Segahas reportedly been surveying fans about the mini console they’d like to see next, fueling hopes that there may be a mini Dreamcast or Saturn in the future after all. Fans of consoles have been making miniature or portable versions of their favorite hardware for years, but the market for official mini console releases was truly birthed in 2016 whenNintendo launched the mini NES.
The device was extremely popular even with non-gamers, resulting in the appearance of the mini SNES less than a year later. Since then, Sega has joined in by releasing a few mini and micro consoles, including theSega Genesis Mini in 2019, which features 42 games, and the Sega Genesis Mini 2 that launched in October 2022 and comes with over 50 titles that originally released for the Genesis and Mega-CD peripheral.
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While the Sega Genesis Mini 2 can be purchased in North America, some fans are opting to import the Japanese version, which is called the Sega Mega Drive Mini 2. One such gamer, who goes by gosokkyu on Twitter, revealed that the inner flap of the box includes a 4-digit password and a link to an online questionnaire. There are 43 questions on the survey, but two that stand out ask about the Mega Drive Mini 2 and whichSegaconsole fans would like to see miniaturized next.
The first question asks, if Sega released another mini console replica, would the respondent buy it? The next question provides a list of possible consoles and requests that the user select any that interest them. Among the devices listed are the Sega Saturn, Dreamcast, Game Gear, Master System, and a mini arcade cabinet like theSega Astro Mini City that launched in North Americain March 2021.
What’s curious is the inclusion on the list of theSega Saturn and Dreamcast which were thought unlikely to receive a mini form. When the Sega Genesis Mini 2 was announced in June, Yosuke Okunari, the producer in charge of Sega’s classic consoles, stated that creating minis of those devices would be cost prohibitive. Namely, producing the boards for a Saturn or Dreamcast mini would be pretty expensive, particularly in this post-pandemic market. Understandably, those costs would be passed on to consumers, many of whom would be less inclined to purchase them as a result.
However, the inclusion of those two favorite consoles on Sega’s survey will keep the spark of hope alive for some fans, and perhaps as technology advances and prices decrease, the company will deem their production a worthwhile investment.
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