Skip to main content

The Sega Genesis Mini is finally coming, and you can pre-order it now

Following the massive success of the NES Classic and its follow-up, the Super NES Classic, other video game companies have scrambled to cash in on the mini retro console craze. None have been able to capture the same lightning in a bottle that Nintendo did with its offerings, though; the most notable example, the ill-fated PlayStation Classic, crashed and burned pretty hard.

After Sony’s failure, it’s only natural that Sega — Nintendo’s main rival in the 1980s and early ’90s and a battle-hardened veteran of the legendary console wars — is stepping up to the plate. Sega might have lost that particular war, but the company is still around, and there’s no denying that its consoles (particularly the Genesis) were home to some of the best games of that era.

The Genesis, dubbed the “Mega Drive” outside of North America, was far and away Sega’s most popular system. In fact, it was really the only one to even come close to giving Nintendo a real run for its money, so it’s easy to see why Sega chose its 16-bit machine for a retro console project. People had long been speculating that Sega would offer some competition to the NES and SNES Classic, so it was no surprise when the aptly named Sega Genesis Mini was announced in April 2018.

sega genesis mini pre-order
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Now, after about a year since the initial announcement, we’ve finally got a look at the new mini console. It looks like a scaled-down version of the Genesis — no huge shock there — but Sega also revealed 10 games that were coming to the system (with 30 more yet to be revealed), and it’s Buy at Amazon for the first time. The pickings here look very good so far; game selection was far and away the weakest part of the PlayStation Classic and the reason that console wasn’t a success, so Sega looks primed not to repeat Sony’s mistake.

Slated for release this September, the Sega Genesis Mini will cost $80 and comes with two controllers. Given that Nintendo won’t be making any more NES or Super NES Classic consoles (an N64 Classic is rumored to be coming, although the company denied this), we imagine the Sega Genesis Mini will be a hot item during the 2019 holiday season. It’ll likely be hard to get, too, if the shortages of Nintendo’s mini consoles are any indication. If it’s on your Christmas list this year, then Buy at Amazon is the surest way to get it into your hands.

Buy at Amazon

Looking for more great stuff? We’ve found cheap PS4 games, Switch deals, and Xbox bundles.

Lucas Coll
Former Deals and News Writer
Lucas Coll has been a freelance writer for almost a decade and has penned articles on tech, video games, travel, cars, and…
A Sega Account can earn you perks, in-game items, and much more
Goro Majima in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii

Sega now has its own account, similar to existing systems for Xbox, PlayStation, and Blizzard. And like those other systems, it gives users free perks — starting with a costume for Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii. Sega revealed the system in a notice on its website that laid out the rules and regulations, as well as the benefits.

"By creating a SEGA Account, you'll receive the latest news about SEGA/ATLUS games, events, and promotions. Additionally, your SEGA Account grants you access to exclusive bonuses and the ability to link accounts on various gaming platforms!" the notice reads. The announcement isn't a long one, but it does hint at more features coming in the near future.

Read more
You can now buy a refurbished Steam Deck straight from Valve — if it’s in stock
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth running on the Steam Deck.

Have you wanted to buy a Steam Deck, but aren't sure about the price? The $399 LCD model is the least expensive, but it's worth a little extra for the Steam Deck OLED, which offers double or even quadruple the onboard memory. Good news: You can now buy a refurbished Steam Deck directly from Valve. Fair warning: These are selling like hotcakes on the coldest day of the year. At the time of writing, you could pick up a 512GB Steam Deck OLED for just $439, or a 1TB version for $519.

So what does refurbished mean, exactly? According to Steam, the units are put through all the same tests as brand-new retail units, and each Steam Deck receives a factory reset, software update, and thorough examination. All of the different systems are checked and tested, including the battery.

Read more
You can now download Dragon Age: The Veilguard’s character creator for free
A dragon in Dragon Age: The Veilguard

In the early days of gaming, you would take the blocky sprites you were given and you would appreciate them, darn it. These days? Character creators are practically a game in and of themselves (my wife usually spends the first couple of hours of any title making her player). Dragon Age: The Veilguard is no exception to this, but it's character creator is so robust that BioWare has dropped it as a standalone download.

The Veilguard's character creator is already live on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S, with PC access rolling out throughout the day, according to Dragon Age's post on X. Fans responded to the post with varying levels of excitement, and quite a few requested more character creation slots on consoles.

Read more