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The arrival of 32 and 64-bit consoles, such as the PlayStation and Nintendo 64, marked a dramatic shift in the landscape of video game music. For the first time, developers had adequate storage to include full, pre-recorded soundtracks with high-quality audio. This new capacity facilitated the recording of real instrumental sounds and drastically elevated the quality of video game music, making it all the more cinematic.
Iconic examples include the soundtrack of Final Fantasy VI by Nobuo Uematsu, which featured orchestral arrangements that could compete with Hollywood productions, and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, where music became integral to the gameplay, with melodies providing critical feedback and enhancing player immersion.