Fourth Generation of Games Consoles: The 16-Bit Era

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TurboGrafx-16/CoreGrafx/PC-Engine

MegaDrive/Genesis

Super Nintendo Entertainment System/Super Nintendo/Super NES/ SNES

Neo Geo

The fourth generation (more commonly referred to as the 16-bit era) of game consoles began on October 30, 1987 with the Japanese release of NEC Home Electronics' PC Engine (known as the TurboGrafx-16 in North America). Although NEC released the first console of this era, sales were mostly dominated by the rivalry between Nintendo's and Sega's consoles in North America: the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES; the Super Famicom in Japan) and the Sega Genesis (named the Mega Drive in other regions).