Something went wrong. Try again later
    Follow

    CD-i

    Platform »

    The CD-i was the first CD-based game console. Produced by Philips, it was intended to be a computer for your living room.

    Short summary describing this platform.

    CD-i last edited by AstraEX on 12/19/19 06:24PM View full history

    The Philips CD-i, released on November 2, 1991, not only boasted games in its library, but also some encyclopedia and "Edutainment" products, as well as feature-length movies (which required an additional video card), providing digital home video releases before DVD entered the market. This device is probably best remembered for the late-night commercials that ran in the early 1990s showing off its awesome power as a hapless man searched for the "meaning of life". The system eventually gives him his answer, after forcing him to play tennis and other video games. The system used compact discs for its software releases, and also featured full motion video content. Philips' attempt to enter the gaming market would be trumped by Sony's PlayStation, which unlike the CD-i, featured 3D-graphics rendering technology and significantly more support from first and third party developers.

    The system also suffered from a bit of an identity crisis. Upon release, Philips did not wish to compete with the likes of Sega and Nintendo in the home console market; instead, Philips positioned the console as a "multimedia system" that could play videos, run applications, and could act as an educational tool. This led to a swath of educational game releases, which has never been a bestselling niche in the entertainment software market. Philips tried to position the system as a console that could compete with the likes of the Sega CD and 3DO, but by then most consumers did not view the console as a serious contender to incumbents, not to mention its high starting price and underwhelming library of games.

    The CD-i also has the notable (and dubious) distinction of being the only non-Nintendo console to have Mario and Zelda titles developed for it, due to a contractual obligation Nintendo had with Philips dating back to the SNES CD project. In total, four such titles existed on the system: Link: The Faces of Evil, Zelda: The Wand of Gamelon, Zelda's Adventures and Hotel Mario. A fifth title, Super Mario's Wacky Worlds, was planned but never released. None of the titles were developed by Nintendo, but by third parties or by Philips themselves.

    Models

    Phillips sold many varied models on the CD-i system, designed for consumer, professional and development users.

    CD-i Player 200 Series

    Models: 205, 210, 220

    The 200 Series models were designed for general public consumption and made available at major home electronics stores worldwide.

    CD-i Player 300 Series

    Models: 310, 350, 360, 370

    The 300 Series models were portable versions of the players, designed and marketed for strictly those in the professional fields.

    CD-i Player 400 Series

    Models: 450, 470, 490

    The 400 Series models were slimmed-down players that were aimed at educational markets. The 450 model was their budget model - the infrared controller was not standard, but optional - to compete with the other major game consoles

    CD-i Player 600 Series

    Models: 601, 602, 604, 605, 615, 600, 670

    The 600 Series models were designed for professional applications and development. These units included support for floppy disk drives, keyboards, and many other popular computer peripherals.

    Technical specifications

    CPU

    • 16-bit 68070 CISC Chip (68000 core)
    • Clock Speed of 15.5 MHz

    Display

    • Resolution: 384×280 to 768×560
    • Colors: 16.7 million with 32,768 on screen
    • MPEG-1 Cartridge Plug-In for VideoCD and Digital Video

    Operating System

    • CD-RTOS (based on Microware's OS-9)

    Other

    • 1.5 MB of main RAM
    • Single-speed CD-ROM drive
    • Weight with DV cart 1.460 kg, without DV 1.210 kg
    • ADPCM eight-channel sound
    • 16-bit stereo sound

    CD-i accessories

    • CD-i mouse
    • Roller controller
    • CD-i trackball
    • I/O port splitter
    • Touchpad controller
    • Gamepad controller (Gravis PC GamePad)
    • IR wireless controller
    • S-video cable
    sizepositionchange
    sizepositionchange
    positionchange
    positionchange
    positionchange
    bordersheaderpositiontable
    positionchange

    This edit will also create new pages on Giant Bomb for:

    Beware, you are proposing to add brand new pages to the wiki along with your edits. Make sure this is what you intended. This will likely increase the time it takes for your changes to go live.

    Comment and Save

    Until you earn 1000 points all your submissions need to be vetted by other Giant Bomb users. This process takes no more than a few hours and we'll send you an email once approved.