Sega isn’t planning more mini consoles: ‘We are not a retro company’

Sega has said it’s not currently planning to release any more miniature consoles.

The publisher’s America and Europe CEO, Shuji Utsumi, was asked about the possibility of releasing new mini consoles based around the Saturn or Dreamcast in an interview with the Guardian.

“I’m not going for the Mini direction. It’s not me,” he told the publication. “I want to embrace modern gamers.”

“We are not a retro company,” Utsumi added. “We really appreciate 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 Genesis Mini 2, which launched in October 2022, was the fifth miniature system released by Sega.

As well as the first Genesis Mini, the company has also released two Astro City Mini systems (based on its arcade machines) and a series of four Game Gear Micro handhelds, each only 8cm wide and containing four games.

Further reading

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Sega is reportedly asking players what its next mini console should be

A survey is bundled with the Mega Drive Mini 2 in Japan

Last December, Sega announced that it’s developing new entries in the Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Shinobi and Crazy Taxi series. And this month, it announced a new Virtua Fighter game.

“We have some great pillars – such as Sonic, Persona and Yakuza. But at the same time, we have other properties that really show the style, attitude and context of Sega,” Utsumi told the Guardian. “I think gamers will love it if we do this right. It will be a challenge – there are great expectations – but if we can respond to that, we can get back to being Sega.”