Sega Warns Genesis Mini 2 Launch In US May Be Disappointing

Nostalgia can be a very strong emotion and, as it turns out, a profitable one, as well. The past few years have seen the revival of some old designs and products, from the resurrection of the turntable to the modern reinterpretation of the Polaroid photo format. We've also seen this in the gaming industry, where miniature versions of old gaming consoles and even arcade cabinets have been launched to much success. There doesn't seem to be any stopping this trend, and one more retro mini console will be making its way to the public soon. Unfortunately for those in the U.S., getting their hands on Sega's upcoming Genesis Mini 2 will prove to be not only difficult to acquire, but also costly.

Sega is a brand that is mostly known for its games today, especially to a younger generation of gamers. In the past, however, it rubbed shoulders with Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony as one of the biggest console manufacturers in the industry. The Sega Dreamcast might be its best-known and most-loved hardware, but it was the Sega Genesis — or Mega Drive in Japan — that really put the company's name on the map, even if it was panned by many critics when compared to Nintendo's SNES.

Back in June, Sega announced that it will be launching a follow-up to its successful Genesis Mini retro console from 2019. The next-gen model will have a more compact design and more games, including an unreleased title that has yet to be revealed. The highlight is that the collection of classic titles will include some from the Sega CD roster, a set that hasn't been made officially available elsewhere. The Sega Genesis Mini 2 will be launched in Japan and the U.S. like before, but fans in the latter region may not be too happy with the conditions.

Sega already stated before that the number of Genesis Mini 2 consoles that will be available in North America and Europe will be one-tenth of the first Sega Genesis Mini. That means the mini console will be in short supply, but the disheartening news doesn't stop there. The company told Polygon that U.S. buyers will be able to order from Amazon but that their consoles will actually ship from Japan.

This small detail has a significant impact not only on availability but also on price. The first Sega Genesis Mini launched for $80 directly in the U.S., but the price for the Genesis Mini 2 in Japan puts it at around $104. Buyers will also have to pay for shipping, which adds another $21 on top, so those who really want to get the Genesis Mini 2 in the U.S. will be looking at a price tag of around $125.

There are a variety of factors that resulted in the very limited supply of the console, but the biggest one is the semiconductor shortage that hit many consumer electronics products. The industry is slowly recovering from that, but not fast enough for Sega to throw caution to the wind. The company has decided to prioritize its primary Japanese market instead and only allocate what it considers a safe surplus to international markets. The Sega Genesis Mini 2 will launch on October 27 and will be marketed as the Sega Mega Drive Mini 2 in Japan.