While we wait patiently for Sega’s in-house mini classic Genesis console, Analogue, the retro hardware manufacturer behind the Nt Mini and Super Nt, has turned its attention to Sega’s 16-bit console which will be re-made into the Mega Sg.
What makes the Mega Sg interesting is that Analogue isn’t going to emulate games like the SNES Classic Mini or the now-rumored N64 Classic. Instead, you’ll be able to use your old cartridges and controllers with the console that runs an Altera Cyclone V FPGA chip to faithfully replicate the hardware configuration of the old Sega Genesis, right down to the Yamaha YM2612 sound chip on board.
Even better, the console will be compatible with the Sega CD (or Mega CD), and Analogue has announced that it will develop adapters for the Sega Mark III, Game Gear, Sega MyCard, SG-1000 and SC-3000 sometime in 2019.
While Analogue looks to have created a faithful reproduction of Sega's 16-bit console, the Mega Sg will include a few modern conveniences, too, like an HDMI port for modern TVs, HD upscaling to 1080p and the option to connect wireless controllers (though none come in the box).
The console will be available starting in March of 2019 for $189 (around £140, AU$264), with pre-orders available starting today.
What about the Sega Mega Drive Mini?
It’s a long story, but unfortunately it looks like the Analogue Mega Sg will beat Sega's first-party Sega Mega Drive Mini out of the gate.
Back in April, Sega announced that it had partnered with retro games company AtGames to create a new mini console for the Sega Genesis called the Sega Mega Drive Mini. The system was originally due out by the end of the year before Sega pulled the plug on the project and restarted with a software developer in Japan.
According to the most recent information we have on the system, it’s still in development, but Sega says it won’t be available until sometime later in 2019.
But, hey, at least we’re only two months away from the PlayStation Classic.
- And ... we're just one month away from Black Friday and Cyber Monday!
