Sega Shows Old Handheld Prototype For The First Time Publicly

In 1995, Sega released the Genesis Nomad in North America. The 16-bit portable was a handheld console with an LCD screen and able to play Genesis cartridges. In a recent YouTube clip, Sega’s Hiroyuki Miyazaki showed off the hardware’s prototype for the first time.

Here is the Nomad’s final product version. The design is in-tune with the home console, which makes sense as it’s literally a portable Genesis.

The Nomad could also be plugged into TVs for big-screen action, a novelty at that time.

The prototype looked different — and in my opinion, much nicer. Note that the hardware is emblazoned with the name “Venus,” which was the codename.

While Sega hoped to overtake Nintendo’s handheld dominance with the Nomad, the 16-bit portable was ultimately unsuccessful and discontinued by 1999. 

You can read more about Sega’s efforts in the handheld race right here.