Nintendo isn't the only gaming company cashing in on its nostalgia with the SNES Mini and NES Mini. Over the weekend, Sega announced the Mega Drive Mini at Sega FES 2018 in Japan to celebrate the Mega Drive's 30th anniversary. Much like Nintendo's retro throwbacks, the Mega Drive Mini is a micro-console that will be sold with preloaded games. This isn't the first time Sega has dabbled with bringing back its past successes. Previously it has collaborated with AtGames, a US firm that's been making officially-licensed Sega consoles for over 10 years such as the Sega Genesis Flashback HD. And while Sega has yet to confirm AtGames' involvement with bringing the Mega Drive Mini to market, that hasn't stopped AtGames from tweeting that it would be working on the Mega Drive Mini.
"The rumors are true! Sega is going to release the Mega Drive Mini in Japan, powered by the latest AtGames technology. This same new and improved technology will find its way into the US and other territories later this year," claimed AtGames on Twitter.
The tweet was removed shortly after. Perhaps at Sega's behest. No price or release date for the Mega Drive Mini has been revealed just yet, though we won't be surprised to see it hit the shelves around October 29, the date the original Mega Drive was first sold in 1988. In terms of availability, Sega has said it will be making it to Japan. It's unknown if the Mega Drive Mini will find its way to other countries. Furthermore, no games have been announced for it either.
That said, Sega has announced that 15 games such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Phantasy Star will be making it to the Nintendo Switch under the Sega Ages Label with Studio M2 handling porting duties.
If you're a fan of video games, check out Transition, Gadgets 360's gaming podcast. You can listen to it via Apple Podcasts or RSS, or just listen to this week's episode by hitting the play button below.
Catch the latest from the Consumer Electronics Show on Gadgets 360, at our CES 2026 hub.