Amiga CD32
 |
|
| Manufacturer | Commodore |
|---|---|
| Type | Home video game console |
| Generation | Fifth generation era |
| Retail availability |
|
| Discontinued | April 1994 |
| Units sold | Approximately 100,000 in Europe. |
| Media | CD-ROM |
| Operating system | AmigaOS 3.1 |
| CPU | Motorola 68EC020 @ 14.18 MHz (PAL) 14.32 MHz (NTSC) |
| Memory | 2 MB |
| Input | Gamepad |
| Backward compatibility |
Commodore CDTV |
| Predecessor | Commodore CDTV |
The Amiga CD32, styled "CD32" and code-named "Spellbound", is the first 32-bit home video game console released in western Europe, Australia, Canada and Brazil. It was first announced at the Science Museum in London on July 16, 1993, and was released in September of the same year. The CD32 uses CD-ROM media, and was developed by Commodore, creator of the Commodore Amiga computer. It was based on Commodore's Advanced Graphics Architecture chipset, and is of similar specification to the Amiga 1200 computer. Using third party devices, it is possible to upgrade the CD32 with keyboard, floppy drive, hard drive, RAM and mouse, turning it into the equivalent of an Amiga 1200 personal computer. A hardware MPEG decompression module for playing Video CD was also released. In the Christmas period following its launch, the CD32 accounted for 38% of all CD-ROM drive sales in the UK, exceeding sales of the Mega-CD; however, it was soon overshadowed by CD-ROM based games consoles from other companies, and was discontinued as Commodore went into bankruptcy.
Commodore demonstrated the CD32 at the World of Commodore Amiga show in September 1993, promising to sell the console in some cities by Christmas with wider distribution in January 1994 for US$399 (equivalent to $661.51 in 2016). Computer Gaming World reported that "a significant amount of software will be available immediately" for the console, based on the Amiga 1200. The CD32 was released in Canada and was planned for release in the United States. Commodore stated that the console would launch in the United States in either late February or early March 1994, at the price of $399 with two pack-in games, Pinball Fantasies and Sleepwalker, as well as six separately sold launch games.
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