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Toys & Games · died 1996

32X

???? — 1996 · Sega
retired Reported · 1996

“Project Mars never quite landed, but it gave the Genesis a brave, brief boost.”

The 32X was Sega's add-on for the Genesis, developed under the codename Project Mars to expand the console's power and serve as a transitional step into the 32-bit era until the Saturn arrived. Unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in June 1994 as a low-cost option for 32-bit games, it packed two 32-bit CPUs and a visual display processor into a box that made your Genesis feel new again. It had its own cartridges

The end came quickly and somewhat unavoidably: the announcement of the Saturn's simultaneous release in Japan drained the 32X of both third-party developers and consumer interest, and Sega's rush to market did it no favors. By 1996 it was discontinued. It remains a reminder of a transition era — the awkward, well-meaning bridge between the Genesis and the Saturn that nobody quite needed to cross.

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“Product of the Year 1993, gone by 1996 — even Time can't save you from a price tag.”

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“The first 64-bit system, if you were willing to meet it halfway”

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LaserActive

“One console to rule movies, music, and games — provided you could afford the modules.”

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