Modern consoles feel like machines from the future. Not only do they play the most high-tech video games available, but they also serve as multimedia centers, eliminating the need for separate Blu-ray players and music devices.
It took a long time for them to get to this point, however, and many older systems took baby steps to help the medium reach its peak. In remembrance of these, the following list will detail ten things older consoles did that were way ahead of their time. Being on the bleeding edge rarely pays off, but it is necessary to do so in order for the tech to become more accessible and perfected over time.
Updated January 1, 2023 by Mark Sammut: Creativity is a big part of console development, and the industry is constantly seeking new and exciting ways to push the envelope. However, not every original idea proves to be a success, and in some instances, a manufacturer might be too ahead of the curve for their own good. As the new year starts, let's look back in time to highlight a few more innovative consoles that brought novel concepts to the industry.
10 The Dreamcast Had A Built-In Modem
Online gaming on consoles was still a pipe dream in the mid-'90s, but the Dreamcast was a step in the right direction. The doomed console went a step above the call of duty and allowed legitimate web browsing way back before any of its direct competitors.
With the Dreamcast Web Browser, one could surf the still burgeoning World Wide Web like they were on a desktop. Of course, the internet was a different beast than it is today, lacking video streaming and popular social networks, but it was still an impressive feat more than twenty years ago.
Tiger's Game.com predated the Dreamcast and could be connected to an external modem to provide internet access. However, it did not come with a built-in modem.
9 The PS2 Had Netflix (In Brazil)
With The PS3 and Xbox 360 came a focused effort on expanding consoles' utility beyond just games. A major part of this was video streaming. Netflix became available on both systems, jettisoning the video streaming revolution and forever changing the way people accessed movies and television shows.
These were not the oldest gaming platforms to achieve this, however. In 2007, the PS2 was given the ability to stream Netflix in Brazil with the use of a disc. It makes sense considering how expensive consoles are in the country. Most homes would adopt the next generation later, so it was worth it to give them the ability to stream video on the older system.
8 The Dreamcast Had The First Console MMO
Sega's system is remembered by many as a failure, but those who had it appreciate its goodness despite how short-lived it was. Not only were its internet capabilities unprecedented at the time, but it is also home to the first-ever console MMO.
Phantasy Star Online paved new ground bringing a genre previously exclusive to the PC onto a Dreamcast. It would be a few years yet until an open-world MMO would grace consoles, however. That distinction belongs to Final Fantasy 11, which was still way ahead of the curb when it hit the PS2 in November 2002.
7 The SNES Broadcasted Playable Games
Satellaview was a peripheral for the SNES which allowed for the system to pick up broadcasted radio waves. Using this technology, owners were able to play broadcasted games at a specific time during the week. Other broadcasts added other features as well, like digital magazines or voice acting to existing games.
The most notable exclusive games were two Legend of Zelda titles, the first of which is a loose remake of A Link to the Past, only with a different playable character. The biggest drawback was the time constraints. Unlike modern streaming, things were available for a short time during the day and would be lost forever afterward after a broadcast finished.
6 TurboGrafx-CD Used CDs In 1988
The PC Engine was released in 1987 in Japan, before making its way to North America two years later. Hudson Soft and NEC's vanilla console used cartridges, but a CD Rom attachable was released a year later in Japan. This add-on was rebranded as the TurboGrafx-CD in North America.
While not the most famous CD-based console, the TurboGrafx-CD was the first of this mold, beating out the Philips CD-i that debuted in 1990. As time would pass, CDs would become the default media type for consoles.
5 Atari 7800 Was Backward Compatible
Few are aware of even the Atari 5200, so only a small handful of older gamers probably remember the Atari 7800. Released in 1986, it was about thirty dollars cheaper than the NES, making it the budget alternative.
One advantage it had over the Japanese console was its ability to play Atari 2600 games, making it one of the first Backward Compatible consoles ever. While it barely dented the NES's success, the company did not consider it a complete failure, either.
4 The Sega Channel Allowed For Game Streaming
Satellaview was neat and all, but western gamers missed out on it. Thankfully, Sega picked up the slack in the market and gave them the Sega Channel, a subscription service that provided a catalog of 50 games a month to be streamed for fifteen dollars a month.
Because the internet was still in its infancy, Sega's equivalent used cable television to bring games into living rooms. Every month a new library would be set up. It had a few drawbacks, like the game deleting itself when the console shut off because the file was saved to RAM and the system lacked a dedicated hard drive, but the service ran surprisingly well for its time.
3 Virtual Boy Was 3D (But Also Terrible)
Many see the Gameboy Color as the Game Boy's successor, but Nintendo had another handheld console in between. The Virtual Boy allowed for 3D gaming through the system's odd design of having the player rest their head against the view piece.
No one else could see what they were playing and the advertised 3D effect didn't work well and gave numerous gamers headaches. On top of that, the library of games is so small, one could fit the entire catalog in a jacket pocket.
2 The NES Had An Analog Stick
The NES's gamepad was revolutionary for its understandable, yet comprehensive design. A premium controller went even further ahead of the curb by adding an analog stick. The NES Max had a turbo button and an analog nub.
Unfortunately, it didn't function ideally, but staying ahead of the curb sometimes mean encountering a rough and uncharted road. Nintendo would make up for it with their Nintendo 64 controller, which perfected the analog stick design and feel.
1 TurboExpress Handheld Played Console Quality Games On A Handheld
NEC's Turbo Express was a technologically advanced handheld that could run TurboGrafx-16 game cartridges, making it possible to play home console games on the go. Even though the hardware had a couple of issues, the Turbo Express was still impressive for its era.
Soon after the launch of the Turbo Express, Sega's Game Gear would also receive a third-party adapter that allowed for the handheld to play Sega Master System games. Still, NEC's handheld did it first and out of the box.
Honorable Mention: G-cluster Was The First Cloud Gaming Service
Over the last decade, cloud gaming has steadily grasped a foothold in the industry, potentially foreshadowing a future without traditional physical consoles. Services like Google Stadia, Amazon Luna, and Xbox Cloud Gaming permit users to play games on their mobile or laptop by connecting to servers.
While no longer available today, G-cluster was an early adopter of cloud gaming, allowing IPTV users to run casual and high-end games. The company even released a gaming machine in the 2010s, which would plug into a TV's HDMI port. It supported wireless controllers and mobile devices.