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History of video game consoles (sixth generation) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
6gencons
From left: Dreamcast, PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox.

The sixth generation of video game consoles began on November 27, 1998. Also known as the last non-motion control gaming era, the sixth generation is also called the 128-bit generation. The sixth generation began with the release of the Dreamcast in Japan. This generation included the game consoles of the PlayStation 2, Nintendo GameCube and Microsoft Xbox. The Dreamcast was discontinued in 2001, but sold games until 2007. The GameCube was discontinued in 2007. The Xbox sold its last games in 2008, but didn't get discontinued until 2009. The PlayStation 2 was discontinued in 2013, which ended the sixth generation.

Game systems

Comparison

Name Dreamcast PlayStation 2 GameCube Xbox
Logo
Dreamcast logo as used in North America
PlayStation 2 logo
Manufacturer Sega Sony Computer Entertainment Nintendo Microsoft
Image(s) An NTSC Sega Dreamcast Console and controller with VMU. Slimline (right) and Original (left) PS2 consoles Indigo GameCube and controller Xbox console with "Controller S"
An NTSC Dreamcast console, controller and VMU. The logo on PAL consoles was blue instead of orange. Left: An original model PlayStation 2
Right: A slimline PlayStation 2 with DualShock 2 controller and memory card.		 An indigo GameCube and controller An Xbox console and "Type-S" controller
Launch prices US$199.99
GB£199.99		 US$299.99
GB£299.99
 US$199.99
GB£129.99
€199.99		 US$299.99
GB£299.99
€214.99
Best-selling game Sonic Adventure, 2.5 million (as of June 2006) Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, 19 million shipped (as of April 30, 2008) Super Smash Bros. Melee, 7.09 million (as of March 10, 2008) Halo 2, 8 million (as of May 9, 2006)
Release date JP 19981127November 27, 1998
NA 19990909September 9, 1999
EU 19991014October 14, 1999
 JP 20010914September 14, 2001
NA 20011118November 18, 2001
EU 20020503May 3, 2002
 NA 20011115November 15, 2001
JP 20020222February 22, 2002
EU 20020314March 14, 2002
Discontinued March 30, 2003 JP 20071028October 28, 2007
EU 20080517May 17, 2008
NA 20090615June 15, 2009
 JP 20060604June 4, 2006
EU 20070311March 11, 2007
NA 20090302March 2, 2009
Accessories (retail)
  • VMU
  • Dreamcast mouse and keyboard
  • Fishing Rod
  • Microphone
  • Light gun
  • Dreameye camera
  • Samba de Amigo Maracas (controller)
  • More...
  • PlayStation 2 HDD
    Internal hard drive supported by PlayStation 2 Expansion Bay (models 30000 and 50000 only)
  • Network adapter
    Built-in on slimline models (PSTwo, model 70000 onwards)
  • EyeToy
  • PlayStation 2 DVD remote control
  • Guitar controllers
  • More...
  • WaveBird
  • GameCube-GBA cable
  • Nintendo GameCube Broadband Adapter and Modem Adapter
  • Game Boy Player
  • DK Bongos
  • Dance pad
  • Nintendo GameCube Microphone
  • More...
  • Xbox Live Starter Kit
  • Xbox Media Center Extender
  • DVD Playback Kit
  • Xbox Music Mixer
  • Memory Unit (8 MB)
  • Logitech Wireless Controller (2.4 GHz)
  • More...
CPU 200 MHz SuperH SH-4 294 MHz MIPS "Emotion Engine" 485 MHz PowerPC "Gekko" 733 MHz x86 Intel Celeron/PIII Custom Hybrid
GPU 100 MHz NEC/VideoLogic PowerVR CLX2 147 MHz "Graphics Synthesizer" 162 MHz ATI "Flipper" 233 MHz Custom Nvidia NV2A
RAM Main RAM 16 MB SDRAM
Video RAM 8 MB
Sound RAM 2 MB		 Main RAM 32 MB RDRAM
Video RAM 4 MB
Sound RAM 2 MB		 Main RAM 24 MB 1T-SRAM, 16 MB DRAM
Video RAM 3 MB embedded 1T-SRAM
 64 MB unified DDR SDRAM
Optical media CD, 1.2 GB GD-ROM DVD, CD GameCube game disc DVD, CD
Video outputs VGA (RGBHV), SCART (RGBS), s-video, composite Component/d-terminal (YPBPR), VGA (RGBS; progressive scan games/PS2 Linux only), SCART (RGBS), s-video, composite Component/d-terminal (YPBPR), SCART (RGBS; PAL consoles only), s-video (NTSC consoles only), composite component (YPBPR), SCART (RGBS), S-Video, composite
Online service Sega Net (2000–2002), Dreamarena (2000-2003) (can still be played using various private servers) Non-unified service (2002–present), XLink Kai (2003-present) Non-unified service (2003-2009) (can still be played using various private servers), XLink Kai (2003-present) Xbox Live (2002–now) XLink Kai (2003-present)
Backward compatibility No PlayStation Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance No
System software SegaOS, Windows CE, KallistiOS Proprietary OS, PS2 Linux Proprietary OS, Gamecube Linux Xbox Music Mixer
DVD Playback Kit, Xbox Linux
Consumer programmability Homebrew possible via KallistiOS, Windows CE, Katana (the latter two are illegal in the homebrew community) Yabasic software and limited Linux OS. Homebrew also possible via both modchips and softmods. Homebrew possible via SD card adapters and SD media launchers Via Softmods and/or modchips; Modified Windows CE 2.x, Linux

Worldwide sales

Console Units sold
PlayStation 2 153.6 million (as of November 21, 2011)
Xbox 24 million (as of May 10, 2006)
GameCube 21.74 million (as of September 30, 2010)
Dreamcast 10.6 million (as of September 6, 2002)

Handheld game consoles

Name Game Boy Advance / Advance SP / Micro N-Gage / QD
Logos Gameboy advance logo.svg
Manufacturer Nintendo Nokia
Images Nintendo-Game-Boy-Advance-Milky-Blue-FL.jpg Game-Boy-Advance-SP-Mk1-Blue.jpg Game boy micro all black.JPG Nokia N-Gage.jpg N-GageQD.png
Pictured left to right: Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Advance SP, Game Boy Micro Pictured left to right: N-Gage, N-Gage QD
Manufacturer Nintendo Nokia
Release dates Game Boy Advance:
  • JP March 21, 2001
  • NA June 11, 2001
  • PAL June 22, 2001

Game Boy Advance SP:
  • JP February 14, 2003
  • NA March 23, 2003
  • PAL March 28, 2003

Game Boy Micro:
  • JP September 13, 2005
  • NA September 19, 2005
  • AUS November 3, 2005
  • EU November 4, 2005
 N-Gage: October 7, 2003
N-Gage QD: May 26, 2004
Discontinued Game Boy Advance:
  • JP Q4 2007
  • NA Q1 2008
 N-Gage: 2006
Launch prices GBA:
Japan: ¥9,800
North America: US$99.99
Europe: €?

GBA SP:

Japan: ¥12,500
North America: US$99.99 / C$149,99
Europe: €129,99
Australia: A$199,99

GB Micro:

Japan: ¥?
North America: US$99.99 / C$?
Europe: €?
 N-Gage:
North America: US$299.99
Europe: €289,99 / £229,99

N-Gage QD:

North America: US$179.99
Europe: €229,99
Media Game Boy Advance cartridge MultiMediaCard (MMC)
Best-selling game Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, 13 million combined (as of November 25, 2004)  ?
Accessories
(retail)
  • Wireless Adapter
  • Infra-Red Adapter
  • GameCube Game Boy Advance Cable:
  • Play-Yan
  • e-Reader
  • Video
  • Cleaning Cartridge
  • Mobile Adapter
  • More...
OS Symbian S60
CPU 16.8 MHz, 32-bit, ARM7TDMI with embedded memory 104 MHz, 32-bit, RISC based on ARM9 series
Memory 32 kilobyte + 96 kilobyte VRAM (internal to the CPU), 256 kilobyte WRAM (outside the CPU) 16 megabyte RAM, 16 megabyte ROM (3.4 MB accessible for storage)
Interface
  • D-pad
  • Four face buttons
  • Two shoulder buttons
  • D-pad
  • Numbered keypad
  • Music player, Radio and Menu hotkeys
  • Dial and hang up buttons
  • Four other face buttons
  • Microphone
Dimensions GBA: 144.5 × 24.5 × 82 mm (5.69 × 0.96 × 3.2 inches)
GBA SP: 84 × 82 × 24.4 mm (3.3 × 3.23 × 0.96 inches)
GB Micro: 50 × 10 × 17.2 mm (2 × 4 × 0.7 inches)		 N-Gage QD: 70 mm (2.8 in) (h) 134 mm (5.3 in) (w) 20 mm (0.79 in) (d)
N-Gage QD: 118 mm (4.6 in) (w) 68 mm (2.7 in) (h) 22 mm (0.87 in) (d)
Weight
 GBA: 140 g (4.9 oz)
GBA SP: 142 g (5.0 oz)
GB Micro: 80 g (2.8 oz)		 N-Gage: 137 g (4.8 oz)
N-Gage QD 143 g (5.0 oz)
Online service N-Gage Arena
Backward compatibility Game Boy, Game Boy Color N/A
Resolutions 240 × 160 176 × 208
Storage 3.4 MB internal storage, MMC
Battery life GBA: 15 hours
GBA SP: 10 hours continuous play with light on, 18 hours with light off
GB Micro: 5 hours with top brightness and sound, 8 hours with both features on default		 N-Gage: 2 hours continuous play
N-Gage QD: 4 hours continuous play
Units sold (all models combined) Worldwide: 81.51 million (as of September 30, 2010)

Japan: 16.96 million
Americas: 41.64 million
Other: 22.91 million

 Worldwide: 3 million (as of July 30, 2007)

Note: First year of release is the first year of the system's worldwide availability.

Other handhelds

  • Wonder-Swan-Crystal

    SwanCrystal
    Released in 1999, discontinued in 2003 – Japan only

  • Gp32

    GP32
    Released in 2001, discontinued around 2005 – South Korea only

Tapwave Zodiac(2003)
Neo Geo Pocket Color(1999)

Sales

Console Units sold
Game Boy Advance
(figure includes GBA SP and Game Boy Micro)		 81.51 million
N-Gage 3 million
Tapwave Zodiac less than 200,000 units
GP32 30,000

Popular games



Images for kids

  • PS2-Fat-Console-Set

    The PlayStation 2 was the best-selling system of the sixth generation, selling over 150 million systems, also making it the best-selling console of all time.

  • Nintendo-Game-Boy-Advance-Purple-FL

    The Game Boy Advance was the best-selling handheld system.

  • Sega-Dreamcast-VMU

    VMU (1998) Created by Sega as a memory card for the Dreamcast

  • Neo-Geo-Pocket-Color-Blue-Left

    Neo Geo Pocket Color (1999)

  • Pokémon mini system

    Pokémon Mini (2001)

  • SwanCrystal-Wine-Left

    SwanCrystal (2002)

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Videoconsolas de sexta generación para niños

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