In the late 90s and early 2000s, translucent consoles and handhelds were common and quite popular. Since the sixth generation of video games, releases with translucent designs have been few and far between. The only company to really give it a go later down the line has been Nintendo and also a brief glimpse from Sony.
Since their original release, a lot of translucent consoles are remembered fondly with rose-tinted glasses, and some sell for high collector value. Those who saw or had these consoles will certainly remember them fondly for their unique design. Even though you will have your own video game company preference, you cannot deny the quality in design for these consoles.
10 Famitsu Game Boy Pocket
The Game Boy Pocket was released in 1996 as a much more compact version of the classic Game Boy. One year later, the Famitsu Edition of the Pocket was released which only sold 5,000 units. This machine came in a clear design that showed off the interior and motherboard of the Game Boy Pocket.
While smaller in its design and requiring fewer batteries, the screen on the Game Boy Pocket was larger (65mm) than the new Game Boy Color (59mm). The Famitsu model may not be the most attractive of colors, but it can sell for over $500 on the internet.
9 Daiei Hawks Game Boy Advance
Japan had a greater variety of Game Boy Advance colors in comparison to the West, and one of the later models released was the Daiei Hawks model in October 2001. This model was orange on the front with a translucent design and on the back it was black.
The reason for this color scheme was to honor the Japanese baseball team, Daiei. The back of the model does have a translucent design, however, with the model being black it is hard to see as much detail in comparison to the front.
8 Pokemon Mini
The Pokemon Mini did not only have exclusive mini Pokemon games, but it was also the smallest handheld console Nintendo ever made. Three different translucent designs were created with respective colors for the second-generation Pokemon chosen. There were the Chikorita (green), Smoochum (purple), and Wooper (blue) models.
This meant the buttons on the handheld would be those colors, but the main layout of the handheld would be a clear translucent design. Although small and cute in its design, the Pokemon Mini included an LCD screen and was the first Nintendo handheld to have motion controls. It is a console fans would love to see return.
7 Nintendo Mini Classics
Recently, there has been a Game & Watch revival with the Super Mario Bros. release in 2020 and The Legend Of Zelda set to release in late 2021. However, in 1998, Nintendo released the Nintendo Mini Classics, which like the Pokemon Mini, was a small handheld design, but for a specific Game & Watch title. These included Donkey Kong Jr and Super Mario Bros.
A blue translucent variant of the game Octopus and a red one for the classic game Fire were released alongside the main line of games. These designs almost make the handheld look like it's barely made of anything, but their colors are striking and are a unique release in Nintendo's video game history.
6 PS2 (Japan)
The PS2 had both one of the best start-up screens, and also one of the best console designs. Once again it was The japanese exclusive ocean blue model is a dark blue with the interior looking like the depths of the ocean.
Up to 100,000 models were made of the PS2 which is surprising to say that none of them were made for North American consumers. The controller also matches the design and the model would be sold in a box displaying the Ocean Blue name of the PS2. To say Sony has never really ventured into the translucent market, their designs available are beautiful.
5 PS4 Pro
The PS4, which has gone on to sell more consoles than any other console, has had some wonderful designs over the years such as the 20th-anniversary and Spider-Man models. For a console with a design that can easily be altered, it only made sense that there would be a translucent model at some point.
To say so many special editions of the PS4 were released, there is a special reason why one was translucent. The Pro model is in celebration of 500 million PS4's sold around the world. Whilst it isn't the brightest translucent model, the more you stare at it, the more detail jumps out at you.
4 2DS
There have been two sets of translucent 2DS handhelds released and both times they have been associated with the Pokemon franchise. In 2014, red and blue translucent 2DS' were released, each being packaged with a copy of either Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire depending on the color purchased.
In celebration of Pokemon's 20th anniversary in 2016, red, green, blue, and yellow translucent 2DS handhelds were released in respect of the original Game Boy games. The buttons would also represent the four colors as well. The colors worked well with the translucent design and looked more vibrant than the standard 2DS design.
3 Game Boy Color
Not only was the Game Boy Color available as a translucent design, but even its game cartridges could be released with translucent models. This is understandable with its vast catalog. One of the most famous instances of this was the release of Pokemon Crystal which showed off the interior of a cartridge such as its motherboard.
The handheld had a variety of colors including clear, green, and purple and most of the interior of the Game Boy, including its buttons, could be seen. The design showed how technical and yet so simple the interior of a Game Boy looked.
2 Xbox
When the original Xbox console hit shelves, it was a mighty looking machine. The translucent variants looked even better with colors ranging from clear green, crystal clear, orange, and blue. As Xbox and Microsoft aimed to be the future of gaming, their debut console in its translucent design looked a lot more futuristic than competitor designs.
With a translucent Duke controller to match, the translucent Xbox looks leagues better than the original model. As Xbox have always been consistent with their designs, it would be great to see a return to translucent models.
1 Nintendo 64
The Nintendo 64 has to be considered the best of the translucent consoles for its color variety and overall design. The console had a lot of unique designs, but in total there were 10 translucent models (orange, blue, green, purple, Daiei Hawks, JUSCO, red, watermelon red, smoke, and ice blue). Some of these designs were rarer than others and some were exclusive to Japan.
To have all of these consoles standing side by side is a work of art and were released as part of the Funtastic Series. It shows a time where Nintendo wasn't afraid to experiment more with their technology, especially as they had a more powerful model. Not forgetting their recent efforts with a variety of 2DS and 3DS designs, but the N64 is remembered iconically for breathing the fresh air of color into the video game market.