SEGA Mega Drive & Genesis Console

Looking to buy a SEGA Mega drive or Genesis console in Australia…. with warranty? We’ve got you sorted.

 

Console: This listing is for both PAL and NTSC consoles.

The SEGA mega drive model 1 was arguably one of the best 16bit consoles of its era. With a huge array of amazing games made for this system, it really is a classic console to pick up and play.

NOTE: The Mega drive is the original name for the console, but in the US they called it the “Genesis” for some reason. It’s just a different name.

 

Overview

PAL – English running at 50hz

PAL – The PAL consoles marked HD are the models that SEGA released “High-definition Graphics – Stereo Sound”. People claim that these early release consoles have superior audio output, we’re not convinced as all consoles sound great.

USA Genesis – English running at 60hz

Japan – Japanese running at 60hz

 

 

Why buy from us? Our consoles are refirbished, tested, cleaned and come with a warranty.

 

Package includes:

• A Fully Tested / Repaired / Cleaned Console
• Australian Power Supply from Retro Sales own brand
• One Controller
• Composite video AV Cable
• 90 day warranty

Condition: They all have some small scratches, marks and potentially some discoloration from 25 years of use. It’s common for the Mega Drive in general to display some faint vertical bars on the screen. This is not a defect this is an original design issue from SEGA. 

Choose from the menu for the various models available. There are PAL Mega Drive, Japanese Mega Drive and USA Genesis options.

The Japanese consoles command a little bit of a premium in price as they are the absolute original models which were only available in Japan. It’s like the USA Genesis consoles that are also imported from overseas, so there’s some extra shipping costs on our end. The sale price reflects this.

 

FAQ

1. Can I power a Japanese console in Australia?

Yes. Leave the tech stuff to us! Our Australian power supplies are brand new and will power any console. People get very confused about importing a Japanese console and running it here in Australia from our higher 240V. You don’t need to worry about that as all consoles use DC internally. So, we simply take the 240V AC Voltage from the wall and convert it to a DC level that the console needs. Our power supplies solve all these issues and allow you to get on with playing games and less time with cables and set up. 

 

2. Are the consoles tested?

Yes of course. They are refurbished and ready to play.

 

3. Are the consoles repaired?

Yes, we refurbish and repair various parts of the console to ensure it works perfectly. 

 

4. Do you replace all of the capacitors?

No. We only replace them as needed. You can optionally order a full cap kit supply and install from us at the same time.

 – Just add a console to the cart here first, then click over to the cap service here. Cap kit supply and install

  

5. What does the warranty cover?

Normal use.

 

6. Can I play PAL games on a Japanese or USA Genesis?

Yes. Physically, PAL games have the same shape and size as US games, so they will fit into a Genesis console. They will also fit a Japanese Mega drive by simple removing the physical lockout switch inside the Japanese console. We remove this lockout switch in all Japanese consoles prior to sale.

Most PAL games will play fine, but not all…. read on.

Most pre-1993 PAL games are region free and most of those will work on an NTSC console without problems. However, many later games will have either region locks or PAL optimizations for 50hz, which will prevent you from playing the games.

Japanese games have a slightly different cart shape and therefore the cart slot opening on a Japanese console is larger with square edges. You can physically insert any cart into a Japanese console, noting they will play USA carts mostly without issue and most PAL carts if they are pre 1993. Early games like Sonic 1 play on any console.

7. What’s all this PAL 50hz VS NTSC 60hz nonsense?

It’s best just to watch this highly detailed video to explain it.

In a nutshell, the PAL consoles from Australia and Europe run slightly slower than their USA and Japanese counterparts. Some people still prefer 50hz for nostalgia reasons and to play original PAL games, but the NTSC consoles at 60hz are hard to pass up.

 

We highly recommend doing a language and 50/60hz region free mod to your console if you plan on playing games from mixed regions. Learn more here.

 

8. Can I use my Everdrive?

Yes, and we’d recommend a Genesis or Japanese console as they already running at 60hz. Your Everdrive will take care of the region and everything else.