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The gaming tech industry is never stagnant and is always evolving, whether that's through hardware upgrades or software. Sometimes, a piece of tech may seem revolutionary for the time period it's released in, but as soon as something better comes up, it almost instantly becomes obsolete.
This article discusses five of the best gaming tech devices/consoles that the world has mostly forgotten.
Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer
5 forgotten pieces of gaming tech
1) Nintendo Virtual Boy (1995)
The revolutionary Nintendo Virtual Boy was the first console capable of displaying 3D images, almost like a VR in today's world. It cost $179.95 upon release, just a couple of dollars shy of an actual full-fledged console, making it quite expensive.
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The Nintendo Virtual Boy had this unique controller, and the console also looked very out of the box. However, most consoles and controllers back then looked quite weird as this was when companies were testing out the potential of these devices.
While it did sell quite well, Nintendo discontinued the Virtual Boy less than a year after its release. A major reason this piece of gaming tech didn't last was that it just wasn't comfortable to wear, and the display was painful to look at. Not to mention, it had a very limited game library.
Check out: 5 best Nintendo consoles of all time
2) Sega Action Chair (1992)
The Sega Action Chair was otherwordly when it came out. It was made for the Sega Mega Drive console, and the chair was like a controller where the D-pad itself was mapped to the body. This meant your movements in real life equated to how you play in the game. This was quite an innovative idea, but it's understandable how it could get boring over a period of time.
While the Mega Drive was one of Sega's best consoles, many people didn't really prefer playing games with the Action Chair. While it was an impressive piece of gaming tech, it didn't really work out because of its super high cost and limited compatibility. Many devs didn't focus on making their game compatible with this device as it was much more complex compared to a regular controller.
3) Sony PS Vita (2011)
The Sony PS Vita was the PSP's true successor. It had far better graphics and performance than the previous-generation handheld. Moreover, it also had the ability to stream PS3 games and came with an OLED display which looked great.
However, the Sony PS Vita had a lot of expectations to fulfill, and while it did improve a lot over the older handheld, it simply couldn't keep up with the competition. The competition was the rise of smartphones with good gaming capabilities. Moreover, Sony shifted their focus to the PS4, which led to the slow decline of this piece of gaming tech.
4) Nokia N-Gage (2003)
![The Nokia N-Gage was one of the first gaming phones (Image via YouTube/MrMobile [Michael Fisher])](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/07/57a57-17220487118187-1920.jpg)
Nokia was trying just about everything during the late 90s and early 2000s. The N-Gage was a mix of a mobile phone and a game console that was quite uncommon back in the day. It was launched at $299 and had a more-than-impressive game library. It had titles like Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, Spiderman 2, and even the first Call of Duty.
However, the N-Gage was made to compete with the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. It just had a D-pad and a smaller display. Users weren't a fan of the design either, as it was a hassle to add game cartridges.
5) Apple Pippin (1995)
Believe it or not, Apple tried to step into the world of gaming a long time ago with the Apple Pippin. This piece of gaming tech was a multimedia platform that allowed for web browsing, multimedia playback, and of course, gaming. It ran on the classic Mac OS, and Apple wanted something that wasn't just limited to gaming.
However, the Pippin cost $650 during release and had a very limited game library. The market at the time was already crowded with established competitors, which made it even harder for Apple to stand its ground.
Check out similar articles by Sportskeeda:
- 5 rare limited edition consoles worth collecting
- 5 rare Nintendo consoles that are hard to find
- 5 best retro consoles to collect
