If you're a fan of miniature consoles and the new conveniences they bring, then unfortunately you might just want to stick with your current collection, as it doesn't sound like Sega is looking to produce any more.
In an interview with The Guardian (Thanks, Extension of time), Shuji Utsumi, CEO of Sega America and Europe, dashed any hopes that we might see a 'Saturn Mini' or 'Dreamcast Mini' in the future. He stated that while the company values its heritage, it wants to focus on the future and “embrace modern players”:
“I'm not going in the Mini direction. That's not me. I want to embrace modern players.
“We're not a retro company. We really value our legacy, we value it, but at the same time we want to deliver something new – otherwise we'll become history. That's not what we're aiming for.”
The Guardian then obtained further confirmation from Sega that the company is currently not planning any more retro-inspired miniature consoles. The last to be released was the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis 2 in 2022, which contained Sonic CD and Streets of Rage 3.
Nintendo also seems to have given up on its own line of miniature consoles, releasing the NES Classic Mini and SNES Classic Mini in 2016 and 2017, respectively. Since then, the company has leveraged the Nintendo Switch Online service to give users (with the appropriate subscription) access to games from the NES, SNES, Mega Drive, N64, Game Boy, and Game Boy Advance.
Sega also raised a few eyebrows earlier this year when it removed SEGA Mega Drive Classics from the Switch eShop along with other major platforms. Then we raised eyebrows when Utsumi said in a separate interview that the company was “evaluating” opportunities around its own subscription-based game service.
