Sega delays its Mega Drive Mini to 2019 for an overhaul

Sega has delayed the release of its Mega Drive Mini console, which the company announced back in April, to next year. While the push to 2019 may sound like bad news — Sega will miss the 16-bit console’s 30th anniversary in Japan due to the change in date — it sounds like Sega is doing the right thing by its classic console.

Sega is now aiming for a global worldwide release of the Mega Drive Mini in Japan and Europe, as well as a Sega Genesis Mini in North America, according to a pair of tweets from Sega’s official Japanese Twitter account.

In better news, Sega also said it is now working with a domestic Japanese software developer with a proven track record. Previously, Sega had announced it was working with AtGames, the company behind the Sega Genesis Flashback console, which was something of a disappointment to retro game enthusiasts. It’s not clear yet what relationship Sega and AtGames will have, if any, on the project.

While details are scarce, hopefully this means improved emulation and a more authentic miniature console that plays classic Mega Drive/Genesis games better than what Sega and its partners have delivered in the past.