I'm guessing it has something to do with game compatibility improvements. Consoles used to only support games from that generation, i.e. Nintendo and Super Nint

I'm guessing it has something to do with game compatibility improvements. Consoles used to only support games from that generation, i.e. Nintendo and Super Nintendo are not compatible. I think the model is more like an iPhone, most apps are compatible with multiple platforms and versions of the OS, to a point. So my guess is that its a play to change the way people think about console generations.