Bringing this conversation over from the Upscalers/CRT thread.
Can't say I see the connection. The PS3 and 360 were same-y consoles that overpromised (this is the era of bullshots) and consistently underdelivered on their HD promises. Many games were often sub HD resolutions, nearer to Wii's 480p which got a ton of criticism itself for not being "HD". The games had inconsistent visuals, performance and framerates, a problem that got worse as the consoles overstayed their welcome. This is the console gen with the worse quality control problems and most widespread stories of systems failing (except Wii).
The 16-bit consoles were a natural progression of technology but not in any way a remedy to a somehow deficient 8-bit gen. The games on the NES and SMS stood on their own without any glaring shortcomings. They worked well within their limitations rather than struggle like PS3/360, where their games' need for better hardware was clear as day. Think about the NES' overall output. A small cross-section of games I played growing up: Batman, Return of the Joker, TMNT 2/3, SMB 1/2/3, Mega Man 2, Super C, Kirby, Zelda, Castlevania III, Dragon Warrior, Punch-Out, Ninja Garden, Shadow of the Ninja, Abadox, Zanac, Graduate, Bucky, Jackal, Double Dragon II, Ice Hockey, Wrecking Crew. I can't remember ever playing any one of these plus others and thinking: this looks and plays like shit, I can't wait until the next-gen port comes along and fixes all its problems. Pick up any overambitious PS3/360 game and all the glaring compromises and fuckups are staring you right in the face.
Add-on hardware was largely unsuccessful with the exception of the PC Engine CD add-on in Japan. I'm not trying to put words in your mouth, but VR is still unproven and following that comparison to its logical conclusion means that VR will fail spectacularly. My thoughts? I tried the pre-launch Oculus hardware that spec-wise matches the upcoming PSVR. It is too early and low-tech (blurry low-res, nauseating) and I don't see it being a huge hit with the mainstream gaming public. Seeing the add-on analogy through, VR will fail now but will take off next-gen... just like CD add-ons failed but CD consoles took off with PS1 and Saturn.
I didn't name Wii U in the misery that is the current state of console gaming for a reason. Not including the Nintendo titles and Rocket League, most of those are experiences with non-console roots born out of PC gaming. You would have gotten them in some form regardless if the Sony and MS consoles did or did not exist.
The rise of indie game developers was coming in spite of consoles. XBLA deserves some credit for leveraging the talent, but it's still rooted in the PC scene and XBLA is not deserving of credit for the creation of that scene. It was in the process of happening anyway with the rise of Steam in the 00s and the resurgence of PC gaming after claims that PC gaming and the desktop were dead. If anything, indies were a response to the numerous shutdowns of mid-tier console developers and the disappearance of solid non-AAA games. Instead of applauding consoles for something they didn't do (create the indie dev scene), they should be remembered for killing midtier games and greatly reducing the number of options on the console front outside of AAA or small budget titles.