[ Sony PlayStation ] [ Nintendo 64 ]

At each corner, the Sony PlayStation set new records in gaming history. With 16.7 million available colors and high resolutions, coupled with true 3D rendering capabilities and fast processing power, the PlayStation was the first popular system to allow players to truly submerse themselves in what appeared, at times, to be a near photorealistic environment. Worldwide, the PlayStation and its counterpart PSOne went on to sell more than 102 million consoles. External memory cards allowed users to easily save and manage their data, while CD-ROM based game media allowed for extremely complex and detailed games to be developed.

Manufacturer: Sony Computer Entertainment Released: 1995 Display: True-Color, 32,768/Screen (640 x 480 Res.) Sound: 24-Channel Stereo (44.1 kHz) Processor: 32-Bit MIPS R3051 (33.87 MHz) Game Media: CD (650 MB Capacity) Controller: Detachable 10 Button Controllers Original Price: $299

Game Screenshots (Click to Enlarge)
Crash Bandicoot	Driver 2	Tekken 3

The Nintendo 64 (released about one year after the PS1) had greater processing power than the PlayStation along with a variety of other technical advantages over any other 5th generation system. One disadvantage of the N64 was that its games were cartridge-based, which could cost as much as $25 produce versus $0.10 it would cost to produce CD-ROM games. Cartridge-based systems also tend to have lower storage capacity than CD-ROMS, which at times led to less detailed games and features. Many regard the N64 game Super Mario 64 as the definitive start of the 3D game revolution. Worldwide, the N64 sold an estimated 33 million copies.

Manufacturer: Nintendo Released: 1996 Display: True-Color, 32,768/Screen (640 x 480 Res.) Sound: Max 100 Channels / 24-Channel Stereo (48 kHz) Processor: 64-Bit NEC VR4300 (93.75 MHz) Game Media: Cartridge (512 Mb Capacity) Controller: Detachable 14 Button Controllers Original Price: $199

Game Screenshots (Click to Enlarge)
Super Mario 64	Wave Race 64	Tony Hawk's Pro Skater