Sega Dreamcast

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Revision as of 04:41, 8 June 2013 by Mister Xiado (talk) (Additional information about expansion port accessories.)
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Sega Dreamcast (US version)

The Dreamcast (ドリームキャスト Dorīmukyasuto) is a video game console that was released by Sega in November 1998 in Japan and later in 1999 in other territories. It was the first entry in the sixth generation of video game consoles, preceding its rivals, the PlayStation 2, Xbox and GameCube. Many attribute its inability to play DVDs and  subpar graphical performance as factors in the Dreamcast's failure. As a result, the Dreamcast was Sega's last home console to date.

Add-ons

  • Modem - Coming as a standard feature of the Dreamcast, the 33.6k or 56k modem allowed the Dreamcast to be the first online out-of-the-box game console.
  • LAN adapter - The HIT-300 add-on, using the Fujitsu MB86967 chip, was a 10mbit ethernet adapter.
  • Broadband adapter - The HIT-400 add-on was a step up from the HIT-300, using a Realtek 8139 chip, allowing for much greater speeds as a 10/100mbit ethernet adapter.
  • Zip Drive - Achieving only prototype stage, the iOmega Zip Drive was intended to be a rewriteable storage medium for the Dreamcast, as an alternative to a hard disk drive that would become standard in game consoles to come.