SEGA: Dreamcast classic mini is too expensive to make right now

SEGA is interested in making Saturn and Dreamcast mini consoles, but the costs are way too high.

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SEGA just announced the Mega Drive Mini 2, a new mini console that packs in more Genesis-era and even some SEGA CD games. So what's next on the horizon? A SEGA Saturn mini, or maybe even a Dreamcast Classic re-release? Maybe...once chip production costs start to drop.

In a recent interview with Famitsu, SEGA producer Yosuke Okunari confirms that his team looked into recreating Dreamcast and Saturn micro-consoles but the projects fizzled out early on because they would be too expensive to manufacture because chips are so scarce.

"In fact, some of you may say..."I wanted a" Dreamcast Mini ". It's not that we didn't think about that direction.The development of new boards has been stagnant due to COVID-19 and of course it will be a fairly expensive product in terms of cost."

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COVID-19 has significantly impacted supply of semiconductors, driving up prices. In fact, Okunari said the original Mega Drive 2 mini project was put on hold because SEGA couldn't procure enough chips. Mega Drive 2 mini console production will be very limited as a result.

"When I decided to use the Mega Drive Mini 2 and finally started procuring parts with the approval of the company, the shortage of semiconductors was getting worse. I couldn't get it, and even if I could get it, the price was getting higher and higher. So the project was put on hold again.

"After thinking about what to do. I decided that this would be possible. We started the project with just as many semiconductors as we could launch. Therefore, the expected number of manufactured products has been significantly reduced and the development has started.

For more information on the Mega Drive Mini 2, click here.