9, because it's a hybrid and a successor to both the Wii U and 3DS. Handhelds like the DS and 3DS are considered 7th and 8th generation respectively despite releasing more than a year before the first home consoles of the gen. The Switch's successor will make things muddy again if it releases years before an PS6 and Xbox 5. Sometimes generations are difficult to pin.

This

Switch transcends the normal console generations. It has started its own. "Switch" Gen 1 :P

Gen 1 of hybrid devices. There is really no other way to look at it. I mean, it has all of Nintendo's 1st party console games...so it is a console. But it also has many games on the eshop that you would expect on a handheld...so it is a handheld. Plus all of those console games can be taken on the go.

But it also gets a number of current Gen 3rd party console games as well...so it is a console. Buuuut they are at lower settings and the only reason to buy them if you own other systems is portability or added features...and not ALL 3rd party games come over...so it is a handhled.

But there are also 3rd party releases that are console caliber and Switch exclusive, such as Bayonetta 3...sooooo...console?

Bottom line is that there is really nothing else like the Switch out there. It can be used as a console or a handheld, and therefore it is a hybrid. Sure it is essentially a handheld with an HDMI out, but it also steps of the processors and pushes the device further docked than it would handheld, which makes it a little more than just a handheld in reality. Not to mention there are some who play exclusively docked making is a console for them specifically.

In fact given how divided everyone is on the topic should be all the proof that is needed to classify it as exactly as Nintendo advertised it...a hybrid handheld-console device. The line between the two has been burred so much by the Switch, there is no other way to look at it in the grand scheme of things.

The WiiU was a hybrid device.
The Sega Nomad could have been considered a Hybrid device as it was a portable device that could also be connected to your TV and play Sega Genesis carts.
Also can't forget the nVidia shield either. - https://nyko.com/products/nvidia-shield-dock

So I don't think we can consider the Switch to be in the same generation as those devices.

There are tons of devices out there, usually Android powered.

Well judging by the responses here and the results of the poll I think it is safe to declare this conversation will be one we continue to have here at VGC for many years to come. I'll be curious to see what industry analysts ultimately declare in 5-10 years. If there's one thing we can say for certain it is that Nintendo is the king of disruption. Can't keep up graphically with the HD twins? Create a killer motion controlled app called WiiSports and watch the other two cave to a new paradigm. Losing terribly half way through a generation? Piggyback your console division to your handheld division and create an entirely new paradigm of gaming. At this point I'm very curious to see if Microsoft and Sony both release Gen 8 hybrid devices during the 9th gen in addition to their NextGen systems. It certainly could be a way for both to gain back some marketshare in the handheld industry.

I think we should change the way we discuss generations in gaming.

Generation 1 is 2D, stationary controller gaming (Atari 2600, Sega Genesis, PS2, etc). Generation 2 is 2D gaming with motion controls (Kinect, Wii). Generation 3 is VR/AR/3D. So, Switch is generation 1 and 2. I can't wait to see what we get in gen 4.

But, if we stick with same, boring generation classification system, I'd put Switch in gen 8. In much the same way that an older brother and younger sister are part of the same generation, so are Wii U and Switch.

At the end of the day, anyone can twist things and place any device in any given generation.  However we are talking about the major consoles and handhelds in the industry, not devices that most people never knew existed.  If we covered every device on the face of the planet, the entire discussion becomes meaningless and void of any real point.

Yes it was.
The fact you had a tablet as a controller and can do off-screen gaming was a testament to that, the distance from your "base station/console" was just a limitation.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off-TV_Play

It is one or the other. Because some of those other devices were "mainstream". - Or do you have another goal post to shift towards? I.E. Sales/Popularity?

Not grouping them with anything, just the general concepts have existed much longer than the Switch has existed.

But sure, if you want to group that Playstation 4 and Xbox One with the PC, go right ahead, got nothing against that.