The SEGA Genesis gets a premium throwback console in the form of the Mega Sg

dims (1).jpg

12-mega-sg-wireless-copy-1.jpg 4-mega-sg-usa-1.jpg

If the classic Genesis/Mega Drive offerings from Atgames weren't up your alley, there soon will be another alternative on the market for SEGA fans to get their retro fix from. Analogue, known for creating the Super NT, will be manufacturing a system that can play Genesis/Mega Drive and Master System cartridges. Called the Mega Sg, it'll house an Altera Cyclone V FPGA chip, which means every game will be "100% compatible" with the hardware, and though it isn't the chipset found in Sega's original console, it's close, and this one allows games to be played through an HDMI connection while still looking good, and promising little to no input lag. And yes, the Yamaha YM2612 soundcard is included, so that all your Genesis games will sound just like they used to. The Mega Sg will cost $189.99, and for $10 more, Analogue will also have extra cartridge adapters that lets players use Game Gear, Mark III, MyCard, SG-1000, and SG-3000 games on the system.

For those that still have their original Sega CD adapter, you can plug it right into the Mega Sg, as it has official support for the add-on, though due to hardware problems, it will not support the 32X. Games from all regions will be supported, as the hardware is region free, and multiple visual options are available, such as adding scanlines, scaling options, and more. The Mega Sg can be pre-ordered as of today, and will launch sometime in March 2019.

Analogue has uploaded a video showing off the quality of games played on the Mega Sg, which you can check out below.

 

eyeliner

Has an itch needing to be scratched.
Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2006
Messages
2,871
Trophies
2
Age
44
XP
5,442
Country
Portugal
It's a good way to do things, but unless you have some Genesis games lying around, there's no point in getting it.
They could go the extra mile and include a cartridge of Sonic with it. Just like the good old days.

So, anyone could get this, and not only the collectors.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Deleted User

The Real Jdbye

*is birb*
Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2010
Messages
23,182
Trophies
4
Location
Space
XP
13,693
Country
Norway
Finally a not shit Genesis/MD clone. I noticed that recently with the release of the Sega Genesis Flashback HD the older AtGames clones have been surfacing all over the place again. You know, the ones with awful, awful sound that seemed like such poor attempts at a Chinese clone console that it's amazing they even got officially licensed. And the Flashback HD doesn't seem all that great either, but at least it presumably has proper sound this time around.

I wonder if it will be possible to support the 32X directly in the FPGA? For the Super Nt they said there was plenty of space left on the FPGA to add support for special chips and such and even more systems in a jailbreak firmware. That should mean that simulating the 32X should be possible as well.
Even if 32X carts wouldn't fit, you could always load them as ROMs, and it might be possible to use a 32X simply as a cartridge adapter, with the actual system itself simulating the hardware.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Deleted User

duwen

Old Man Toad
Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2013
Messages
3,176
Trophies
2
Location
Bullet Hell
Website
www.exophase.com
XP
4,248
Country
United Kingdom
It's a good way to do things, but unless you have some Genesis games lying around, there's no point in getting it.
They could go the extra mile and include a cartridge of Sonic with it. Just like the good old days.

So, anyone could get this, and not only the collectors.

It's certainly not being aimed at a market of Megadrive/Genesis/Master System noobs as an entry level system. Much like their previous systems, it's being aimed at those that take their retro gaming (maybe too) seriously and want the best possible output on their modern screens.
Seriously, any company that marketed a wooden NeoGeo and a gold plated NES isn't concerned about introducing retro virgins into the scene.
cmvs_slim_7-600x424.jpg
3653780_analogue-nt-zelda-gold-nes-5.0.jpg
 
Last edited by duwen,
  • Like
Reactions: Deleted User

Hanafuda

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2005
Messages
4,444
Trophies
2
XP
6,845
Country
United States
It's a good way to do things, but unless you have some Genesis games lying around, there's no point in getting it.
They could go the extra mile and include a cartridge of Sonic with it. Just like the good old days.

So, anyone could get this, and not only the collectors.


If this one goes the same as with the Super NT, there’ll be an unofficial jailbreak FW sometime after launch that lets you store and play roms from sd.
 

depaul

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
May 21, 2014
Messages
1,288
Trophies
0
XP
2,893
Country
France
Sega Mega Drive/Genesis can be emulated very easily, genesis collection was ported to many new consoles, you can find roms even in App Store

However, Sega Saturn is a very rare console and many people (including myself) wish to replay Saturn exclusives : Nights, Buring Rangers, Sonic R...

So a better business decision would be to produce a sega saturn mini with embedded 16GB+ memory, and best Sega Saturn collection. I would buy it even if it costs 100$+

I would also buy a Dreamcast mini if released (Sonic Shuffle, Shenmue, Canon Spike, Virtua Tennis, Blue Stinger, Head Hunter... many great games)
 

eyeliner

Has an itch needing to be scratched.
Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2006
Messages
2,871
Trophies
2
Age
44
XP
5,442
Country
Portugal
If this one goes the same as with the Super NT, there’ll be an unofficial jailbreak FW sometime after launch that lets you store and play roms from sd.
As described, this has no OS itself. It's basically the third redesign of the Genesis/Megadrive. Carts only.
 

xs4all

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2008
Messages
719
Trophies
1
Location
37°16'55.2"N 115°47'58.6"W
XP
2,772
Country
Australia
A quality device that I'd be tempted by if not for the fact that it's too expensive, and I already own 3 megadrives, a mega cd, and a master system that all look great on my 4k tv via rgb.

I'm about to go down this route with my Megadrive 2 & CD, does RGB look anywhere near as what the YT video is showing? That footage is pixel or near pixel perfect.
 

Hanafuda

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Nov 21, 2005
Messages
4,444
Trophies
2
XP
6,845
Country
United States
It has a UI, a basic menu like the Super NT, it's a barebones OS, nothing more.

Exactly. Basically it's a system settings menu only. Scanlines, aspect ratio, other tweaks. As you said, it's like the Super NT. And the Super NT jailbreak enables roms from SD. There's no reason the same won't happen with the Mega SG, but it's an unofficial thing so there's no guarantee.
 
Last edited by Hanafuda,

the_randomizer

The Temp's official fox whisperer
Member
Joined
Apr 29, 2011
Messages
31,284
Trophies
2
Age
38
Location
Dr. Wahwee's castle
XP
18,967
Country
United States
Exactly. Basically it's a system settings menu only. Scanlines, aspect ratio, other tweaks. As you said, it's like the Super NT. And the Super NT jailbreak enables roms from SD. There's no reason the same won't happen with the Mega SG, but it's an unofficial thing so there's no guarantee.

I'd imagine this will eventually get a jailbreak firmware too.
 

duwen

Old Man Toad
Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2013
Messages
3,176
Trophies
2
Location
Bullet Hell
Website
www.exophase.com
XP
4,248
Country
United Kingdom
I'm about to go down this route with my Megadrive 2 & CD, does RGB look anywhere near as what the YT video is showing? That footage is pixel or near pixel perfect.
I run all my 16-bit consoles (SNES, Megadrive, NeoGeoCD) directly to my 4k Sony Bravia tv via RGB scart cables, no framemeister or OSSC, and they are all pixel perfect. Literally.
It's all about using the correct output, having the corresponding input on your tv (having a good tv that 'understands' outdated resolutions helps), and using the correct cable.
 
  • Like
Reactions: xs4all

smf

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
6,634
Trophies
2
XP
5,820
Country
United Kingdom
This is made by the same people as the NT and is also an FPGA, so it isn't emulation.

Ah, the cult of fpga isn't emulation. There is nothing about emulation that means it has to be written in software to run on a general purpose CPU.

All it means is that something that isn't something tries to take on the functionality of something else. Which this does.

The main difference between emulation using cpu's and fpga's is latency. Although there have been developments for software running on cpu's that allows the video to be built up in smaller strips, so it can be output immediately rather than the traditional method of waiting until it can output an entire frame.

What this does have is real controller ports which have zero latency and there is no way of doing that with a PC, although you could hack them onto a raspberry pi. It also supports real cartridges, you have been able to buy devices to back up cartridges to PC's before but AFAIK there is nothing integrated into an emulator.

What it doesn't have is 32x or mega cd support.

So this is amazing if you want a stand alone low latency product that can plug into your tv and use your cartridges and controllers and don't care about 32x or mega cd. But that has nothing to do with if it's an emulator or not.
 
Last edited by smf,

Site & Scene News

Popular threads in this forum

General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2: Sorry for accidentally bending over