A current look at the most well-designed game consoles

by Blake Snow { Jan 23rd 2007 at 1:15PM }

There are plenty of fugly consoles out there, so which are the most aesthetically pleasing? Opposable Thumbs pipes in with their take on the best use of exterior design for game consoles. From the article: "The 360 design bores me, the PS3 looks like a grill, the SNES was boxy and ugly, the DS looked like makeup, and the DS Lite looks like more expensive makeup. The GameCube? It's a purple purse, for the love of Gygax!" The op-ed piece dubs the PS2 Mini, GBA SP, and Wii as the most awesomely designed platforms to date. Mmmm... the clamshell was most awesome. So put on a black T-Shirt and tell us which console you think has the best looking and most functional hardware.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Kestrel @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:19PM

I love the Wii, but I really think the design is weak.

Splinter @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:22PM

Guh, i hated the design of the SP. Its button layout was too small for large handed players, so it was real uncomfortable.

I loved the original GBA. Widescreen, comfy, and the buttons rested nicely.

If only it had the lighted screen.:*(

G-T3K @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:22PM

Wii, XBox 360, and DS Lite are all strong designs. I always thought the PS2 was ugly... big or mini, although the old PS1 wasn't a bad looking console.

PerfectBowler @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:23PM

I think the intended design of the wii was to make it a "furniture piece" that parents wouldn't mind putting next to the family room tv. And in that way Wii succeeded. It's simple and friendly and doesn't look like a Foreman Grill.

Kevin @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:23PM

I think the DS is one of the most aesthetically pleasing console designs to date! To each his own, I guess.
I also think the 360 is a fairly nice looking piece of hardware. It's not too blocky, which tends to make consoles look dated rather quickly.

Thryon @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:25PM

I always liked the look of the Sega Genesis. On the fugly side was the Sega Master System.

Dan @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:46PM

I actually love the PS3 design. Commence the hatred comments.

I also enjoy the Wii, DS and DS Lite.

The1 @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:27PM

And you know what they say about "OPINIONS."

Gh05t @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:34PM

The Atari Jaguar was BY FAR the most aesthetically pleasing console design and indeed it even had very powerful hardware capabilities, especially for its time. If only Atari didn't have to stop making consoles...*sigh*

Matt @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:32PM

Missing from the list:

The original PSX. Why Sony abandoned such a great design for the abysmal PS2 design, I have no idea.

The 2nd generation Genesis. Console designs were never more clean and simple than this.

Michael @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:33PM

Um... the SNES was only ugly in america.

Nate @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:45PM

I think the design of the 360 is excellent. Sleek, simple, and clean looking....changing faceplates is neat too. The DS is also a pretty cool looking handheld...much better looking than the GBA SP, IMO.

matthew @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:37PM

360, SNES, and for some odd reason, the OG Xbox has always been cool to me, menacing, but cool.

Chairman @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:39PM

I just posted a reply to this article, I ended up picking the DS Lite, the Wii, and the 360:

http://maosaywhat.com/blog/2007/01/23/my-console-is-hotter-than-yours/

Let me know what you guys think.

NintendoFanbot @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:49PM

Oh man, the DS lite is awesome. Though the one thing that's wrong with both that and GBA SP is that GB/GBA cartridges stick out. You might want to have a large clearing in your living room because the PS3 as it currently is doesn't look good around anything.

And also, based on the "Leaning Tower of Sega", the Sega CD-X was also really well-designed. Basically it took the 2nd version of Sega CD and put a cartridge slot in the back.

A lot of systems LOOK good but where FUNCTIONALITY and accessibility counts, it's what puts the PStwo, DSlite, and CD-X over their fatter, meaner predecessors. There are more accessible consoles like the NES2 and SNES2 but they are aesthetically ugly, in my opinion.

darren mccoy @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:49PM

I've always loved the Neo Geo AES, the super car of the console world.

BenW @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:57PM

I liked the N64.

I wish Xbox360 was offered in Xbox1 black -- perhaps an idea for 360v2?

Oobgarm @ Jan 23rd 2007 1:58PM

I find the woodgrain Atari 2600, Dreamcast, original PS2, and the redesigned PSOne to be aesthetically pleasing.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I dislike the looks of the N64, Saturn, PS3, and the original model Genesis.

Consider all the others in the 'ambivalent' category.

geves @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:04PM

i think the virtuaboy is hands down the most ugly of them all. runners up being: genesis, PS1, GBA, GBA SP (eww it looks nasty. what were they thinking?), and NES (i love the little guy though)

nicest looking: 360 (IMO just looks better than PS3),

DS lite (white one looks too much like an ipod, but it's still well designed and doesn't feel like your holding nintendo's typical block design even though you are),

64 (some may disagree with me. but i like it.)

dreamcast (nicest design out there IMO)

Mephistopheles @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:10PM

Yeah I know what they say about opinions... mine are worth more than the current market value of ten pounds of gold per word.

The PSTwo is probably the best from the aesthetics side and the NES was easy to use and how it looked didn't matter since all electronics were ugly bulky things back then.

Matt @ Jan 24th 2007 11:29AM

I still love my PS3's looks, and I dont' care who says it looks like a grill. To me, it's more like that sports car you'd really like to own, but for the sake of your credit score, you just admire it from afar.

Geovany @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:16PM

The most sexy and futuristic console i ever seen in my life is the PLAYSTATION 3...but the Sega Dreamcast was only nice.

Shiro @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:18PM

They called the DS Lite ugly? Now I almost feel guilty for having sex with one when it was released. Almost.

Grog @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:19PM

I love my Wii, but it's not beautiful. On the other hand, it's got a very "functional" appearance: it doesn't stick out too much, all of the various inputs are well hidden for ordinary use, and you can stick it just about anywhere. In my opinion, these are good traits - especially with a game system with wireless controllers, I don't want it to be the focus of my living room, I just want it to be there to do its job.

Duscrom @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:24PM

I hated the PS2 design, and the Atari Jaguar get's knocked to worst for the phone-pad controller.

The most visually appealing consoles are the Xbox 360, Black NDS Lite, Wii, and... for some reason, I always liked the look of the Gamecube.

nfoo @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:22PM

I'm shocked ... nobody mentions the Neo Geo?

The Neo Geo is about as sexy as a console can get ... it still haunts me ...

Tom @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:27PM

I'd put the original Xbox up near the top of the list. It's been sitting on my shelf for years and it still looks pretty sweet. It's easy to imagine all sorts of strange things going on in the interior of that big black box.

I'd also put the original NES up there. Grey-on-grey with a black racing stripe? Excellent.

All of the top-loading cartridge systems are out, they might look cool sans games (Genesis) or with games (um...) but never both.

As far as the new stuff goes, the 360, PS3, and Wii are all super boring. And the 360 HD ruins any symmetry that thing had going on.

Sam G. @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:25PM

The woodgrain Atari 2600, hands down. Nothing has come close since.

saboola @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:25PM

Geovany, you should get a foreman grill, its like a cooking apparatus from the future

32_Footsteps @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:30PM

Hmm... which had the nicest form factor?

I'm fond of both DS units, actually. I'd probably get a Lite if I was to buy a new one, but I love the form and feel of the Phat.

I like the slim PS2 as well, particularly in non-black colors. Black is too overdone.

And for sheer retro awesomeness, I'm going to throw out there the ol' wood grain Atari 2600. Given the size of that versus how small they can make systems now, I'd love to mod a console such that I could slap the guts of any console into a 2600 chassis.

Diesel 360 @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:34PM

I'm a fan of the Original Gameboy Advance - even when better / brighter SP and Micro came out - I held onto my GBA Glacier - there was just something nostalgic about it - kinda like those old Game and Watch games.

I also give a nod to Sony for their PSP design - it looks so cool and high tech, that I'm almost afraid to play it though, and forget about carrying that thing in my back pocket!!!

Steve @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:38PM

How is the SP any less of a makeup kit than a DS? The SP was a big advancement in the Gameboy line but it has two useability flaws. 1, there's a problem with the ergonomics because the alignment of the A/B buttons is off. They should both fall under the thumb when the thumb is placed on it. The second flaw is that it doesn't have a standard headphone jack. Sure, you can get one of those adapters, but then it's easy to misplace it. It's also not possible to use the headphone jack and AC power at the same time.

The black DS Lite is a great design. It has the SP's protective clamshell design which should be considered mandantory for all handheld consoles, cellphones, and other portable video devices. It has a true headphone jack, and it isn't much bigger than it needs to be. Video screens should only be framed in black because it makes the image pop out. A beige or white frame dominates the video image. (I never noticed this until moving from a beige CRT PC monitor to a black one)

Going on...

Wii - It's a great system but the design is merely functional and minimal. That's great, but people are making this thing out to be an object of beauty when it's nothing but the design nearly every external PC CD/DVD drive has. White is an ugly color for electronics too.

360 - Ugly color for an electronics device. The design is ugly too.

PS3 - Black and shiny. I like it (the looks of it anyway).

Evan @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:46PM

The PS2 looks like a rip off of a NeXT computer. The horizontal lines (grooves) running across the front are similiar to the NeXTstation. The way the PlayStation logo sits on those lines is exactly like the NeXT logo on the NeXTstation, and the way the drive slot is blended into those lines is exactly like the NeXTcube.

robert @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:46PM

Yeah PLAYSTATION 3 very cool and futuristic desing....best wishes for PS3 to rule them all..

Karttikeya @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:48PM

That person is an idiot. The GBA should be replaced with the DS Lite, and the Xbox 360 deserves a spot with its Guide Button, Convex Definition, Chrome Finish, Removable HDD, faceplate customization, internal flaps for USB/Memory Card Devices, and the Ring of Light. Not to mention all of the high end hardware they shoved in it.

I don't even know if the Wii should even be in there, with it's horrible GameCube/Classic controller interface.

john @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:49PM

I think people often mistake design for how cool something looks. This isn't quite true. Good product design is when function and usability dictate form and nothing superfluous is left. Going be these criteria Nintendo is leading the pack on design with the DS lite and the Wii. There are hardly any visual flourishes at all. The GBA design was also pretty good (I liked the retro NES one because it had a 'grippier' surface). I also have to say that I really don't understand the trend of consoles to try and be curvy. Both the 360 and the PS3 have these unneeded curves in there systems. Without knowing too much about how the insides are arranged it seems to me that this has nothing to do with the way the system functions and much more to do with making it stand out like a sore thumb next to my TV.

joeskie @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:53PM

On top of those selected as the best designed consoles, I'd love to see the Sega Dreamcast and Sega Megadrive/Genesis (2nd design) added to the list.

The Sega Dreamcast had clean, sleek lines that didn't look out of place in your entertainment centre but still had that gamer-feel about it that told you it was a nice looking entertainment device and not something from Star Trek.

The Sega Megadrive/Genesis's 2nd design reduced the size and bulkiness of the 1st design and gave it some rounded corners to make it a standout in the 8-bit/16-bit generation of consoles.

Mikami @ Jan 23rd 2007 2:54PM

I think the X360 is a great looking machine and I find that quite funny, considering when I first saw the market shots I wasn't that impressed. I think what also makes it for me, was the idea that Microsoft wanted to bring forth personalization. With the removeable faceplate, and the overall neutral colour it's a perfect blank canvas for your own design. For me, that's what makes it - The idea now only do I have my own individual gamertag, a gaming personality, but also my OWN console that sets it apart from the rest.

I like what Nintendo is doing as well, although I have to admit I'm getting tired of the 'Apple' syndrome that seems to be apparent for the last few years.

White Rose Duelist @ Jan 24th 2007 8:16AM

7. And you know what they say about "OPINIONS."

They are neither onions nor pinions?

is @ Jan 23rd 2007 3:06PM

No mention of the panasonic 3d0? Looks like a nice dvd player. Its stackable, with a 'stereo seperate' look, far nicer than the ps2.

But DSlite is a gorgeous machine, second only to the wii in terms of aesthetic prowess.

Vidikron @ Jan 23rd 2007 3:09PM

Meh.. as much as people like to praise the DS (we have 3... 1 phat and 2 lites) , it's really not a very ergonomic design for a portable. It's essentially just a rectangle. It's very aesthetically pleasing though.

The 360 is OK, but the white color really clashes with all the other electronics in my entertainment center. IMO, the PS3 is the best looking of the current consoles. It looks like it belongs in my entertainment center. The Wii and 360 stick out like sore thumbs.

Brent @ Jan 24th 2007 12:16PM

Well,

For one thing, I hate the curvy designs of the 360 and the PS3.
And I especially hate the shinyness of the PS3.

I plan on getting a 360 this year, and i'm already trying to figure out if there is anywhere i can put it in my living room that wont look fugly.
Good thing I dont want a PS3.

I guess I just prefer solid edges.

The Wii, slim PS1 and slim PS2 get points for being small and clean looking. All look good in the appartment.

I also liked the look of the black gamecubes, but definitly not the other colors.

The Xbox design wasnt too bad, but it just seems so mammoth in size compared to everything else on the shelf that it never looked quite right.

Oh, and I dont like the look of any top loading cart. machine, no mater how fun they are to play.

well theres my 2 cents

Lou @ Jan 23rd 2007 3:53PM

Personally, I think the DS is without a doubt the best looking of the group. Until this generation the Gamecube, GBA, and GB Micro were all going with a sort of faux metal plastic look that just looked like toys.

As for the PS2. I remember waiting in line, cracking open the box and just being dissapointed. The small PS2 goes a long way to making the aesthetic more pleasing with the glossy strip, but it always looked like some sort of 1980 kitsch.

As for shape, the 360 is my favorite. It looks powerful and clean, but I'm not sure about the white color. It almost looks like a prototype. I wish that it were glossy like the PS3. The PS3 has great materials, but I already have a George Foreman, the convex design makes no sense.

As for best looking ever, I'm out on a limb, but I think it is between the Wii, which from controllers to system is the most complete package and the PSP. Seriously the thing just looks like it costs a lot and does something fantastic (though it still sucks)

KnuxSonic @ Jan 23rd 2007 10:49PM

The 2nd and 3rd Generation Genesis systems were nice, as was the Dreamcast

bill @ Jan 23rd 2007 3:43PM

! AND THE WINNER IS..............Playstation 3

Glenn @ Jan 23rd 2007 4:03PM

Xbox 360 is great looking. The PS2 slim is impressive because of it's size, not the design so much. The design is very industrial/bland... but it's damn small.

Jeff @ Jan 23rd 2007 3:46PM

"The op-ed piece dubs the PS2 Mini, GBA SP, and Wii as the most awesomely designed platforms to date."

Apparently he likes plain square boxes. If only the GameCube wasn't originally purple and didn't have a handle (making it a "purse"), he'd have probably called it the holy grail of design.

I personally really like the design of the GameCube... but then I also liked the design of the PS2. They both make their respective statements nicely. The PS2 is a big black monolith, but with details that take the boring off. The GameCube is just cute.

In the current generation, I honestly think the PS3 is pretty damn nice. I mean it just has a *presence* that the other two don't. It only looks like a "grill" if you turn it on its side, and the PS2 was similarly odd in that configuration. These were systems designed to play vertically.

Going back, I agree with whoever mentioned the Neo Geo AES. Probably the pinnacle of the "wedge" design that Atari pioneered back with the Atari 2800 (which used the same casing as the later 7800). It's also another system that, like the PS3, is never done justice in pictures. You need to see it up close; it just dominates your field of vision. Part of it is how deceptively big it is. It doesn't look big, but it's huge compared to other systems of the day. It's as big as an Atari 5200.

I also love the design of the Coleco Vision. Somehow it's always reminded me of something like a 1968 Dodge Challenger. It's like a classic American muscle car design.