Difference between revisions of "Sega Dreamcast"

From Sega Retro
 
(88 intermediate revisions by 13 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{ConsoleBob
 
{{ConsoleBob
−
| logos=[[File:Dreamcast logo.svg|150px]]
+
| | logo=Dreamcast logo.svg|150px]]
 
| consoleimage=Dreamcast.jpg
 
| consoleimage=Dreamcast.jpg
 
| imgwidth=320px
 
| imgwidth=320px
−
| name= Sega Dreamcast
+
| name= Dreamcast
 
| maker= [[Sega]]
 
| maker= [[Sega]]
−
| variants=[[Sega NAOMI]], [[Atomiswave]], [[Sega Aurora]]
+
| variants=[[Sega NAOMI]], [[Atomiswave]], [[Sega System SP]]
 
| processor= [[SuperH|Hitachi SH-4]]
 
| processor= [[SuperH|Hitachi SH-4]]
 
| releases={{releasesDC
 
| releases={{releasesDC
Line 11: Line 11:
 
| dc_rrp_jp=29,800
 
| dc_rrp_jp=29,800
 
| dc_code_jp=HKT-3000
 
| dc_code_jp=HKT-3000
−
| dc_date_us=1999-09-09
+
| dc_date_us=1999-09-09{{intref|Press release: 1999-09-02: Sega Dreamcast Launch Titles and Peripherals}}
 
| dc_rrp_us=199.99
 
| dc_rrp_us=199.99
 
| dc_code_us=HKT-3020
 
| dc_code_us=HKT-3020
−
| dc_date_uk=1999-10-14{{fileref|CVG UK 216.pdf|page=52}}
+
| dc_date_uk=1999-10-14{{magref|cvg|216|52}}
−
| dc_rrp_uk=199.99{{fileref|CVG UK 215.pdf|page=59}}
+
| dc_rrp_uk=199.99{{magref|cvg|215|59}}
 
| dc_code_uk=HKT-3030
 
| dc_code_uk=HKT-3030
 
| dc_date_fr=1999-10-14
 
| dc_date_fr=1999-10-14
Line 26: Line 26:
 
| dc_code_es=HKT-3030
 
| dc_code_es=HKT-3030
 
| dc_date_au=1999-11-30
 
| dc_date_au=1999-11-30
−
| dc_rrp_au=499.00
+
| dc_rrp_au=499.00{{magref|hyper|71|29}}
 
| dc_date_br=1999-10-04{{ref|[http://web.archive.org/web/20000303160725/www.tectoy.com.br/unshock/prop.htm Dreamcast] ([[Tectoy]])}}
 
| dc_date_br=1999-10-04{{ref|[http://web.archive.org/web/20000303160725/www.tectoy.com.br/unshock/prop.htm Dreamcast] ([[Tectoy]])}}
 
| dc_rrp_br=899.00
 
| dc_rrp_br=899.00
 +
| dc_date_ru=2000-11-10<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20010409225930/http://sega.ru:80/news.phtml</ref>
 +
| dc_date_pl=2000-12-01
 +
| dc_rrp_pl=999
 
| dc_date_as=1998-11
 
| dc_date_as=1998-11
 
| dc_code_as=HKT-3010
 
| dc_code_as=HKT-3010
 
| dc_date_kr=1998-11
 
| dc_date_kr=1998-11
 
| dc_code_kr=HKT-3010
 
| dc_code_kr=HKT-3010
 +
| dc_date_cz=2000-03
 +
| dc_rrp_cz=10400 <ref>https://www.idnes.cz/ekonomika/test-a-spotrebitel/nova-konzole-dreamcast-prehrava-konkurenci.A_2000M051T05A</ref>
 +
| dc_date_ma=1999-11-04
 +
| dc_rrp_ma=3.999 DH
 +
| dc_date_in=2000-12<ref>https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/22/dreamcast-heads-to-india</ref>
 +
| dc_rrp_in=14000<ref>https://www.afaqs.com/news/story/795_Stracon-ready-to-turn-the-TV-into-a-multi-dimensional-entertainment-device</ref>
 
}}
 
}}
 
}}
 
}}
−
<section begin=intro />The '''Sega Dreamcast''' (ドリームキャスト) is a home video game console manufactured by [[Sega]] as a successor to the [[Sega Saturn]]. It was originally released in November 1998, becoming the first machine to be released in what is now known as the sixth generation of video game consoles, sharing a platform with the [[PlayStation 2]], [[Nintendo GameCube]] and the [[Xbox]].
+
<section begin=intro />The '''Dreamcast''' (ドリームキャスト) is a home video game console manufactured by [[Sega]] as a successor to the [[Sega Saturn]]. Dubbed as Sega's "Super Console"{{intref|Press release: 1998-05-21: Sega Unveils Super Console!}}, it is a "128-bit" machine designed with then-cutting edge hardware and a focus on the internet. The Dreamcast was originally released in Japan in November 1998 before seeing a Western release the following year.
  
−
The Dreamcast was Sega's last home video game console, and was discontinued in early 2001. Roughly 10.6 million Dreamcast consoles have been sold worldwide.
+
The Dreamcast was Sega's seventh and final home video game console, and was discontinued in early 2001{{intref|Press Release: 2001-01-28: Dúvidas e confirmações no futuro da Dreamcast}}{{intref|Press Release: 2001-10-29: Dreamcast não desiste e mostra novos trunfos}} due to financial constraints within the company. It had sold at least 8.2 million hardware units and 51.63 million software units by March 2001,{{fileref|AnnualReport2001 English.pdf|page=16}}, with estimates suggesting 10.6 million hardware units in total.<section end=intro />
  
−
An arcade counterpart to the Dreamcast exists as the [[Sega NAOMI]].<section end=intro />
+
An arcade counterpart to the Dreamcast exists as the [[Sega NAOMI]].
  
 
<div class="toclimit-{{{1|{{{4|4}}}}}}">__TOC__</div>
 
<div class="toclimit-{{{1|{{{4|4}}}}}}">__TOC__</div>
  
 
==Hardware==
 
==Hardware==
−
The Dreamcast is a small, white box with aesthetics designed to appeal to a wide-ranging audience. It was envisioned as an "128-bit" "super console", designed to leapfrog "32-bit" and "64-bit" contemporaries in the form of the [[32-bit era|PlayStation]] and Nintendo 64, respectively (although from a technical standpoint, its main processor deals in 32-bit or 64-bit instructions, with the 128-bit figure coming from the graphics hardware). Incidentally the Dreamcast was the last home console to use "bits" as a selling point, with processing capabilities now typically measured in other ways.
+
The Dreamcast is a small, white box with aesthetics designed to appeal to a wide-ranging audience. It was envisioned as an "128-bit" "super console", designed to leapfrog "32-bit" and "64-bit" contemporaries in the form of the [[PlayStation]] and [[Nintendo 64]], respectively (although from a technical standpoint, its main processor deals in 32-bit or 64-bit instructions, with the 128-bit figure coming from the graphics hardware). Incidentally the Dreamcast was the last home console to use "bits" as a selling point, with processing capabilities now typically measured in other ways.
  
−
Taking design cues from the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn, the Dreamcast contains four control ports, a removable modem, disc drive and an extension port (as well as the expected AV and power inputs). It is not backwards compatible with any prior [[Sega]] hardware or software (although [[Dreamcast Controller|its controller]] derives from the Saturn's [[3D Control Pad]]), and operates in much the same way as the Saturn (and PlayStation) does, with a configurable settings and memory management accessed through a BIOS screen.
+
Taking design cues from the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn, the Dreamcast contains four control ports, a removable modem, disc drive and an extension port (as well as the expected AV and power inputs). It is not backwards compatible with any prior [[Sega]] hardware or software (although [[Dreamcast Controller|its controller]] derives from the Saturn's [[3D Control Pad]]), and operates in much the same way as the Saturn (and [[PlayStation]]) does, with a configurable settings and memory management accessed through a BIOS screen.
  
 
The Dreamcast uses a proprietary format of storage called [[GD-ROM]]s for games in order to circumvent software piracy, a strategy that ultimately backfired when the first run of discs had a high rate of defects. The format was also cracked fairly quickly (and in some cases, the pirated games were released ''before'' the legitimate versions). Sega largely had themselves to blame for the high levels of Dreamcast piracy—their use of the GD-ROM format was completely undermined by the console's support for the [[Mil-CD]] format, which allowed the console to boot from a standard CD-R. Mil-CD support was removed from the final Dreamcast revisions toward the end of the console's life.
 
The Dreamcast uses a proprietary format of storage called [[GD-ROM]]s for games in order to circumvent software piracy, a strategy that ultimately backfired when the first run of discs had a high rate of defects. The format was also cracked fairly quickly (and in some cases, the pirated games were released ''before'' the legitimate versions). Sega largely had themselves to blame for the high levels of Dreamcast piracy—their use of the GD-ROM format was completely undermined by the console's support for the [[Mil-CD]] format, which allowed the console to boot from a standard CD-R. Mil-CD support was removed from the final Dreamcast revisions toward the end of the console's life.
Line 58: Line 67:
 
Sega released an [[arcade]] board, using the same technology as the Dreamcast, called [[Sega NAOMI]], leading to many Dreamcast-exclusive games with a high level of arcade quality.
 
Sega released an [[arcade]] board, using the same technology as the Dreamcast, called [[Sega NAOMI]], leading to many Dreamcast-exclusive games with a high level of arcade quality.
  
−
The Dreamcast's [[wikipedia:PowerVR|PowerVR CLX2]] was the first GPU for a home system with hardware capabilities such as [[wikipedia:Bump mapping|bump mapping]], [[wikipedia:Volumetric lighting|volumetric]] effects,{{fileref|GamersRepublic US 03.pdf|page=29}} [[wikipedia:Order-independent transparency|order-independent transparency]], and [[wikipedia:Normal mapping|Dot3 normal mapping]].{{ref|1=''[[wikipedia:PC Magazine|PC Magazine]]'', [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=90OvoBUqQoIC&pg=PA193 December 1999, page 193]}}
+
The Dreamcast's [[PowerVR CLX2]] was the first GPU for a home system with hardware capabilities such as [[wikipedia:Bump mapping|bump mapping]], [[wikipedia:Volumetric lighting|volumetric]] effects,{{magref|gr|3|29}} [[wikipedia:Order-independent transparency|order-independent transparency]], and [[wikipedia:Normal mapping|Dot3 normal mapping]].{{ref|1=''[[wikipedia:PC Magazine|PC Magazine]]'', [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=90OvoBUqQoIC&pg=PA193 December 1999, page 193]}}
  
 
===Models===
 
===Models===
Line 69: Line 78:
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
−
Japanese Dreamcasts can be identified by the triangle at the front of the unit. Though the power LED is identical across all regions, the piece of plastic attached to the lid of the Japanese model is transparent, while in North America it is grey.
+
Japanese Dreamcasts can be identified by the triangle at the front of the unit. Though the power LED is identical across all regions, the piece of plastic attached to the lid of the Japanese model is transparent, while in North America it is grey. The Japanese models also have the text "Designed for Microsoft Windows CE" printed on the front right, whereas Western versions say "Compatible with Microsoft Windows CE".
  
 
For a full list of special edition Dreamcasts, see [[Special Dreamcast Models]].
 
For a full list of special edition Dreamcasts, see [[Special Dreamcast Models]].
  
 
===Technical specifications===
 
===Technical specifications===
−
====CPU====
+
{{mainArticle|Sega Dreamcast/Technical specifications}}
−
{{multicol|
 
−
* Main CPU: [[Hitachi]] [[SuperH|SH-4]]{{fileref|SH-4 Software Manual.pdf}}{{fileref|SH-4 datasheet.pdf}}
 
−
** Operating frequency: 200 MHz
 
−
** Features: [[RISC]], 2-way [[wikipedia:Superscalar|Superscalar]],{{ref|[http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm Sega Dreamcast: Implementation (IEEE)]}}{{fileref|SH-4 Software Manual.pdf}} parallel [[wikipedia:Instruction pipelining|pipelining]]{{fileref|SH-4 Software Manual.pdf|page=187}}
 
−
** Units: 128‑bit [[wikipedia:SIMD|SIMD]] vector unit with graphic functions, 64‑bit [[wikipedia:Floating-point unit|floating‑point unit]], 32‑bit fixed‑point unit, [[wikipedia:Direct memory access|DMA]] controller{{fileref|SH-4 datasheet.pdf}} (frees CPU for other tasks),{{fileref|GamersRepublic US 03.pdf|page=29}} interrupt controller{{fileref|SH-4 datasheet.pdf}}
 
−
** 128‑bit vector graphic computational engine ([[wikipedia:SIMD|SIMD]]) @ 200 MHz: Vector unit, geometry processor, [[wikipedia:Digital signal processor|DSP]], graphic functions,{{fileref|SH-4 datasheet.pdf}}{{fileref|SH-4 Next-Generation DSP Architecture.pdf}} 3D capabilities,{{fileref|GamersRepublic US 03.pdf|page=29}} calculates [[wikipedia:Transform and lighting|T&L]] geometry and lighting of polygons, creates [[wikipedia:Display list|display lists]] of polygons for tiling, DMA allows SH4 access to VRAM and PowerVR2 access to Main RAM, store queue mechanism (allowing high‑speed packet transfers between Main RAM and VRAM){{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}
 
−
** Bus width: 128‑bit internal, 64‑bit external
 
−
** Bandwidth: 3.2 GB/s internal, 1.6 GB/s external
 
−
* Performance:
 
−
** Fixed‑point performance: 360 [[wikipedia:Instructions per second|MIPS]]{{ref|2 instructions per cycle{{fileref|SH-4 Software Manual.pdf|page=5}}|group=gn}}
 
−
** Floating‑point performance: 1.4 [[wikipedia:FLOPS|GFLOPS]]{{ref|7 floating-point operations per cycle|group=gn}}
 
−
}}
 
−
 
 
−
====Graphics====
 
−
Graphical specifications of the Dreamcast:{{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}{{fileref|PowerVR2DCFeaturesUnderWindowsCE.pdf}}
 
−
 
 
−
{{multicol|
 
−
* GPU: 2 graphics processors (SH‑4 SIMD, CLX2)
 
−
** Cores: 6 cores (SH‑4 SIMD, 5 CLX2 cores)
 
−
* GPU Geometry Processor: Hitachi SH‑4 SIMD @ 200 MHz (1.4 [[wikipedia:GFLOPS|GFLOPS]])
 
−
* GPU Rasterizer: [[NEC]]‑[[wikipedia:Imagination Technologies|VideoLogic]] [[wikipedia:PowerVR|PowerVR CLX2]] (PVR2DC/HOLLY) @ 100 MHz (PowerVR2 series)
 
−
* CLX2 Cores: Tile Accelerator (TA), Image Synthesis Processor (ISP), Texture & Shading Processor (TSP), Triangle Setup [[wikipedia:Floating-point unit|FPU]], [[wikipedia:RAMDAC|RAMDAC]]{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=94}}
 
−
** CLX2 units: 50 rendering units (37 ISP units, 10 TSP units, 2 FPU units, 1 RAMDAC)
 
−
* TA Tile Accelerator: [[wikipedia:Tiled rendering|Tile renderer]], partitions infinite strip polygon data, divides polygons into tiles, performs tile clipping, generates object lists, retrieves display lists from SH4 (through store queues and DMA), generates ISP/TSP parameters
 
−
** Tile buffer: 600 tiles{{ref|32-bit,{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=165}} 2397 [[byte]]s{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=101}}|group=gn}}
 
−
* ISP Image Synthesis Processor: Rasterizer, depth‑sorting, parallel‑processing of tiles/pixels/polygons at high speeds, reduces bandwidth requirements{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=96}}
 
−
** 37 ISP units: ISP Precalc Unit, ISP PE Array (32 PE), Depth Accumulation Buffer, Span RLC, Span Sorter, ISP Parameter Cache{{ref|[http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~bm/3dcards/3d-cards1.html#CS11 PC 3D Graphics Accelerators FAQ: VideoLogic PowerVR]}}
 
−
** ISP PE Array: 32 processor elements (PE), on-chip depth sorting, on-chip Z-buffering, 3D processing of 32 [[pixel]]s/cycle per PE (1024-bit), 32-bit Z-buffer depth data processing{{ref|3 cycles/polygon, 1 tile/cycle{{fileref|PowerVR.pdf|page=3}}{{fileref|Patent US20030025695.pdf}}|group=gn}}
 
−
** ISP Parameter Cache: 12 KB
 
−
** Span RLC: [[wikipedia:Run-length encoding|RLE]] tile/polygon compression, 32 pixels/cycle, 32-bit{{ref|3.2 [[Pixel|GPixels/s]]|group=gn}}
 
−
* TSP Texture & Shading Processor: Shader and texture‑mapping unit{{ref|Avoids shading/texturing overdrawn [[pixel]]s/tiles and back‑facing polygons to maximize bandwidth for on‑screen pixels/tiles and front‑facing polygons, perspective correction for all texture/shading elements (including fog and alpha blending){{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=96}}|group=gn}}
 
−
** 10 TSP units: TSP Precalc, Parameter Cache, Texture Cache, Iterator Array, Pixel Processing Engine, Tile Accumulation Buffer, Secondary Accumulation Buffer, Combine & Bump Map Unit, Fog Unit, Alpha Blending Unit{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=110}}
 
−
** Pixel Processing Engine: Texturing/Shading for 32-pixel data processed by ISP{{fileref|PowerVR.pdf|page=3}}
 
−
** TSP Parameter Cache: 12 KB{{ref|[http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~bm/3dcards/3d-cards1.html#CS11 PC 3D Graphics Accelerators FAQ: VideoLogic PowerVR]}}
 
−
** Texture Cache: 1 KB (64-bit), VQ texture compression/decompression
 
−
** Tile Accumulation Buffer: 4 KB (32-bit),{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=111}} 32×32 pixels{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=127}}
 
−
** Secondary Accumulation Buffer: 4 KB (32-bit),{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=111}} 32×32 pixels
 
−
* Triangle Setup FPU: 2 FPU rendering units, 728 [[wikipedia:MFLOPS|MFLOPS]]
 
−
** ISP Setup FPU: 100 MHz, 364 MFLOPS, surface and [[wikipedia:Hidden surface determination|culling]] processing for polygons, 7,142,857 polygons/sec{{ref|14 cycles per polygon, 51 floating-point operations per polygon, 51 floating-point operations per 14 cycles{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=95}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=203}}|group=gn}}
 
−
** TSP Setup FPU: 100 MHz, 364 MFLOPS, shading and texture processing{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=95}} for tiles processed by ISP{{fileref|PowerVR.pdf|page=3}}
 
−
* [[wikipedia:RAMDAC|RAMDAC]]: 230 MHz{{ref|[http://segatech.com/technical/gpu/index.html VideoLogic's 100 MHz PowerVR Series2]}}
 
−
* CLX2 Capabilities:
 
−
** [[wikipedia:Texture mapping|Texture mapping]]: [[wikipedia:Texture mapping#Perspective correctness|Perspective‑correct]] texture mapping, perspective‑correct [[wikipedia:Mipmap|mipmapping]],{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=98}} [[wikipedia:Environment mapping|environment mapping]], 1×1 to 2048×2048 texture sizes,{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=144}} [[wikipedia:Vector quantization|VQ]] [[wikipedia:Texture compression|texture compression]],{{ref|[http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5471/12172411045_18bfc5912f_c.jpg Hideki Sato Sega Interview (Edge)]}} 12.52% (7.98:1){{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=144}} to 37.5% (2.67:1) texture compression ratios,{{fileref|PowerVR2DCFeaturesUnderWindowsCE.pdf|page=9}} [[wikipedia:Multitexturing|multi‑texturing]],{{ref|[http://yam.20to4.net/dreamcast/index_old.html SEGA Dreamcast: Programming Hints]}} texture clamping/wrapping/mirroring, [[wikipedia:Bump mapping|bump mapping]] (2‑pass),{{fileref|PowerVR2DCFeaturesUnderWindowsCE.pdf|page=11}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=120}} [[wikipedia:Normal mapping|normal mapping]] (Dot3 bump mapping)
 
−
** [[wikipedia:Texture filtering|Filtering]]: [[wikipedia:Nearest-neighbor interpolation|Point filtering]], [[wikipedia:Bilinear filtering|bilinear filtering]],{{ref|[http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm Sega Dreamcast: Implementation (IEEE)]}} [[wikipedia:Trilinear filtering|trilinear filtering]] (2-pass),{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=116}} [[wikipedia:Anisotropic filtering|anisotropic filtering]]{{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf|page=22}}
 
−
** [[wikipedia:Spatial anti-aliasing|Anti‑aliasing]]: [[wikipedia:Supersampling|Super‑sample anti‑aliasing]] (up to 4× SSAA),{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=98}} [[wikipedia:FSAA|full‑scene anti‑aliasing]] (FSAA), edge anti‑aliasing{{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf|page=22}}
 
−
** [[wikipedia:Alpha blending|Alpha blending]]: 256 levels of transparency, multi‑pass blending, per‑pixel translucency sorting, [[wikipedia:Order-independent transparency|order-independent transparency]],{{ref|[http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms834190.aspx Optimizing Dreamcast Microsoft Direct3D Performance (1999-03-01)] ([[Microsoft]])}} translucent polygons/textures, realistic translucent effects (e.g. flames, water splashes, lens flare),{{fileref|PowerVR.pdf|page=3}} multiple layers of translucency{{ref|[http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~bm/3dcards/3d-cards1.html#CS11 PC 3D Graphics Accelerators FAQ: VideoLogic PowerVR]}}
 
−
** [[wikipedia:Shading|Shading]]: Perspective‑correct ARGB [[Gouraud shading]], flat shading, shadows, [[wikipedia:Shadow mapping|shadow volume generation]],{{fileref|PowerVR.pdf|page=4}} post-processing,{{ref|[http://yam.20to4.net/dreamcast/index_old.html SEGA Dreamcast: Programming Hints]}} [[wikipedia:Phong shading|Phong shading]]{{fileref|PowerVR.pdf|page=3}}
 
−
** [[wikipedia:Rendering (computer graphics)|Rendering]]: [[wikipedia:Render output unit|ROP]] (render output unit), on-chip 32‑bit floating‑point [[wikipedia:Z-buffering|Z‑buffering]],{{fileref|Patent US20030025695.pdf}} 256 [[wikipedia:Distance fog|fog effects]], vertex fog, per‑pixel table fog, darkness,{{fileref|PowerVR.pdf|page=3}} hardware clipping to viewport
 
−
** [[wikipedia:Computer graphics lighting|Lighting]]: [[wikipedia:Specular highlight|Specular highlighting]],{{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf|page=22}}{{ref|[http://www.ludd.luth.se/~jlo/dc/ta-intro.txt Tiling Accelerator Notes]}} [[wikipedia:Per-pixel lighting|per‑pixel lighting]],{{ref|[http://ign.com/articles/2000/01/22/zombie-revenge-3 Zombie Revenge (21 January 2000)]}} light volume generation,{{fileref|PowerVR.pdf|page=4}} parallel light source, point source, environmental light, illumination for circular and non-circular sections{{fileref|PowerVR.pdf|page=3}}
 
−
** [[wikipedia:Tiled rendering|Tiled rendering]]: Screen partitioning into 32×32 tiles, tile/strip/line buffer (framebuffer compression), each tile rendered in internal 32×32 buffer in register memory before being copied to main framebuffer, increases [[fillrate]] significantly{{ref|[http://mc.pp.se/dc/pvr.html PowerVR (Dreamcast Hardware)]}}
 
−
** [[wikipedia:Deferred shading|Deferred rendering]]: [[wikipedia:Hidden surface determination|Hidden surface removal]] (32‑bit floating‑point), [[wikipedia:Back-face culling|back‑face culling]], culling of tiny polygons
 
−
** Polygons: [[wikipedia:Triangle mesh|Triangle polygons]], [[wikipedia:Polygon mesh|quad polygons]], [[sprite]] polygons, opaque polygons drawn at high speed{{ref|32 pixels per cycle{{ref|[http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm Sega Dreamcast: Implementation (IEEE)]}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=96}}|group=gn}}
 
−
** Depth sorting: Alpha test in tile buffer, hardware front-to-back translucency sorting, increases fillrate for opaque and translucent polygons, on-chip Z-buffering{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}{{fileref|Patent US20030025695.pdf}}
 
−
** GMV (general modifier volumes): Light beams, shadows, lasers, glowing suns,{{ref|[http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/DCPScompare.htm Dreamcast Comparison]}} dynamic lighting, dynamic colored lighting,{{ref|[http://planetdc.segaretro.org/features/editorials/edit006/index.html Quake III Arena vs Unreal Tournament (IGN)]}} dynamic shadows, light bloom, [[wikipedia:Tessellation (computer graphics)|tessellation]],{{ref|1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCLXIaVSQcw Dreamcast homebrew - winter terrain and light bloom]}}{{ref|1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p04FTA6izck Dreamcast homebrew engine: More dynamic shadows and lighting]}} motion blur,{{ref|1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0blSBgpRUg DF Retro: Shenmue - A Game Ahead Of Its Time (Digital Foundry)]}} [[wikipedia:Volumetric lighting|volumetric]] effects (shadows, [[wikipedia:Lens flare|lens flare]], etc.),{{ref|[http://www.segatech.com/archives/february1998.html PowerVR: The Second Generation (February 21, 1998)]}} volumetric fog,{{fileref|GamersRepublic US 03.pdf|page=29}} [[wikipedia:Shadow volume|stencil volume shadows]].{{ref|[http://yam.20to4.net/dreamcast/index_old.html SEGA Dreamcast: Programming Hints]}}
 
−
** Other features: Flicker filtering,{{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf|page=23}} accurate collision detection, [[wikipedia:Level of detail|LOD]] (Level of detail){{fileref|PowerVR.pdf|page=3}}
 
−
* Display [[Resolution]]: 320×240 to 800×608 [[pixel]]s, interlaced and progressive scan, TV and [[Dreamcast VGA Adapter|VGA]]
 
−
** Internal resolution: 320×240 to 1600×1200 pixels{{ref|[http://segatech.com/technical/gpu/index.html VideoLogic's 100 MHz PowerVR Series2]}}
 
−
** Texture map resolutions: 8×8 to 2048×2048 [[texel]]s{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=144}}
 
−
* Refresh rate: 30–60 Hz (NTSC/PAL60), 25–50 Hz (PAL50){{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf|page=23}}
 
−
** Maximum frame rate: 60 FPS (NTSC/PAL60), 50 FPS (PAL50)
 
−
* Color Depth: 16‑bit RGB to 32‑bit [[wikipedia:RGBA color space|ARGB]],{{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf|page=22}} 65,536 colors (16‑bit color) to 16,777,216 colors ([[wikipedia:24-bit color|24‑bit color]]) with 8‑bit (256 levels) [[wikipedia:Alpha compositing|alpha blending]], [[wikipedia:YUV|YUV]] and [[wikipedia:RGB color space|RGB color spaces]], [[wikipedia:Chroma key|color key]] overlay{{ref|[http://web.archive.org/web/20070811102018/www3.sharkyextreme.com/hardware/reviews/video/neon250/2.shtml Neon 250 Specs & Features]}}
 
−
* [[wikipedia:Framebuffer|Framebuffer]]: Optional (raster method can be used with tile buffer){{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=13}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=93}}
 
−
** Strip/Tile buffer: 32×32×16‑bit (4 KB) to 32×32×32‑bit (8 KB) in local tile buffer cache memory{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}
 
−
** Full framebuffer: 320×240×16-bit (300 KB) to 1600×1200×24‑bit (5625 KB) or 2048×2048×16‑bit (8 MB) in VRAM (optional){{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=93}}
 
−
** Note: Due to deferred rendering, framebuffer only needs to be filled once per fram{{ref|For opaque polygons, while translucent polygons can overdraw with up to 100 MPixels/s (200–300 MB/s)|group=gn}}
 
−
* [[VRAM]]: 8 MB (unified framebuffer and texture memory, effectively 21–63 MB with texture compression){{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf|page=18}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}
 
−
** Framebuffer: 300–5625 KB (optional){{ref|Average 1200 KB (640×480, 16-bit color, double-buffered)|group=gn}}
 
−
** Polygons: Stored in double-buffered display lists,{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=102}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=152}} 22 bytes per shaded triangle,{{ref|Flat/Gouraud shading, 43 bytes double-buffered|group=gn}} 31 bytes per textured triangle,{{ref|Gouraud shading, 62 bytes double-buffered|group=gn}} 36 bytes per bump-mapped triangle,{{ref|Textured, Gouraud shading, bump mapping, 72 bytes double-buffered|group=gn}} 38 bytes per volume-modified triangle,{{ref|Textured, Gouraud shading, modifier volumes, 75 bytes double-buffered|group=gn}} 96 bytes per [[sprite]]{{ref|Sprite, quad, 192 bytes double-buffered|group=gn}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=199}}
 
−
** Textures: 32 KB{{ref|8×8 texture, 16 colors|group=gn}} to 8 MB (effectively 21–63 MB with texture compression),{{fileref|PowerVR2DCFeaturesUnderWindowsCE.pdf|page=9}}{{ref|Average 5 MB{{ref|[http://segatech.com/technical/polygons/index.html How Many Polygons Can the Dreamcast Render?]}} (effectively 20–30 MB with texture compression){{ref|[http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5471/12172411045_18bfc5912f_c.jpg Hideki Sato Sega Interview (Edge)]}}|group=gn}} 32 bytes{{ref|8×8×4-bit|group=gn}} to 386 KB{{ref|1024×1024×24-bit{{fileref|PowerVR2DCFeaturesUnderWindowsCE.pdf|page=9}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=144}}|group=gn}} or 1026 KB{{ref|2048×2048×16-bit{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=144}}|group=gn}} per texture
 
−
** VRAM bandwidth: 800 MB/s (effectively up to 2.1–6.3 GB/s with texture compression)
 
−
** Note: Main RAM also used to store polygon display lists. Textures transferred directly to VRAM. Main RAM can also optionally be used to store textures.
 
−
* Floating-Point Performance: 2.1 GFLOPS
 
−
** SH-4 SIMD: 1.4 GFLOPS geometry
 
−
** CLX2: 728 MFLOPS rendering
 
−
* Rendering [[Fillrate]]:{{ref|[http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm Sega Dreamcast: Implementation (IEEE)]}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}
 
−
** 3.2 [[Pixel|GPixels/s]]: Maximum fillrate for opaque polygons{{ref|32 pixels per cycle,{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=96}} 1 pixel per PE (processor element){{fileref|PowerVR.pdf|page=3}}{{fileref|Patent US20030025695.pdf}}|group=gn}}
 
−
** 500 [[Pixel|MPixels/s]]: Average fillrate for [[wikipedia:Alpha blending|translucent]] and opaque polygons{{fileref|Edge UK 067.pdf|page=11}}{{ref|5 pixels per cycle, 6 PEs (processor elements) per pixel|group=gn}}
 
−
** 100 MPixels/s: Minimum fillrate for translucent polygons with hardware sort depth of 60{{ref|60 layers depth, 1 pixel per cycle, 32 PEs per pixel|group=gn}}
 
−
** 100 MPixels/s to 3.2 GPixels/s, depending on translucency and depth of polygons{{ref|1–60 layers depth, 1–32 pixels per cycle,{{fileref|PowerVR2DCFeaturesUnderWindowsCE.pdf}} 1–32 PEs per pixel|group=gn}}
 
−
* Texture Fillrate:{{ref|Same as pixel rendering fillrate|group=gn}}
 
−
** 3.2 [[Texel|GTexels/s]]: Maximum fillrate for opaque polygons
 
−
** 500 [[Texel|MTexels/s]]: Average fillrate for translucent and opaque polygons
 
−
** 100 MTexels/s: Minimum fillrate for translucent polygons with hardware sort depth of 60
 
−
* SH-4 Polygon [[wikipedia:Transform and lighting|T&L]] Geometry: 1.4 GFLOPS{{ref|[http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm Sega Dreamcast: Implementation (IEEE)]}}{{fileref|SH-4 Software Manual.pdf|page=151}}
 
−
** Matrix transformations: 50 million vertices/s{{ref|4 cycles per matrix transformation{{fileref|SH-4 Next-Generation DSP Architecture.pdf|page=12}}|group=gn}}
 
−
** Perspective transformations: 16.6 million vertices/sec,{{ref|12 cycles per vertex (12 cycles division latency){{fileref|SH-4 Software Manual.pdf|page=211}}
 
−
*4 cycles matrix transformation{{fileref|SH-4 Next-Generation DSP Architecture.pdf|page=12}}
 
−
*5 cycles perspective division: 2 multiplies, 1 divide, 2 FLDI1{{ref|[http://gamedev.allusion.net/docs/kos-current/matrix_8h.html Dreamcast: Basic matrix operations (KallistiOS)]}} (1 MAC per cycle,{{fileref|SH-4 Next-Generation DSP Architecture.pdf|page=4}} 1 divide per cycle,{{fileref|SH-4 Software Manual.pdf|page=211}} 1 cycle per FLDI1){{fileref|SH-4 Software Manual.pdf|page=295}}|group=gn}} 16 million polygons/s{{ref|N [[wikipedia:Triangle strip|triangle strips]] per N+2 vertices{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=91}}|group=gn}}
 
−
** 1 light source: 14.2 million vertices/s,{{ref|14 cycles per vertex: 4 cycles matrix transformation, 5 cycles perspective division, 1 cycle surface normal, 4 cycles lighting matrix{{ref|1=[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=iAvHt5RCHbMC&pg=PA96 ''Design of Digital Systems and Devices'' (page 96)]}}{{fileref|SH-4 Software Manual.pdf|page=151}}{{fileref|SH-4 Next-Generation DSP Architecture.pdf|page=31}}|group=gn}} 14 million polygons/s{{ref|N triangle strips per N+2 vertices|group=gn}}{{ref|[http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm Sega Dreamcast: Implementation (IEEE)]}}
 
−
** 4 light sources: 6.89 million vertices/s,{{ref|29 cycles per vertex: 4 cycles matrix transformation, 5 cycles perspective division, 4 surface normals (4 cycles), 4 lighting matrices (16 cycles)|group=gn}} 6.8 million polygons/s
 
−
* CLX2 Polygon Rendering:{{ref|[http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm Sega Dreamcast: Implementation (IEEE)]}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=199}}
 
−
** 16 million vertices/s{{ref|14 ISP FPU cycles per 3 vertices,{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=95}} 192 pixels per vertex|group=gn}}
 
−
** 7.1 million polygons/s: Lighting, Gouraud shading{{ref|14 ISP FPU cycles per polygon,{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=95}} 119,000–187,000 polygons per scene, 450 pixels per polygon|group=gn}}
 
−
** 7–7.1 million polygons/s: Lighting, texture mapping, Gouraud shading{{ref|116,000–130,326 polygons per scene, 70 texels per polygon|group=gn}}
 
−
** 7 million polygons/s: Lighting, texture mapping, shadows{{ref|[http://segatech.com/technical/gpu/index.html VideoLogic's 100 MHz PowerVR Series2]}}{{ref|116,000–116,667 polygons per scene, 71 texels per polygon|group=gn}}
 
−
** 7 million polygons/s: Lighting, texture mapping, trilinear filtering{{ref|1=[https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=wZnpAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA277 ''Vintage Game Consoles: An Inside Look at Apple, Atari, Commodore, Nintendo, and the Greatest Gaming Platforms of All Time'' (Page 277)]}}{{ref|116,000–116,667 polygons per scene, 71 texels per polygon|group=gn}}
 
−
** 5–6.4 million polygons/s: Lighting, texture mapping, Gouraud shading, shadows, modifier volumes, bump mapping{{ref|83,000–107,736 polygons per scene, 78–100 texels per polygon|group=gn}}
 
−
** 4.13 million polygons/s: Lighting, texture mapping, anisotropic filtering{{ref|68,832 polygons per scene,{{ref|1=[http://dknute.livejournal.com/27148.html?thread=286988 Homebrew Test]}} 121 texels per polygon|group=gn}}
 
−
** 3.12 million polygons/s: Lighting, texture mapping, Gouraud shading, shadows, modifier volumes, bump mapping, anisotropic filtering, translucent polygons{{ref|50,000–56,000 polygons per scene, 32 texels per polygon|group=gn}}
 
−
* 2D [[sprite]] capabilities: Sprites rendered as textured translucent quad polygons{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=103}}
 
−
** Colors per sprite: 16 colors (4-bit color) to 16,777,216 colors (24-bit color){{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=138}}
 
−
** Sprite sizes: 8×8 [[texel]]s (224 bytes) to 2048×2048 texels (1026.2 KB){{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=98}}{{fileref|PowerVR2DCFeaturesUnderWindowsCE.pdf|page=9}}
 
−
** Sprite fillrate: 100 MTexels/s
 
−
** Maximum sprites per frame: 26,041 sprites (8×8, 60 FPS), 31,250 sprites (8×8, 50 FPS)
 
−
** Maximum texels per scanline: 6944 texels (NTSC/PAL60), 8333 texels (PAL50)
 
−
** Maximum sprites per scanline: 868 sprites (NTSC/PAL60), 1041 sprites (PAL50)
 
−
* Full Motion Video: MPEG decoding, video compression, 320×240 to 640×320 and 320×480 video resolutions, 3D polygons can be superimposed over FMV video{{ref|[http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm Sega Dreamcast: Implementation (IEEE)]}}
 
−
}}
 
  
−
=====Notes=====
+
===Hardware comparisons===
−
<small>{{multicol|
 
−
<references group="gn" />
 
−
}}</small>
 
−
 
 
−
====Memory====
 
−
{{multicol|
 
−
* System [[RAM]]: 26.125 [[Byte|MB]]
 
−
** Main RAM: 16 MB [[wikipedia:SDRAM|SDRAM]]{{ref|[[wikipedia:Hyundai|Hyundai]] HY57V161610D{{fileref|HY57V161610D datasheet.pdf}}
 
−
* Can be used for storing textures and polygon display lists, accessible by SH4 and PowerVR2 (via SH4 DMA){{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}
 
−
|group=mn}}
 
−
** [[VRAM]]: 8 MB SDRAM{{ref|Unified framebuffer and texture memory{{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf|page=18}}
 
−
* Accessible by Power VR2 and SH4 (via DMA and store queues)
 
−
|group=mn}}
 
−
** Sound RAM: 2 MB SDRAM
 
−
** [[GD-ROM]] buffer RAM: 128 KB{{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf}}
 
−
* Internal Processor Cache: 91.326 KB{{ref|93,518 [[byte]]s|group=mn}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}
 
−
** SH4 [[wikipedia:CPU cache|CPU cache]]: 25.564 KB{{ref|26,178 bytes: 8 KB instruction cache, 16 KB data cache, 64 bytes store queue cache,{{fileref|SH-4 Software Manual.pdf|page=25}} 1538 bytes registers|group=mn}}
 
−
** CLX2 [[wikipedia:GPU cache|GPU cache]]: 33.75 KB{{ref|34,560 bytes:
 
−
* Register memory: 8.25 KB{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=17}} (2397 [[byte]]s TA tile buffer,{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=101}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=165}} 509 bytes fog table, 4093 bytes palette RAM){{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=37}}
 
−
* ISP cache: 12.25 KB (12 KB ISP Parameter Cache,{{ref|[http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~bm/3dcards/3d-cards1.html#CS11 PC 3D Graphics Accelerators FAQ: VideoLogic PowerVR]}} 128 bytes Depth Accumulation Buffer, 1024-bit ISP PE Array){{fileref|PowerVR.pdf|page=3}}
 
−
* TSP cache: 13 KB (4 KB TSP Parameter Cache,{{ref|[http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~bm/3dcards/3d-cards1.html#CS11 PC 3D Graphics Accelerators FAQ: VideoLogic PowerVR]}} 1 KB Texture Cache,{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=96}} 4 KB Tile Accumulation Buffer,{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=127}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=111}} 4 KB Secondary Accumulation Buffer){{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=111}}
 
−
* FIFO buffer: 256 bytes
 
−
|group=mn}}
 
−
** AICA audio cache: 32.011 KB{{ref|32,780 bytes: 32 KB sound registers, 8 bytes RTC registers,{{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf}} 4 bytes FIFO buffer|group=mn}}
 
−
* System [[ROM]]: 2 MB{{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf}}
 
−
* Flash Memory: 128 KB{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}
 
−
* [[GD-ROM]] Drive: 12× maximum speed (when running in Constant Angular Velocity mode){{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}
 
−
** Disc formats: GD&#8209;ROM, CD&#8209;ROM, CD&#8209;DA, , Photo CD, Video CD, CD Extra, CD+G, CD+EG
 
−
** Storage capacity: 1 GB per GD&#8209;ROM, 656 MB per CD&#8209;ROM
 
−
}}
 
−
 
 
−
====Bandwidth====
 
−
{{multicol|
 
−
* System RAM Bandwidth: 1.75 [[Byte|GB/s]]{{ref|4 buses, 160-bit bus width{{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf}}|group=mn}}
 
−
** SH4, PVR2 <‑> Main RAM — 800 [[Byte|MB/s]]{{ref|64‑bit, 100 MHz{{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf|page=14}}|group=mn}}
 
−
** CLX2 <‑> VRAM  — 800 MB/s{{ref|64‑bit, 100 MHz,{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=42}}|group=mn}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=49}} 7 [[wikipedia:Nanosecond|ns]], 2x 32-bit buses{{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf|page=6}}
 
−
** AICA <‑> Sound RAM — 132 MB/s{{ref|16‑bit, 66 MHz|group=mn}}
 
−
** SH4 <‑> GD‑ROM buffer — 13.3 MB/s{{ref|16‑bit|group=mn}}
 
−
* Internal Processor Cache Bandwidth: 18.8 GB/s{{ref|384‑bit|group=mn}}
 
−
** SH4 CPU cache: 3.2 GB/s{{ref|128‑bit, 200 MHz|group=mn}}
 
−
** CLX2 GPU cache: 15.6 GB/s{{ref|1248‑bit, 100 MHz:
 
−
*Register memory: 1.2 GB/s (32-bit ISP registers, 32-bit TSP registers,{{ref|[http://mc.pp.se/dc/pvr.html PowerVR (Dreamcast Hardware)]}} 32-bit TA tile buffer){{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=165}}
 
−
*ISP PE Array: 12.8 GB/s (1024-bit){{fileref|PowerVR.pdf|page=3}}
 
−
*TSP cache: 1.6 GB/s (64-bit Texture Cache,{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=96}} 32-bit Tile Accumulation Buffer, 32-bit Secondary Accumulation Buffer)
 
−
|group=mn}}
 
−
** AICA audio cache: 256 MB/s{{ref|32‑bit, 67 MHz|group=mn}}
 
−
* System ROM Bandwidth: 20 MB/s{{ref|16‑bit, 10 MHz|group=mn}}
 
−
* Transmission Bandwidth:{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf|page=42}}
 
−
** SH4 <‑> CLX2 — 800 MB/s{{ref|64‑bit, 100 MHz|group=mn}}
 
−
** SH4IF <-> PVRIF — 400 MB/s{{ref|32‑bit, 100 MHz|group=mn}}
 
−
** SH4 <-> Root Bus — 200 MB/s{{ref|32‑bit, 50 MHz|group=mn}}
 
−
* GD‑ROM Drive: 1.8 MB/s transfer rate, 250 milliseconds access time
 
−
}}
 
−
 
 
−
=====Notes=====
 
−
<small>{{multicol|
 
−
<references group="mn" />
 
−
}}</small>
 
−
 
 
−
====BIOS====
 
−
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
 
−
|+ BIOS Revisions
 
−
|-
 
−
! width="50"| BIOS Version
 
−
! Machine
 
−
! Download
 
−
|-
 
−
| 1.004
 
−
| Sega Dreamcast (Commercial-Early)
 
−
| {{file|Jp_dc_1.004.7z|1.004 (Japan)}}
 
−
|-
 
−
| rowspan="3"| 1.01d
 
−
| rowspan="3"| Sega Dreamcast (Commercial)
 
−
| {{file|Us_dc_1.01d.zip|1.01d (North America)}}
 
−
|-
 
−
| {{file|Eu_dc_1.01d.zip|1.01d (Europe)}}
 
−
|-
 
−
| {{file|Jp_dc_1.01d.zip|1.01d (Japan)}}
 
−
|-
 
−
| 1.011
 
−
| Sega Dreamcast (HKT-0120 Devbox)
 
−
| {{file|Jp_dc_1.011(dev).7z|1.011 (HKT-0120 Devbox)}}
 
−
|}
 
−
 
 
−
====Other specifications====
 
−
{{multicol|
 
−
* Operating Systems:
 
−
** [[Sega]] native operating system
 
−
** Custom [[Windows CE]], with [[wikipedia:DirectX|DirectX 6.0]], [[wikipedia:Direct3D|Direct3D]] and [[wikipedia:OpenGL|OpenGL]] support
 
−
* Inputs: Four ports that can support a digital and analog controller, steering wheel, joystick, keyboard, mouse, and more
 
−
* Dimensions: 189mm x 195mm x 76mm (7 7/16" x 7 11/16" x 3")
 
−
* Weight: 1.9kg (4.4lbs)
 
−
* Modem: Removable; Original Asia/Japan model had a 33.6 Kbytes/s; models released after 9 September 1999 had a 56 Kbytes/s modem
 
−
*[[Sega Dreamcast Broadband Adapter]]: these adapters are available separately and replace the removable modem
 
−
** HIT-400: "Broadband Adapter", the more common model, this used a RealTek 8139 chip and supported 10/100mbit
 
−
* HIT-300: "Lan Adapter", this version used a Fujitsu MB86967 chip and supported only 10mbit
 
−
*Storage: "Visual Memory Unit" ([[VMU]]) 128 Kb removable storage device
 
−
*Input devices: (4 custom controller ports)
 
−
**[[Dreamcast Controller|Standard Dreamcast gamepad]] with two add‑on ports
 
−
***Add-ons: VMU, 4x Memory Card, Jump Pack
 
−
**Sega Dreamcast Keyboard
 
−
**Sega Dreamcast Mouse
 
−
**[[Dreamcast fishing controller|Sega Dreamcast Fishing Controller]]
 
−
**Sega Dreamcast Microphone (bundled with Seaman)
 
−
**[[VMU MP3 Player]] (Unreleased)
 
−
**[[Swatch Access for Dreamcast]] (Unreleased)
 
−
*Output devices:
 
−
**Sega Dreamcast RF Unit
 
−
**Sega Dreamcast AV cables (composite)
 
−
**[[Sega Dreamcast VGA Adapter]]
 
−
*Add-ons:
 
−
**Sega Dreamcast Karaoke System (Japan only)
 
−
**[[Dreameye]] (Japan only)
 
−
**[[Dreamcast Zip Drive|Sega Dreamcast Zip Drive]] (Unreleased)
 
−
}}
 
−
 
 
−
===Technical comparison===
 
 
{{MainArticle|Sega Dreamcast/Hardware comparison}}
 
{{MainArticle|Sega Dreamcast/Hardware comparison}}
  
 
==History==
 
==History==
 
{{MainArticle|History of the Sega Dreamcast}}
 
{{MainArticle|History of the Sega Dreamcast}}
 +
 +
===Localised names===
 +
{{aka
 +
|en_name=Sega Dreamcast
 +
|jp_name=ドリームキャスト
 +
|jp_trans=Dreamcast
 +
|il_name=דרימקאסט
 +
}}
  
 
==Games==
 
==Games==
−
===List of games===
+
{{MainArticle|Sega Dreamcast games}}
−
{{MainArticle|List of Dreamcast games}}
 
  
−
===Launch titles===
+
==Production credits==
−
====Japan====
+
A list of names, likely the various people involved with console's creation, can be found at '''0x1A1A0''' in the flash ROM.
−
*''[[Godzilla Generations]]''
+
{{creditstable|
−
*''[[July]]''
+
*[[Shoichiro Irimajiri]], [[Sadahiko Hirose]], [[Hidekazu Yukawa]], [[Hideki Satou]], [[Nobuhisa Yamada]], [[Taku Matsubara]], [[Kazuhiro Yasutomi]], [[Shoji Nishikawa]], [[Takashi Sekimoto]], [[Toshihiro Oba]], [[Shuji Hori]], [[Masaharu Shinohara]], [[Kazuhiro Baba]], [[Katsunori Gendo]], [[Kouji Horikawa]], [[Masatoshi Horikawa]], [[Osamu Hosokawa]], [[Seiichi Kajiwara]], [[Junko Kase]], [[Toshikazu Kawada]], [[Yasuhisa Kawase]], [[Yusuke Kiguchi]], [[Naohiko Kobayashi]], [[Manabu Kubo]], [[Teruaki Kuwana]], [[Kunihiro Mori]], [[Tomoyuki Mori]], [[Shigeru Motoyoshi]], [[Takeshi Nagashima]], [[Yoshifumi Nakamura]], [[Chuji Nakayama]], [[Madoka Nakayama]], [[Tatsuya Namatame]], [[Yasuhiro Nishiyama]], [[Toshiyuki Ogawa]], [[Tadashi Ohya]], [[Tetsuya Okawa]], [[Tatsuya Sakurai]], [[Hideaki Satou]], [[Yutaka Suetsugi]], [[Eriko Suzuki]], [[Masahiko Takeuchi]], [[Makoto Takiguchi]], [[Ryo Taki]], [[Masaki Tanaka]], [[Kazuo Tsuda]], [[Satoshi Tsuda]], [[Koichi Takayasu]], [[Naoki Niizuma]], [[Atsunori Himoto]], [[Tomoe Shinohara]], [[Kunihiro Tokumaru]], [[Yoshikazu Nagao]], [[Satoshi Kira]], [[Akitoshi Oikawa]], [[Hirokazu Hama]], [[Toshimichi Sugai]], [[Naoji Ozaki]], [[Hiroki Goto|Hiroki Gotou]], [[Masaharu Yoshii]], [[Masaki Kawahori]], [[Yuki Yamanaka]], [[Shinichi Uchida]], [[Masahiro Seki]], [[Takashi Ando]], [[Hideki Kudo]], [[Nobuhiro Fukuda]], [[Jiro Terakawa]], [[Yoichi Uchida]], [[Hiroki Okabata]], [[Kazuyoshi Hara]], [[Yuko Nasu]], [[Syuuji Okada]], [[Yutaka Okunoki]],  [[Tatsuya Kouzaki|Tatuya Kouzaki]], [[Tadashi Jokagi]], [[Yoshiaki Kashima]], [[Kazumi Suyama]], [[Yutaka Sugano]], [[Tomoko Hasegawa]], [[Kazuhiro Matsuta]], [[Katsuhiko Sato]], [[Manabu Kusunoki]], [[Shinichi Oya]], [[Takeshi Suzuki]], [[Kazunori Shibata]], [[Shigeyuki Shimizu]], [[Masayuki Imanishi]], [[Kenji Otsuji|Kenji Ohtsuji]], [[Masamichi Miyoshi]], [[Tarou Mitani]], [[Takaaki Jindou]], [[Yoshitake Noguchi]]
−
*''[[Pen Pen TriIcelon]]''
+
| source=ROM text{{ref|https://tcrf.net/Dreamcast}}
−
*''[[Virtua Fighter 3tb]]''
+
| console=DC
 +
}}
  
−
====North America====
+
{{creditstable|
−
{{multicol|
+
*[[Hideki Sato]]
−
*''[[Air Force Delta]]''
+
*[[Hiroyuki Ohtaka]]
−
*''[[Blue Stinger]]''
+
*'''Start-up Video Production:''' [[Kazuhiro Fumoto]]
−
*''[[Expendable]]''
+
*'''Start-up Jingle:''' [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]]
−
*''[[Flag to Flag]]''
+
| source=Developer mentions{{fileref|Sega_Consumer_History_JP_EnterBrain_Book.pdf|page=23}}{{ref|https://www.facebook.com/hiroyuki.ohtaka/about_work_and_education}}{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20231029150957/https://area.autodesk.jp/column/tutorial/softimage_maniacs/}}<ref>JW Szczepaniak (2014). ''The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers: Volume 1''</ref>
−
*''[[House of the Dead 2]]''
+
| console=DC
−
*''[[Hydro Thunder]]''
 
−
*''[[Monaco Grand Prix]]''
 
−
*''[[Mortal Kombat Gold]]''
 
−
*''[[NFL 2K]]''
 
−
*''[[NFL Blitz 2000]]''
 
−
*''[[PenPen TriIcelon]]''
 
−
*''[[Power Stone]]''
 
−
*''[[Ready 2 Rumble Boxing]]''
 
−
*''[[Sonic Adventure]]''
 
−
*''[[SoulCalibur]]''
 
−
*''[[TNN Motorsports Hardcore Heat]]''
 
−
*''[[Tokyo Xtreme Racer]]''
 
−
*''[[TrickStyle]]''
 
 
}}
 
}}
−
 
−
====Europe====
 
−
{{multicol|
 
−
*''[[Blue Stinger]]''
 
−
*''[[Dynamite Cop]]''
 
−
*''[[Incoming]]''
 
−
*''[[Millennium Soldier: Expendable]]''
 
−
*''[[Monaco Grand Prix: Racing Simulation 2]]''
 
−
*''[[Pen Pen TriIceLon]]''
 
−
*''[[Power Stone]]''
 
−
*''[[Ready 2 Rumble Boxing]]''
 
−
*''[[Sega Rally 2]]''
 
−
*''[[Sonic Adventure]]''
 
−
*''[[Tokyo Highway Challenge]]''
 
−
*''[[Toy Commander]]''
 
−
*''[[Trick Style]]''
 
−
*''[[Virtua Fighter 3tb]]''
 
−
}}{{fileref|DreamcastMagazine UK 03.pdf|page=7}}
 
−
 
−
====Brazil====
 
−
*''[[Blue Stinger]]''
 
−
*''[[Flag to Flag]]''
 
−
*''[[House of the Dead 2]]''
 
−
*''[[Hydro Thunder]]''
 
−
*''[[Mortal Kombat Gold]]''
 
−
*''[[Ready 2 Rumble Boxing]]''
 
−
*''[[Sonic Adventure]]''
 
−
{{ref|[http://web.archive.org/web/20000303160725/www.tectoy.com.br/unshock/prop.htm Dreamcast] ([[Tectoy]])}}
 
  
 
==Magazine articles==
 
==Magazine articles==
 
{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Magazine articles}}
 
{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Magazine articles}}
 +
 +
==Video coverage==
 +
{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Video coverage}}
  
 
==Promotional material==
 
==Promotional material==
−
===Print advertisements===
+
{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Promotional material}}
 +
 
 +
==Digital manuals==
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
−
Dreamcast BR PrintAdvert.jpg|BR (1)
+
Dreamcast US DigitalManual.pdf|US manual
−
Dreamcast BR PrintAdvert2.jpg|BR (2)
 
−
Dreamcast_BR_PrintAdvert3.jpg|BR (3)
 
−
DCInternet DC UK PrintAdvert British.jpg|UK (the British)
 
−
DCInternet DC UK PrintAdvert French.jpg|UK (the French)
 
−
DCInternet DC UK PrintAdvert Germans.jpg|UK (the Germans)
 
−
DCInternet DC UK PrintAdvert Spanish.jpg|UK (the Spanish)
 
−
DCInternet DC FR PrintAdvert British.jpg|FR (the British)
 
−
DCInternet DC FR PrintAdvert Germans.jpg|FR (the Germans)
 
−
DCInternet DC FR PrintAdvert Spanish.jpg|FR (the Spanish)
 
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
−
{{gallery
 
−
|{{GalleryPrintAd
 
−
|ODCM US 01.pdf|odmus|1|23
 
−
}}
 
−
|{{GalleryPrintAd
 
−
|ODCM US 01.pdf|odmus|1|52
 
−
}}
 
−
|{{GalleryPrintAd
 
−
|ODCM US 01.pdf|odmus|1|79
 
−
}}
 
−
|{{GalleryPrintAd
 
−
|ODCM US 01.pdf|odmus|1|100
 
−
}}
 
−
|{{GalleryPrintAd
 
−
|Arcade UK 10.pdf|arcade|10|2-3
 
−
}}
 
−
|{{GalleryPrintAd
 
−
|DCUK 01.pdf|dcuk|1|27
 
−
}}
 
−
|{{GalleryPrintAd
 
−
|ODM UK Preview.pdf|odmuk|preview|18-19
 
−
}}
 
−
|{{GalleryPrintAd
 
−
|ConsolesMax FR 02.pdf|consolesmax|2|8-9
 
−
}}
 
−
|{{GalleryPrintAd
 
−
|DDOM DE 01.pdf|dmde|1|34-35
 
−
}}
 
−
|{{GalleryPrintAd
 
−
|DDOM DE 01.pdf|dmde|1|54-55
 
−
}}
 
−
|{{galleryPrintAd
 
−
|MAN!AC DE 1999-11.pdf|maniac|1999-11|15
 
−
}}
 
−
|{{GalleryPrintAd
 
−
|MAN!AC DE 1999-12.pdf|maniac|1999-12|13
 
−
}}
 
−
}}
 
−
====Retailers====
 
−
{{gallery
 
−
|{{GalleryPrintAd
 
−
|Arcade UK 10.pdf|arcade|10|7
 
−
}}
 
−
}}
 
  
−
===Television advertisements===
+
==Gallery==
 +
{{ratings|DC}}
 +
===Official photographs===
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
−
DC UK TVAdvert Barbers.mp4|UK (launch)
+
DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dreamcast & cd.png
−
DC UK TVAdvert UK.mp4|UK (the British)
+
DreamcastScreenshots Hardware back dreamcast.png
−
DC UK TVAdvert France.mp4|UK (the French)
+
DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dreamcast master.png
−
DC UK TVAdvert Germany.mp4|UK (the Germans)
+
DreamcastScreenshots Hardware Dreamcast 1.png
−
DC JP TVAdvert SomethingCampaign.mp4|JP (Campaign)
+
DreamcastScreenshots Hardware Dreamcast 2.png
 +
DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dream cast & board.png
 +
DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware dc mit joypad und vm.jpg
 +
DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE.jpg
 +
DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE CONTR.jpg
 +
DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE CONTR VM.jpg
 +
DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware GROUP VM.jpg
 +
DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware console frei.jpg
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
−
===Other advertisements===
+
==Logos by regions==
−
<gallery>
+
{|class="prettytable sortable" style="background: #f2f2f2;"
−
PlayStationBestBefore DC UK Advert.jpg
+
|-
 +
! style="width:100px;" style="text-align: center;" |'''Logo'''
 +
! style="width:100px;" style="text-align: center;" |'''Region'''
 +
|- style="background: silver;"
 +
|-
 +
|<gallery>Dreamcast logo.svg</gallery>
 +
|Used in Japan, Asia and South Korea
 +
|-
 +
|<gallery>Dreamcast logo.svg
 +
Dreamcast US Logo Sega.svg
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
 +
|Used in North and South America
 +
|-
 +
|<gallery>Dreamcast PAL logo.svg</gallery>
 +
|Used in Western and Eastern Europe,<br> Asia, Africa, Australasia
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
==Artwork==
 
==Artwork==
−
===Hardware diagrams===
 
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
−
Dreamcast Diagram1.svg
+
Dreamcast Diagram1.svg|Hardware diagrams
 
Dreamcast Diagram2.svg
 
Dreamcast Diagram2.svg
 +
DreamcastPressDisc4 Logos STYLEGUIDE.pdf|EU branding guidelines
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
−
===Logos===
+
==Patents==
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
−
Dreamcast logo.svg|Japanese/North American logo
+
Patent USD412940.pdf|USD412940
−
Dreamcast PAL logo.svg|European/Australian logo
 
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
 +
==External links==
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20000621105240/http://www.dreamcast.com.au/ www.dreamcast.com.au (Australia and New Zealand)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010207203709/http://www.sega.at/start.html www.sega.at (Austria)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20020811061905/http://dreamcast.gz.ee/ dreamcast.gz.ee (Estonia)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/19991006055629/http://www.dreamcast-europe.com/ www.dreamcast-europe.com (Europe)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010723143113/http://www.dcfin.net/ www.dcfin.net (Finland) ]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/2001*/http://dreamcastfinland.net/ dreamcastfinland.net (Finland) ]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040615201546/http://segadc.uw.hu/main/main.htm segadc.uw.hu (Hungary)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/19991110181603/http://www.dreamcast.is/ www.dreamcast.is (Iceland)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20011030031554/http://dreamcast.times.lv/ dreamcast.times.lv (Latvia)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030603165424/http://www.symbas.com/dreamarena/index.html dreamarena.ru (Russia) ]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20020109174127/http://www.dreamcast.pl/dreamcast/ www.dreamcast.pl (Poland)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030424194435/http://dreamcast-rus.boom.ru/  dreamcast-rus.boom.ru (Russia)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20020321230534/http://dream-cast.narod.ru/  dream-cast.narod.ru (Russia)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010302164645/http://dreamcast.miesto.sk/ dreamcast.miesto.sk (Slovakia)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20000618081150/http://www.dreamcast.nu/ www.dreamcast.nu (Sweden)]
  
 
==References==
 
==References==

Latest revision as of 15:21, 1 January 2024

Dreamcast logo.svg
Dreamcast.jpg
Dreamcast
Manufacturer: Sega
Variants: Sega NAOMI, Atomiswave, Sega System SP
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Dreamcast
JP 		¥29,80029,800 HKT-3000
Sega Dreamcast
US 		$199.99199.99 HKT-3020
Sega Dreamcast
DE 		DM 499,-499,-[5] HKT-3030
Sega Dreamcast
ES 		HKT-3030
Sega Dreamcast
FR 		1,690F1,690[4] HKT-3030
Sega Dreamcast
UK 		£199.99199.99[3] HKT-3030
Sega Dreamcast
CZ 		10400 Kč10400 [9]
Sega Dreamcast
PL 		999zł999
Sega Dreamcast
RU
Sega Dreamcast
AU 		$499.00499.00[6]
Sega Dreamcast
BR 		R$899.00899.00
Sega Dreamcast
MA 		3.999 DH3.999 DH
Sega Dreamcast
IN 		₹1400014000[11]
Sega Dreamcast
KR 		HKT-3010
Sega Dreamcast
AS 		HKT-3010

The Dreamcast (ドリームキャスト) is a home video game console manufactured by Sega as a successor to the Sega Saturn. Dubbed as Sega's "Super Console"[12], it is a "128-bit" machine designed with then-cutting edge hardware and a focus on the internet. The Dreamcast was originally released in Japan in November 1998 before seeing a Western release the following year.

The Dreamcast was Sega's seventh and final home video game console, and was discontinued in early 2001[13][14] due to financial constraints within the company. It had sold at least 8.2 million hardware units and 51.63 million software units by March 2001,[15], with estimates suggesting 10.6 million hardware units in total.

An arcade counterpart to the Dreamcast exists as the Sega NAOMI.

Hardware

The Dreamcast is a small, white box with aesthetics designed to appeal to a wide-ranging audience. It was envisioned as an "128-bit" "super console", designed to leapfrog "32-bit" and "64-bit" contemporaries in the form of the PlayStation and Nintendo 64, respectively (although from a technical standpoint, its main processor deals in 32-bit or 64-bit instructions, with the 128-bit figure coming from the graphics hardware). Incidentally the Dreamcast was the last home console to use "bits" as a selling point, with processing capabilities now typically measured in other ways.

Taking design cues from the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn, the Dreamcast contains four control ports, a removable modem, disc drive and an extension port (as well as the expected AV and power inputs). It is not backwards compatible with any prior Sega hardware or software (although its controller derives from the Saturn's 3D Control Pad), and operates in much the same way as the Saturn (and PlayStation) does, with a configurable settings and memory management accessed through a BIOS screen.

The Dreamcast uses a proprietary format of storage called GD-ROMs for games in order to circumvent software piracy, a strategy that ultimately backfired when the first run of discs had a high rate of defects. The format was also cracked fairly quickly (and in some cases, the pirated games were released before the legitimate versions). Sega largely had themselves to blame for the high levels of Dreamcast piracy—their use of the GD-ROM format was completely undermined by the console's support for the Mil-CD format, which allowed the console to boot from a standard CD-R. Mil-CD support was removed from the final Dreamcast revisions toward the end of the console's life.

The GD-ROM format also put the console at a disadvantage when competing against the PlayStation 2 - the PS2 used DVDs, and could therefore run DVD videos making it an inexpensive DVD player as well as a video game console. DVD-ROMs also have more storage space, allowing for bigger games (though the initial run of PS2 games used a blue CD-ROM format). Sega looked into DVD technology during the Dreamcast's development but claimed it was too expensive.

The Dreamcast was the first video game console to ship with a built-in 56k modem, with broadband adapters being made available later on in certain regions. This allowed the system to connect to the internet using a custom, fully-functional web browser and e-mail client. Many games released for the Dreamcast shipped with online play modes, the most popular being Phantasy Star Online and the Sega Sports lineup (now published under the ESPN label). Although other consoles before the Dreamcast had network gaming support, such as the Sega Saturn's NetLink and the Sega Mega Drive's XB∀ND, the Dreamcast was the first game console to include this ability out of the box and is therefore considered the first internet-enabled home game system.

The Dreamcast has a modest hacking enthusiast community. The availability of Windows CE software development kits on the Internet—as well as ports of Linux (LinuxDC) and dreamcast NetBSD operating systems to the Dreamcast—gave programmers a selection of familiar development tools to work with, even though they do not really support the high speed graphics. A homebrew minimal operating system called Kallistios offers support for most hardware, while not offering multi-tasking, which is superfluous for games. Many emulators and other tools (MP3, DivX players, and image viewers) have been ported to or written for the console, taking advantage of the relative ease with which a home user can write a CD which is bootable by an unmodified Dreamcast.

Sega released an arcade board, using the same technology as the Dreamcast, called Sega NAOMI, leading to many Dreamcast-exclusive games with a high level of arcade quality.

The Dreamcast's PowerVR CLX2 was the first GPU for a home system with hardware capabilities such as bump mapping, volumetric effects,[16] order-independent transparency, and Dot3 normal mapping.[17]

Models

Main article: Dreamcast consoles.

  • Japanese model

  • North American model

  • European model

Japanese Dreamcasts can be identified by the triangle at the front of the unit. Though the power LED is identical across all regions, the piece of plastic attached to the lid of the Japanese model is transparent, while in North America it is grey. The Japanese models also have the text "Designed for Microsoft Windows CE" printed on the front right, whereas Western versions say "Compatible with Microsoft Windows CE".

For a full list of special edition Dreamcasts, see Special Dreamcast Models.

Technical specifications

Main article: Sega Dreamcast/Technical specifications.

Hardware comparisons

Main article: Sega Dreamcast/Hardware comparison.

History

Main article: History of the Sega Dreamcast.

Localised names

Also known as
Language Localised Name English Translation
English Sega Dreamcast Sega Dreamcast
Japanese ドリームキャスト Dreamcast
Hebrew דרימקאסט

Games

Main article: Sega Dreamcast games.

Production credits

A list of names, likely the various people involved with console's creation, can be found at 0x1A1A0 in the flash ROM.

Source:
ROM text[18]


Source:
Developer mentions[19][20][21][22]


Magazine articles

Main article: Sega Dreamcast/Magazine articles.

Video coverage

Main article: Sega Dreamcast/Video coverage.

Promotional material

Main article: Sega Dreamcast/Promotional material.

Digital manuals

  • US manual

Gallery

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
GameZine (UK)
90
[23]
Komputer Świat Gry (PL)
75
[24]
Man!ak (PL)
85
[25]
Play (PL)
60
[26]
PSX Extreme (PL)
78
[27]
PSX Extreme (PL)
57
[28]
Sega Dreamcast
 74
Based on
6 reviews

Sega Dreamcast

Official photographs

  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dreamcast & cd.png
  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware back dreamcast.png
  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dreamcast master.png
  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware Dreamcast 1.png
  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware Dreamcast 2.png
  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dream cast & board.png
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware dc mit joypad und vm.jpg
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE.jpg
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE CONTR.jpg
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE CONTR VM.jpg
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware GROUP VM.jpg
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware console frei.jpg

Logos by regions

Logo Region
  • Dreamcast logo.svg
 Used in Japan, Asia and South Korea
  • Dreamcast logo.svg
  • Dreamcast US Logo Sega.svg
 Used in North and South America
  • Dreamcast PAL logo.svg
 Used in Western and Eastern Europe,
Asia, Africa, Australasia

Artwork

  • Hardware diagrams

  • Dreamcast Diagram2.svg

  • EU branding guidelines

Patents

  • USD412940

External links

References

  1. ↑ Press release: 1999-09-02: Sega Dreamcast Launch Titles and Peripherals
  2. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "November 1999" (UK; 1999-10-13), page 52
  3. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "October 1999" (UK; 1999-09-15), page 59
  4. ↑ File:ConsolesMicro FR 01.pdf, page 15
  5. ↑ File:NextLevel DE 1999-0910.pdf, page 6
  6. ↑ Hyper, "September 1999" (AU; 1999-xx-xx), page 29
  7. ↑ Dreamcast (Tectoy) (Wayback Machine: 2000-03-03 16:07)
  8. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20010409225930/http://sega.ru:80/news.phtml
  9. ↑ https://www.idnes.cz/ekonomika/test-a-spotrebitel/nova-konzole-dreamcast-prehrava-konkurenci.A_2000M051T05A
  10. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/22/dreamcast-heads-to-india
  11. ↑ https://www.afaqs.com/news/story/795_Stracon-ready-to-turn-the-TV-into-a-multi-dimensional-entertainment-device
  12. ↑ Press release: 1998-05-21: Sega Unveils Super Console!
  13. ↑ Press Release: 2001-01-28: Dúvidas e confirmações no futuro da Dreamcast
  14. ↑ Press Release: 2001-10-29: Dreamcast não desiste e mostra novos trunfos
  15. ↑ File:AnnualReport2001 English.pdf, page 16
  16. ↑ Gamers' Republic, "August 1998" (US; 1998-07-21), page 29
  17. ↑ [PC Magazine, December 1999, page 193 PC Magazine, December 1999, page 193]
  18. ↑ The Cutting Room Floor: Dreamcast
  19. ↑ File:Sega_Consumer_History_JP_EnterBrain_Book.pdf, page 23
  20. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/hiroyuki.ohtaka/about_work_and_education
  21. ↑ https://area.autodesk.jp/column/tutorial/softimage_maniacs/ (Wayback Machine: 2023-10-29 15:09)
  22. ↑ JW Szczepaniak (2014). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers: Volume 1
  23. ↑ GameZine (UK) (+0:00)
  24. ↑ Komputer Świat Gry, "Czerwiec-lipiec 2000" (PL; 2000-xx-xx), page 72
  25. ↑ Man!ak, "Grudzień 1999" (PL; 1999-xx-xx), page 10
  26. ↑ Play, "Wszystko o Konsolach" (PL; 2001-xx-xx), page 2
  27. ↑ PSX Extreme, "02/99" (PL; 1999-0x-xx), page 18
  28. ↑ PSX Extreme, "03/2001" (PL; 2001-0x-xx), page 42
Sega Home Video Game Systems
83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11
SG-1000 SG-1000 II Mega Drive Mega Drive II
SC-3000 Mega-CD Mega-CD II Genesis 3
Sega Mark III 32X Dreamcast
Master System Master System II
AI Computer Game Gear
Saturn
Pico Beena


Sega Dreamcast
Topics Technical specifications (Hardware comparison) | History (Development | Release | Decline and legacy | Internet) | List of games | Magazine articles | Promotional material | Merchandise
Hardware Japan (Special) | Western Europe | Eastern Europe | North America | Asia | South America | Australasia | Africa
Add-ons Dreamcast Karaoke | Dreameye
Controllers Controller | Arcade Stick | Fishing Controller | Gun (Dream Blaster) | Race Controller | Maracas Controller (Third-party) | Twin Stick | Keyboard | Mouse | Third-party
Controller Add-ons Jump Pack (Third-party) | Microphone | VMU (4x Memory Card | Third-party)
Development Hardware Dev.Box | Controller Box | Controller Function Checker | Sound Box | GD-Writer | C1/C2 Checker | Dev.Cas | GD-ROM Duplicator
Online Services/Add-ons Dreamarena | SegaNet | WebTV for Dreamcast | Modem | Modular Cable | Modular Extension Cable | Broadband Adapter | Dreamphone
Connector Cables Onsei Setsuzoku Cable | RF Adapter | Scart Cable | S Tanshi Cable | Stereo AV Cable | VGA Box

Dreamcast MIDI Interface Cable | Neo Geo Pocket/Dreamcast Setsuzoku Cable | Taisen Cable

Misc. Hardware Action Replay CDX | Code Breaker | Kiosk | MP3 DC | MP3 DC Audio Player | Official Case | Treamcast
Third-party accessories Controllers | Controller converters | Miscellaneous
Unreleased Accessories DVD Player | Zip Drive | Swatch Access for Dreamcast | VMU MP3 Player
Arcade Variants NAOMI | Atomiswave | Sega Aurora
Retrieved from "https://segaretro.org/index.php?title=Sega_Dreamcast&oldid=947838"