Accessory · The Beige Era · 1996
Apple Bandai Pippin
Apple licensed a stripped-down Mac as a CD-ROM games console, built by Bandai. It arrived underpowered and overpriced against the PlayStation and flopped spectacularly.
Apple Bandai Pippin: key facts
When was the Apple Bandai Pippin released?
The Apple Bandai Pippin was released in March 1996. Apple discontinued it in 1997.
How much did the Apple Bandai Pippin cost?
The Apple Bandai Pippin launched at $599 in 1996 — about $1,220 in today’s money (approximate, US CPI).
What are the Apple Bandai Pippin’s specs?
The Apple Bandai Pippin used a PowerPC 603e running at 66 MHz, with 6 MB of memory. It ran Mac OS 7.5.2 (Pippin).
Why does the Apple Bandai Pippin matter?
Apple’s only video-game console — a Mac-based platform licensed to Bandai.
Full specifications
| CPU | PowerPC 603e · 66 MHz |
|---|---|
| Cores | 1 |
| Memory (RAM) | 6 MB |
| Storage | — |
| Display | TV out, 640×480 |
| GPU | Integrated |
| Ports | ADB, serial, CD-ROM |
| Weight | 2 kg |
| Dimensions | Game-console form |
| Operating system | Mac OS 7.5.2 (Pippin) |
| Released | March 1996 |
| Discontinued | 1997 |
| Launch price | $599 |
How the Apple Bandai Pippin compares to today
A 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro has about 2,730× more memory than this device shipped with.
At 66 MHz, the clock is roughly 48× slower than a single performance core of a 16 GB Apple Silicon MacBook Pro — and that is before counting cores, width and IPC.
Launched at $599 in 1996 — about $1,220 in today’s money (approx., US CPI).
Cross-architecture speed figures are clock-only and approximate; inflation figures use US CPI.
Did you know?
It regularly appears on "worst game consoles of all time" lists.
Related Accessory models
Open the Apple Bandai Pippin in the interactive archive →
Last updated: 2026-06-25