Top 5 Worst Video Game Consoles In History

Every time a new console is going to be launched and released, many avid gamers out there will be dying to try out some of the features being offered on the new console.

However, history has proven that the video game industry that specializes in making video game consoles is not an easy field to go into for anyone. Many big companies like Nintendo and Sony have faced many challenges and failures that are still being remembered by gamers out there.

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As of now the Japanese company, Nintendo is known as one of the consistent brands in making their mobile consoles with new competitors on board which is the Steam Deck designed by Steam.

The question is will Steam Deck remain relevant to its users or will it repeat history itself like many other failed consoles that will be listed below.

1. Nokia N-Gage

We start off with the most confusing experiment of consoles in history, the Nokia N-Gage.

It was built by a gigantic phone company back then, Nokia from Finland as an answer to compete with Nintendo's dominance. N-Gage is a device hoping to reunite two different devices which are a telephone and a video console into one unit. However, due to its weak design, they faced difficulty in selling it.

The operating system of the device was considered not at par and not to mention the screen size and resolution were not suitable for its users. The graphics of the game was a joke considering the era at the time and gamers were not ready to accept it following the vertical screen.

The phone being held sideways

As a telephone, on the other hand, N-Gage was quite weird as you would have to hold the phone facing sideways instead of downwards toward your ear while making a phone call. The device was launched in 2003 and it was estimated that 1 million units of N-Gage sold compared to its original target of 6 million units in one year.

There were 58 games released during the sale of the N-Gage until 2007 before it cease to exist and was replaced with better smartphones in the future.

2. Sega Genesis Nomad

You might not have seen this console anywhere else in the world due to it only being available in the US. You might have seen other releases like the Sega Game Gear which is well known to consume a lot of battery.

It was designed as a mobile console that can play similar games to its parent the Sega Genesis and the Genesis Nomad started to be sold in 1995. The video console features a 3.25-inch colored screen as well as requires 6 double A batteries which can last for only 2 hours.

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The size of the Nomad itself was quite huge and people were criticizing whether it is considered mobile. There were too many flaws in this video game console and some said that it was not worth buying.

Sega took the initiative to reduce the price of the console from $180 to $80 but the results were still the same. Only 1 million units of this console were ever sold despite it supporting all the games in the Sega Genesis.

3. Nintendo Virtual Boy

Even the biggest company, Nintendo was involved in this fiasco, and this time it is the Nintendo Virtual Boy which is considered a false move made by Nintendo. Its high price of $180 has become one of the main reasons for its failure. 

Not just that, Nintendo also refuses to open access to its device to other companies ultimately causing an end to the Virtual Boy's fate since only 22 games were ever released for this unique device.

Virtual Boy tries to mimic the virtual reality world we have today for its users and this is considered the starting point of this new idea. But every cool aspect that comes in this new version will also include its negative side.

Children under the age of 7 are advised to not use this gaming console. It also warns its users against seizures, headaches, and also the possibility of vomiting to happen due to the intense graphics.

This bad reputation has resulted in many parents refusing to get it for their children even though the price at one time was only $20.

4. Atari Lynx

Different from what we have now, one time ago Atari was considered the most desirable brand among avid gamers worldwide. This puts Atari at an advantage to become the first producer in the world to feature the first colored screen mobile console called Atari Lynx.

On top of the strong technology in every unit of Lynx, Atari was not afraid to challenge its strong competitor Nintendo Gameboy which only has a monochrome color for its screen.

Despite the aggressive marketing being done by Atari at the start in addition to the device which is far more modern, it is still not enough to beat what is being offered by Gameboy in the long run.

Launched in 1983, as many as 3 million units of Atari Lynx were sold until the end of its release in 1995. On paper, it definitely sounds good but the Nintendo Gameboy which is considered primitive and outdated was launched in the same year as its competitor.

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The Gameboy managed to build a legacy through its two new models which stopped its release in 2003 and managed to sell 56 million units overall for its original unit.

5. Gizmondo

Some of you might not be aware of this brand unless you are a fanatic who basically follows the trend of the gaming industry. It was acknowledged as the worst video gaming console ever sold in the world ever since this device starts to face many problems.

It was developed by a Swedish company, Tiger Telematics which wished to challenge Nintendo's domination in the market. The Gizmondo not only can run many games but it can act as a mini-computer, equipped with its own GPS and camera.

During the year 2004, it was definitely something outstanding. Their confidence in their product was very high as Tiger Telematics was not afraid to promote it on a large scale by partnering with celebrities such as Sting, Pharrell William, Jamiroquai, and many more before Gizmondo was officially launched.

It was all great unit the background of the founder of the company Stefan Eriksson was involved with the mafia got revealed to the public. But it definitely did not stop Gizmondo from being launched in 2005 in countries like the UK, US, and Sweden. With a price of $400 per unit, many people had trouble getting one as it was too expensive.

Around 2006. reporters managed to expose the financial status of Tiger Telematics which was at its worst due to fund misuse. Their tactics to promote Gizmondo aggressively, the rental costs that are way too high, and not to mention the amount of money wasted by the founder caused Tiger Telematics to be in huge debts worth millions of dollars.

In the same year, the company filed for bankruptcy and it still owed $300 million in debt. The majority of the loss was due to the high salary of the managing director as well as high rental car fees for executive use that is not controlled.

The value of the sales for Gizmodo was found to contribute only $1.4 million in profit to the company with an estimated 25,000 Gizmodo units to be produced with an unknown sales figure.

There were only 14 types of games ever to be released during the period when Gizmodo was being sold to customers.

Source:

• Iluminasi

Also read: Top 7 Most Expensive Video Games Ever Sold