2016 was yet another year that showed PC gaming is, in many ways, on the forefront of gaming. So many of gaming's most popular trends -- the proliferation of Early Access on consoles (for better or worse), survival game elements in everything, multiplatform mods, esports, and virtual reality -- all started on PC. Even as it inspired other platforms, PC gaming itself evolved this year, both making big strides and taking ugly spills.
The PlayStation 4 evolved this year. Sony's flagship console got a little bigger and a little more powerful, though its potential is as yet undertapped. It also got its very own VR headset, though that headset noticeably fails to match its PC counterparts. It's not clear whether Sony has moved their gaming system in all the right directions, but they're certainly skipping forward.
When 2016 began, you needed to own an Xbox One to enjoy most of the benefits of Xbox gaming. Here at the end of the year, you don't.
Dedicated handheld consoles have taken some beatings over the years -- thanks, Steve Jobs -- but as 2016 comes to a close, the 3DS is still thriving. And the Vita... well, uh, I love the Vita.
