... the N64 came out two years after the PS1, which came out three years after the Super Nintendo. We're talking about 64-bit with a GPU vs. 32-bit with a math coprocessor vs. 16bit with nothing. We're talking about 125 MIPS vs 60 MIPS vs 1.5 MIPS. Why were they different? The Nintendo 64 was a direct response to Sony, who decided that what was necessary to crush Nintendo as a gaming company was a video game console legit built around a Silicon Graphics workstation. PS1 and N64 games were different because Sony sold the PS1 at a loss for $300 while Nintendo sold the SNES at a profit for $199. I mean, yeah, N64s were snappy but by the time they'd come out anyone spending their own money was buying a Playstation. N64 was what your uncle bought his kids and it was kinda fun but that was the real dividing line: games for kids vs. games for angsty teenagers and boys who didn't date. If you really wanna see the differences, it's SNES: PS1: N64: