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Launch

Console encyclopedia

Nintendo · 1996

Nintendo 64

N64 Emulator Online

Home consoleGeneration 5

A cartridge-based 3D console with four built-in controller ports and an analog-stick controller.[1]

Game CapsulePlanned
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Nintendo 64 hardware artwork
Nintendo 64 · Nintendo
First launch
1996
Manufacturer
Nintendo
Category
Home console
Generation
5
Hardware sales
32.93M[6]

Worldwide Nintendo 64 hardware.[6]

01

The console story

Nintendo 64 followed the SNES into a market increasingly shaped by optical discs. Nintendo retained cartridges while developing the Reality Coprocessor with Silicon Graphics.[1]

Cartridges offered fast access but constrained storage compared with CDs. The Expansion Pak increased memory; the 64DD disk peripheral reached only Japan.[1]

02

A history in milestones

  1. 1996
    Japan

    [1]

  2. 1996
    North America

    [1]

  3. 1997
    Europe

    [1]

  4. 1999
    Funtastic series

    Translucent color variants.[1]

03

Technical profile

Processor
NEC VR4300 · 93.75 MHz[2]
Memory
4 MB RDRAM (8 MB with Expansion Pak)[2]
Display & graphics
Reality Coprocessor · 3D rendering[2]
Media
ROM cartridges[2]
Audio
Audio processed by RSP / CPU[2]
Power
External power supply[1]
Input & connectivity
Four controller ports; analog stick and accessory slot[2]
05

Why it mattered

Navigating three dimensions

Super Mario 64 put analog movement and camera control at the center of its design. Four controller ports made local multiplayer a defining part of the platform.[1]

32.93M

Worldwide Nintendo 64 hardware.[6]

06

Defining games

Years refer to the earliest release of the named version. Games are historical references; GameCapsule does not distribute them.

01

Super Mario 64

A launch-era exploration of analog-controlled 3D platforming.[3]

02

GoldenEye 007

A first-person shooter with split-screen multiplayer.[4]

03

Ocarina of Time

Zelda’s transition into a three-dimensional world.[5]

07

Hardware variants

Nintendo 64

Original design.[1]

Funtastic series

Translucent color variants.[1]

08

Accessories & ecosystem

Rumble Pak
Controller vibration accessory.[1]
Expansion Pak
Raises installed RDRAM to 8 MB.[1]
Controller Pak
Removable game-save storage.[1]
09

System family

Related systems in the collection. These links do not imply technical compatibility.

Super Nintendo / Super Famicom hardware artwork

1990 · Related platform

Super Nintendo / Super Famicom

PlannedGameCube hardware artwork

2001 · Related platform

GameCube

Planned
10

Hardware gallery

Nintendo 64 hardware artwork

Nintendo 64

Nintendo 64

Evan-Amos, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Public domain (PD-self)

Console artwork from the Game Capsule collection. No gameplay screenshot is shown.

11

GameCapsule support

Planned

This system is represented in the catalog. Its emulator, file import and gameplay are not available today. There is no announced release date.

Expand beyond Game Boy while preserving a coherent collection. Other consoles remain catalog-only.

Bring your own compatible game files. Game Capsule does not include commercial games.

Explore the roadmap

Sources & further reading

  1. Historical overview and model chronology ↗

    Historical narrative, regional release precision, model chronology, commercial context and accessories

    Reviewed 2026-09-30
  2. Rodrigo Copetti · hardware architecture research ↗

    Processor, memory, graphics, audio and hardware interfaces

    Reviewed 2026-09-30
  3. Super Mario 64 · release history ↗

    Named game/version release year; descriptive context

    Reviewed 2026-09-30
  4. GoldenEye 007 · release history ↗

    Named game/version release year; descriptive context

    Reviewed 2026-09-30
  5. Ocarina of Time · release history ↗

    Named game/version release year; descriptive context

    Reviewed 2026-09-30
  6. Nintendo investor relations · lifetime hardware sales ↗

    Worldwide consolidated lifetime hardware units; report as of June 30, 2026

    Reviewed 2026-09-30