Sega SG-1000

Console Information

This is Sega's first video game console. It was test-marketed in 1981 and released in 1983 in Japan for 15 000 Yen. The system was sold until 1985 within Asia and as far east as Australia (distributed by John Sands) and New Zealand (distributed by Grandstand Leisure Ltd until 1986) as well as South Africa, Italy, Spain and other places.

Sega released an updated version called the SG-1000 Mark II and a computer version, the SC-3000. The SG-1000 will run all SC-3000 games and applications except for Music and Basic cartridges. A keyboard add-on was made for the SG-1000 so it could be used like a SC-3000 computer. There was also a card catcher add-on that allowed the use of Sega Game Cards.

Tsukuda Original, a game manufacturer, made a Sega SG-1000 clone called the Othello Multivision.Telegames later brought Bit Corp's Dina 2-in-1 Colecovision clone to America, calling it the Personal Arcade which was basically a ColecoVision clone with 2 cartridge slots; one for ColecoVision games and the other for Sega SG-1000 games.

The SG-1000 today is quite rare and sought-after.

Sega SG-1000 Technical Specifications

• CPU: 4-Mbit Processor
• RAM: 32-64k
• Sound: 2 different voices simultaneously