Before there were just the Big 3, video game consoles were quite unique among the competition and from generation to generation. And even once Sega exited hardware as Microsoft arrived, the new Big 3 were quite distinct from each other. 

Right now, we have Nintendo on track to release a Switch 2 that will be very similar to Switch (unless the leaks and rumors are all wrong). 

PS5 may have some unique aspects from PS4 (different OS, very different console appearance, DualSense) but is less of a shake-up than PS2 to PS3 and PS3 to PS4.

And Xbox? I think you all know this already. Xbox Series X/S uses the same OS as Xbox One, has Smart Delivery, interchangeable controllers between the gens, and just feels very similar to Xbox One. Even with Microsoft claiming Xbox 5 will be the biggest generational leap ever, it will probably be another box similar in appearance to One and X/S with a very similar controller. The OS might be preserved yet again or a new one that is very similar. 

For a console to be viable, are the days of unique consoles on their way out? Switch 2 will be unique from PlayStation and Xbox but perhaps not from Switch. 

The industry will completely collapse if console manufacturers cannot come up with unique gimmicks for systems. Furthering this graphical war will only lead to longer dev times, bigger deficits, and priced-out consumers. 

Has anyone ever released a unique console except for Nintendo? I mean Sega, Sony, MS and Atari consoles seems pretty by the numbers. Except maybe the Sega Pico or whatever it was called...

NES and SNES were pretty unique but not near as much as N64, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, or Switch. 

Atari Jaguar was pretty unique at the time, in all the worst ways.

Sega Dreamcast wasn't as out there as the Wii as far as console uniqueness goes but it was unique compared to the outgoing 5th generation consoles and the upcoming fellow 6th generation consoles. It had a lot of online features and a quirky controller, to name a few.

I was also talking about how the consoles in the same company from generation to generation were pretty unique in terms of features, architecture, etc. A PS2 is very different from PS3 which is very different from PS4 and so on. The first 3 Xbox consoles were all pretty unique from each other but not the Series X/S compared to Xbox One. 

The uniqueness in the same company from generation to generation is not a big deal for me. I'm fine with PS5 being similar to PS4 and really want Switch 2 to be very similar to Switch. 

It's the compared to the competition that worries me. Xbox and PlayStation are more similar this gen and last gen then they ever have been.

I'm not someone who argues for exclusives, at least not beyond a few. But the consoles should have more unique aspects than they do while still being pretty easy to develop for. 

Hm...I'd say very few consoles that made any amount of splash were actually unique - apart from Wii and Switch, most of best selling consoles were quite by the numbers.

Sega’s Saturn and Dreamcast were unique, the PlayStation and PS2 just happened to clone them and have more usable features, a better price, and better marketing and third party relations.

Nintendo tends to be at its best when it’s not trying to align with other console manufacturers (particularly Gamecube) - because they end up coming off like the kiddy/junior version of the original. NES, Gameboy, DS, Wii, and Switch all went against the current and discovered new oceans. Of course, once in a while they accidentally land in a smaller lake (N64), or travel up shit creek (Virtual Boy and Wii U).

Regardless, I buy every Nintendo console. But most Nintendo fans don’t, and will be fine skipping whole generations. Look at guys like Mike Matei who is still a fanatical NES/SNES guy.

To an extent but not completely. The phone market is a good example of what happens once an industry reaches a point where there's no point in upgrading or innovating further. They either do it anyways or try to convince people they do so they can keep on selling.

As long as Nintendo keeps making successful gimmicky consoles, no.

Depends on what you mean by unique. I mean Nintendo is still trying to do stuff with unique gameplay ways, Sony is more about the technology (blu-ray to media stuff to dualsense). I think MS is just fully set on the online future.

I don't care for "unique" consoles. At the end of the day, I (and likely the majority) just want to kick back and play a fun game with a regular controller.