Difference between revisions of "Sega 32X"

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[[Image:Sega 32x.jpg|thumb|right|Sega 32X sitting atop a [[Sega Genesis]] Model 2.]]
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{{ConsoleBob
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The '''Sega 32X''' (Japanese: スーパー32X; Romaji: Supa 32X) was a game console add-on created and distributed by [[SEGA]]. Initially released in late 1994, the 32X was designed to extend the capabilities of the [[Sega Mega Drive]], but is now seen as a commercial failure. Though the system was more powerful than both the [[Sega Mega Drive]] and Super Nintendo it was both expensive and under-supported, as well as being overshadowed by the [[Sega Saturn]] which was released just months later.
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| | logo=32X PAL logo.png|280px]]
 +
| consoleimage=32X US.jpg
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| maker=[[Sega Enterprises, Ltd.]]
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| variants=
 +
| processor=
 +
| releases={{releases32X
 +
| 32x_date_jp=1994-12-03{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20180305142837/https://sega.jp/history/hard/super32x/index.html}}
 +
| 32x_code_jp=HMA-0001
 +
| 32x_rrp_jp=16,800
 +
| 32x_date_us=1994-11-21{{intref|Press release: 1994-12-12: Demand for Sega's 32X arcade upgrade unit exceed supply}}
 +
| 32x_code_us=84001
 +
| 32x_rrp_us=159.99
 +
| 32x_date_eu=1994-11-30{{magref|ctw|513|5}}{{magref|ctw|516|3}}
 +
| 32x_code_eu=MK-84201-50<!-- Extracted from the UK box, though the '50' suffix indicates EU -->
 +
| 32x_date_uk=1994-11-30{{magref|ctw|513|5}}{{magref|ctw|516|3}}
 +
| 32x_code_uk=MK-84201-50
 +
| 32x_rrp_uk=169.99
 +
| 32x_date_br=1995-03{{magref|sgp|21|11}}
 +
| 32x_code_br=150,000
 +
| 32x_rrp_br=399{{magref|sgp|13|5}}
 +
| 32x_date_kr=1995-01-18
 +
| 32x_rrp_kr=199,000
 +
| 32x_date_ru=1995<ref>''Бука'' - Магазин Игрушек 1/95 page 57</ref>
 +
| 32x_date_as=199x
 +
| 32x_code_as=MK-84202-07<!-- South East Asia according to "Region codes"; seen both in "Gulf States" and "Unknown" boxes -->
 +
| 32x_date_tw=199x
 +
| 32x_code_tw=MK-84202-16
 +
| 32x_date_au=1994
 +
| 32x_rrp_au=349{{magref|hyper|14|16}}
 +
| 32x_date_se=1995-01{{magref|sfsw|1994-0708|37}}
 +
| 32x_date_fr=1994
 +
| 32x_code_fr=MK-84201-50
 +
| 32x_rrp_fr=1,390{{magref|playerone|46|37}}
 +
| 32x_date_es=1994
 +
| 32x_code_es=MK-84201-50
 +
| 32x_rrp_es=29,900{{magref|hobbyconsolas|37|31}}
 +
| 32x_date_sa=199x{{magref|alaabalc|1|12}}
 +
| 32x_rrp_sa=700{{magref|alaabalc|1|12}}
 +
}}
 +
}}
 +
<section begin=intro />The '''Sega 32X''', codenamed '''Mars''' during development, is a hardware add-on to the [[Sega Mega Drive]] created by [[Sega]]. It is the second of two major add-ons for the system, the other being the [[Sega Mega-CD]], and was released worldwide in late 1994.
  
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In Japan, the console add-on was distributed under the name '''Sega Super 32X'''. In North America, its name was the '''Sega Genesis 32X'''. In Europe, Australia, and other countries that use [[PAL]], it was called the '''Sega Mega Drive 32X'''.
+
The 32X was designed to extend the Mega Drive's lifespan by giving it significantly more powerful 32-bit processing and texture-mapped 3D polygon capabilities. It was thus seen as a logical upgrade to the 16-bit processing and 2D capabilities of the Mega Drive and its main rival, the [[Super NES]]. The 32X was succeeded by the [[Sega Saturn]] (except in Japan, where the Saturn arrived first).
  
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The system cannot work by itself. The Sega 32X can only be used in conjunction with a Sega Mega Drive/Sega Genesis system; it is plugged in where the cartridge bay is. Besides playing its own cartridges, it also acted as a passthrough for Genesis games so it would be a permanent attachment. The 32X came with 10 coupons and several spacers, so it would work with all versions of the Genesis.
+
In the interests of simplicity, Sega Retro uses a simplified "Sega 32X" name for the unit, though the official name differs depending on regions of the world. In Japan and Korea, it was distributed under the name '''Super 32X''' (スーパー32X), in North America, the '''Genesis 32X''', in Europe, Australia and Asia, the '''Sega Mega Drive 32X''' and in Brazil, the '''Mega 32X'''.<section end=intro />
  
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All versions of the 32X all have lockout chips, so 32X games cannot be played on a different region than the region the console is set to use.
+
==Hardware==
 +
The Sega 32X is a large and heavy "mushroom-shaped" unit which plugs into the Mega Drive's [[cartridge]] slot. It was designed to be a permanent addition to a Mega Drive setup (unlike the [[Power Base Converter]]), acting as both a means to play specialised 32X cartridges, and as a passthrough device allowing normal Mega Drive games to be played. A provided plastic spacer ensuring it can fit inside most official versions of the Mega Drive console.
  
−
By the end of its lifespan there were 34 games released for the 32X, inlcuding the five CD 32X games which also require a [[Sega Mega CD]] to run. ''[[Romance of the Three Kingdoms IV: Wall of Fire]]'' was the only Japanese exclusive game.
+
The Sega 32X plays its own cartridges which are designed to take advantage of the enhancements of the system. These cartridges which will not physically fit in a standard Mega Drive (nor any console produced since), and the setup is designed so as not to interfere with an attached [[Sega Mega-CD]]. Like the Mega CD, the 32X cannot function as an independent machine, and therefore always requires a powered Mega Drive to be present when in use.
  
−
==History==
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Numerous factors led to the criticism over the 32X, but one of the major issues is encountered before the system is even switched on. The device requires its own [[AC adaptor]], and a second physical connection to the Mega Drive console from the back of the unit. If the user also has a Mega-CD, this means no less than three power adapters are required (plus a fourth for a television). Both the AC adaptor and [[32X Connector Cable]] are bespoke units - the AC adaptor is more common as it is identical to that seen with the Mega Drive 2 (though is not often covered by universal AC adaptors), but the 32X connector cable is unique to the 32X and was not sold separately (though third parties variants exist).
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With the release of the Super Famicom in Japan and the Super NES in North America, Sega needed to leapfrog in order to catch up to [[Nintendo]] in the technological department. The [[Sega Mega CD]] (aka Sega CD) hadn't worked as well as Sega wanted it to. The company had various hardware development projects underway, some using [[System 16]] technology like the Sega Mega Drive did, as well as other arcade games.
+
 
 +
As an aside, the 32X's video encoder is of a slightly higher build quality than those usually found in later iterations of the Mega Drive, potentially resulting in a slightly clearer image when playing Mega Drive titles.
 +
 
 +
Furthermore, Sega's AC adaptors of the day were designed so that the transformer was located around the plug area, resulting in several bulky units obstructing surrounding sockets. Due to the extra space required just to plug the console into the wall, Sega eventually released their own [[Sega Power Strip]] in North America.
 +
 
 +
The 32X brings significant visual upgrades to the Mega Drive with inclusion of a [[32X VDP]], allowing the machine to display up to 32,768 on-screen colours (versus the usual 64 seen in Mega Drive titles) and render more 2D sprites at any given time. Combined with an added two [[Hitachi]] [[SH-2]] 32-bit RISC processors (also used for the [[Saturn]]), it is better suited to 2D scaling and rotation, and is capable of rendering texture-mapped 3D graphics.
 +
 
 +
Audio capabilities were also upgraded, including the addition of a PWM audio chip offering extra sound channels and [[QSound]] technology, enabling multidimensional sound that allows a regular stereo audio signal to approximate the 3D sounds heard in everyday life (similar to [[wikipedia:binaural recording|binaural recording]]).
 +
 
 +
The 32X is compatible with the Sega Mega-CD, allowing the user to play one of six enhanced [[Sega Mega-CD 32X]] games. Its ability to access a wider palette of colours allows for higher quality [[full motion video]] than a standard Mega-CD, whose FMV games are in turn often derided for their lack of colour and detail.
 +
 
 +
Contrary to popular belief, the Sega 32X doesn't employ any regional lockout technology per se, instead relying on the region of the Mega Drive to determine the region of the unit. It does however have a set Genlock frequency which stops 50Hz (PAL) games from working on 60Hz (NTSC) units and vice versa. Due to the 32X only differentiating between frequencies and not region, the Japanese Super 32X and Genesis 32X are identical, and will work on either NTSC console. Much like region modifications on the Mega Drive and Saturn, this is easily changed with slight modifications to the unit, allowing for universal support of all games.
 +
 
 +
===Models===
 +
{{MainArticle|32X consoles}}
 +
 
 +
<gallery widths="250px" heights="200px">
 +
32X JP.jpg|Japanese model
 +
32X US.jpg|North American model
 +
32X EU.jpg|European model
 +
32X BR.jpg|Brazilian model
 +
32X AS.jpg|Asian model
 +
Samsung32X.jpg|South Korean model
 +
</gallery>
 +
<gallery widths="105px" heights="80px">
 +
Sega 32x.png|US model (attached to Sega Genesis II)
 +
Md2 32x pal.jpg|EU model (attached to Sega Mega Drive II)
 +
32X MD2 JP.jpg|JP model (attached to Sega Mega Drive II)
 +
MegaDrive32.jpg|Prototype "Mega Drive 32" model
 +
</gallery>
 +
 
 +
===Cartridges===
 +
{{mainArticle|Sega 32X cartridges}}
 +
 
 +
===Technical specifications===
 +
{{mainArticle|Sega 32X/Technical specifications}}
 +
:''See [[Sega Mega Drive/Technical specifications]] for base Mega Drive hardware specifications''
 +
 
 +
===Comparison===
 +
:''See also: [[Sega 32X/Technical specifications|Sega 32X technical specifications]]''
 +
 
 +
North American marketing pitched the 32X as being 40 times more powerful than the Super NES and 6 times more powerful than the [[wikipedia:3DO Interactive Multiplayer|3DO]]. This was referring to CPU performance, as the 32X's dual [[Hitachi SH-2]] are capable of processing over 59 [[wikipedia:Instructions per second|MIPS]], compared to the Super NES's [[Blast processing|Ricoh 5A22]] which processes up to 1.5 MIPS and the 3DO's [[wikipedia:List of ARM microarchitectures|ARM60]] which processes about 9 MIPS.{{ref|[http://pdf.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheets2/13/1305889_1.pdf ARM60 datasheet]}}
 +
 
 +
In terms of 3D polygon performance, the 32X is theoretically capable of rendering up to 160,000 flat-shaded polygons/sec and 50,000 textured polygons/sec, if its CPUs are dedicated exclusively to processing and rendering 3D graphics. In comparison, the 3DO renders up to 20,000 textured polygons/sec,{{ref|[http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/NFSComp.htm Need for Speed Comparison]}} while the Super Nintendo's [[Blast processing#Technical comparison|Super FX 2]] cartridge enhancement chip renders up to 4,000 flat-shaded polygons/sec and 2,000 textured polygons/sec. This means the 32X can theoretically render up to 40 times as many polygons as the Super FX 2 chip and more than twice as many textured polygons as the 3DO.
 +
 
 +
However, the 3DO has [[wikipedia:Panasonic|Panasonic]] video coprocessors which handle 3D polygons and take the load off the CPU, whereas the 32X's lack of a 3D coprocessor means it has to rely solely on the CPU to render the 3D graphics. If one of its CPUs is used for gameplay and the other for graphics, the 32X's practical performance would be up to 80,000 flat-shaded polygons/sec and 25,000 textured polygons/sec. Contrary to Sega of America's marketing claim, the 32X is not much more powerful than the 3DO. It is not clear whether or not the 32X is as powerful as the 3DO, since not much is known about the hardware details of the 3DO's Panasonic video coprocessors.
 +
 
 +
Compared to other non-Sega systems at the time, the [[wikipedia:Atari Jaguar|Atari Jaguar]] renders 10,000 textured polygons/sec,{{ref|1=[http://www.ataritimes.com/index.php?page=Atari%20Jaguar Atari Jaguar 64-bit (The Atari Times)]}} while a [[wikipedia:P5 (microarchitecture)|Pentium 60]] PC renders 30,000&ndash;50,000 flat-shaded polygons/sec{{ref|[http://www.richterscale.org/wp/1994/08/ 3D Misconceived (''PC Graphics Report'')]}} and 6,000 textured polygons/sec,{{ref|1=[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=kHyyMrxeyu0C&pg=PA145 ''Spatial Multimedia and Virtual Reality'', page 145]}}. Meanwhile the Pentium 66 renders 3.6 [[Pixel|MPixels/s]]{{ref|1=''[[wikipedia:PC Magazine|PC Mag]]'', [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=7k7q-wS0t00C&pg=PA39 December 1993, page 39]}} (the 32X has a theoretical peak of 18&ndash;36 MPixels/s).
  
−
On January 8, 1994, [[Hayao Nakayama]], then CEO of Sega, ordered his company to make a 32-bit cartridge based console that would be in stores by Christmas 1994. This would at first be referred to under the [[Sega planet codenames|codename]] "Project Jupiter", but after Sega found CD technology cheaper, they decided to modify it instead of dropping the cartridge project. [[Hideki Sato]] and some other [[Sega of Japan]] engineers came over to collaborate about the project with [[SEGA]] of America's [[Joe Miller]]. The first idea was a new Sega Mega Drive with more colors and a 32-bit processor. Miller thought that an add-on to the Mega Drive would be a better idea, because he felt that gamers would not buy an improved version of the Mega Drive. And so, this project was [[Sega planet codenames|codenamed]] Project Mars, and Sega of America was going to shape the project.
+
Compared to the Sega Saturn, the 32X is very limited, with part of its graphical prowess depending on the Mega Drive hardware it sits on top of. In the majority of games, the 32X works with the Mega Drive to produce an image, to the point where without the connector cable attached, games will still run and may even be considered playable.
  
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The 32X was primarily envisioned as a system which would extend the life of the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis and provide revenue while the installed userbase of the [[Sega Saturn]] slowly grew.
+
The 32X side is able to output up to 32,768 colours on-screen at once, but it is comparitively slower at rendering a full 320x224 image in this mode than the Mega Drive can with its 64 on-screen colours. As such, it is common to see 32X games rely on the Mega Drive hardware to draw large, detailed backgrounds or foregrounds (''[[Chaotix]]'', ''[[Tempo]]'', ''[[Mortal Kombat II]]''). With the 32X side able to pick up some slack in terms of graphics processing, more colours can be reserved by the Mega Drive for this purpose than in the average Mega Drive-specific game.
  
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The video-gamer public first got a glimpse at the Summer 1994 CES in Chicago, Illinois. The console was unmasked as the 32X, with a price projection of $170, at a gamers' day, held by Sega of America on September 1994. It was released in mid-November 1994 in North America for $150 the same month that the Sega Saturn was released in Japan. It was then released in Japan in December 1994, and Europe in January 1995 for £150.
+
This hybrid approach was used by many developers to ensure a full 60 FPS refresh rate in 2D games. Games which opt to swap the pipeline around - giving the 32X the bulk of the 2D rendering and have the Mega Drive fill the gaps, are often left with slower frame rates (''[[Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure]]'', ''[[Brutal Unleashed: Above the Claw]]''), though there are rare exceptions (''[[Kolibri]]'') that manage to display high colour graphics at 60 FPS. The ability to fall back on the 16-bit hardware, however, can put the 32X at an advantage over systems such as the Atari Jaguar which is known to befall similar frame rate issues when tackling 2D games.
  
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Only 500,000 consoles had been produced for North American distribution, yet orders were in the millions. Games had been rushed for the system in order to be shipped for the Christmas season and they came with errors in programming. Some games which were ports left out portions which were in the original game. This is evident in ''Doom'' as many levels are missing and musical scores are scarce. Many were complaining that their 32X was not working with their Mega Drive/Genesis or television. Sega was thus forced to give away adapters.
+
Similarly the 32X adds a two channel PWM sound chip, intended to complement the existing Mega Drive audio capabilities rather than replace them outright. This means in many cases, the quality of 32X and Mega Drive audio is virtually identical, with some developers failing to make use of this new chip at all.
  
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Since this was an expensive add-on system, Sega decided to offer a £50 discount on games with the console in Europe. However, the offer came in the form of rebate vouchers which were difficult to take advantage of. Just like its North American counterpart, this console was initially popular. Orders exceeded one million, but not enough were produced, and shortage supply problems arose. Two games, ''[[Darxide]]'' and ''[[FIFA Soccer '96]]'', were only released for the PAL 32X. The ''Darxide'' videogame had been awarded "Best 32X Game".
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==History==
 +
{{MainArticle|History of the Sega 32X}}
  
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To make matters worse five games were released under the "Sega CD 32X" label, making use of both the Sega Mega CD and 32X add-ons so that they could benefit from CD quality audio and increased graphical capabilities. With all these Sega consoles on the market (Mega Drive, Mega CD, 32X, CD 32X, Sega Saturn, [[Game Gear]] and even the [[Master System]]) customers were often left confused as to which software would work with which machine/add-on.
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===Localised names===
 +
{{aka
 +
|us_name=Sega Genesis 32X
 +
|jp_name=スーパー32X
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|jp_trans=Super 32X
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|uk_name=Mega Drive 32X
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|kr_name=슈퍼 32X
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|kr_trans=Super 32X
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|br_name=Mega 32X
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|br_trans=Mega 32X
 +
}}
  
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By mid-1995 Sega executives realized their blunder and it was too late. Developers and licensees had abandoned this console in favor of what they perceived to be a true 32-bit console, the [[Sega Saturn]]. Even though the 32X add-on was a 32-bit system, the games weren't taking the full advantages of systems capabilities. Many games were 2D and rushed or slightly upgraded Mega Drive/Genesis titles. Also, customers perceived the [[Sega Saturn]] and the Sony PlayStation as the true next-generation consoles, and abandoned the 32X as doubts had arisen of Sega's promise to support it. Others chose to skip the 32X completely and wait for the PlayStation and Saturn. Store shelves became littered with unwanted Sega 32X systems, and prices for a new one dropped as low as $19.95. Sega planned a console named the [[Sega Neptune]], which would have been a Genesis and 32X in one. However, by the time a prototype was developed, the [[Sega Saturn]] was going to be released, and the Sega Neptune was cancelled.
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==Games==
 +
{{MainArticle|32X games}}
 +
{{BulletPointGameList|32X}}
  
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The system ended production in 1996 worldwide. The last game made for the 32X was ''Spider-Man: Web of Fire'' (1996). In the end the system was merely a gap filler between the Genesis and the Saturn. The 32X badly damaged Sega's reputation, which was further tarnished when the [[Sega Saturn]] failed to compete with the Sony PlayStation/Nintendo 64. It is often said Sega never truely recovered, and hence ultimately left the console business altogether. The Sega 32X fiasco is now considered one of the most badly planned console releases ever.
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==Production credits==
 +
{{creditstable|
 +
*[[Masami Ishikawa]]
 +
*[[Taku Matsubara]]
 +
*[[Hiroyuki Ohtaka]]
 +
| source=Developer mentions{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20231110103013/https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/758667.html}}{{magref|harmony|130|18}}{{ref|https://www.facebook.com/hiroyuki.ohtaka/about_work_and_education}}
 +
| console=32X
 +
}}
  
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==Technical specifications ==
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==Magazine articles==
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*Processor: Twin Hitachi SH-2 (SH7095) 32-bit RISC processors with a clock speed of 23 MHZ 40 MIPS
+
{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Magazine articles}}
−
*Co-processors: Overlay Mega Drive [[Motorola]] [[M68000]], [[Zilog Z80]], Genesis 32X VDP
 
−
*Video: 320x224/320x240 double buffered framebuffer with three modes:
 
−
**8bpp "packed pixel" mode: 256 simultaneous colors on screen; each pixel is an index into CRAM (can use full screen)
 
−
**16bpp "run length" mode: 256 simultaneous colors on screen; each pixel is both a number of pixels to display and the index of CRAM (limits screen size)
 
−
**16bpp "direct color" mode: 32,768 simultaneous colours on screen; each pixel is the color value (limits screen size)
 
−
:256KB VRAM ("DRAM") split into two 128KB segments for each framebuffer. A priority system allows partial overlaying of Mega Drive/Mega CD graphics.
 
−
*Memory: 512k (4 MBit) additional RAM to Mega Drive/Sega Mega-CD memory
 
−
*Audio: Stereo PWM (Pulse Wave Modulation) mixing with Mega Drive sound; additional 2 channels (therefore 14 all together?)
 
−
*I/O: Same as Mega Drive; 32X upgradable; can upgrade the 32X
 
−
*Storage: CD-ROM if you have a SegaMega-CD; speed same as Sega Mega-CD compatible with audio CD, CD&G, SegaCD and JVC WonderMega
 
−
*Cartridge: compatible with all Mega Drive models, JVC Wondermega can store save game/score information.
 
  
−
== Box Scans ==
+
==Promotional material==
 +
{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Promotional material}}
 +
 
 +
==Logos by regions==
 +
{|class="prettytable sortable" style="background: #f2f2f2;"
 +
|-
 +
! style="width:100px;" style="text-align: center;" |'''Logo'''
 +
! style="width:100px;" style="text-align: center;" |'''Region'''
 +
|- style="background: silver;"
 +
|-
 +
|<gallery>32X Japanese logo.png</gallery>
 +
|Used in Japan
 +
|-
 +
|<gallery>Genesis 32X logo USA.jpg</gallery>
 +
|Used in North America and<br> parts of South America
 +
|-
 +
|<gallery>32X PAL logo.png</gallery>
 +
|Used in Western and Eastern Europe,<br> Asia, Africa, Australasia
 +
|-
 +
|<gallery>32x BR Logo.png</gallery>
 +
|Used in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay<br>and Uruguay
 +
|-
 +
|<gallery>Notavailable.svg</gallery>
 +
|Used in South Korea
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
==Patents==
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
−
Image:32x console jp box front.jpg|JP retail box (front)
+
Patent USD369352.pdf|USD369352
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Image:32x console jp box back.jpg|JP retail box (back)
 
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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*[http://www.consoledatabase.com/consoleinfo/sega32x/index.html Console Database] - Sega 32X Info
 
  
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==References==
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{{multicol|
 +
<references />
 +
|cols=3}}
 +
 +
{{MegaDrive32X}}
 
{{MegaDrive}}
 
{{MegaDrive}}
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{{Sega_Consoles}}
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{{Sega Consoles}}
  
 
[[Category:Sega 32X| ]]
 
[[Category:Sega 32X| ]]

Latest revision as of 08:08, 16 November 2024

32X PAL logo.png
32X US.jpg
Sega 32X
Manufacturer: Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
Release Date RRP Code
Sega 32X
JP 		¥16,80016,800 HMA-0001
Sega 32X
US 		$159.99159.99 84001
Sega 32X
EU 		MK-84201-50
Sega 32X
ES 		29,900Ptas29,900[13] MK-84201-50
Sega 32X
FR 		1,390F1,390[12] MK-84201-50
Sega 32X
UK 		£169.99169.99 MK-84201-50
Sega 32X
SE
Sega 32X
AU 		$349349[10]
Sega 32X
BR 		R$399399[8] 150,000
Sega 32X
KR 		₩199,000199,000
Sega 32X
RU
Sega 32X
SA 		700‎﷼‎700[14]
Sega 32X
TW 		MK-84202-16
Sega 32X
AS 		MK-84202-07

The Sega 32X, codenamed Mars during development, is a hardware add-on to the Sega Mega Drive created by Sega. It is the second of two major add-ons for the system, the other being the Sega Mega-CD, and was released worldwide in late 1994.

The 32X was designed to extend the Mega Drive's lifespan by giving it significantly more powerful 32-bit processing and texture-mapped 3D polygon capabilities. It was thus seen as a logical upgrade to the 16-bit processing and 2D capabilities of the Mega Drive and its main rival, the Super NES. The 32X was succeeded by the Sega Saturn (except in Japan, where the Saturn arrived first).

In the interests of simplicity, Sega Retro uses a simplified "Sega 32X" name for the unit, though the official name differs depending on regions of the world. In Japan and Korea, it was distributed under the name Super 32X (スーパー32X), in North America, the Genesis 32X, in Europe, Australia and Asia, the Sega Mega Drive 32X and in Brazil, the Mega 32X.

Hardware

The Sega 32X is a large and heavy "mushroom-shaped" unit which plugs into the Mega Drive's cartridge slot. It was designed to be a permanent addition to a Mega Drive setup (unlike the Power Base Converter), acting as both a means to play specialised 32X cartridges, and as a passthrough device allowing normal Mega Drive games to be played. A provided plastic spacer ensuring it can fit inside most official versions of the Mega Drive console.

The Sega 32X plays its own cartridges which are designed to take advantage of the enhancements of the system. These cartridges which will not physically fit in a standard Mega Drive (nor any console produced since), and the setup is designed so as not to interfere with an attached Sega Mega-CD. Like the Mega CD, the 32X cannot function as an independent machine, and therefore always requires a powered Mega Drive to be present when in use.

Numerous factors led to the criticism over the 32X, but one of the major issues is encountered before the system is even switched on. The device requires its own AC adaptor, and a second physical connection to the Mega Drive console from the back of the unit. If the user also has a Mega-CD, this means no less than three power adapters are required (plus a fourth for a television). Both the AC adaptor and 32X Connector Cable are bespoke units - the AC adaptor is more common as it is identical to that seen with the Mega Drive 2 (though is not often covered by universal AC adaptors), but the 32X connector cable is unique to the 32X and was not sold separately (though third parties variants exist).

As an aside, the 32X's video encoder is of a slightly higher build quality than those usually found in later iterations of the Mega Drive, potentially resulting in a slightly clearer image when playing Mega Drive titles.

Furthermore, Sega's AC adaptors of the day were designed so that the transformer was located around the plug area, resulting in several bulky units obstructing surrounding sockets. Due to the extra space required just to plug the console into the wall, Sega eventually released their own Sega Power Strip in North America.

The 32X brings significant visual upgrades to the Mega Drive with inclusion of a 32X VDP, allowing the machine to display up to 32,768 on-screen colours (versus the usual 64 seen in Mega Drive titles) and render more 2D sprites at any given time. Combined with an added two Hitachi SH-2 32-bit RISC processors (also used for the Saturn), it is better suited to 2D scaling and rotation, and is capable of rendering texture-mapped 3D graphics.

Audio capabilities were also upgraded, including the addition of a PWM audio chip offering extra sound channels and QSound technology, enabling multidimensional sound that allows a regular stereo audio signal to approximate the 3D sounds heard in everyday life (similar to binaural recording).

The 32X is compatible with the Sega Mega-CD, allowing the user to play one of six enhanced Sega Mega-CD 32X games. Its ability to access a wider palette of colours allows for higher quality full motion video than a standard Mega-CD, whose FMV games are in turn often derided for their lack of colour and detail.

Contrary to popular belief, the Sega 32X doesn't employ any regional lockout technology per se, instead relying on the region of the Mega Drive to determine the region of the unit. It does however have a set Genlock frequency which stops 50Hz (PAL) games from working on 60Hz (NTSC) units and vice versa. Due to the 32X only differentiating between frequencies and not region, the Japanese Super 32X and Genesis 32X are identical, and will work on either NTSC console. Much like region modifications on the Mega Drive and Saturn, this is easily changed with slight modifications to the unit, allowing for universal support of all games.

Models

Main article: 32X consoles.

  • Japanese model

  • North American model

  • European model

  • Brazilian model

  • Asian model

  • South Korean model

  • US model (attached to Sega Genesis II)

  • EU model (attached to Sega Mega Drive II)

  • JP model (attached to Sega Mega Drive II)

  • Prototype "Mega Drive 32" model

Cartridges

Main article: Sega 32X cartridges.

Technical specifications

Main article: Sega 32X/Technical specifications.
See Sega Mega Drive/Technical specifications for base Mega Drive hardware specifications

Comparison

See also: Sega 32X technical specifications

North American marketing pitched the 32X as being 40 times more powerful than the Super NES and 6 times more powerful than the 3DO. This was referring to CPU performance, as the 32X's dual Hitachi SH-2 are capable of processing over 59 MIPS, compared to the Super NES's Ricoh 5A22 which processes up to 1.5 MIPS and the 3DO's ARM60 which processes about 9 MIPS.[15]

In terms of 3D polygon performance, the 32X is theoretically capable of rendering up to 160,000 flat-shaded polygons/sec and 50,000 textured polygons/sec, if its CPUs are dedicated exclusively to processing and rendering 3D graphics. In comparison, the 3DO renders up to 20,000 textured polygons/sec,[16] while the Super Nintendo's Super FX 2 cartridge enhancement chip renders up to 4,000 flat-shaded polygons/sec and 2,000 textured polygons/sec. This means the 32X can theoretically render up to 40 times as many polygons as the Super FX 2 chip and more than twice as many textured polygons as the 3DO.

However, the 3DO has Panasonic video coprocessors which handle 3D polygons and take the load off the CPU, whereas the 32X's lack of a 3D coprocessor means it has to rely solely on the CPU to render the 3D graphics. If one of its CPUs is used for gameplay and the other for graphics, the 32X's practical performance would be up to 80,000 flat-shaded polygons/sec and 25,000 textured polygons/sec. Contrary to Sega of America's marketing claim, the 32X is not much more powerful than the 3DO. It is not clear whether or not the 32X is as powerful as the 3DO, since not much is known about the hardware details of the 3DO's Panasonic video coprocessors.

Compared to other non-Sega systems at the time, the Atari Jaguar renders 10,000 textured polygons/sec,[17] while a Pentium 60 PC renders 30,000–50,000 flat-shaded polygons/sec[18] and 6,000 textured polygons/sec,[19]. Meanwhile the Pentium 66 renders 3.6 MPixels/s[20] (the 32X has a theoretical peak of 18–36 MPixels/s).

Compared to the Sega Saturn, the 32X is very limited, with part of its graphical prowess depending on the Mega Drive hardware it sits on top of. In the majority of games, the 32X works with the Mega Drive to produce an image, to the point where without the connector cable attached, games will still run and may even be considered playable.

The 32X side is able to output up to 32,768 colours on-screen at once, but it is comparitively slower at rendering a full 320x224 image in this mode than the Mega Drive can with its 64 on-screen colours. As such, it is common to see 32X games rely on the Mega Drive hardware to draw large, detailed backgrounds or foregrounds (Chaotix, Tempo, Mortal Kombat II). With the 32X side able to pick up some slack in terms of graphics processing, more colours can be reserved by the Mega Drive for this purpose than in the average Mega Drive-specific game.

This hybrid approach was used by many developers to ensure a full 60 FPS refresh rate in 2D games. Games which opt to swap the pipeline around - giving the 32X the bulk of the 2D rendering and have the Mega Drive fill the gaps, are often left with slower frame rates (Pitfall: The Mayan Adventure, Brutal Unleashed: Above the Claw), though there are rare exceptions (Kolibri) that manage to display high colour graphics at 60 FPS. The ability to fall back on the 16-bit hardware, however, can put the 32X at an advantage over systems such as the Atari Jaguar which is known to befall similar frame rate issues when tackling 2D games.

Similarly the 32X adds a two channel PWM sound chip, intended to complement the existing Mega Drive audio capabilities rather than replace them outright. This means in many cases, the quality of 32X and Mega Drive audio is virtually identical, with some developers failing to make use of this new chip at all.

History

Main article: History of the Sega 32X.

Localised names

Also known as
Language Localised Name English Translation
English (UK) Mega Drive 32X Mega Drive 32X
English (US) Sega Genesis 32X Sega Genesis 32X
Japanese スーパー32X Super 32X
Portuguese (Brazil) Mega 32X Mega 32X
Korean 슈퍼 32X Super 32X

Games

Main article: 32X games.

Production credits

Source:
Developer mentions[21][22][23]


Magazine articles

Main article: Sega 32X/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Main article: Sega 32X/Promotional material.

Logos by regions

Logo Region
  • 32X Japanese logo.png
 Used in Japan
  • Genesis 32X logo USA.jpg
 Used in North America and
parts of South America
  • 32X PAL logo.png
 Used in Western and Eastern Europe,
Asia, Africa, Australasia
  • 32x BR Logo.png
 Used in Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay
and Uruguay
  • Notavailable.svg
 Used in South Korea

Patents

  • USD369352

External links

References

  1. ↑ https://sega.jp/history/hard/super32x/index.html (Wayback Machine: 2018-03-05 14:28)
  2. ↑ Press release: 1994-12-12: Demand for Sega's 32X arcade upgrade unit exceed supply
  3. ↑ Computer Trade Weekly, "" (UK; 1994-11-14), page 5
  4. ↑ Computer Trade Weekly, "" (UK; 1994-12-05), page 3
  5. ↑ Computer Trade Weekly, "" (UK; 1994-11-14), page 5
  6. ↑ Computer Trade Weekly, "" (UK; 1994-12-05), page 3
  7. ↑ SuperGamePower, "Dezembro 1995" (BR; 1995-xx-xx), page 11
  8. ↑ SuperGamePower, "Abril 1995" (BR; 1995-0x-xx), page 5
  9. ↑ Бука - Магазин Игрушек 1/95 page 57
  10. ↑ Hyper, "January 1995" (AU; 199x-xx-xx), page 16
  11. ↑ Sega Force, "7-8/94" (SE; 1994-10-19), page 37
  12. ↑ Player One, "Octobre 1994" (FR; 1994-xx-xx), page 37
  13. ↑ Hobby Consolas, "Octubre 1994" (ES; 1994-xx-xx), page 31
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Alaab Alcomputtar, "" (SA; 1995-06-xx), page 12
  15. ↑ ARM60 datasheet
  16. ↑ Need for Speed Comparison
  17. ↑ Atari Jaguar 64-bit (The Atari Times)
  18. ↑ 3D Misconceived (PC Graphics Report)
  19. ↑ Spatial Multimedia and Virtual Reality, page 145
  20. ↑ [PC Mag, December 1993, page 39 PC Mag, December 1993, page 39]
  21. ↑ https://game.watch.impress.co.jp/docs/news/758667.html (Wayback Machine: 2023-11-10 10:30)
  22. ↑ Harmony, "1994 8" (JP; 1994-08-01), page 18
  23. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/hiroyuki.ohtaka/about_work_and_education


Mega Drive 32X
Topics Technical specifications | History | Magazine articles | Promotional material
Hardware Asia | North America | Western Europe | Eastern Europe | South America | Australasia | Africa


Sega Mega Drive
Topics Technical specifications (Hardware comparison) | History | List of games | Magazine articles | Promotional material | Merchandise | Cartridges | TradeMark Security System
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Unlicensed clones
Add-ons Game Box | Power Base Converter | Mega-CD | 32X (Mega-CD 32X) | Mega Modem | Demo System DS-16
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Controllers Control Pad | Six Button Control Pad | 6 Button Arcade Pad | Arcade Power Stick 6B | Konami Justifier | MK-1470
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Development tools ERX 308P | ERX 318P | Sprobe | SNASM68K | SNASM2 (Mega Drive) | SNASM2 (32X) | PSY-Q Development System (Mega Drive) | PSY-Q Development System (32X) | 32X CartDev | Sega Mars Development Aid System | Sega 32X Development Target
Unreleased Edge 16 | Floppy Disk Drive | Mega Play 1010 | Sega VR | Teleplay System | Video Jukebox
Sega Home Video Game Systems
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