This week on Thanks For Playing, Matt and Hot Mickey run an abridged history of the console wars—from Atari’s boom-and-bust (yes, E.T.), to Nintendo’s NES “seal of quality,” Sega’s edgy Genesis era, Sony’s PlayStation pivot that changed everything, and Microsoft entering the chat with Xbox Live, LAN parties, and Halo nights.

They also debate what console wars even look like now: fewer exclusives, crossplay everywhere, Steam remote play, and a future that might be more “subscription/cloud wars” than plastic boxes under your TV. Plus: first consoles, legendary gamertags, and one extremely dangerous Wii Tennis household memory.

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The Console Wars Aren’t Dead—They Evolved