Consoles & Hardware Trivia Questions and Answers

The machines rather than the games: launch years, specifications, the pack-in titles and the format decisions that decided generations. Questions cover the big three and the many that did not survive, plus handhelds, peripherals and the accessories that were sold to everybody and used by almost nobody. Launch dates and sales figures carry the difficulty, since most players remember what they owned and not when it arrived. Good for a table that argues about gaming, because console questions are the ones where everybody has a position before they have a fact.

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  1. 1. Which disc format did the PlayStation 3 introduce, also used for high-definition movies?Medium

    • Blu-ray ✓
    • HD DVD
    • DVD
    • UMD

  2. 2. Which Xbox subscription service bundles a large library of games for one monthly fee?Medium

    • Xbox Game Pass ✓
    • Xbox Live Gold
    • Xbox Ultimate
    • Xbox Plus

  3. 3. Which smaller, cheaper Nintendo Switch model, released in 2019, removed the TV-docking feature?Medium

    • The Nintendo Switch Lite ✓
    • The Switch OLED
    • The Switch Mini
    • The Switch Go

  4. 4. The Wii U is widely considered a commercial failure — approximately how many units did it sell worldwide?Hard

    • About 13.5 million ✓
    • About 100 million
    • About 2 million
    • About 45 million

  5. 5. Which Nintendo home console, released in 2001, used small purple disc-based cartridges called mini-DVDs?Easy

    • The GameCube ✓
    • The Wii
    • The N64
    • The Wii U

  6. 6. Which Nintendo home console, released in 1985 in North America, is credited with reviving the video game industry?Easy

    • The NES ✓
    • The SNES
    • The N64
    • The GameCube

  7. 7. Which Sega console, released in 1998, was the company's final home console before it exited hardware manufacturing?Medium

    • The Dreamcast ✓
    • The Saturn
    • The Genesis
    • The Master System

  8. 8. Which online feature made the Sega Dreamcast notable as one of the first consoles with built-in internet connectivity?Medium

    • A built-in modem for online play ✓
    • A built-in web browser only
    • A built-in email client only
    • A subscription streaming service

  9. 9. In which year did Sega officially announce it would stop making home consoles and become a third-party publisher?Hard

    • 2001 ✓
    • 1998
    • 2004
    • 1995

  10. 10. Which Sega console, released in 1994-95, struggled commercially and used an unusual 3D graphics architecture?Medium

    • The Sega Saturn ✓
    • The Dreamcast
    • The Genesis
    • The 32X

  11. 11. Which failed Sega add-on, released in 1994, plugged into the Genesis to enable more advanced 3D graphics?Hard

    • The 32X ✓
    • The Sega CD
    • The Power Base Converter
    • The Master System Converter

  12. 12. By the mid-2020s, roughly how many units had the Nintendo Switch sold worldwide?Hard

    • Over 140 million ✓
    • About 40 million
    • About 250 million
    • About 80 million

  13. 13. Which Philips console, developed partly with Nintendo before their deal fell apart, became a notorious flop?Medium

    • The CD-i ✓
    • The 3DO
    • The Jaguar
    • The Pippin

  14. 14. Which console controller first introduced an analog stick as a mainstream standard feature for 3D games?Medium

    • The Nintendo 64 controller ✓
    • The NES controller
    • The SNES controller
    • The GameCube controller

  15. 15. Which PlayStation controller feature, introduced with the DualShock, became standard across the industry?Easy

    • Dual analog sticks with vibration feedback ✓
    • A built-in touchscreen
    • A built-in microphone only
    • A detachable keyboard

  16. 16. Which Xbox feature, expanded over time, lets Xbox One and Series consoles play many original Xbox and Xbox 360 games?Medium

    • Backward compatibility ✓
    • Cloud saves only
    • Cross-play only
    • Remote play only

  17. 17. Which Meta-owned standalone VR headset became one of the best-selling VR devices, requiring no console or PC?Medium

    • The Meta Quest ✓
    • PlayStation VR
    • HTC Vive
    • Valve Index

  18. 18. Which term describes the Nintendo Switch's unique design, functioning as both a home console and portable handheld?Medium

    • A hybrid console ✓
    • A cloud console
    • A dedicated handheld
    • A microconsole

  19. 19. Which motion-sensing wand controller is closely tied to the Wii's tennis and bowling games?Easy

    • Nintendo's Wii Remote ✓
    • Sony's Move controller
    • Microsoft's Kinect
    • Valve's Index controller

  20. 20. Which racing simulation series, exclusive to PlayStation, is famous for its realistic car physics?Medium

    • Gran Turismo ✓
    • Forza
    • Need for Speed
    • Burnout

  21. 21. Which internal codename was used for the original Xbox during its development before the final name was chosen?Hard

    • DirectX Box ✓
    • Project Cerberus
    • Sirius
    • Loki

  22. 22. Which internal codename did Nintendo use for the console that became the Wii during its development?Hard

    • Revolution ✓
    • Dolphin
    • Hollywood
    • Iwata

  23. 23. Which internal Nintendo codename referred to the audio/graphics chipset co-developed with IBM and ATI for the Wii?Hard

    • Hollywood (graphics) and Broadway (CPU) ✓
    • Dolphin and Flipper
    • Revolution and Iwata
    • Project Reality and Reality Co-Processor

  24. 24. Which console's controller is shaped with a distinctive black-and-white two-tone design, first introduced in 2020?Easy

    • The PS5 DualSense ✓
    • The Xbox Series controller
    • The Switch Pro Controller
    • The Wii U GamePad

  25. 25. Which console's home menu interface is famously organized as a horizontal row of icons called the "XMB" (XrossMediaBar)?Easy

    • The PlayStation 3 ✓
    • The Xbox 360
    • The Wii
    • The Switch

  26. 26. Which company's 1982 console was known for arcade-quality ports and came bundled with a Donkey Kong cartridge?Hard

    • Coleco ✓
    • Atari
    • Mattel
    • Magnavox

  27. 27. Which company released the Lynx handheld in 1989, the first handheld with a backlit color screen?Medium

    • Atari ✓
    • Sega
    • Nintendo
    • NEC

  28. 28. Which console maker's controller is famous for its X, O, triangle and square face buttons?Easy

    • Sony (PlayStation) ✓
    • Microsoft (Xbox)
    • Nintendo (Switch)
    • Sega (Genesis)

  29. 29. In which year was the Nintendo 64 released in North America?Easy

    • 1996 ✓
    • 1994
    • 1998
    • 2000

  30. 30. In which year was the Xbox One released?Easy

    • 2013 ✓
    • 2011
    • 2015
    • 2009

  31. 31. Which console generation term describes the PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube together?Easy

    • The sixth generation of video game consoles ✓
    • The fifth generation
    • The seventh generation
    • The fourth generation

  32. 32. Which console is home to Nintendo's flagship kart-racing series, Mario Kart?Easy

    • Nintendo consoles ✓
    • PlayStation consoles
    • Xbox consoles
    • Sega consoles

  33. 33. Which console maker's home consoles are named PlayStation 1 through 5, in numbered succession?Easy

    • Sony ✓
    • Microsoft
    • Nintendo
    • Sega

  34. 34. Which chip manufacturer co-designed the custom CPU used in the PlayStation 3, known as the "Cell" processor?Hard

    • IBM (with Sony and Toshiba) ✓
    • Intel
    • AMD
    • Nvidia

  35. 35. Which Nintendo handheld returned to cartridge-style game cards after the GameCube's disc-based era?Hard

    • The Nintendo DS ✓
    • The Wii
    • The Wii U
    • The GameCube itself

  36. 36. Which console generation term covers the original PlayStation and Nintendo 64, marking the shift to full 3D?Hard

    • The fifth generation of video game consoles ✓
    • The fourth generation
    • The sixth generation
    • The third generation

  37. 37. Which console's $599 launch price for its premium model drew heavy criticism at its 2006 reveal?Hard

    • The PlayStation 3 ✓
    • The Xbox 360
    • The Wii
    • The Nintendo 64

  38. 38. Which console maker's newest flagship, the PS5, released alongside the Xbox Series X in late 2020?Easy

    • Sony ✓
    • Microsoft
    • Nintendo
    • Sega

  39. 39. Roughly how many copies did Wii Sports sell worldwide, bundled with most Wii consoles?Hard

    • Over 80 million ✓
    • About 20 million
    • About 150 million
    • About 5 million

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