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Forums - Sales - Is nintendo the winner of the 8th gen or the 9th gen?

 

Is the switch an 8th gen console

Yes its 8th gen 19 41.30%
 
Yes its 9th gen 27 58.70%
 
Total:46
Hardstuck-Platinum said:
TomaTito said:

It's 9th gen. Check the front page "Consoles Hardware Sales" and the 8th generation option has no Switch.

Switch 2 is a 10th generation console.

OP, I think VGChartz is the wrong place to ask this question. See here, there is someone that says Switch 1 is 9th gen because it's listed on the main page, but at the same time says the switch 2 is a 10'th generation console, even though it's still listed under 9th gen consoles on the front page. I tried asking trunks (site admin) if the Switch 2 will be added to the PS6 10th gen console section once the PS6 releases but I got no reply. We really need an answer to the question" Why is Switch 2 listed as a 9th gen console on VGChartz" to debate this here. It's inconsistent. How can Switch 1 and 2 launch over 8 years apart and still be in the same generation according to the admins of this website. 

When i saw that comment i thought it was pretty silly that a user thinks its 9th gen because thats where vgchartz has it in the sales comparison



Total Championships: Nintendo - 4, Sony - 2, Atari - 1, Microsoft - 0, Sega - 0

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Vinther1991 said:

The console gen term has less meaning now than it used to. But I have a check list with criteria I go through, if I want to determine which gen it belongs to:
In terms of horse power, which gen is it closest to: 7th gen
In terms of technology overall, which gen is it closest to: Tegra X1 is 2015 tech, so newer than 8th gen competitors, but not by much: 8th gen
Of competing systems, which launch dates is it closer to: 8th gen
Which gen of systems was it intended to compete against: Debatable, but probably 8th gen
Which gen of systems did it end up sharing most of its lifetime with: 9th gen
In terms of multiplats, which gen did it share most games with: 8th gen

The Switch is therefore an 8th gen system.

As for Switch 2 however:
In terms of horse power, which gen is it closest to: A bit more convoluted because of mid-gen upgrades, but looking at base console it is probably right between 8th and 9th.
In terms of technology overall, which gen is it closest to: Nvidia made a new costum chip, so 2025 tech: 10th gen
Of competing systems, which launch dates is it closer to: Seems PS6 and a new Xbox is not so far in the future, so 10th gen
Which gen of systems was it intended to compete against: Debatable, but probably 10th gen
Which gen of systems did it end up sharing most of its lifetime with: Hard to guess, but 10th gen seems more likely

Which puts Nintendo in the weird situation of having two 8th gen systems, a 10th gen system, but no 9th gen system. Then again they also had a 1st gen system, but none in the 2nd gen before releasing the NES in the 3rd gen.

I think this is a pretty reasonable breakdown. I think at the end of the day switch 2 will probably be looked back on and considered 9th gen, but we will have to wait and see. Time will clear this up. 



Total Championships: Nintendo - 4, Sony - 2, Atari - 1, Microsoft - 0, Sega - 0

curl-6 said:
angrypoolman said:

Well let me ask you this curl 6, what in life really is objective in the first place? I think therefore i am? I think i simple look at context and historical precedent can get you to the right answer on this question. There can at least be a consensus made. 

I would say historical precedent can go both ways; there's precedent for instance for a "midway" console being seen as kicking off the next gen (Dreamcast) and being part of the current gen. (Colecovision)

Well yes there is context that you have to use when things dont line up as neatly as youd like them to. For dreamcast, it released in 1999 but is part of 6th gen because its harware is more comparable there. Colecovision was 1982 near the end of the 2nd generation but its hardware is more comparable to 2nd gen consoles. 



Total Championships: Nintendo - 4, Sony - 2, Atari - 1, Microsoft - 0, Sega - 0

Gen 1: NES
Gen 2: SNES
Gen 3: N64 - PS1
Gen 4: NGC - PS2 - XBX
Gen 5: Wii - PS3 - 360
Gen 6: WiiU - PS4 - XBX1
Gen 7: NS1 - PS5 - XSX
Gen 8: NS2 - PS6 - Xwhatever

Edit: I guess Gen 7 with NS2 launching Gen 8

Last edited by Ashadelo - on 07 January 2026

我是广州人

I think "next gen" will blur the lines even more. I will personally be shocked if the ps6 gets exclusive games, including first party titles. Cross-generation will last for years upon years.

The other reason I think generations are dead, is because of mid generation upgrades.  What is the ps5 pro?  Can't be the same generation as the Series S based on power, yet all play the same games.  Console generations were defined more by being able to play new sets of software, that just isn't true anymore.  

Last edited by Chrkeller - on 07 January 2026

“Consoles are great… if you like paying extra for features PCs had in 2005.”
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Looks like chatgpt agrees with what ive been saying here 



Total Championships: Nintendo - 4, Sony - 2, Atari - 1, Microsoft - 0, Sega - 0

Vinther1991 said:

The console gen term has less meaning now than it used to. But I have a check list with criteria I go through, if I want to determine which gen it belongs to:
In terms of horse power, which gen is it closest to: 7th gen
In terms of technology overall, which gen is it closest to: Tegra X1 is 2015 tech, so newer than 8th gen competitors, but not by much: 8th gen
Of competing systems, which launch dates is it closer to: 8th gen
Which gen of systems was it intended to compete against: Debatable, but probably 8th gen
Which gen of systems did it end up sharing most of its lifetime with: 9th gen
In terms of multiplats, which gen did it share most games with: 8th gen

The Switch is therefore an 8th gen system.

As for Switch 2 however:
In terms of horse power, which gen is it closest to: A bit more convoluted because of mid-gen upgrades, but looking at base console it is probably right between 8th and 9th.
In terms of technology overall, which gen is it closest to: Nvidia made a new costum chip, so 2025 tech: 10th gen
Of competing systems, which launch dates is it closer to: Seems PS6 and a new Xbox is not so far in the future, so 10th gen
Which gen of systems was it intended to compete against: Debatable, but probably 10th gen
Which gen of systems did it end up sharing most of its lifetime with: Hard to guess, but 10th gen seems more likely

Which puts Nintendo in the weird situation of having two 8th gen systems, a 10th gen system, but no 9th gen system. Then again they also had a 1st gen system, but none in the 2nd gen before releasing the NES in the 3rd gen.

The site Admins could have easily created a new section on the front page for the Switch 2/10th gen platforms, so why didn't they for Switch 2? If practically everyone on VGChartz believes the switch 2 is a 10'th gen console, why isn't there more interest in getting an answer as to why it's listed as a 9th on the front page. 





Total Championships: Nintendo - 4, Sony - 2, Atari - 1, Microsoft - 0, Sega - 0

Hardstuck-Platinum said:
Vinther1991 said:

The console gen term has less meaning now than it used to. But I have a check list with criteria I go through, if I want to determine which gen it belongs to:
In terms of horse power, which gen is it closest to: 7th gen
In terms of technology overall, which gen is it closest to: Tegra X1 is 2015 tech, so newer than 8th gen competitors, but not by much: 8th gen
Of competing systems, which launch dates is it closer to: 8th gen
Which gen of systems was it intended to compete against: Debatable, but probably 8th gen
Which gen of systems did it end up sharing most of its lifetime with: 9th gen
In terms of multiplats, which gen did it share most games with: 8th gen

The Switch is therefore an 8th gen system.

As for Switch 2 however:
In terms of horse power, which gen is it closest to: A bit more convoluted because of mid-gen upgrades, but looking at base console it is probably right between 8th and 9th.
In terms of technology overall, which gen is it closest to: Nvidia made a new costum chip, so 2025 tech: 10th gen
Of competing systems, which launch dates is it closer to: Seems PS6 and a new Xbox is not so far in the future, so 10th gen
Which gen of systems was it intended to compete against: Debatable, but probably 10th gen
Which gen of systems did it end up sharing most of its lifetime with: Hard to guess, but 10th gen seems more likely

Which puts Nintendo in the weird situation of having two 8th gen systems, a 10th gen system, but no 9th gen system. Then again they also had a 1st gen system, but none in the 2nd gen before releasing the NES in the 3rd gen.

The site Admins could have easily created a new section on the front page for the Switch 2/10th gen platforms, so why didn't they for Switch 2? If practically everyone on VGChartz believes the switch 2 is a 10'th gen console, why isn't there more interest in getting an answer as to why it's listed as a 9th on the front page. 

My guess is maybe they want it on 9th gen at least for the time being so we can directly compare it to ps5 and see if it can outsell it before the ps6 comes out, and then when ps6 comes out, theyll put it next to ps6 so we can see how far ahead the switch 2 can stay ahead of ps6. Thats what id do anyway if i were trunks



Total Championships: Nintendo - 4, Sony - 2, Atari - 1, Microsoft - 0, Sega - 0

Hardstuck-Platinum said:

The site Admins could have easily created a new section on the front page for the Switch 2/10th gen platforms, so why didn't they for Switch 2? If practically everyone on VGChartz believes the switch 2 is a 10'th gen console, why isn't there more interest in getting an answer as to why it's listed as a 9th on the front page. 

The site admins aren't the gospel when it comes to this, but I imagine having a chart of Switch 2 all alone would be pretty boring. We will see when the other 10th gen consoles arrive.