History of video game consoles (fifth generation)

The fifth generation of video game consoles began in 1993 and ended in 2003. The fifth generation was also called the 32-bit, 64-bit or the 3D generation of video game consoles. Throughout the fifth generation, only three consoles were among the most popular video game consoles in this era. These consoles include, the Sega Saturn (1994), the Sony PlayStation (1994), and the Nintendo 64 (1996). In different parts of the world, console sales varied widely. However, the PlayStation was the best-selling system of the fifth generation. The 3DO, Atari Jaguar, Amiga CD32 and PC-FX and other consoles were also part of this generation. However, those systems were not very successful. 

The handheld game consoles of the fifth generation were not that successful. The first handheld, Sega Nomad had a lifespan of two years. The Virtual Boy only had less than one year. Both of them were discontinued. Nintendo's Game Boy Color became the best-selling handheld video console of the fifth generation. There were two updated versions of the original Game Boy such as the Game Boy Light (Japan only) and the Game Boy Pocket.

The bit ratings of consoles in the 5th generation began to blur & were less of a selling feature than the previous "bit wars" of the 8 and 16 bit era. The number of "bits" in console names referred to the CPU word size. It had been used by hardware marketers as a "show of power" for many years. The fifth generation saw the increase of emulation. The development of the Internet made it possible to save and download tape and ROM images of older games. This led the seventh generation consoles to make many older games available for purchase or download.

Home systems
Comparison
 Name 3DO Interactive Multiplayer Atari Jaguar Sega Saturn PlayStation Nintendo 64DeveloperThe 3DO CompanyAtariSegaSonyNintendoConsole150px|center150px|center150px|center150px|center150px|centerLaunch prices (USD)US$699.99US$249.99US$399.99US$299.99US$199Release date3 December 1994MediaCD-ROMCartridgeCD-ROM, cartridge (limited, Japan only)CD-ROMCartridge, (proprietary magnetic disk via Japan-only add-on)Best-selling gameVirtua Fighter 2, 1.7 million in JapanGran Turismo, 10.85 million shipped (as of April 30, 2008)Super Mario 64, 11.62 million (as of May 21, 2003)CPUARM60 32-bit RISC CPU at 12.5 MHz"Tom" (26.6 MHz), "Jerry" (26.6 MHz) and a Motorola 68000 (13.3 MHz)Two Hitachi SuperH-2 7604 32-bit RISC processors at 28.63 MHzMIPS R3000A-compatible 32-bit RISC chip running at 33.8688 MHzNEC VR4300 64-bit at 93.75 MHzGPUTwo accelerated video co-processors5 processors contained in 3 chips: "Tom", "Jerry" and Motorola 68000Two custom 32-bit video display processors at 28.63 MHz66 MIPS vector math unit in the main CPUReality Co-Processor: MIPS R4000-based 8-bit integer vector processor at 62.5 MHzMemory2MB RAM, 1MB VRAM2 MB of fast page mode DRAM(4 chips x 512 KB)1MB SDRAM, 1MB DRAM, 6x 512KB for 3D graphics, 3D frame buffers, 2D graphics, sound, CD subsystem, BIOS ROM2MB, 1MB VRAM, 512KB sound4MB (8MB with Expansion Pak)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)
 Sega NetLink – modem and keyboard
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 1.44 MB 3.5" disk drive
 DirectLink
 Memory card
 MPEG cards
 RAM expansion cartridges Multitap (up to 8 players)
 Fishing reel controllers (Bass Landing and Reel Fishing)
 Dual Analog Controller
 DualShock
 GunCon
 Jogcon
 Konami Justifier
 NeGcon
 PocketStation
 PlayStation Mouse
 Analog Joystick
 Dance pad
 LCD screen (for PSone systems only)
 Memory card
 Link Cable Controller Pak
 Memory Expansion Pak
 Rumble Pak
 Memory card
 Fishing Reel
 Transfer Pak
 Nintendo 64DD (Japan only)
 Microphone
 TiltPakSystem sales (worldwide)2 million500,0009.4 million102 million32.93 million

Other consoles
 Name FM Towns Marty Pioneer LaserActive Amiga CD32 Neo Geo CD PC-FX Apple Bandai PippinDeveloperFujitsuPioneerCommodoreSNKNECAppleConsole150px|center150px|center150px|center150px|center150px|center150px|centerLaunch pricesUS$450¥89,800, US$970US$500US$300US$250US$599Release dateMediaCD-ROM, 3½-inch floppy diskLaserdiscCD-ROMCD-ROMCD-ROMCD-ROM

Non-mass-market systems

Worldwide sales 
 Console  Units sold PlayStation  102.49 million shipped (as of March 31, 2007) Nintendo 64  32.93 million (as of March 31, 2005) Sega Saturn  9.4 million (as of May 4, 2007) 3DO  2 million (as of May 4, 2007) Atari Jaguar  500,000 (as of May 15, 2007) Amiga CD32  100,000 PC-FX  <100,000 Apple Bandai Pippin  42,000 (as of May 4, 2007)

Handheld systems

Milestone titles
 Crash Bandicoot
 Dragon Warrior VII 
 Final Fantasy VII 
 Gran Turismo
 GoldenEye 007
 Star Fox 64 
 The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time"NP Top 200", Nintendo Power 200: 58–66, February 2006."The Greatest 200 Games of Their Time", Electronic Gaming Monthly 200: February 2006."Top 100 Games of All Time", Game Informer 36. August 2001.
 Metal Gear Solid 
 The Need for Speed
 Nights into Dreams... 
 PaRappa the Rapper
Perfect DarkPerfect Dark - Nintendo 64 - IGNPerfect Dark XBLA Review - IGN
 Nintendo's Pokémon titles for the Game Boy
 Super Mario 64
 Resident Evil
Silent Hill 
Spyro the Dragon 
 Tomb Raider"Record-Breaking Lara Croft Battles her Way Into New Guinness World Records", MCV. January 21, 2010.

 References 

Category:History of video game consoles