Are you nostalgic for the days of the Mega Drive? So get excited because a portable version of the machine has just been unveiled. What do we currently know?
The 2024 Consumer Electronics Show (or CES) was an opportunity for many manufacturers to make big announcements. This is the case of Hyperkin, which has presented a somewhat special console. In fact, it lets you dust off your old Mega Drive games, which is sure to please those who love retro gaming. Here’s everything we know about him.
Want to play your Mega Drive games again? It’s possible soon
The name is pretty self-explanatory, it’s the Mega 95 and it’s a portable device. The latter has a very specific function, which is playing your Mega Drive games (or Sega Genesis for the US version). You have understood that it is possible to take out your original cartridges to insert them into this console. This is a great performance that relies on a hardware emulation technique. This makes it possible to reproduce the performances of the original released in Japan in 1988.
But then what is the difference to software emulators? According to Hyperkin, the quality here is significantly better, with still notable improvements. We would particularly like to point out that you can save and continue your progress at any time. Otherwise it might seem a bit too “old school”. Still, it remains excellent news for Mega Drive nostalgics and newbies alike. Now let’s take a closer look at the design of the machine.
A pretty convincing design
The Mega 95 has two controllers with a screen in the middle and a 5-inch panel for the 4:3 to 16:9 aspect ratio. That’s about all we know at this level, but what about the battery? This is a crucial element for a portable console and here we are told that it will have a battery life of around 10 hours. This is more than true considering that you can also connect the device to a docking station like the Nintendo Switch (base included).
The console is currently in the prototype stage as a homage to the Mega Drive. Therefore, we cannot share details about its capabilities, price, or even release date. The other question players are asking is whether the Mega 95 will integrate digital games. If this is not the case, this only applies to those who have the original cartridges. Therefore, it will reach a smaller audience, which isn’t necessarily the best strategy. We’ll see what the future has in store for us.
