Sega may release an inexpensive portable console with cartridges - rumor

If rumors are to be believed, Sega may delight gamers in the future with a new inexpensive portable console in the spirit of the Game Gear, featuring a 5-inch OLED display and game cartridges.

An interesting rumor has appeared on Reddit, which should be taken with a grain of skepticism for now. User SeraphHS, who works at a small specialized electronics manufacturing company, reported that his team received a request from a company that previously licensed Sega hardware (Genesis Mini).

Simply put, it's not Sega itself, but definitely a structure from their sphere — like Tectoy, AtGames, etc. The request contains the following information about the future device:

• Inexpensive portable gaming device;

• Energy-efficient ARM processor, not x86;

• 5-inch OLED panel (PlayStation Vita-like form factor). Strict budget cuts in other areas for this screen;

• Apparently, a very limited amount of built-in memory;

• Removable game cartridges, no mention of a powerful GPU;

• General mention that the device is for "modern 2D games" and "pixel graphics".

The cartridge design is the most interesting part. It's not the familiar high-capacity consumer NAND memory expected from a modern portable console. It looks like low-capacity industrial eMMC modules.

As is known, they are easy to obtain, and their prices have not soared in recent months due to inflation in the memory market caused by the AI boom.

This means that in the future, players may get a portable console with a small amount of internal memory, running on readily available cartridges, and designed for 2D games. Simply put, something similar to the Game Gear, but for modern projects.