This must be one of the silliest arguments that i have ever seen. PS5 is sony's 5th generation, XSX is Microsoft's 4th generation and switch is Nintendo's 7th generation. I really don't understand why some people have to put this generation bs on consoles, you don't do that with your phones, cars or tv's do you? Anyway, must be an american thing. Sorry for my bad english.

I mean.. the Switch is doing more in terms of hardware innovation than all 8th/9th consoles combined, call me up when Xbox/PS are more than PCs in a branded box.

Switch Pro will be the first 10th gen console

And this comparison is funny...

Maybe what we should do is separate the switch into it's own category. Both the PS5 and Series X are clearly defined consoles competing directly against each other where as the switch, as some would call it, is a "hybrid" and imo, isn't competing directly against PS5/Series X.

As a wise man once said: 

"shit changes all the time, so the definition of a console generation is not properly defined and therefore malleable.

That said, NES was Gen 3, SNES was Gen 4, N64 was Gen 5, Gamecube was Gen 6, Wii was Gen 7, and WiiU was Gen 8. Switch, PS5, and Xbox One are all currently on the market as Gen 9. At least that's how I see it and how my game database categorizes it. We'll reconvene when the next Nintendo console/platform releases. Until then, Switch is Gen 9 in my eyes."

So there you have it. 

It's already identifying itself as bi-console (a home console and a portable console). Why not also be cross-generational?. Who are we to put labels on this electronic freak show? If it suddenly starts wanting to identify itself as an Xbox console or a Playstation console, then counts will be adjusted to reflect that so that no bias is administered.

And im proud that it does. You go Switch, live your truth. 

Long time lurker, but first reply here:

Imo, it depends on context. The purpose of Console generations has always been one of rather arbitrary comparisons, and the Switch is no different. The main point to take into consideration is that in addition to bridging 2 generations, the Switch is also a Hybrid console. What this means is that the Switch can fall into different generations depending on criteria.

In terms of its place in the handheld console market, as well as in Nintendo's lineup, the Switch is undoubtedly a 9th Gen console. As it is technologically speaking a portable console with the ability to output to a TV, comparing it to its handheld predecessors, the 3DS and PS Vita, we can see that the Switch is a true generational leap. In addition, Nintendo has marketed the Switch as a new experience compared to its predecessors, releasing sequels to games on prior consoles. However, this line begins to blur when you look at other factors. As Shadow said, many mainstream sites, such as NPD, Wikipedia, and even to an extent Nintendo themselves have envisioned it competing with the PS4 and XB1. To a degree, these console comparisons are often determined by mainstream outlets as a useful point of comparison, so if that is what people have agreed upon, then it doesn't really matter how arbitrary an 8th Generation categorization is, given that the primary consideration for Console generations is public agreement anyways.

In addition, while the Switch can be looked at as a generational leap in terms of the handheld market, when it comes to home consoles the Switch can be seen as an extension of the Wii U in many ways. It has roughly equivalent specs, and its first plats serve more as a continuation of the Wii U's focus on co-op gameplay and action-adventure, rather than being a technological or conceptual leap. In many ways, other than Breath of the Wild (which also launched simultaneously on the Wii U, albeit as it was being lowered into the grave), most of the Switch's best selling games have mainly been refinements on Wii U and 3DS titles, and sometimes outright ports. This isn't to dismiss the innovations that have occurred during the Switch era, but more to say that gameplay on the Switch has not brought about a paradigm shift as is typical between console generations.

So what is my conclusion here? Given all my points above, I believe that the question as to which generation the Switch belongs to isn't exactly a surprising one. As many on this forum have been highlighting above, it all comes down to personal arguments and which viewpoint people decide to take. That in itself isn't exactly new. When the Wii and Wii U came out, there were some that believed that they should be classified as last-gen consoles. But ultimately despite peoples' arguments, a consensus was reached, in that the Wii and Wii U were considered to be current Gen. As such the same is bound to happen now. With the release of the PS5 and XBXS only a few months ago, the 9th Generation has only just begun to kick into high gear, and as such I expect the question of where the Switch happens to fit in to remain unanswered for at least the months to come. Until a consensus is reached, I will continue to classify the Switch to be in both generations, depending on the circumstance.

Great first post! Welcome to the forums!

Switch's generation doesn't really matter because it's not trying to compete in the home console space in the same way that PS5/XSX are, or PS4/XBO were. However I would say I associate the Switch more with the PS4 and XBO as it's competitors and see it more of as a refined "2nd attempt" at the Wii U concept than a fully brand new generation.