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Nintendo 64

ConsoleHome video game console1996

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, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997.

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First released
1996
Made by
Nintendo
Generation
5
Units sold
Worldwide: 32.93 million (details); NA:

Overview

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, and in Europe and Australia on March 1, 1997. It was Nintendo's third major home console, following the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and competed with Sony's PlayStation and the Sega Saturn in the fifth generation of consoles.

Nintendo began developing the N64 in 1993 in collaboration with Silicon Graphics. Named for its 64-bit CPU, the N64 features a coprocessor that processes graphics and sound separately, allowing for 3D graphics. The N64 controller was the first to include a thumbstick as a standard feature, and the console includes four controller ports for multiplayer games. Accessories include the Expansion Pak to boost system RAM from 4 to 8 MB, the Rumble Pak for force feedback, and the Controller Pak, a memory card. In Japan, Nintendo released the 64DD, a peripheral that adds internet connectivity and enables expanded, rewritable data storage via proprietary magnetic disks. It was a commercial failure and was never released internationally.

The N64 received acclaim for its hardware and technical innovations. The American news magazine Time declared it 1996's "Machine of the Year". Nintendo sold 32.93 million N64s; while it was a major success in North America, it underperformed in Japan and Europe. Nintendo's decision to use ROM cartridges rather than optical discs, citing reduced loading times and software piracy concerns, alienated third-party developers due to cost and storage constraints. Many third parties opted to prioritize PlayStation development. This contributed to a relatively small library of 388 games and required Nintendo to rely on its major first-party franchises such as Mario and The Legend of Zelda, as well as games by second-party developers such as Rare.

Specifications

Manufacturer
Nintendo
Developer
Nintendo R&D3
Type
Home video game console
Generation
Fifth
Discontinued
2002
Units sold
Worldwide: 32.93 million (details); NA: 20.63 million; JP: 5.54 million; EU/AU: 6.75 million
Media
Nintendo 64 Game Pak, 64DD magnetic disc
Processor
NEC VR4300
Graphics
SGI RCP @ 62.5 MHz
Memory
4 MB RDRAM (8 MB with Expansion Pak)
Online service
JP Randnet; US SharkWire Online (third-party)
Controllers
Nintendo 64 controller, 4 ports
Predecessor
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Successor
GameCube
Best-selling game
Super Mario 64 (11.62 million) (list)

Models

  • iQue Player
  • Initial version

Model names as listed by IGDB.

More from Nintendo

Sources

The overview is adapted from Wikipedia and shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence.

Checked October 2026.

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