How video game console generations got less impressive with time – Reader’s Feature
How video game console generations got less impressive with time – Reader’s Feature
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A reader looks back at his history with video game consoles, from the Atari 2600 to PS5, and laments the end of major graphical leaps forward. A new year is as good a time as any to reflect, as well as look forwards. Which is exactly what I’ve done, but this time I’m taking a look at how each generational shift has impacted the visuals of our games.
![[Pitfall on Atari 2600]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236316380-8520.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=644)
Now, this is entirely a personal view; I’ve not necessarily taken the industry standard of what a generation is and what machines are included in them – this is simply how I remember each cohort of consoles and what my memory was of them at the time (and in retrospect).
![[Knight Lore on the ZX Spectrum]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236316367-14be.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=644)
I’ve not included the PC, due to its fluid nature, but have included some home computers as they are mostly standalone computers that fitted neatly into their respective generations. For each generation I’ve named the main systems aligned to that era (but it’s by no means exhaustive, there are plenty of articles online if you want a more in-depth read).
![[Pilotwings on the SNES]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236316474-1968.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
My exposure to this generation was very limited. I was very young and vaguely remember seeing one at a friend’s house but it serves as a useful reminder of how it all began – for me at least. Graphics were basic but functional but with nothing previous to compare them too (other than more powerful arcade machines) they were still very impressive in conveying the action. Many of the titles took place moving from single screen to single screen, which was reminiscent of the arcade games of the time.
![[Tomb Raider on PlayStation]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236316384-b5fb.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
This is where I truly entered the scene, primarily with the Spectrum and Master System. Graphical sophistication took a leap, especially as developers got to grips with the hardware and its limitations. It’s probably a cliché, but with quite a bit of truth behind it, in that the very limited memory meant the programmers had to come up with novel and ingenious ways of getting more and more out of these systems.
![[GTA 3 on PlayStation 2]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/SEI_236316377-d4fe.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
