Fifth generation of video game consoles explained

The fifth generation era (also known as the 32-bit era, the 64-bit era, or the 3D era) refers to computer and video games, video game consoles, and handheld gaming consoles dating from approximately October 4, 1993, to March 23, 2006. The best-selling home console was the Sony PlayStation, followed by the Nintendo 64 and Sega Saturn. The PlayStation also had a redesigned version, the PSone, which was launched on July 7, 2000.

Some features that distinguished fifth generation consoles from previous fourth generation consoles include:

• 3D polygon graphics with texture mapping
• 3D graphics capabilities – lighting, Gouraud shading, anti-aliasing and texture filtering
• Optical disc (CD-ROM) game storage, allowing much larger storage space (up to 650 MB) than ROM cartridges
• CD quality audio recordings (music and speech) – PCM audio with 16-bit depth and 44.1 kHz sampling rate
• Wide adoption of full motion video, displaying pre-rendered computer animation or live action footage
• Analog controllers
• Display resolutions from 480i/480p to 576i
• Color depth up to 16,777,216 colors (24-bit true color)

This era is known for its pivotal role in the video game industry's leap from 2D to 3D computer graphics, as well as the shift in home console games from being stored on ROM cartridges to optical discs. This was also the first generation to feature internet connectivity: some systems had additional hardware which provided connectivity to an existing device, like the Sega Net Link for the Sega Saturn. The Apple Pippin, a commercial flop, was the first system to feature on-board internet capabilities.

For handhelds, this era was characterized by significant fragmentation, because the first handheld of the generation, the Sega Nomad, had a lifespan of just two years, and the Nintendo Virtual Boy had a lifespan of less than one. Both of them were discontinued before the other handhelds made their debut. The Neo Geo Pocket was released on October 28, 1998, but was dropped by SNK in favor of the fully backward compatible Neo Geo Pocket Color just a year later. Nintendo's Game Boy Color (1998) was the most successful handheld by a large margin. There were also two minor updates of the original Game Boy: the Game Boy Light (released in Japan only) and the Game Boy Pocket.

There was considerable time overlap between this generation and the next, the sixth generation of consoles, which began with the launch of the Dreamcast in Japan on November 27, 1998. The fifth generation ended with the discontinuation of the PlayStation (specifically its re-engineered form, the "PSOne") on March 23, 2006, a year after the launch of the seventh generation.

History

Transition to 3D

The 32-bit/64-bit era is most noted for the rise of fully 3D polygon games. While there were games prior that had used three-dimensional polygon environments, such as Virtua Racing and Virtua Fighter in the arcades and Star Fox on the Super NES, it was in this era that many game designers began to move traditionally 2D and pseudo-3D genres into 3D on video game consoles. Early efforts from then-industry leaders Sega and Nintendo saw the introduction of the 32X and Super FX, which provided rudimentary 3D capabilities to the 16-bit Genesis and Super NES. Starting in 1996, 3D video games began to take off with releases such as Virtua Fighter 2 on the Saturn, Tomb Raider on the PlayStation and Saturn, Tekken 2 and Crash Bandicoot on the PlayStation, and Super Mario 64 on the Nintendo 64. Their 3D environments were widely marketed and they steered the industry's focus away from side-scrolling and rail-style titles, as well as opening doors to more complex games and genres. 3D became the main focus in this era as well as a slow decline of cartridges in favor of CDs, due to the ability to produce games less expensively and the media's high storage capabilities.

CD vs cartridge

See also: ROM cartridge. After allowing Sony to develop a CD-based prototype console for them and a similar failed partnership with Philips,^[1] Nintendo decided to make the Nintendo 64 a cartridge-based system like its predecessors. Publicly, Nintendo defended this decision on the grounds that it would give games shorter load times than a compact disc (and would decrease piracy due to a certain chip in the ROM cartridge).^{[2] [3]} However, it also had the dubious benefit of allowing Nintendo to charge higher licensing fees, as cartridge production was considerably more expensive than CD production. Many third-party developers like EA Sports viewed this as an underhanded attempt to raise more money for Nintendo and many of them became more reluctant to release games on the N64.

Nintendo's decision to use a cartridge based system sparked a debate in the video game magazines as to which was better. The chief advantages of the CD-ROM format were (1) larger storage capacity, allowing for a much greater amount of game content;^{[4] [5]} (2) considerably lower manufacturing costs, making them much less risky for game publishers;^{[5] [6]} (3) lower retail prices due to the reduced need to compensate for manufacturing costs;^{[4] [5] [7]} and (4) shorter production times, which greatly reduced the need for publishers to predict the demand for a game.^{[8] [9]} Its disadvantages compared to cartridge were (1) considerable load times;^{[4] [6] [8]} (2) their inability to load data "on the fly", making them reliant on the console RAM;^[4] and (3) the greater manufacturing costs of CD-ROM drives compared to cartridge slots, resulting in generally higher retail prices for CD-based consoles.^{[4] [6]} A Nintendo Power ad placed a Space Shuttle (representing cartridges) next to a snail (representing a CD), as an analogy for their respective speeds, stating that "the future doesn't belong to snails".^[10]

Almost every other contemporary system used the new CD-ROM technology. Consequent to the storage and cost advantages of the CD-ROM format, many game developers shifted their support away from the Nintendo 64 to the PlayStation. One of the most influential game franchises to change consoles during this era was the Final Fantasy series, beginning with Final Fantasy VII, which was developed for the PlayStation instead of the N64 due to storage capacity issues;^[11] prior Final Fantasy games had all been published on Nintendo consoles – either the NES or Super NES, with the only other entries being on the Wonderswan, or computers like the MSX.

Overview of the fifth-generation consoles

The fifth generation was characterized by an unusually high number of console formats. More competing consoles comprised this generation than any other since the video game crash of 1983, leading video game magazines of the time to frequently predict a second crash.^[12]

Major consoles

The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer was one of the earliest fifth generation consoles and was released in October 1993. Despite having massive third-party support and an unprecedented amount of hype for a first-time entrant into the industry, it had early difficulties due to software development delays and its high price. For its initial release, the 3DO had a $700 retail price tag and only a single available game ready for market. The 3DO would be discontinued only three years later. While generally regarded as a failed system, the 3DO was this generation's fourth best-selling console in a crowded field with sales of 2 million units.

The Sega Saturn was Sega's entry into the stand-alone 32-bit console market. It was released in Japan simultaneously with the 32X in November 1994, although it would not have a North American release until six months later.^[1] It became Sega's most successful console in Japan. In America and Europe however, a disastrous launch and an MSRP of $399 compared to the PlayStation's $299 caused it to be a commercial failure,^[13] selling far fewer units than the Master System and Mega Drive/Genesis before it.

The PlayStation, released in early December 1994, was the most successful console of this generation. With attention given by third-party developers and a more mature marketing campaign aimed at the 20–30 age group enabling it to achieve market dominance, it became the first home console to ship 100 million units worldwide.

The Nintendo 64, originally announced as the "Ultra 64", was released in 1996. The system's delays and use of the expensive cartridge format made it an unpopular platform among third-party developers. Several popular first-party titles allowed the Nintendo 64 to maintain strong sales in the United States, but it remained a distant second to the PlayStation.

Other consoles

The Amiga CD32 was released in September 1993 and sold in Europe, Australia, Canada and Brazil. It was never released in the United States due to Commodore's bankruptcy and court-ordered import restrictions.^{[14] [15]} Despite promising initial sales, the console was hampered by poor software quality with many titles being simply re-releases of older games.^[16] Production of the Amiga CD32 was discontinued after only eight months.^[15]

The Atari Jaguar was released in November 1993 and was marketed as the world's first 64-bit system. However, sales at launch were well below the incumbent fourth generation consoles, and a small games library rooted in a shortage of third-party support made it impossible for the Jaguar to catch up, selling below 250,000 units. The system's 64-bit nature was also questioned by many. Its only add-on, the Jaguar CD, was released in 1995 and was produced in limited quantities due to the low install base of the system. The 32-bit Atari Panther, set to be released in 1991, was canceled due to unexpectedly rapid progress in developing the Jaguar.^[17]

The Sega 32X, an add-on console produced by Sega for the Genesis, was launched in November 1994. The Sega Neptune, a standalone version of the 32X, was announced but ultimately canceled. Sega failed to deliver a steady flow of games for the 32X platform. With customers anticipating the PlayStation on the horizon, and with Sega's more technically advanced Saturn already competing on the market in Japan, sales of the 32X were poor.^[18]

NEC, creator of the TurboGrafx-16 of the previous generation, entered the market with the PC-FX in late December 1994. The system had a 32-bit processor, 16-bit stereo sound, and video capability. Despite its impressive specifications, it did not have a polygon processor and was marketed as a platform for 2D and full motion video games. The PC-FX game library was criticized for being low in quality, and having titles that relied more on animation than gameplay.^{[19] [20]} Due to low expected sales, it was never released outside of Japan.

In 1995, Nintendo released the Virtual Boy, a supposedly portable system capable of displaying true 3D graphics, albeit in monochromatic red and black. Despite being marketed as a portable system, it is not actually portable in practice due to the lack of a head strap. Also, because of the nature of its display, the system reportedly caused headaches and eye strain.^[21] It was discontinued within a year, with fewer than 25 games being released for it. Although it sold over 750,000 units, Nintendo felt that it was a failure compared to consoles such as the Super Nintendo, which sold over 20 million.^[22]

Aftermath of the fifth generation

By the end of the 1995 Christmas shopping season, the fifth generation had come down to a struggle between the Sony PlayStation, Sega Saturn, 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, and the upcoming Nintendo 64. The Amiga CD32 had already been discontinued; the Jaguar and Genesis 32X were still on the market but were considered a lost cause by industry analysts; the Neo Geo CD had proven to appeal only to a niche market; and industry analysts had already determined that the yet-to-launch Apple Bandai Pippin was too expensive to make any impact in the market.^[23] Moreover, even the leading fifth generation consoles were still facing sluggish sales. Combined sales for the PlayStation, Saturn, and 3DO barely topped 1 million units for the Christmas shopping season, as compared to combined sales of 4 million for the Sega Genesis and Super NES.^[24] Focus groups showed that most children under 12 years old were equally happy playing on fourth generation consoles as they were playing on fifth generation consoles, making the fourth generation consoles more appealing to adults buying gifts for children, since they were cheaper.^[6] Industry analysts began putting forth the possibility that the fifth generation of consoles would never overtake the fourth generation in sales, and become superseded by a new generation of DVD player consoles before they could achieve mass acceptance.^[25]

1996 saw the fifth generation consoles' fortunes finally turn around. With the Saturn, PlayStation, and Nintendo 64 all showing dramatic increases in sales over the previous year, they claimed a combined 40% of the retail market for hardware and software, putting them in position to finally overtake the fourth generation consoles in 1997.^[26]

The Sega Saturn suffered from poor marketing and comparatively limited third-party support outside Japan.^[1] Sega's decision to use dual processors was roundly criticized, as this made it difficult to efficiently develop for the console.^[27] Sega was also hurt by the Saturn's surprise four-month-early U.S. launch of their console; third-party developers, who had been planning for the originally scheduled launch, could not provide many launch titles and were angered by the move. Retailers were caught unprepared, resulting in distribution problems; some retailers, such as the now defunct KB Toys, were so furious that they refused to stock the Saturn thereafter.^[28]

Due to numerous delays, the Nintendo 64 was released one year later than its competitors. By the time it was finally launched in 1996, Sony had already established its dominance, the Saturn was starting to struggle, and the 3DO and Jaguar had been discontinued. Its use of cartridge media rather than compact discs alienated some developers and publishers due to the space limits, the relatively high cost involved, and a considerably longer production time. In addition, the initially high suggested retail price of the console may have driven potential customers away, and some early adopters of the system who had paid the initial price may have been angered by Nintendo's decision to cut the price of the system by $50 six months after its release.^[29] However, the Nintendo 64 turned out to be a commercial success, particularly in the United States, where it sold 20.63 million units, nearly two thirds of its worldwide sales of 32.93 million units. It was also home to highly successful games such as Star Fox 64, Mario Kart 64, , , Super Mario 64, GoldenEye 007, Banjo-Kazooie, and Super Smash Bros. While Nintendo 64 sold far more units than the Sega Saturn, Atari Jaguar, and 3DO combined, it posed no challenge to the PlayStation's lead in the market.

By 1997, 40% to 60% of American homes played on video game consoles. 30% to 40% of these homes owned a console, while an additional 10% to 20% rented or shared a console.^[30]

Changes in the industry

After the dust settled in the fifth generation console wars, several companies saw their outlooks change drastically.

Atari

Atari Corporation, which was not able to recover its losses, ended up merging into JTS Corporation in 1996.^{[31] [32]} This caused the Atari name to virtually disappear from the gaming market until 1998, when Hasbro Interactive purchased the Atari assets from JTS for $5 million.^[33]

On May 14, 1999, Hasbro Interactive announced that all rights to the Atari Jaguar were released into the public domain,^[34] thus declaring the platform open; this allowed anyone to freely create and publish games for the Jaguar without endorsement or licensing from Hasbro Interactive. Since then, homebrew developers began to release uncompleted Jaguar games as well as several brand new titles to satisfy the system's cult following.^[35]

Sega

Sega's loss of consumer confidence (coupled with its previous console failures), along with their financial difficulties, set the company up for a similar fate in the next round of console wars.

Home systems

Comparison

Comparison of fifth-generation video game home consoles

Name		3DO Interactive Multiplayer	Sega Saturn	PlayStation	Nintendo 64
Manufacturer		The 3DO Company	Sega	Sony (SCE)	Nintendo
Image(s)
		Top: Panasonic FZ-1 R·E·A·L Bottom: GoldStar GDO-101M	Top: North American Saturn Model 1 and controller Bottom: Japanese Saturn Model 1 and updated controller	Top: Original PlayStation with controller Bottom: Revised PSOne with DualShock controller	Top: Nintendo 64 with controller and game cartridge Bottom: Nintendo 64DD
Release date
Launch price	US$			^[36]
	GBP		^[37]	^[38]
	A$
	JP¥
Media	Type	CD-ROM		CD-ROM
	Regional lockout
Best-selling game		Gex, over 1 million^[39] ^[40]	Virtua Fighter 2, 1.7 million in Japan^[41]	Gran Turismo, 10.85 million shipped (as of April 30, 2008)^[42] ^[43]	Super Mario 64, 11.62 million (as of May 21, 2003)^[44] ^[45]
CPU		ARM60 (32‑bit RISC) @ 12.5 MHz (8.75 MIPS^[46])	2× Hitachi SH-2 7604 (32‑bit RISC) @ 28.63 MHz) Hitachi SH-1 (32‑bit RISC) @ 20 MHz (12.5 MIPS)^[47] Motorola 68EC000 (16/32‑bit CISC) @ 11.3 MHz^[48] (1.9775 MIPS) SCU (32‑bit Saturn Control Unit)^[49]	LSI LR333x0 (labelled as the Sony CXD8530CQ on the package) (based on the MIPS R3051 core) @ 33.8688 MHz (30 MIPS^[50]) System control coprocessor (inside CPU)	NEC VR4300 (64‑bit RISC) @ 93.75 MHz (125 MIPS)^[51] ^[52] 32-bit data coprocessor (64DD)
GPU		2× accelerated video co-processors Math co-processor (inside CPU)	Sega VDP1 (32‑bit video display processor) @ 28.63 MHz (sprites, textures, polygons)^[53] Sega VDP2 (32‑bit video display processor) @ 28.63 MHz (backgrounds, scrolling)^[54] SCU DSP (inside SCU (32‑bit Saturn Control Unit))	Sony GPU^[55] Vector math unit (in main CPU) @ 66 MIPS	Reality Co-Processor (64‑bit MIPS R4000 based, 128‑bit vector register processor) @ 62.5 MHz
Sound chip(s)		13 channel unnamed custom 20‑bit DSP embedded in the CLIO chip^[56]	Yamaha YMF292 SCSP^[57] Yamaha FH1 DSP (inside Yamaha YMF292 SCSP 24‑bit, 128-step, 4 parallel instructions)	Sony SPU (sound processing unit)	Reality Signal Processor (DSP)
Memory		3 MB RAM 2 MB DRAM 1 MB VRAM	4.5 MB RAM 2 MB SDRAM 1.5 MB VRAM (512 KB sprite/texture cache, 512 KB frame buffers, 512 KB backgrounds) 1 MB DRAM (512 KB sound, 512 KB CD-ROM sub-system buffer data cache)	3587 KB RAM 2 MB DRAM 1026 KB VRAM (1 MB frame buffer, 2 KB texture cache, 64 bytes FIFO buffer) 512 KB sound RAM 1 KB non-associative SRAM data cache	4 MB RDRAM (8 MB with Expansion Pak)
Video		Resolution: 320×240 to 384×288 (progressive), 320×480 to 768×576 (interlaced) Colors: 110,592 (384×288) on screen, out of 16,777,216 (24‑bit) palette Polygons: 20,000/sec,^[58] flat shading, Gouraud shading Sprites/textures: Scaling, rotation, texture mapping Background: 1 bitmap plane	Resolution: 320×224 to 720×240 (progressive), 320×448 to 720×576 (interlaced)^[59] Colors: 172,800 (720×240) on screen, out of 16,777,216 (24‑bit) palette Polygons: 140,000/sec (textured, lighting, Gouraud shading)^[60] to 500,000/sec (flat shading)^[61] Sprites/textures: 16,384/frame (32 bytes each, 512 KB memory), scaling, rotation, distortion, texture mapping Backgrounds: 7 (3–6 tilemap planes, 1–4 bitmap planes), parallax scrolling, scaling, rotation	Resolution: 256×224 to 640×240 (progressive), 256×448 to 640×480 (interlaced) Colors: 153,600 (640×240) on screen, out of 16,777,216 (24‑bit) palette Polygons: 90,000/sec (textured, lighting, Gouraud shading)^[62] to 360,000/sec^[63] (flat shading) Sprites/textures: 4,000/frame^[64] (bitmap objects), scaling, rotation, texture mapping Background: 1 bitmap plane	Resolution: 320×240 to 720×288 (progressive), 320×480 to 720×576 (interlaced) Colors: 207,360 (720×288) on screen, out of 16,777,216 (24‑bit) palette Polygons: 150,000/sec (textured, lighting, Gouraud shading) to 600,000/sec (flat shading), anti‑aliasing, Z-buffering Sprites/textures: Scaling, rotation, texture mapping, mipmapping, texture filtering, bilinear filtering, trilinear filtering^[65] Background: 1 bitmap plane
Audio		Stereo audio, with: 16‑bit sound Optional Dolby Surround support Streaming CD-DA audio (16‑bit PCM, 44.1 kHz sampling rate)	Stereo audio, with: 32 sound channels on SCSP FM synthesis on all 32 SCSP channels 16‑bit PCM audio with 44.1 kHz sampling rate on all 32 SCSP channels 1 streaming CD-DA channel (16‑bit PCM, 44.1 kHz)	Stereo audio, with: 24 ADPCM channels on SPU 16‑bit audio and 44.1 kHz sampling rate on all 24 ADPCM channels 1 streaming CD-DA channel (16‑bit PCM, 44.1 kHz) Optional Dolby Surround support	Stereo audio, with: Variable number of channels (up to 100 if all system resources are devoted to audio) Capable of playing back different types of audio (including PCM, MP3, MIDI and tracker music) 16‑bit audio and 44.1 kHz sampling rate on all channels Optional Dolby Surround support
Accessories (retail)		MPEG cards FZ-EM256 save memory backup unit Gamegun Mouse	Arcade Stick Saturn digital gamepad 3D controller Light guns Multitap (up to 12 players) Keyboard Sega NetLink (online modem and keyboard) Mouse 1.44 MB 3.5" floppy disk drive DirectLink (LAN) Memory card MPEG cards RAM expansion cartridges	PlayStation Multitap (up to 8 players) Fishing reel controllers (Bass Landing and Reel Fishing) Dual Analog Controller DualShock GunCon Jogcon Konami Justifier NeGcon PocketStation (Japan only) PlayStation Mouse Analog Joystick Dance pad LCD screen (for PSone systems only) Memory card Link Cable	Controller Pak Memory Expansion Pak Rumble Pak Fishing Reel Transfer Pak Nintendo 64DD (Japan only) Microphone TiltPak
Online services

Other consoles

These consoles are either less notable, never saw a worldwide release, and/or sold particularly poorly, and are therefore listed as 'Other'.

Name		FM Towns Marty	Atari Jaguar	32X	Pippin
Manufacturer		Fujitsu	Atari	Sega	Apple/Bandai
Image(s)
		FM Towns Marty with controller	Top: Atari Jaguar and controller Bottom: Atari Jaguar CD connected to the console and ProController	32X connected to a model 2 Genesis with Sega CD and controller	Japanese Pippin Atmark with a wireless AppleJack controller. The model released in America was named @WORLD and was colored black.
Release date
Launch price		¥98,000	US$249.99	US$159.99 (equivalent to $315 in 2022)	US$599
Media	Type				CD-ROM
	Regional lockout
Best-selling game		Unknown	Alien vs Predator, more than 50,000^[66]	Unknown	Unknown
CPU		AMD 386SX at 16 MHz	"Tom" (32‑bit RISC) @ 26.59 MHz^[67] "Jerry" (32‑bit RISC) @ 26.59 MHz Motorola 68000 (16/32‑bit CISC) @ 13.3 MHz (2.3275 MIPS^[68])	32x Specific: 2× Hitachi SH-2 7095 (32‑bit RISC) @ 23 MHz^[69] ^[70]) Megadrive: Motorola 68000 (16/32-bit CISC) @7.67 MHz (7.61 MHz PAL) (1.4 MIPS) Zilog Z80 (8/16-bit) 3.58 MHz (0.52 MIPS) Sega CD Add-on: Motorola 68000 (16/32-bit CISC) @12.5 MHz (2.19 MIPS)	PowerPC 603 @ 66 MHz
GPU		Fujitsu custom graphics chip	Tom chip: GPU, object processor, blitter Jerry chip: DSP	32x Specific: Sega 32x VDP (Sega Custom LSI) @ 23 MHz Megadrive: Yamaha YM7101 VDP (Video Display Processor) Sega CD Add-on: Sega ASIC coprocessor	Taos 8/16-bit VGA
Sound chip(s)		Yamaha YM2612: 6 channel FM synthesis Ricoh RF5c68: 8 channel PCM sampling, 10-bit audio, 19.6 kHz sample rate	"Jerry" chip: DSP, 2× DAC (converts digital data to analog signals)	32x Specific: Pulse-code modulation Megadrive: Yamaha YM2612 Yamaha VDP PSG (SN76496) Sega CD Add-on: Ricoh RF5c164
Memory		2 MB	2 MB FPM DRAM (4× 512 KB chips)	32x Specific: 256 KB main RAM 256 KB video RAM Megadrive: 64 KB main PSRAM 64 KB video DRAM 8 KB audio SRAM Sega CD Add-on: 512 KB RAM 256 KB VRAM 64 KB ARAM 16 KB cache 8 KB Internal Back-up	6MB DRAM (22MB maximum) 128KB nvSRAM (save files)
Video		Resolution: 256×240 to 720×480 Colors: 16, or 256, or 32,768 on screen, out of 16,777,216 (24‑bit) palette Sprites: Up to 1024, 16×16 pixels sprite size, 16 colors per sprite Hardware integer zooming	Resolution: 320×220 to 360×220 (progressive), 320×440 to 720×440 (interlaced) Colors: 79,200 (360×220) on screen, out of 16,777,216 (24‑bit) palette Polygons: 10,000/sec,^[71] flat shading, Gouraud shading support Sprites/textures: 1,000/frame^[72] (blitter objects), scaling, rotation, texture mapping Background: 1 bitmap plane	32x Specific: Resolution: 320×224 Color palette: 32,768 (15-bit high color), 256–32,768 colors on screen, Polygons: 40,000 Texture Gouraud Shading polygons/sec, 50,000 texture mapping polygons/sec, 100,000 Gouraud Shading polygons/sec, 160,000 flat shading polygons/sec Megadrive: Sprites: 80 on screen, 20 per scanline, 8×8 to 32×32 sizes, 16 colors per sprite, integer sprite zoom, sprite flipping Tilemaps: 2 parallax scrolling planes with line & row scroll effects and tile flipping Colors on screen: 64 to 75 (standard), 192 (shadow/highlight), 512 (160×224 resolution) Color palette: 512 (standard), 1536 (shadow/highlight)	Resolution: 640x480 8-bit and 16-bit color Brooktree Bt856KPJ
Audio		Stereo audio, with: CD-DA: 1 channel PCM playback 16-bit audio 44.1 kHz sampling rate	Stereo audio, with: Number of channels dependent on software Synthesis (wavetable synthesis, AM synthesis) 16‑bit PCM sampling	Stereo audio with: 10-bit PWM, surround sound 6 FM synthesis channels/voices 3 square wave channels/voices Sine wave LFO 1 PCM channel, 8-bit samples, 8 to 22 kHz sampling rate Sega CD Add-on: 8 PCM channels (16-bit, 32 kHz) 1 streaming CD-DA channel (16-bit, 44.1 kHz)	16-bit, 44 kHz
Accessories (retail)		PCMCIA 2400 bit modem Fujitsu FM Towns 6 Button Controller FMT-PAD111	Jaguar TeamTap Jaguar Pro Controller Jaguar MemoryTrack Cartridge Jaguar JagLink Interface	Megadrive peripherals supported	Pippin Atmark Floppy Unit Deltis 230 MO Docking Turbo Pippin Atmark keyboard
Online services

Worldwide sales standings

See also: List of best-selling game consoles.

System	Units sold
	102.49 million shipped (74.34 million PlayStation, 28.15 million PSone) (as of March 31, 2005)^[73]
	32.93 million (as of March 31, 2005)^[74]
	9.26 million^[75] ^[76]
	2 million
32X	800,000^[77]
	400,000
	250,000 (as of May 15, 2007)^[78]
	100,000
	45,000 (as of December 31, 1993)^[79]
	42,000 (as of May 4, 2007)^[80]

From 1996 to 1999 (when the PlayStation, N64 and Saturn were the major 5th-generation consoles still on the market) Sony managed a 47% market share of the worldwide market, followed by Nintendo with 28% (with a percentage of that figure from the 16‑bit Super NES), while Sega was third with 23% (with a percentage of that from the Dreamcast).^[81]

Production of the Sega Saturn was discontinued in 1998. Its demise was accelerated by rumors that work on its successor was underway; these rumors hurt the systems' sales in the west as early as 1997. The N64 was succeeded by the GameCube in 2001, but continued its production until 2004; however, PlayStation production was not ceased as it was redesigned as the PSone, further extending the life of the console around the release of the follow-up PlayStation 2. The PlayStation console production was discontinued in 2006, the same year that the PlayStation 3 was released in Japan and North America.

Handheld systems

See also: List of handheld game consoles and Comparison of handheld game consoles.

Handheld comparison

Regional lockout

Name		Virtual Boy	Game Boy Color		Neo Geo Pocket Color
Manufacturer		Nintendo		SNK
Console
Release dates
Launch price	US$
	GBP
	A$
	JP¥
Discontinued
Media	Type	ROM cartridge	Game Boy Game Pak Game Boy Color Game Pak	ROM cartridge
	Regional lockout
	Backward compatibility		Game Boy
Best-selling game				?
CPU		NEC V810 @ 20 MHz	Sharp SM83 @ 4 / 8 MHz
Memory			32 KB RAM, 16 KB VRAM
Display		Stereoscopic LED display	2.3-inch (diagonal) TFT LCD 32,768 colors, up to 56 simultaneously	4,096 colors, up to 146 simultaneously
Audio		Virtual Sound Unit with: Five wave channels One noise channel 32 PCM samples	Mono speaker, stereo audio (using headphones), with: Two square wave channels One wave channel One noise channel	Stereo audio (using headphones), with: Three square wave channels One noise channel Dual 8-bit digital-to-analog converters
Resolutions		384 × 224	160 × 144	160 × 152
Units sold		770,000	118.69 million, including Game Boy units		2 million

Other handhelds

Milestone titles

• (PlayStation, Saturn) by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and Konami is considered one of the best PlayStation games available, and a strong argument for the relevance of 2D games in an increasingly 3D market. The game is also credited with starting the Metroidvania genre, along with Super Metroid.^{[82] [83] [84]}
• Crash Bandicoot (PlayStation) by Naughty Dog and Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE) would go on to become Sony's de facto mascot along with Nintendo's Mario and Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog. The game featured a marsupial bandicoot named Crash and would prove to be one of the PlayStation's most successful titles.^{[85] [86]}
• Dragon Warrior VII (PlayStation) by Heartbeat, ArtePiazza, and Enix was the number one best-selling title on the PlayStation in Japan, released in 2000.^[87] The game was the first main installment of Japan's national RPG series released in 5 years.
• GoldenEye 007 (Nintendo 64) by Rare and Nintendo is a critically acclaimed game that helped make the first-person shooter a potential popular genre on consoles. The game has subsequently become credited alongside Shiny Entertainment's MDK for pioneering and popularising the now-standard inclusion of scoped sniper rifles in video games.^[88]
• Guardian Heroes (Saturn) by Treasure and Sega incorporated side-scrolling beat-em-up gameplay with RPG elements, and allows players to alter the storyline through their actions, such as choosing between a number of branching paths, leading to multiple endings, and killing civilians and enemies, leading to changes in the Karma meter.^{[89] [90]}
• (Nintendo 64) by Nintendo EAD and Nintendo is one of the most critically acclaimed games of all time and often listed as one of the greatest video games of all time.^{[91] [92] [93] [94] [95] [96]}
• Nights into Dreams (Saturn) by Sonic Team and Sega was bundled with the Saturn's analog controller, which was almost essential to the gameplay. With its innovative gameplay and graphics, Nights, an exclusive title, aided in the selling of a number of Saturns.^[97]
• Paper Mario (Nintendo 64) received critical acclaim for its graphics, gameplay, and writing. It eventually led to more sequels starting with which also garnered critical acclaim.^{[98] [99]}
• Panzer Dragoon Saga (Saturn) by Team Andromeda and Sega is the highest-rated Saturn title on Game Rankings with a score of 92.87%,^[100] and has been cited as one of the greatest games ever made.^{[101] [102]}
• Pokémon Red and Blue (Game Boy) by Game Freak and Nintendo was a critical and financial success when the games debuted on the Game Boy and putting another Nintendo franchise on the map. By the end of this console generation, the games sold about 31 million units worldwide.^{[103] [104] [105] [106]}
• Pokémon Gold and Silver (Game Boy Color) also developed by Game Freak and Nintendo garnered critical acclaim from various gaming critics, are considered by many to be the best games in the Pokémon franchise.^[107]
• Quake (PC, Saturn, Nintendo 64) by id Software built upon the technology and gameplay of its predecessor Doom,^[108] and its engine offered full real-time 3D rendering and had early support for 3D acceleration through OpenGL, in addition to various multiplayer option compared to its predecessor. The game was critically acclaimed upon release and is considered one of the best video games of all time.^{[109] [110] [111]}
• Rayman (Jaguar, PlayStation, Saturn, PC) by Ubisoft was highly praised for its animated 2D graphics, atmosphere, soundtrack, and high difficulty, and was the number one best-selling title on the PlayStation in the UK, released in 1995.^[112] The game has since spawned over 45 additional entries in the series.
• Resident Evil (PlayStation) by Capcom received critical acclaim and is credited for popularizing the survival horror genre.^[113]
• Sega Rally Championship (Arcade, Saturn, PC) by Sega AM5 and Sega was the first rally racing game.^[114] It broke new ground by incorporating different surfaces with different friction properties,^{[115] [116]} and has been cited as one of the greatest racing games ever made.^[117]
• Star Fox 64 (Nintendo 64) by Nintendo EAD and Nintendo is the first Nintendo 64 game to use the Nintendo 64 Rumble Pak, which was bundled with the game. It was a success and sold 3 million copies worldwide.^[118]
• Super Mario 64 (Nintendo 64) by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis & Development (Nintendo EAD) and Nintendo is considered to be one of the greatest games of all time, particularly for its use of a dynamic camera system, the implementation of its 360-degree analog control, and open world design.^[119] Super Mario 64 is one of the best selling home console games of the era, selling 11.62 million copies worldwide.^[120]
• Tekken 3 (arcade, PlayStation) by Namco is considered not only to be the greatest installment of the Tekken series, but remains as one of the greatest fighting games of all time according to PlayStation Magazine.^[121] It has a Metacritic score of 96, and is the 12th highest rated game ever according to GameRankings.^[122] Its predecessor achieved similar feats until its succession,^[123] and the first game in the franchise was the first PlayStation game to sell over a million units.^[124]
• Tempest 2000 (Jaguar) by Llamasoft and Atari was critically acclaimed for its graphics, gameplay and soundtrack, and has been cited as one of the best games released on Jaguar as well as one of the best games of all time.^[125] It was later ported to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn by High Voltage Software, each with several changes and additions from the original version.
• Tobal 2 (PlayStation) by DreamFactory and Square holds the record for the largest character roster in a fighting game with 200 playable characters to choose from, including an greatly expanded Quest Mode compared to its predecessor.^[126]
• Tomb Raider (PlayStation, Saturn, PC) by Core Design and Eidos Interactive popularized many elements seen in later video games and spawned several very successful sequels.^{[127] [128]} The main character, Lara Croft, was named the most recognizable female video game character by Guinness World Records.^[129]
• Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2 (Nintendo 64, PlayStation, PC) by Neversoft and Activision garnered widespread critical acclaim and has been cited as one of the greatest games ever made.
• Virtua Cop (Arcade, Saturn, PC) by Sega AM2 and Sega introduced the use of 3D polygons to the light-gun shooter genre,^[130] paving the way for future light gun shooters like Namco's Time Crisis and Sega's The House of the Dead, and was a major influence on GoldenEye 007.^[131]
• Virtua Fighter (Arcade, Saturn, PC) by Sega AM2 and Sega created the 3D fighting game genre.^[132] The console port, which was nearly identical to the arcade game, sold at a nearly 1:1 ratio with the Saturn hardware at launch.^[133] The original arcade version also had a major influence on the PlayStation becoming a 3D-focused console.^[134]
• Virtua Fighter 2 (Arcade, Saturn, PC) by Sega AM2 and Sega was heralded at the time as "the ultimate arcade translation" and "the best fighting game ever".^[135] The title remains the highest selling Saturn game in Japan with 1.7 million copies.^[136]
• Wipeout (PlayStation, PC, Saturn) by Psygnosis received critical and financial success for its futuristic setting, weapons designed to both stall and destroy opponents and its marketing campaign designed by Keith Hopwood and The Designers Republic, in addition to unique licensed music from established electronica acts for PAL versions. The game has been described as being synonymous with Sony's debut gaming hardware and as an early showcase for 3D graphics in console gaming.^[137]

See also

• 1990s in video games

Notes and References

1. Christopher Dring, 2013-07-11, A Tale of Two E3s – Xbox vs Sony vs Sega, MCV
2. Web site: Iwata Asks. iwataasks.nintendo.com. April 30, 2020. July 25, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150725233103/http://iwataasks.nintendo.com/interviews/#/3ds/zelda-ocarina-of-time/1/4. live.
3. Web site: Nintendo 64 (Project Reality) · RetroReversing. www.retroreversing.com. April 30, 2020. March 8, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210308133646/https://www.retroreversing.com/n64/. live.
4. The Format of the Future: CD-ROM or Cartridge?. GamePro. 69. IDG. June 1994. 8.
5. Ultra 64: Nintendo's Shot at the Title. Next Generation. 14 . . February 1996. 36–44.
6. 10 Reasons Why Nintendo 64 Will Kick Sony's and Sega's Ass (& 20 Reasons Why it Won't) . Next Generation. 20. . August 1996 . 39–41.
7. Ryan, Michael E. I Gotta Have This Game Machine!' (Cover Story)". Familypc 7.11 (2000): 112. MasterFILE Premier. Web. July 24, 2013.
8. The Future of Consoles: Sony, Nintendo, and Sega Talk Back . . 34. . October 1997. 53.
9. Bacani, Cesar . Mutsuko, Murakami . amp . https://web.archive.org/web/20051226163418/http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/97/0418/cs1.html . Nintendo's new 64-bit platform sets off a scramble for market share . December 26, 2005 . . April 18, 1997 . February 9, 2007.
10. Web site: Oxford . David . Why Cartridges Instead of CDs for the Nintendo 64? - Old School Gamer Magazine . Old School Gamer Magazine . July 25, 2022 . February 1, 2018 . July 25, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220725085222/https://www.oldschoolgamermagazine.com/why-cartridges-instead-of-cds-in-the-nintendo-64/ . live .
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14. Perelman, M: "Steal This Idea", page 60. Palgrave Macmillan, 2004
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88. Book: Poole, Steven . Trigger Happy: The Inner Life of Videogames . Steven Poole . 2000 . Fourth Estate . London . 1-84115-121-1 . 207 . ... the tangible connection between the controls in your physical hands and the action of the little toy on screen is a clever semiotic trick that fools you into ever-increasing absorption into the cartoon world. A similar trick is worked by the videogame paradigm of the sniper rifle, introduced by MDK (1997), perfected by Goldeneye (1997) and then cropping up everywhere—for example in Metal Gear Solid (1999) and Perfect Dark (2000). This gadget zooms in on an area and lets you view it in close-up, usually for the purpose of delivering an exquisite head shot to a bad guy. A virtual environment that reveals more detail when viewed telescopically is naturally more convincing than one which only works on one informational scale. .
89. Kurt Kalata, Guardian Heroes, Hardcore Gaming 101
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