A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or electronic device that manipulates the video display signal of a display device (a television, monitor, etc.) to display a game. The term "video game console" is used to distinguish a machine designed for consumers to buy and use solely for playing video games from a personal computer, which has many other functions, or arcade machines, which are designed for businesses that buy and then charge others to play.
The first company to use the term "console" to officially refer to its video game system was Fairchild with the Video Entertainment System (VES) in 1976. Since then, definition has widened to include entire systems, as well as to describe alternate platforms such as handheld game consoles, TV games, and multimedia devices.
Elements of a video game console:
- Controllers: Video controllers allow the user to input information and interact with onscreen objects.
Power supply: a power supply converts 100-240 volt AC utility power into direct current (DC) at the voltages needed by the electronics.
- Console/Core Unit: The core unit in a video game console is the hub where the television, video game controllers, and game program connect. It usually contains a CPU, RAM, and an audiovisual coprocessor.
- Game Media: Most video game consoles have their programs stored on external media.
- Memory Card: Some video game consoles, like the Nintendo GameCube and the Xbox have memory cards to save, load, and delete files.
To date, there have been seven generations in the history of video game consoles. The current generation includes newer high-definition discs, like Blu-Ray, utilized by the Playstation 3, and HD-DVD, which has been embraced by Xbox 360 and Microsoft. Another new technology is to use the motion of the controller as input (as demonstrated by the Wii and, to a limited extent, the PS3), and understanding where the controller is pointing on the screen (as implemented on the Wii). Backwards compatibility has also become more popular with the seventh generation of home consoles, with all of the consoles employing some physical backwards compatibility, along with virtual backwards compatibility. Some of the models of 7th-generation video game consoles today are the Sony Playstation 3, Microsoft Xbox 360, and the Nintendo Wii.
