LeBron James hyped for release of 4K version of Nintendo 64

Jesse Cinquini
3 Min Read
Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

A social media post from Sunday night purported that a 4K model of the iconic Nintendo 64 console will be available to the public next year — though it’s not known exactly when in the year 2025 — and will be priced at $249.99 per system.

LeBron James — who was in his formative years in the late 1990s and early 2000s — seems to be excited that the console is making a return to the market after so many years and is keen on purchasing one of the 4K models for himself.

The Nintendo 64 was released in North America back in September of 1996, and some games that are widely considered to be among the greatest of all time are playable on the console.

“Super Mario 64” was released as a launch title for the system, and it set the gold standard for 3D platforming games for years to come. It went down as the best-selling Nintendo 64 game of all time, as it sold nearly 12 million copies worldwide.

Another one of the more beloved games in the N64’s library is “Super Smash Bros.,” which saw an April 1999 release in North America. The fighting game pits revered Nintendo mascots against one another, and in light of the game being a commercial success, several sequels were made on a number of different Nintendo consoles.

The newest iteration in the series is “Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.” The game had a worldwide release in December of 2018 and can only be played on the Nintendo Switch.

James has publicly expressed his fondness for Nintendo 64 on more than one occasion. He was asked on X back in 2022 about which of GameCube or Nintendo 64 is the superior console, and he picked the latter.

James should have plenty of time to play Nintendo 64 and its classic games when his NBA career is finished, but he’s focused on helping the Los Angeles Lakers win games at the moment.

After a rough road trip, the Lakers have since responded by winning each of their last two contests. Los Angeles beat the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 8 and Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

Share This Article
Jesse is a sports journalist with extensive experience covering the NBA. He has worked as a staff writer covering the Lakers’ dreaded rivals, the Boston Celtics, for SB Nation. He has also covered the New York Knicks for The Knicks Wall.