Alternate history: N64 goes with CDs instead of cartridges

[Pemalite]

Salnax said:

Various thoughts.

• The N64 would NOT have cost $200 at launch. Though I'm having trouble getting precise information, CD-ROM disc drives were still fairly expensive in the mid-90's. I found an old article from 1996 talking about how they cost "less than $200."

Precisely. CD-Rom drives were more expensive, stamping a CD though was cheap as chips.

Carts slots on the other-hand only cost peanuts to implement, but building cartridges was expensive as hell.

I am not able to find any accurate info other than CD-R drives being $1,000 at around 1995.