The Video Game Critic

I assumed the Switch is still 8th generation. If you go to wikipedia, the WiiU is clearly labeled 8th generation, as is the 3DS. The WiiU has no listed successor.

Yet if you go to the page for either the 8th generation or the Switch, its not mentioned. On the Switch page, there should be 'generation' after 'type'. Instead, type is listed as hybrid, and no generation is mentioned. Clicking on hybrid video console brings you to the page for video game consoles, where the Switch is mentioned under 8th generation, but not mentioned as belonging.

Is there any controversy or discussion here? Had I been asked, I would have said it was part of the 8th generation without hesitation. It plays 8th generation console games like Zelda and Mario Kart, and portables are part of the generations anyway. What is the argument its not?

Its not part of Videogameconsolelibrary yet, so who gets to decide - or is wikipedia somehow considered definitive? What do you think - Is the Switch 8th gen?

The most overzealous Wikipedia editor that is able to safeguard his edits is the person that gets to decide.

Will be interesting to see how this is twisted and distorted in the coming years.

The numbered generations are a wikipedia invention, disregard them.

I've never used generation numbers, but I'll answer it this way- I don't consider the Switch to be a "next-gen" console. I consider it current gen, on par with the PS4 and Xbox One.

Gentlegamer wrote:The numbered generations are a wikipedia invention, disregard them.

I am with you on the idea.

Groupings like "the 16 bit generation" made sense, but many of them don't. For instance, the original Odyssey is in the same generation as the many Pong consoles, but it is clearly separated from them by being a hybrid board game video game, its jumper cartridge technology, time, and not being in competition with them - so why are they all generation 1?

Its smells a bit like marketing -- hey, spend your $400 here because this is 'next-gen' stuff or hey the Switch and its so different its not even in the same generation. The generations excludes the other gaming methods like university mainframes, family computers, almost 30 years of PC gaming, mobile devices, and even niche items like retro consoles and barcode games. Its probably better to talk about 'gaming in the mid 80s' or 'gaming today' then generations anyway.