Way back in like 2021, I ran threads for the best debut console, best second console, and best third console from each of the major manufacturers.

Now, at long last the sequel; which do you think is the best 4th console from each, and why?

(Not that for the purposes of this thread, this is counting only major globally releases systems, so starting the count from NES from Nintendo and the Master System from Sega)

Gotta go with the PS4 on this one. GC was great as well though.

It’s not even close: Luigi’s Mansion, Pikmin 1+2, SMSunshine, Zelda WW+TP, Animal Crossing, Paper Mario TTYD, Smash Melee, MariokartDD, Eternal Darkness, (if you want to count RE4,) Star Fox Adventures+Assault, and the list just keeps going. All within 5y? Unrivaled. Dreamcast is also incredibly stacked for only having two years. PS4 is also very strong. XBS does truly have some great games and lots of QoL benefits…but no exclusives.

Yup. I love GameCube. So many great memories and I play games on it probably at least once a year if not way more than that (not much in the 2020s). 

But even with the Nintendo games I love on GameCube and some enjoyable third-party games, it simply doesn't equal or surpass PS4.

PS4 plays about 95% or higher of games released from 2013-present that are worth playing. Stardew Valley, Spider-Man games, The Last of Us Remastered, SoulCalibur VI, Ghost of Tsushima, Persona games, Horizon, Telltale The Walking Dead, and so on. 

DualShock 4 is one of the best controllers ever. It's so comfy though admittedly the battery life isn't good. GameCube is also one of the best but lacks a second bumper button (but has two triggers).

PS4 is the answer to this thread with only GameCube coming close. I never played Dreamcast, but the library still seems pretty good. Xbox Series largely lacks an identity of its own despite having a far bigger library than GameCube and Dreamcast due to digital distribution. 

Easily the PS4. It has an amazing library and still gets new games to this day lol

I feel the only way PS4 doesn't win this is if you truly don't care for more than a few games on it or put it down for stuff like lack of uniqueness compared to GameCube or Dreamcast and lack of plug in and play like classic consoles.

As I already said, I love GameCube. But PS4 has so much more to play and even some of its best games rival or surpass the GameCube's best games. 

PS4 is pretty much setting a record of games still getting released (at least before 2025) that are quite similar in graphics to its successor. Like you can see a huge difference between a late PS1 game and a PS2 game. PS4 to PS5, not as obvious. Of course, load times are better on PS5. 

Dreamcast is the only correct answer but on a Nintendo heavy forum Gamecube will win. I've always found the GameCube a pretty lame system, tbh. I was hyped for it back in the day but it was a mostly dull system.

Dreamcast and by a country mile. ...And ironically the only console I don't own in this "list".

The final Goodbye from Sega... And brought forth modern comforts like online gaming to the foray with it's super speedy 33.6kbps or 56k dial up modem.

They're all great systems. I can't pick just one.

While I'd rate PS4 over Gamecube myself, another possibility why GC might get votes is some people may simply prefer the style of games made in the 6th gen over the 8th gen.

Exclusives are also a defining trait of consoles, and GC has some beloved titles there that some folks have a strong connection with.