Gaming Console Devices
Video game consoles including PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo.
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Sega Genesis (Model 1, 1988)
The Sega Genesis Model 1 — known as the Mega Drive outside North America — debuted in Japan on October 29, 1988, then in the US in August 1989. The Model 1 chassis (often nicknamed the ‘High Definition Graphics’ or ‘Altered Beast’ revision) carries Sega’s familiar 8-pin DIN A/V port out the back, an RF…
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Sega Genesis (Model 2, 1993)
Sega’s slimmer 1993 redesign of the 16-bit Genesis swaps the Model 1’s large 8-pin DIN for a compact 9-pin mini-DIN A/V multi-out that carries composite, RGB and stereo audio through a single cross-shoppable cable. Unlike the Model 1, the Model 2 dropped the built-in RF modulator, so an external RF adapter is required for antenna-only…
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Sega Master System (1985)
The Sega Master System was Sega’s 8-bit answer to the NES, launched as the Mark III in Japan in October 1985. The rear panel carries an RF antenna output for connection to a TV’s coaxial input via the supplied RF switch box, alongside the proprietary 8-pin DIN A/V port that doubles as composite and raw…
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Sega Mega-CD (Model 1, 1991)
The Sega Mega-CD Model 1 — sold as the Sega CD in North America — is the front-loading CD-ROM add-on that docks under the Genesis Model 1 via the console’s right-side expansion connector. Audio handling is the most interesting bit of its rear panel: two RCA stereo outs for the CD-mixed audio, plus two RCA…
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Sega Saturn (1994)
The Sega Saturn launched in Japan on November 22, 1994 and is the connector-densest pre-millennium Sega console: a 10-pin proprietary Multi-AV out on the rear (composite, S-Video and raw RGB on a single connector), a flat rectangular Communication Port for the Sega NetLink modem and the rare MIDI link, a top-panel cartridge slot for memory-card…
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SNK Neo Geo AES (1990)
The 1990 Neo Geo AES is the home version of SNK’s arcade hardware — a luxury console that shipped at $649.99 with arcade-grade cartridges and the same JAMMA-style microswitched joystick used in cabinets. Video is sent over a proprietary 8-pin DIN A/V port that carries composite, RGB and stereo audio simultaneously; the same port is…
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SNK Neo Geo CD (1994)
SNK’s Neo Geo CD brought arcade-perfect Neo Geo games home on affordable discs, using analog A/V outputs typical of its era. Its main video connection is an 8-pin DIN multi-out that carries composite, RGB and more, and the front-loading model adds separate composite RCA and S-Video jacks for flexibility. Two original Neo Geo controller ports…
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Sony PlayStation (Original PSX, 1994)
The original Sony PlayStation kicked off the disc-based console era and shipped with the proprietary Sony AV Multi Out — the same connector that would later anchor the PS2 and PS3 Fat. Stock video is composite at 480i over RCA; you can unlock RGB up to 240p/480i with an aftermarket SCART or component cable into…
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Sony PlayStation 2 (Original Fat, 2000)
The original PlayStation 2 launched with the proprietary Sony AV Multi Out and added a digital optical TOSLINK output for Dolby Digital and DTS — a first for a Sony console. Early SCPH-30000 boards expose USB 1.1 plus an i.LINK (IEEE 1394 / FireWire 400) port for system-link multiplayer; both USB and i.LINK survive through…
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Sony PlayStation 2 Slim (2004)
The Slim PS2 collapses the Fat’s expansion bay into a built-in 100BASE-TX Ethernet port, making online play a one-cable affair — no Network Adapter required. The Sony AV Multi Out and optical TOSLINK survive the redesign so Dolby Digital and RGB/component cables still work, but i.LINK is gone for good. SCPH-70000 through SCPH-77000 use an…
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Sony PlayStation 3 (Original Fat, 2006)
The original ‘Fat’ PS3 is the most port-dense PlayStation Sony ever shipped: HDMI 1.3a, the proprietary Sony AV Multi Out, optical TOSLINK, four front USB 2.0 ports on launch CECHA/CECHB units, and Gigabit Ethernet. Launch 60GB (CECHA) and 80GB (CECHB) models add a hidden bay of three flash card readers — Memory Stick, SD/MMC and…
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Sony PlayStation 3 Slim (CECH-2000, 2009)
The 2009 PS3 Slim shrinks the chassis by a third and swaps the Fat’s IEC C14 power inlet for the smaller IEC C8 figure-8 used by every Slim and Super Slim after it. The redesign keeps HDMI, Sony AV Multi Out, optical TOSLINK and Gigabit Ethernet, but trims USB from four to two ports and…
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Sony PlayStation 3 Super Slim (CECH-4000, 2012)
The 2012 Super Slim is the final PS3 redesign — about 25% smaller and 20% lighter than the 2009 Slim, with a sliding-cover disc bay replacing the slot-loader. The port complement carries over unchanged from the previous Slim: HDMI, the proprietary Sony AV Multi Out, optical TOSLINK, two USB 2.0 ports and Gigabit Ethernet, all…
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Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES, 1991)
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System connects via a multi-purpose AV port supporting composite, S-Video, or RGB—SCART cables in PAL regions. The cartridge slot is a top-loader, and the console draws about 10W of power under typical use. Two controller ports on the front accept standard SNES pads or a multitap for four-player games; a separate…
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Super Nintendo Jr. (SNES Mini, 1997)
This compact SNES Jr. redesign shrinks the console and drops the RF option, leaving composite video only on its AV Multi Out (S-Video and RGB need a mod). The cartridge slot is still a top-loader, and power consumption drops slightly to about 9W. It keeps the original’s two controller ports but has no expansion port.…
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Valve Steam Machine (2026)
Valve’s compact living-room PC runs SteamOS and, notably, ships without an HDMI 2.1 port. Its HDMI 2.0 output tops out at 4K 120Hz, so for higher-refresh 4K (up to 240Hz) or 8K 60Hz you’ll want the DisplayPort 1.4 output instead — a deliberate choice tied to open-source driver support. Connectivity includes a rear USB-C 3.2…
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Xbox (Original, 2001)
The original Xbox connects via composite or component video through a proprietary AV connector, supporting up to 1080i on component TVs. A single USB port on the front charges controllers, while two Ethernet ports on the back provide both standard wired networking and HD Video Kit connectivity (480Mbps). The composite cable delivers muddy colors compared…
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Xbox 360 (Original, 2005)
The launch Xbox 360 shipped without HDMI: 2005–2006 units send video only through the rear AV Multi-Out, which takes component, composite, VGA and SCART cables. HDMI arrived with the 2007 Elite and Zephyr revisions. There’s no optical socket on the console itself; digital audio comes from the TOSLINK port on the AV cable’s connector. Three…
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Xbox 360 E (2013)
The 360 E is the stripped-down final revision: video leaves over HDMI or a 3.5mm composite A/V jack, and that’s it. Component cables and the older AV Multi-Out plugs won’t fit, and there’s no optical port, so digital audio has to travel over HDMI. Four USB 2.0 ports (two front, two rear), a Kinect port,…
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Xbox 360 S (Slim, 2010)
The 360 S is the Xbox 360 with everything on the console: HDMI, the AV Multi-Out for component or composite cables, and an optical TOSLINK socket built in, so digital audio no longer needs the AV cable’s dongle. A dedicated Kinect port powers the sensor directly, and five USB 2.0 ports (two front, three rear)…
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Xbox One (Original, 2013)
The launch Xbox One tops out at 1080p: its HDMI 1.4b output has no 4K and no HDR, so a pricier HDMI cable buys nothing here. The second HDMI port is an input, for passing a cable or satellite box through the console. Digital audio gets its own optical (S/PDIF) port, and the rest is…
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Xbox One S (2016)
The One S was the first Xbox with 4K: its HDMI 2.0a output carries 4K60 with HDR10 for streaming apps and the UHD Blu-ray drive, while games are upscaled from 1080p. The HDMI input stays at 1.4b for cable-box pass-through. Three USB 3.0 ports (one front, two rear), optical audio, Gigabit Ethernet and a 3.5mm…
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Xbox One S All-Digital Edition (2019)
The All-Digital Edition is a One S without the disc drive, and the ports are unchanged: an HDMI 2.0a output with 4K60 and HDR10 for streaming (games upscale from 1080p), an HDMI 1.4b input for cable-box pass-through, three USB 3.0 ports (one front, two rear), optical audio, Gigabit Ethernet and a 3.5mm IR blaster jack.…
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Xbox One X (2017)
Microsoft’s 4K-capable Xbox One refresh keeps the original Xbox One’s full I/O panel: an HDMI 2.0b output for 4K HDR gaming, an HDMI 1.4b input for cable-box passthrough (1080p only), three USB 3.0 Type-A ports (two rear, one front), an optical S/PDIF (TOSLINK) digital audio output, a 3.5mm IR Blaster output, and a Gigabit Ethernet…
