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Forums - Gaming Discussion - I think the 6th Generation was the only time each console release was more powerful than the last

Wman1996 on 21 February 2021

The PS2 was more powerful than the Dreamcast, the GameCube was more powerful than the PS2, and the Xbox was more powerful than the GameCube. I don't think this ever happened with home consoles any other time, and I don't think it happened with handhelds before either (but it might've).

The fifth generation I guess is debatable. N64 is the most powerful fifth generation home console, and the last released. But the debate then would be between the Saturn and PS1. The Saturn was better on a technical level with 2D games, but I don't think it made 3D games look better than PS1. But maybe it just never reached its potential.

What do you all think?



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KLXVER on 21 February 2021

Didnt that happen in the 8th as well. First WiiU, then XB1 and then PS4?



OneTime on 21 February 2021

People put far too much into the concept of "console generations". Thats why discrepancies like this happen (and why they don't really mean anything).

Each console is released with a balance of price and hardware. Obviously they will pick up new hardware manufacturing techniques, but ultimately there are lots of things that make up the full story. I'd argue that the release of Doom on PC was the catalyst for consoles to suddenly all implement low-quality, headache-inducing 3d.



Kakadu18 on 21 February 2021
KLXVER said:

Didnt that happen in the 8th as well. First WiiU, then XB1 and then PS4?

It didn't happen with four consoles though, like in the 6th gen.

Apart from that the Switch can be seen as 8th gen too.



Kakadu18 on 21 February 2021
Hiku said:

I'm not sure if that's accurate when accounting for NEO GEO, 3DO, Jaguar, and all that?

KLXVER said:

Didnt that happen in the 8th as well. First WiiU, then XB1 and then PS4?

I'm guessing the issue is the debate over how Switch fits in as either a re-entry into the 8th Gen, or as 9th, or as 10th, or isn't part of any generation, etc.
For most previous home console generations things were pretty straight forward.

The Switch definitely can not be 10th gen, that's for sure. Maybe 12th, if skipping generations is an option.



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haxxiy on 21 February 2021

It was easier for that to happen in the past since node shrinks came much more rapidly with more obvious benefits.



 

 

 

 

 

Manlytears on 21 February 2021

hum... you see, isn't this the case of current gen.? and also last gen? i mean:

8th gen: Wii U, than X1 and PS4.
9th gen: Switch, than Series X and PS5



Kakadu18 on 21 February 2021
Manlytears said:

hum... you see, isn't this the case of current gen.? and also last gen? i mean:

8th gen: Wii U, than X1 and PS4.
9th gen: Switch, than Series X and PS5

Is Switch 9th gen though? I don't think so.



Conina on 21 February 2021
Kakadu18 said:
Manlytears said:

hum... you see, isn't this the case of current gen.? and also last gen? i mean:

8th gen: Wii U, than X1 and PS4.
9th gen: Switch, than Series X and PS5

Is Switch 9th gen though? I don't think so.

It's the successor of a 8th gen home console and a 8th gen handheld console.

Why shouldn't it be counted as 9th gen?



Leynos on 21 February 2021

PC Engine 1987
Mega Drive 1988
Super Famicom 1990


Also "More powerful" is too broad. Dreamcast did a lot of things better than PS2. PS2 had more Polygonal drawing power but worse in many other aspects. Gamecube did some things better than Xbox.

Last edited by Leynos - on 21 February 2021

Bite my shiny metal cockpit!