Collector guide · Nintendo hardware
Every Nintendo Console in Release Order
Short answer. Nintendo’s documented consumer hardware begins with the Color TV-Game systems in 1977, expands through Game & Watch, Famicom and NES, Game Boy, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii, Nintendo DS and 3DS, and continues through Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. The timeline below separates collector-relevant hardware families and major revisions.
- Hardware families
- 41
- Documented variants
- 334
- Timeline
- 1977—2025
- Physical games
- 16,635
Release-order reference
The complete collector timeline
Years follow the region documented on each archive record. Open any system to see its full history, image, format, and hardware variants.
YearSystemFormat and regionCollector record
1977Color TV-Game 15The expanded sibling to Color TV-Game 6 added detachable controllers and more variations.15 built-in gamesJapan · Dedicated home console2 variantsOpen history →1977Color TV-Game 6Nintendo’s first home console packed six Pong-style variations into a bright orange shell.6 built-in gamesJapan · Dedicated home console1 variantsOpen history →1978Color TV-Game Racing 112A tabletop steering wheel and gearshift turned Nintendo’s third TV game into a miniature arcade.Built-in racing gameJapan · Dedicated home console1 variantsOpen history →1979Color TV-Game Block KuzushiNintendo’s dedicated block-breaking machine carried one of Shigeru Miyamoto’s earliest hardware designs.Built-in block gameJapan · Dedicated home console1 variantsOpen history →1980Computer TV-GameA rare home version of Nintendo’s Computer Othello arcade game closed the Color TV-Game era.Built-in Computer OthelloJapan · Dedicated home console1 variantsOpen history →1980Game & WatchPocket LCD games, a clock, and the first cross-shaped D-pad made portable play an everyday object.Built-in LCD gameWorldwide · Dedicated handheld family62 variantsOpen history →1983Family ComputerThe red-and-white Famicom established Nintendo’s cartridge console platform in Japan.CartridgeJapan · Third generation9 variantsOpen history →1986Famicom Disk SystemA disk-drive add-on enabled larger games, save data, and inexpensive rewritable releases.Rewritable floppy diskJapan · Famicom add-on1 variantsOpen history →1990Super FamicomNintendo’s rounded Japanese 16-bit system arrived with richer color, sound, and visual effects.CartridgeJapan · Fourth generation4 variantsOpen history →1993AV Famicom / New-Style NESCompact top-loading revisions gave Nintendo’s 8-bit hardware a simpler, more reliable final form.CartridgeJapan / North America · Third-generation revision2 variantsOpen history →1995SatellaviewA satellite modem delivered scheduled games, magazines, and live audio to Super Famicom players.Satellite broadcast / memory packJapan · Super Famicom add-on1 variantsOpen history →1995Virtual BoyA red stereoscopic display delivered depth without glasses, but comfort and software limitations cut its life short.CartridgeJapan / North America · Tabletop stereoscopic system2 variantsOpen history →1996Game Boy PocketA smaller body and a sharper true black-and-white screen modernized the original Game Boy.CartridgeWorldwide · Game Boy revision12 variantsOpen history →1998Game Boy ColorColor graphics and broad backwards compatibility extended the Game Boy phenomenon.CartridgeWorldwide · Fifth-generation handheld12 variantsOpen history →1998Game Boy LightA Japan-only Game Boy Pocket variant added the family’s first electroluminescent backlight.CartridgeJapan · Game Boy revision4 variantsOpen history →199964DDA long-delayed magnetic disk drive promised writable storage, expansion, and online creativity.Magnetic diskJapan · Nintendo 64 add-on1 variantsOpen history →2001Game Boy AdvanceA wide 32-bit handheld carried Game Boy compatibility into a colorful new generation.CartridgeWorldwide · Sixth-generation handheld16 variantsOpen history →2001Pokémon miniNintendo’s smallest cartridge system packed a clock, rumble, infrared link, and Pokémon games into a tiny shell.Mini cartridgeJapan / North America · Miniature handheld3 variantsOpen history →2003Game Boy Advance SPA folding design, rechargeable battery, and illuminated screen transformed portable convenience.CartridgeWorldwide · Game Boy Advance revision20 variantsOpen history →2003iQue PlayerA controller-shaped Nintendo 64 system delivered downloadable games for the mainland Chinese market.Flash memoryChina · Nintendo 64-derived home console1 variantsOpen history →2004Nintendo DSTwo screens, touch input, wireless play, and a microphone opened a different path for handheld design.Game card / GBA cartridgeWorldwide · Seventh-generation handheld9 variantsOpen history →2005Game Boy MicroA tiny metal-bodied Game Boy Advance offered a bright screen and interchangeable faceplates.GBA cartridgeWorldwide · Game Boy Advance revision10 variantsOpen history →2006Nintendo DS LiteA slimmer case and dramatically brighter displays turned DS into a polished mass-market phenomenon.Game card / GBA cartridgeWorldwide · Nintendo DS revision16 variantsOpen history →2008Nintendo DSiCameras, internal storage, an SD slot, and DSiWare made the DS family more personal and connected.Game card / digitalJapan first · Nintendo DS revision14 variantsOpen history →2009Nintendo DSi XLLarger screens and wider viewing angles made the DSi experience easier to share.Game card / digitalJapan first · Nintendo DS revision7 variantsOpen history →2011Nintendo 3DSGlasses-free stereoscopic 3D, a Circle Pad, and StreetPass extended Nintendo’s dual-screen idea.Game card / digitalWorldwide · Eighth-generation handheld20 variantsOpen history →2011Wii Family EditionA horizontal Wii revision simplified the hardware and removed GameCube compatibility.Optical discNorth America / Europe · Wii revision3 variantsOpen history →2012Nintendo 3DS XLDisplays roughly ninety percent larger made stereoscopic handheld games more expansive.Game card / digitalWorldwide · Nintendo 3DS revision16 variantsOpen history →2012Wii miniA red-and-black top-loading Wii removed online features to become the family’s smallest budget model.Optical discCanada first · Wii revision1 variantsOpen history →2012Wii UNintendo’s first HD console placed a touchscreen GamePad at the center of asymmetric and off-TV play.Optical disc / digitalWorldwide · Eighth generation3 variantsOpen history →2013Nintendo 2DSA durable wedge-shaped entry model played the 3DS library without stereoscopic visuals.Game card / digitalWorldwide · Nintendo 3DS family10 variantsOpen history →2014New Nintendo 3DSFaster processing, face-tracked 3D, extra controls, NFC, and swappable covers refreshed the platform.Game card / digitalJapan / Australia first · Enhanced Nintendo 3DS6 variantsOpen history →2014New Nintendo 3DS XLThe larger version of Nintendo’s enhanced 3DS became the upgrade’s primary global model.Game card / digitalJapan / Australia first · Enhanced Nintendo 3DS23 variantsOpen history →2016NES Classic EditionA miniature HDMI NES packaged thirty built-in games with save states and display options.30 built-in gamesWorldwide · Dedicated microconsole3 variantsOpen history →2017New Nintendo 2DS XLA light clamshell combined New 3DS power and large displays without stereoscopic 3D.Game card / digitalWorldwide · Enhanced Nintendo 3DS10 variantsOpen history →2017Super NES Classic EditionNintendo’s second microconsole celebrated the 16-bit era and officially released Star Fox 2.21 built-in gamesWorldwide · Dedicated microconsole3 variantsOpen history →2019Nintendo Switch LiteA smaller all-in-one Switch focused exclusively on handheld play.Game card / digitalWorldwide · Nintendo Switch family10 variantsOpen history →2020Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros.A color-screen anniversary handheld revived Game & Watch with classic Mario games and an interactive clock.Built-in gamesWorldwide · Dedicated commemorative handheld1 variantsOpen history →2021Game & Watch: The Legend of ZeldaA green-and-gold Game & Watch collected three Zelda adventures, Vermin, a clock, and a timer.Built-in gamesWorldwide · Dedicated commemorative handheld1 variantsOpen history →2021Nintendo Switch – OLED ModelA vivid seven-inch OLED display, improved stand, and revised dock refined the hybrid system.Game card / digitalWorldwide · Nintendo Switch family6 variantsOpen history →2025Nintendo Switch 2A larger, more powerful hybrid introduced magnetic Joy-Con 2 controllers, mouse controls, and GameChat.Game card / digitalWorldwide · Hybrid successor6 variantsOpen history →Collector context
What the list includes
- 01
Japanese and international names are preserved when they identify distinct hardware families.
- 02
Dedicated systems, handhelds, add-ons, revisions, and hybrid consoles are included when they were sold as consumer hardware.
- 03
Colors, bundles, promotional systems, and special editions live beneath their parent console as hardware variants.
Physical software
Game checklists by platform
Counts represent physical game families currently documented in PLAYBACK. Packages and special editions can create additional collectible releases.
1983—1994
NES
1,661 physical gamesOpen checklist →1986—1992Famicom Disk System
197 physical gamesOpen checklist →1989—2000Game Boy
945 physical gamesOpen checklist →1990—2000SNES
2,071 physical gamesOpen checklist →1995—1996Virtual Boy
26 physical gamesOpen checklist →1996—2002Nintendo 64
472 physical gamesOpen checklist →1996—1996Sufami Turbo
13 physical gamesOpen checklist →1998—2003Game Boy Color
890 physical gamesOpen checklist →1999—2000Nintendo 64DD
8 physical gamesOpen checklist →2000—2002Pokémon Mini
8 physical gamesOpen checklist →2001—2007Game Boy Advance
1,697 physical gamesOpen checklist →2001—2007Nintendo GameCube
492 physical gamesOpen checklist →2004—2015Nintendo DS
3,626 physical gamesOpen checklist →2006—2020Wii
1,905 physical gamesOpen checklist →2011—2022Nintendo 3DS
845 physical gamesOpen checklist →2012—2020Wii U
215 physical gamesOpen checklist →2017—2025Nintendo Switch
1,315 physical gamesOpen checklist →2025—2026Nintendo Switch 2
249 physical gamesOpen checklist →Direct answers
Frequently asked questions
What was Nintendo’s first home video game console?
Nintendo launched the Color TV-Game 6 and Color TV-Game 15 in Japan in 1977. They were dedicated systems with games built into the hardware.
What is Nintendo’s newest console family?
Nintendo Switch 2 is the newest Nintendo hardware family in this archive. Nintendo’s corporate history records its launch in 2025.
Are revisions such as Game Boy Pocket listed separately?
Yes. PLAYBACK separates collector-significant revisions when their shell, display, format, market identity, or compatibility makes them a distinct hardware target.
Sources and method
How this guide was built
PLAYBACK combines its collector-oriented hardware records with official manufacturer histories. Family and variant counts describe the current archive, not a manufacturer’s marketing total. Regional release context remains attached to each hardware record.