Key recommendations
- The improvements to the mid-generation consoles are aimed at improving the design and gaming experience.
- The Nintendo DS Lite, Game Boy Advance SP, and PS4 Pro are notable examples of successful mid-generation refreshes.
- The Xbox One X and Xbox 360 S feature significant improvements in resolution, quality and performance.
Are mid-generation consoles really necessary? While updates were often exclusive to handheld consoles, eventually even home consoles began receiving lifetime upgrades. This has become a common industry staple to bridge the gap between each console generation.
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While some refreshes may exist just to add some leaves to the backgrounds of your favorite games, other refreshes change the design of the hardware to be more practical in addition to graphical improvements. From portables that get more compact to consoles that solve devastating problems, here are the best mid-gen console refreshes of all time.
10 Nintendo DS Lite
Brighter screen, easy to store, but more fragile
The Nintendo DS Lite was released after the first wave of DS products. It has a much brighter screen and a more compact form, while maintaining compatibility with the original version.
The refresh had some drawbacks, which included a much easier to crack top screen and a slot at the bottom where Game Boy Advance games stand out. However, it could be considered a better alternative to the DSI which completely removed the GBA slot. The DS Lite also made GBA and DS games appear more colorful due to their brightness.
9 Game Boy Pocket
A smaller Game Boy with fewer batteries
The original Game Boy had another variant called the Game Boy Pocket. While the first iteration of the handheld console promised portability, it had its fair share of drawbacks. To begin with, the device was thicker and used four AA batteries.
The Game Boy Pocket, on the other hand, served as a decent upgrade. It came in a multitude of colors, used just two AAA batteries, and was smaller enough to fit in your pocket, as the name suggests.
8 PlayStation 2 Slim
A PS2 that takes up less space
The PlayStation 2 is one of the best-selling consoles of all time for good reason. Not only did Sony hit the ground running by making the console a DVD player, but it also had a great lineup of games. The slim version of the console gave the PS2 a nice upgrade before the PS3 era.
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This entry includes a slimmer and easier to store console as well as better cooling. This resulted in a much quieter device without losing anything that made the original great.
7 The New Nintendo 3DS
Improving the 3DS experience
The Nintendo 3DS product line has had a lot of refreshes throughout their era. This includes the toasty looking 2DS and the oversized XL versions. The New Nintendo 3DS, on the other hand, addressed one of the 3DS's major problems.
This problem is that games like Pokemon Sun & Moon tend to lag due to the power required to run them. The New Nintendo 3DS alleviated this problem while offering improvements to some games and even having a line of exclusives.
6 Game Boy Advance SP
Backlighting changes the game forever
The Game Boy Advance took handheld gaming to the next level, but something was still missing. The Game Boy Advance SP gave the handheld a completely new look with a flip design and backlighting.
This new addition is a game changer for those late hours playing video games under the sheets. You no longer needed a light supplement or a flashlight. The ability to open and close the Game Boy Advance also made it compact for a better fit in the pocket, as well as giving the screen extra protection while tucked into a bag or backpack.
5 Xbox 360 S
The Xbox in the beginning
The Xbox 360 was probably the best console of its era. It had reliable online, amazing exclusives and some of the best quality of life features. If you weren't careful though, the console was at risk of getting the red ring of death in earlier versions of the system.
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While the Xbox 360 Elite is a top choice, the Xbox 360 S could be considered better for a multitude of reasons. For starters, the console was slimmer, had built-in Wi-Fi, and some models came with over 200GB of internal storage, making it perfect for installing games for better performance.
4 PS4 Pro
The jump from 1080P to 4K
The PS4 Pro is a decent enough jump in power to warrant an upgrade over the original. It may not have been next in line for mainstream consoles, but the ability to go from 1080P to 4K is more noticeable than what the PS5 Pro offers compared to the PS5.
While the original PS4 was already the slimmer choice compared to the base Xbox One, the PS4 Pro slimmed it down even more. It also had a better Wi-Fi chip that made much faster connections than the base PS4.
3 Nintendo Switch Lite
A refresh with a twist
The Nintendo Switch has not one, but two console refreshes. The first is the Nintendo Switch Lite. This version of the Switch may not be able to dock to your TV, but it has a more compact size, making it perfect for portable gaming.
The console is also very light, making it easy to hold while playing on the bed or couch. It's also a cheaper alternative for those who are only interested in gaming on the go. Pixel games and retro indies feel right at home on this system.
2 Nintendo Switch OLED
Better battery and richer colors
The OLED Switch doesn't update the graphics in any way, and it doesn't even add much-needed anti-aliasing. However, the OLED screen was enough to mask these flaws, giving games more vibrant color palettes. The difference is very noticeable when playing in person.
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The console is also slightly lighter, and despite looking larger due to the improved screen size, it's about the same size as the original Switch. In any case, the Switch OLED uses the power of Illusion to make itself appear more powerful than it actually is, but it does the job well. The dock also comes with a LAN port for faster internet speeds.
1 Xbox One X
An attempt to save the Xbox One
If there was ever a console that needed a shine, it was the Xbox One. The original system played games at around 900P resolution and often got stuck at 30 FPS for many games. It's been a rough time for Xbox, but the Xbox One X has addressed many of the issues.
Games could now run in true 4K, and on top of that, the console could also play 4K movies. The biggest downside is that the console weighed like a ton of bricks, making it difficult to move around. However, it is the mid-gen console that has done the most to upgrade its core system.
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