Mega-CD

A CD-ROM drive that connects to the Mega Drive's expansion slot. It carries its own CPU and hardware for sprite scaling and rotation.

Name in Japan

メガCD

Name in North America

Sega CD

Name in Europe

Mega-CD

The original model sits beneath the Mega Drive with a motorised front-loading tray; the Mega-CD 2 is a top-loader placed beside the console.

CPU

Motorola 68000 @ 12.5 MHz

Memory

6 Mbit program/data RAM (plus audio and cache memory)

Graphics

Custom ASIC enabling hardware sprite scaling and rotation

Values are from the sources below. Where sources differ, see the notes under Sources.

• CD-ROM
• Audio CD

• CD-ROM

  Optical discs sharing the audio CD format, used for data. Sources describe the PC Engine's CD-ROM² (1988) as the first use of CD-ROM as a home console game medium.

Release (Japan)

12 Dec 1991[2]

Release (North America)

15 Oct 1992[1]

Release (Europe)

Apr 1993[1]

Launch price (Japan)

¥49,800[2]

Units

2.24 million(sold, as reported · Japan · )[1]

It pointed toward games built on full CG and full-motion video, with CD-ROMs offering around 160 times the space of Mega Drive cartridges.

No games from this platform are in the archive yet.

• 

  Sega CD Model 2 (North American Mega-CD 2) with Genesis

1. 1990.04.26Neo Geo AESSNK
2. 1990.10.06Game GearSEGA
3. 1990.11.21Super FamicomNintendo
4. 1991.12.12Mega-CDSEGA
5. 1994.09.09Neo Geo CDSNK
6. 1994.11.22Sega SaturnSEGA
7. 1994.12.03PlayStationSony

• 

  SG-1000

  1983 · SEGA

• 

  Mega Drive

  1988 · SEGA

• 

  Game Gear

  1990 · SEGA

• 

  Sega Saturn

  1994 · SEGA

• 

  Dreamcast

  1998 · SEGA

• 

  Sega CD Model 2 (North American Mega-CD 2) with Genesis

  Sega CD Model 2 (the North American Mega-CD 2) docked with a Genesis

  PhotoEvan-Amos

  Wikimedia Commons·Public domain