This is a list of video game consoles by the era they appeared in. Eras are named based on the dominant console type of the era (even though not all consoles of those eras are of the same type). Some eras are referred to based on how many bits a major console could process. The 128-bit era is the final era where this practice is viewed as appropriate. Also included in this list are handheld game consoles, which are usually of lower computational power than the set-top consoles of the same era. Consoles marketed and sold as general-purpose computers or that can play only a set of built-in games are not included.
This is a list of video game consoles by the era they appeared in. Eras are named based on the dominant console type of the era (even though not all consoles of those eras are of the same type). Some eras are referred to based on how many bits a major console could process. The 128-bit era is the final era where this practice is viewed as appropriate. Also included in this list are handheld game consoles, which are usually of lower computational power than the set-top consoles of the same era. Consoles marketed and sold as general-purpose computers or that can play only a set of built-in games are not included.
