How important is console design to you?

[spacecadet]

I'm putting this in modern gaming but it could apply to classic gaming as well, I just figure we've had time to get used to most classic designs by now.

 

But when buying a game console, how important is the overall look/aesthetics/size/industrial design of the system to you?

 

I'm curious because I've been realizing that the main reason I still haven't bought an Xbox One at this point is its design. The original just wouldn't have fit in my TV stand at all, and while the Xbox One S is a definite improvement and I'll probably get one eventually, it's past the point where I feel excited enough about the console to rush out and buy one immediately. But if the "S" was the original design, I'd probably have bought one at launch. I feel like MS missed the boat a little bit; the launch system just didn't have a design that made you go "wow", and it was problematic in size. I wonder if this actually affected sales.

 

I personally need systems that stand vertically and don't take up much space. I've got plenty of classic systems that are horizontal, of course, and some of them are really big, but I keep them in another room with their own shelves. Right now I only have a PS3 "super slim" and an original PS4 in my living room.

 

I don't think I ever buy systems solely because they look good or fit in my setup, but I might *not* buy a system for the opposite reasons. I think I have kind of a minimum requirement in terms of size and aesthetics. I wonder if anyone else is the same, or if most people just think it doesn't matter.

 

[Metal Jesus]

I think for me, I really appreciate good design... especially in this age of Apple products and how engineered and precise they are. The PS4 Pro has a nice substantial feel to me and I like it. But at the end of the day, the system sits underneath my TV and I rarely look at it...

 

I think it's much more important for a HANDHELD. For instance, the Sony VITA looks and feels GREAT every time you use it.

[akator]

Console aesthetics matter to me as well, although console ugliness hasn't kept me from owning any.

 

For me the worst of them was the original Xbox. It hurt me to look at it and over time I like the visual design even less. My opinion (obviously) is that the original Xbox wins the fugly prize. The appearance is even worse than the RCA Studio II, which is pretty hard to believe considering Microsoft spent millions to come up the Xbox design.

 

Of course, I eventually bought an Xbox but did everything I could to hide it behind other consoles. It even sat behind the TV at one point. But even out of sight, nothing could stop that infernal noise from the fan. So the Xbox was both fugly and it just wouldn't shut up. That's a pretty rotten combo.

Edited February 18, 2017 by akator

[BillyHW]

Ultimately the only thing that matters is the games. Controller design is important. Reliability is next.

 

Aesthetics in console design are nice to have, but ultimately not that important.

[spacecadet]

For me the worst of them was the original Xbox. It hurt me to look at it and over time I like the visual design even less.

I agree about that - it was powerful for its time but it still seemed bigger than it needed to be and it did have a goofy look. And man, mine was loud too. Mine had a really annoying hard drive whine; I always wondered if that was just me. I've owned other hard drives like that, but I know even drives of the same model can vary so I was never sure if I just got unlucky. Every time I turned it on, though, I worried about the hard drive blowing up. It never did, though.

 

At that time I owned all three systems, but since then I've usually owned one at a time... and I think I've been using aesthetics as one of the differentiators when I choose which one I'm going to get.

[zzip]

It's somewhat important. Mostly in that I don't want them to be space hogs. If they can stand vertically next to my entertainment center, as my Wii and PS4 do, then it's fine.

 

The Original 2600 design, which was typically set on the floor with cables running out would be a no-no at this point in my life, the 5200 would be even worse due to its size. All those consoles with top-loading CDs as well because they require top clearance so they can't be stacked neatly.

 

Actually I don't think the old Xbox One is so bad for a design. Yes people joked that it looked like a VCR, but that would mean it would fit cleanly in my entertainment center.

[boog]

It's not really 'important' to me, but it would be nice if they put more effort into making cool console shells. They're entertainment devices and should reflect fun. Systems like the NEC Supergrafx and Amstrad GX had unique shell designs and they still look awesome today.

[Keatah]

It would be nice if they took pride in making the shells again. All we have from major manufacturers is a box with no outward personality.

[spacecadet]

Actually I don't think the old Xbox One is so bad for a design. Yes people joked that it looked like a VCR, but that would mean it would fit cleanly in my entertainment center.

 

For me, I just physically don't have room for another thick horizontal piece in my TV stand. I feel like it was a stroke of genius when somebody came up with the idea of a console that could sit either horizontally or vertically. Really the only spot I have available is a thin slice of air directly next to my TV. Even my PS3 has to sit behind my TV at this point.

 

I also just thought the original Xbox One looked dull. The One S has a little more panache; it's still minimalist but it does look like someone actually designed it. The original Xbox One to me just looked like a really generic box, like some off-brand early Chinese DVD player. It didn't make me say "wow, that looks cool", which I feel like does add a certain amount of excitement to a console launch for me.

[Osgeld]

I appreciate good design in retrospect, in the real world I don't care if it's a turd I have to Velcro to the wall if it gives me what I desire

[Tuet0ne]

A consoles design is quite important to me, I have to admit they do not look as good as they used to! *Strokes spice orange GameCube* XD

[Video]

I like a console that looks good, but I'm a bit weird so I consider simple shapes looking good. The gamecube was awesome. What I don't like is when some crappy color is chosen for the console....not to say colors are bad, but If you make colors, make a choice. (when the cube was released, it was ONLY purple, it wasn't till the black one came out that I actually picked one up)

 

PS4 and XBone both look nice to me as well. Of the 360 variants, I like the look of the E series the best (instead of the weird warped melted look of the original or S series consoles)

 

While I liked the 64 better for the games, I'd give the looks to the Playstation there. Super Nintendo over Genesis. It's a tossup between NES and SMS for me, though I like how the consoles look compared to the 7800. As close as they are in appearance, I like the 5200's looks better than the 7800.

 

Anyhow, yeah, I have no real aesthetic tastes though so...

[Eltigro]

I don't think the original XBox One is all that big. It's about the same width as the other XBoxes (both original and original 360), and it's actually narrower than my 2600 and Intellivision (a good inch and a half shorter than the INTV). So I don't really see the size of it as an issue, but I don't have your space or know what you're having to work with.

 

As far as overall design of the system, I think it's kinda boring. It's just a rectangle. The PS4 isn't much better as just being a parallelogram. The older systems, I think, have more interesting designs... with ridges and angles and vents and whatever. Don't get me wrong, I like it, but I think it's just kind of bland. Times are different though and designers have a different idea of what they think will look good in a living room. The PS4 and XBox One have sleek, minimalistic designs that may look nice and fit in in a modern living space. Looking back, the Atari 2600 and many others had wood grain and, I think, tried to look a little like furniture. The TVs at the time were often big wood encased console TVs that were designed to look like furniture. The 2600 fit the room and design aesthetic of the times. Same with the modern consoles. The TVs now are no longer just another piece of furniture, they are sleek and black and have all the buttons hidden... and so do the PS4 and XBox One. So yeah, they aren't much to look at... but they aren't supposed to be.

 

Now, that being said, I love the look of all my consoles. I don't think there's a single one that I haven't at some point just picked up and turned it over in my hands just to look at it. I appreciate all of them and enjoy the look of all of them. So does the design matter? Not much. It needs to work and be playable. If it fits those criteria, I'll think it's beautiful.

[Keatah]

Much of the modern look considers cost in manufacturing. And even more of it is born out of deliberate & forced cost cutting. Many a designer have submitted plans only to have them rejected saying it's too extravagant. Get the cost down. Something all featureless and black is going to be much cheaper than something with woodgrain and multi-colors.

 

Personally I think we've gone too minimalistic.

[Punisher5.0]

Normally I don't care. Sometimes though I like to stare at something and just think about the thought behind it and how they would have made it. It makes me appreciate that object even more.

 

The original Xbone though.....Jesus. They didn't even try. Super bland looking and it's very reminiscent of a VCR from the 90s.

[AtariLeaf]

Growing up in the 70's and 80's where every console looked so different, unique, and down right funky with different colors and shapes, it's kind of hard to get excited by the bland boxes that are sold today.

[zzip]

Growing up in the 70's and 80's where every console looked so different, unique, and down right funky with different colors and shapes, it's kind of hard to get excited by the bland boxes that are sold today.

 

A lot of those early designs just aren't practical today. These systems needed to be exposed so you could reach the buttons, plug in the controllers, change the cartridge.

 

How many people do you know who stored their 2600/INTV on top of their console TVs? I knew many who did. Nice and easy to access. Who still uses console TVs for gaming today? You obviously can't balance them on top of a flat screen, they don't work well in an entertainment center. You can't stand them vertically. Today's consoles may seem minimalistic, but they are low profile and can be tucked away cleanly with no exposed wires while still allowing access to the disk and any buttons on the front.

[Tanooki]

If the components inside allow it to do what is necessary to get the job done, the controller is comfortable and isn't a road block to playing or comfort playing, and the internal coding language makes it easy enough for anyone to make or convert games to it that's all I really care about console design. If it was made for comfort, made to get the job done well, and made to be easy to get games on it that's how much console design matters to me.

 

I don't care if the thing is an xbox ugly brick, or all smooth and sleek like the Apple products or even really the Switch tablet itself, it's the core parts that make it work and get things to use on it and they work well is all I care about.

[Agamon]

I'm far more interested in both UI and the controller than the console's aesthetics, which is why I've gone with the MS consoles over Sony's the past couple gens. Though I do prefer to have black consoles over white.

[jhd]

I have never given much thought to how the console looks; it just sits on the floor in front of my TV and quietly waits for me to turn it on.

 

That said, I have the silver version of the slim PS 2, and that is my favourite of the available choices (i.e. white, black, silver in Canada).