The Nintendo Switch Concept In 1995
In 1995, Sega had multiple consoles available. The Sega Saturn was released that year, but it also had the Sega Genesis, Sega CD, Sega 32X, and the Sega Game Gear. The Sega Genesis was clearly on its way to retirement, but on its way out it received a remake of itself that was way ahead of its time.
The Sega Nomad was a portable fully functioning Sega Genesis. The Sega Nomad could play virtually any Sega Genesis game. It also could connect to a TV with a separately purchased Audio/Video jack. It even had a separate controller input to allow 2 players games. However; unlike the full home console Sega Genesis, the Sega Nomad does not work with add-ons like the Power Base Adapter, Sega CD, or Sega 32X. It does work with other add-ons like the Game Genie.
This was not the first time that a full console was made portable. That credit goes to the Turbo Express, which was a portable version of the TurboGrafx-16 console. However; The Turbo Express, advanced as it was for its time, did not provide the capability to connect it to a television.
The Sega Nomad provided a better-quality screen than the Sega Game Gear. Because it came out late in the life of the Sega Genesis, it incorporated the 6 Button design scheme for the controls, as opposed to the original 3-button layout. Coming out at the end of the life of the Sega Genesis was great because it meant that I didn’t have to buy new games for it. I had an instant library of games to choose from my existing catalog of Sega Genesis games. It also meant that I could get more games for it at a very low price. This was a great advantage over buying inferior portable games at higher prices. Nintendo didn’t have anything equivalent graphically until 6 years later when they launched the Game Boy Advance, which often mimicked the games for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).
It must be mentioned that Sega Nomad went through batteries in only 4–6 hours tops (6 AA batteries), so it was better suited for using a battery pack or plug-in adaptor.
Still, Sega was providing a system that could play console games on a portable screen as well as on a television screen. Nintendo would not fully replicate this concept until 22 years later with the Nintendo Switch.
I still have my Sega Nomad, and surprisingly it still works. Playing it today it feels heavy, and the screen hasn’t aged well (although I could get it modded with a new tech screen if I wanted to). But after a while, I forget that I am playing on decades-old technology and just enjoy it for what it is. A system decades ahead of its time, with a timeless game library.
