Nintendo 64

The Nintendo 64 (N64) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, in North America on September 29, 1996, in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. As the successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), the N64 was the last major home console to use ROM cartridges as its primary storage medium. As a fifth-generation console, the Nintendo 64 primarily competed with Sony's PlayStation and the Sega Saturn.

Development of the N64 began in 1993 in collaboration with Silicon Graphics, initially codenamed Project Reality and later tested as the Ultra 64 arcade platform. The console was named for its 64-bit CPU. Although its design was largely finalized by mid-1995, the console’s release was delayed until 1996 to allow for the completion of the console's launch titles, Super Mario 64, Pilotwings 64, and the Japan-exclusive Saikyō Habu Shōgi.

The N64’s original charcoal-gray console was later joined by several color variants. Certain games required the Expansion Pak to boost system RAM from 4 to 8 MB, improving both graphics and gameplay functionality. The console supported saved game storage either on cartridges or the optional Controller Pak accessory. The 64DD magnetic disc peripheral offered additional storage for game content and enabled the Randnet online service. However, due to a delayed launch, the 64DD was a commercial failure and was released exclusively in Japan.

In 1996, Time magazine named the N64 its Machine of the Year, and in 2011, IGN ranked it as the ninth-greatest video game console of all time. Though the N64 sold over 32 million units globally, it was ultimately discontinued in 2002 following the release of its successor, the GameCube. While it was critically acclaimed, the N64 faced commercial challenges; its sales lagged behind the PlayStation, and underperformed in both Japan and Europe, despite strong performance in the United States.

Following the video game crash of 1983, Nintendo revitalized the industry with the release of its second home console, the Family Computer (Famicom), launched in Japan in 1983 and later introduced internationally as the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1985. Both the NES and its successor, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), achieved significant commercial success. However, SNES sales declined during the Japanese economic recession. At the same time, competition intensified with the arrival of the Sega Saturn, a 32-bit console, which outpaced the aging 16-bit SNES and highlighted the urgency for Nintendo to upgrade its hardware or risk losing market share. Additional competition came from Atari's 5200, 7800, Lynx, and Jaguar systems.

In an effort to extend the SNES’s lifespan, Nintendo explored the development of a CD-ROM peripheral through partnerships with CD-ROM technology pioneers Philips and Sony. Despite the creation of early hardware prototypes, both collaborations ultimately collapsed, and no games were released by Nintendo or its third-party partners. Philips retained limited licensing rights and used them to release original Mario and Legend of Zelda games on its competing CD-i device. Meanwhile, Sony leveraged its progress to develop what would become the PlayStation console. During this period, third-party developers also expressed growing dissatisfaction with Nintendo’s strict licensing policies.

Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI), a long-established leader in high-performance computing, sought to expand by adapting its supercomputing technology into the higher volume consumer market, starting with the video game industry. To support this shift, SGI redesigned its MIPS R4000 CPU family, reducing power consumption, and aimed to lower unit cost from up to US$200 (equivalent to $435 in 2024) to approximately $40 (equivalent to $87 in 2024). SGI developed a video game chipset prototype and sought an established industry partner. SGI founder Jim Clark first pitched the concept to Tom Kalinske, CEO of Sega of America, who said they were "quite impressed." However, Sega’s Japanese engineers rejected the design, citing technical issues, which SGI later resolved. Nintendo disputes this account, claiming SGI ultimately favored Nintendo because Sega had demanded exclusive rights to the technology, while Nintendo was open to a non-exclusive licensing agreement.

In early 1993, Clark met with Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi. By August 23, during Nintendo's annual Shoshinkai trade show, the companies announced a joint development and licensing agreement for what they called "Project Reality." They projected an arcade debut in 1994 and a home release by late 1995, targeting a retail price under $250 (equivalent to $516 in 2024). Michael Slater, publisher of Microprocessor Report highlighted the significance of the partnership saying, "The mere fact of a business relationship there is significant because of Nintendo's phenomenal ability to drive volume. If it works at all, it could bring MIPS to levels of volume [SGI] never dreamed of."