Ubisoft, EA and more were doing. Those games that are on Steam but those locked to Games for Windows Live.
Well 360/Windows online play right?
Different collectors editions, OST CDs or OST apps (yes I have bought some digital deluxe editions for the sake of research, some you can get a USB into a PS4 and get the songs of it, no joke. While others are just well an app to play the OST songs from, the artwork and edited details on the files too, it's very cool OST apps are that way then a code for the songs from their website but even still a fair offering). Artbooks, figures and more over time.
Cheats or commands and how rare they are nowadays.
GameCube 3D that wasn't really used. Compared to PS3, 360, 3D (or Trine 2 on PS4, or my AC3 or 4 Wii U copy having 3D left in it XD).
Alien Hominid as an early Indie example on consoles before eshops, other games that count towards that as well.
Cave Story or other games with such inspiration or release on platforms and making some genres come about.
Coded Arms a PSP roguelike by Konami. No idea how rare Roguelikes were in that era compared to when Rogue released years earlier on 8bit or otherwise computers I assume. Yet how much of a genre it is now of being widespread.
Card games.
Adaptors, cameras, for all sorts of things.
Dreamcast offering early dual screens before GameCube and GBA did for Four Swords and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Pacman Versus, all before Wii U, PSP/Vita and well smartphones for Xbox 360 and Xbox One with SmartGlass, yes I do know about those and rarely used them.
PS4 Playlink games aka the party game line with smartphone apps on a bit older firmware now and delisted but can sideload and use the disks still on a PS4 and only a PS4. Yes I research and collect anything I can to understand it. Dual screens, motion controls, etc. more so modern systems or a few gens ago, not really old or rare as just out of reach.
Everybody 1 2 Switch doing the same years later. A tactics game that does the same for PS5.
AR happening with PSP with Invisimals or Eye of Judgemetn on PS3 with PS Eye camera. Smartphones and 3DS/Vita doing it, many games later like Pokemon Go making it more a popular thing.
PS2/PSP cross save with Outrun 2006 Coast to Coast years before PS3, Vita and PS4 did cross buy, cross save, cross progression and more we see nowadays and not just the Sony offerings of that Indies usually offered.
Graphics wise I think current eras are lacking, I've see the grass/textures and more. I couldn't care less.
Even seeing bloom on PS3 for yes Aragon's Quest compared to the Wii version I refer, yes SD doesn't look that bad if the artstyle is right and tech for graphics doesn't look terrible. Eh bloom.
I enjoyed many PS2, PSP, Wii versions of games more then PS3/360, but many PS3/360 games are good. Many mechanically are more fun then PS4 and Xbox One no I'm not joking. Most changed direction and didn't interest me or IPs I wasn't that into got pushed and others left behind.
Visual novels got more of a thing in PS3 or Vita but more so PS4, Switch.
How remasters, ports and remakes have faired over the years.
PC and console ports vary, or console to handheld ports.
PSP to the TV, Dreamcast VGA support or Windows CE, Web TV on Dreamcast. JVC X Eye, Sharp Twin Famicom, Panasonic Q and others compared to well PS1, PS2, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One and others as more hybrids of media over time.
Offering movies with games in the PS3/Wii/360, or just 3D movies on 3DS in Japan. Streaming apps.
Streaming games OnLive 2010 to nowadays (Sony has OnLive and others tech and so on so I mean, PS Now before XCloud).
Impulse Triggers for Xbox One before HD Rumble and DualSense triggers/haptics. That no one talks about.
PSVR1 and Vita dual screen, Wii U, 360/One SmartGlass. Asymmetrical multiplayer online or dual screen and other players, or well smartphones.
Notice how I focused on tech and games, not graphics, but gameplay ideas/mechanics, tech ideas for consoles or peripherals.
Gaming has done a lot over the years so to me 'graphics' and just whatever else is too small scale. I can't help go broader sorry as there was just so much cool to see.
I mean PSP, DSi, Tapwave Zodiac, Gizmondo, whether a comics app for PSP, music service as well or just well a media player and photo viewer or cameras, or GPS many of these had or all of them had. Many media combos being a thing too was just insane.
Licensed games vary over time of course.
3D, FMV, 2D with effects, was a thing for sure in the SNES, Genesis/Mega Drive or 3DO, Jaguar, NEC PC-FX, PS1, N64, Saturn, etc. side of things.
3DO and PC-FX having cards for PC to play their libraries which is just cool.
CDs for Turbo Grafx/PC Engine, Sega CD/Mega CD, 3DO, Phillips CDI, PS1, Saturn, PC-FX, Atari Jaguar CD (had the visualiser that Nuon and 360 used later, yes that's a thing).
Turbo Grafx/PC Engine did so many cool things despite it's power or limits. It still was impressive. I don't know about games with the special stuff SNES/Genesis did but still. HuCards to me are also just impressive.
Turbo Express and PC Engine GT or Genesis Nomad are impressive for consoles on the go, Switch later, PSP with a component or composite cable to the TV, with component allowing games to be played, you can scale it on a TV too and zoom in (you'd have to do that in the TV settings though, on other TVs it would scale well without the need for that) and Neo Geo X as well before that.
Games vary I think of genres, mechanics, cutscenes, difficulty, AI for NPCs/enemies and more over time. Story telling.
Goals for audiences and other factors.
Light guns and well we have VR or motion controls or modern light guns but it's not the same.
There is a lot of angles to look at things. I just highlighted whatever came to mind that I do when I go hmm games have changed this way, consoles have this way, other features.
