About

64 Bits, 32 Bits, 16 Bits refers to a viral clip from the 2013 YouTube video Tiger Electronic Games by The Angry Video Game Nerd in which he counts down from 64 bits to 1/4 bits and shouts "the wrist game!" In November 2018, a video in which the quality of the video decreased together with the countdown went viral, spawning a meme format in January 2021.

History

On September 6th, 2013, YouTuber The Angry Video Game Nerd (AVNG) uploaded^[1] a video titled "Tiger Electronic Games" in which he reviewed a number of handheld LCD games manufactured by Tiger Electronic Games. At 12:27 mark, AVNG introduces Batman Returns game watch produced by the company (video shown below). The video received over 12.3 million views in eight years.

On the same day, YouTube^[2] user IAmtheSc0ut uploaded the clip to YouTube (shown below, right). The clip received over 141,500 views in eight years.

64 bits. 32 bits. 16 bits. 8 bits. 4 bits! 2 bits! 1 bit! Half bit! Quarter bit! The wrist game!

Spread

The video did not see further spread until on November 19th, 2018, YouTube^[3] user funkymonkey2K (authorship unconfirmed) uploaded an edit in which the video and audio quality decreased together with the countdown, as if to illustrate the lower quality of graphic and audio abilities of lower-bit consoles. The video received over 72,000 views in two years (shown below, left).

In late November 2018, the video received viral spread online. For example, on November 24th, 2018, Twitter^[4][5] user @SeclusiveBlue reposted the video (tweet no longer available). On November 26th and 27th, 2018, YouTube^[6][7] users TheGreatBoiMan and Lakitu64 reposted the video, with the reuploads gaining over 490,000 and 256,000 views, respectively.

On October 25th, 2019, YouTube^[8] user 3gp Blingee uploaded a similar meme, with the video ending with an animation of AVGN pointing at the game watch (shown below, right). The video received over 957,000 views in one year.

On November 20th, 2020, YouTube^[9] user Foxy Animates posted the earliest known edit inspired by the viral meme, with a drawn image of a wolf getting progressively more pixelated. The video received 5,400 views in three months (shown below, left) and preceded the trend rather than spawning it. On December 2nd, 2020, YouTube^[10] user BBPT.V uploaded an edit in which a stick figure got more pixelated, with the video gaining nearly 600,000 views in two months (shown below, right).

The trend did not become viral until mid-January 2021, when the the original video and BBPT.V's meme started being recommended by the YouTube algorithm. On January 14th, 2020, YouTube^[11] user Skoptograp posted a Minecraft meme that received over 250,000 views in one week (shown below, left). On the same day, YouTube^[12] user arutama. posted a Delivery Dance meme that gained nearly 30,000 views in the same period (shown below, right).

Starting in mid-January 2020, the trend gained notable popularity on YouTube, Twitter and Instagram with multiple viral versions being posted.

Various Examples

Search Interest

^[2] External References