Polymega Launch Trailer Reveals Sega Saturn Support

"In addition to Saturn games, the system supports PlayStation, Neo Geo CD, TurboGrafx-CD, Sega CD right on the Base Unit. There's also expanded compatibility on offer, with modules for the NES, SNES, TurboGrafx-16 / PC-Engine, and Genesis / Mega Drive."
but not N64!?

I just woke up from sleep thinking about a concept like this. Only issue is that it doesnt have compatibility with N64.

@Aozz101x Does it make you deeply fearful?

As compatible as that is, I would want Game Boy, GBA, N64 and Gamecube too. Perhaps I will buy into it if we get all of those.

I suppose Game Boy might actually work via the Super Game Boy on SNES.

Disappointed there's no Atari Lynx, 3DO or CDi support.

No seriously, I'd really love a machine that could play just Saturn & Dreamcast games,or even better an all in one official SEGA console with a Saturn pad and a Netflix style subscription with all their classics.

Wow! Impressive trailer! Color me interested!!

As much as I want to pre-order this I also really feel like I need to wait to see how the reviews of the hardware and compatibility turn out

@hippoeater Right. As much as I want to see this succeed as a quality release, these emulation consoles don't exactly have a positive history.

Still, Saturn support is definitely tempting. If the Polymega actually does what it intends to do well, this will become a pretty desirable machine. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't keeping an eye on this thing's development.

@OorWullie That'd be a cool idea, so long as despite the subscription, you still downloaded the game and if your subscription ran out the system locked you from playing it or something.

Streamed games are highly unappealing.

@Enigminator my heart is crying out loud!
@DarthNocturnal happy joy! ty for letting me know.

@Heavyarms55 Yep download all the way. Considering how the internet speeds are in my area I'm in no position to call for games to be streamed haha

I don’t trust it. As much as I would love to replay my favorite Sega CD games (Willy Beamish, Dracula Unleashed), I don’t have much faith that they’ve actually cracked the code on Saturn emulation, a console whose architecture is notoriously complicated.

This is a great thing considering how unlike cartridge based consoles, old CD based consoles often suffer from issues where the console can't read it's media well anymore. CD drives are notoriously unreliable and having a good way to replace them would be nice.

I would love to see them also add the 3DO to that list.

I would gamble on a day one purchase, but my guess is that it’s going to be sold out for a long while to come. Oh well, hello backlog!

@OorWullie Even the fastest speeds theoretically possible would still have noticeable input lag. It's just physics. If you are sending a signal to a server hub hundreds or thousands of miles away and then the game on the server sends the response back, even at the speed of light, that it not going to be as fast as a game running on a machine sitting across the room from you. That is just physics.

Saturn support? That seems like a great investment of time, to develop the capability to play 1 or 2 ISO's that were even worth the time. They would have been better putting their efforts into supporting classic Nintendo Consoles.

Seems like an interest system but one that would be very expensive to afford if one were to collect all the modules. This system reminds me of the old Pioneer Laseractive Gaming karaoke hybrid system they had back in the old days where it would had modules to support Sega Genesis, Turbo Grafx-16 games, Sega CD, and Turbo CD disc games. It's too bad they didn't offer more modules to help support it longer, would had been nice to have a 3DO and SNES modules as well

@Abstract3000 oh boy. You're either trolling, out just clueless. The Saturn is one of the most expensive and desirable consoles to collect for because the (Japanese) library is so outstanding. The Saturn was the last hurrah for 2D, and as such has a huge array of incredible 2D shooters and fighting games. Radiant Silvergun alone makes the Saturn one of the all time greats.

Did anybody manage to see what's the price by the way? First preorder batch seems already gone, next one will go live 11AM PST

Yeah, I too am wary that this one system will be able to emulate all the others, without issues. That just doesn’t sound plausible. I mean especially for Saturn emulation.

Also I will not even think about getting one unless Dreamcast is supported.

What's the legality in them selling these consoles with some pre-loaded games?

@TheIronChimp Yeah I noticed that too! It looks like their footage is using a widescreen hack as well.

@Aozz101x
I don't think the patents expired for the N64. Think it runs out in like 2-3 years or so, so you won't see any 64 clones til then.

I'll be completely sold if there's the ability to use the Saturn's 4meg RAM cart or the 5 in 1. Also, if you can play imports...

I'll be waiting for reviews, but if they can get Saturn games working nicely with full import compatibility and 4mb RAM games included then I am so, so in.

@John_Deacon @RetroGamerAndrew I've been seeing $250USD as the quoted price, with $60 for add-ons and bundles with discounted prices planned.

As cool as this thing looks, I'm going to wait on it. I'm not confident they can pull off Saturn emulation, and although the price is right, as someone who doesn't live in the US the duties/shipping/exchange rate are bound to make the cost somewhat more outrageous. Would still possibly be worth it if everything works as planned though. It's really an amazing idea.

@hippoeater agree this was announced bloody years ago Im just doubtfull of the claims

@BanjoPickles I had doubts before then they showed the Saturn and my alarm started ringing a console that is near impossible to emulate and such complicated hardware. I think this system is dubious. plus it was announced years ago

pass unless I can insert this: http://ezcontents.org/sites/default/files/styles/teaser/public/field/image/PB200339.JPG

I've been intrigued by this for a while, but I'll have to wait to see if the emulation is any good. Oh, and I'd kill for Jaguar support. It would be nice to play my Jaguar games again.

@Anguspuss

Exactly. I mean, it’s a console that is such a complicated mess that Sega themselves can’t even emulate it properly! I would love to see proper Saturn emulation, but I think that I’ll see an arcade perfect port of Primal Rage before that happens. We’re better off buying the dedicated hardware, sad (and expensive)as that is.

Very slick. In fact, I'd say it's the slickest of all these new-retro systems so far, from the console itself to the various controllers and everything else.

@JJtheTexan Eh, you're allowed to put a few seconds of a game in a trailer for marketing a piece of hardware that legally supports those games; that's literally the entire point of something like the Fair Use law. It's not like they've taken entire games and put them on there for you to view from start to finish or something like that.

I didnt relise it would be only available over in the US, I like the idea of this but it sounds too expensive for my needs.I nearly pre-ordered the new atari VCS until I saw all of the import, vat and shipping fees. too much. plus I havent seen a proper review of it yet.

If they want to do Saturn emulation properly, they should indeed get in touch with Dr. Abrasive. That man has devoted 4+ years to the inner workings of the Saturn.

Hmm ill stick with my originals but if this performs well ill get one as a backup.

Saturn emulation has come a long way. Google Saturn emulation or do a simple YouTube search.

Isn’t this just a rom-dumping emulator box like the retron 5 but with added cd console compatibility?

I've said it before, and I'll say it again - this is a scam. Nothing about this is real. It's the RetroVGS (Chameleon) only amped up by a factor of 10. It's astounding the number of people who are being taken in by it. Call it RetroBlox, call it Polymega, call it whatever you want - but I call it a scam. They've been using the same tired renders and promos since the beginning of 2017, where they were already purporting to show a perfected system in action.

Hogwash.

A little sad the Nintendo 64 and Playstation 2 is not on it.
Especially now, because you can not get the Playstation 2 repaired any more.

I must have been living underneath a rock. I wasn't aware of this new need in my life. When can I throw my money at this?

I love the Saturn if this include dreamcast as well as Saturn i would be in

@JJtheTexan I would think it's totally fine when you're just using it to show a trailer for a console that plays retro games and has a couple seconds of a few of the games it can play, as in this case.

It would be absurd if some company could sue you for somehow infringing their copyright for showing a couple seconds of their game in an ad like this, meaning that using said footage is somehow costing/losing them profit or hurting their corporate image and branding somehow. Because, without there being some legitimate financial loss or damage to the brand to claim from someone else using your work without your permission--and it surely can't just be due to there now being some proper competition in the market, which you're not happy about--using copyright law serves literally zero purpose. The whole point of it is ultimately based around money. And I don't think any company could make any such loss or damage claims that would hold any weight in this situation. But, I'm not a lawyer, so who knows how ridiculous this stuff gets.

I mean, do you think Sega actually paid Nintendo to feature its games in the old Sega ads where Sega was basically saying how much cooler its consoles and games were than Nintendo's, and actually using side by side footage of said games and systems to make its point?

Because, if Sega was breaching copyright law then you know Nintendo would have been on them in a heartbeat, especially in such a situation where it could effectively stop the competition from kicking its ass with much better marketing.

Just imagine that conversation though, pretending Sega did have to get permission from Nintendo or even pay it a use-fee to make these ads:

Nintendo's lawyers: "Of course you can use footage of our consoles and games to paint us as the sad kiddies console that no one wants and basically stick us with that kiddie label from this point onward, Sega, so long as you pay us a few bucks for the use of such copyright material".

Sega's lawyers: "Thanks, Nintendo. We certainly wouldn't have used such footage otherwise, and certainly not to dis you so as to try and outperform you in the games market and win the console war--at least not without your permission first."