Retro Tech
Sega Genesis Model 1, 2 or 3: Which One to Buy
Part 5 of the thread Console field guide
- Model 1 has the headphone jack and, on early boards, the best sound of the three.
- Model 2 is the practical pick: smaller, easy to find, and it still takes the Sega CD and 32X.
- Model 3 is tiny and cheap but has no expansion port, so no Sega CD, no 32X, and the weakest sound.
- All three output RGB from the AV port, so a good cable is all you need for a clean picture.
The Genesis, called the Mega Drive everywhere outside North America, went through three main hardware revisions in its life. They all play the same cartridges, but they don't sound the same, they don't all take the add-ons, and collectors can get very particular about which circuit board is inside.
Here's how they compare, and which one I'd pick for what.
At a glance
| Model 1 (1989) | Model 2 (1993) | Model 3 (1998) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | Big | Smaller | Smallest |
| Headphone jack and volume slider | Yes | No | No |
| Sound | Best, on early boards | Varies by board, often muddier | Weakest |
| Sega CD | Yes | Yes | No |
| 32X | Yes | Yes | No |
| Master System converter | Yes | Yes | No |
| RGB from the AV port | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Sega | Sega (and later Majesco) | Majesco, under license |
Model 1
The original, and the one audio people want.
- The headphone jack on the front has its own volume slider, and on the Model 1 it's a stereo output. The AV port on the back is mono.
- Early boards sound the best of any Genesis, with the sound chip on its own rather than folded into a combined chip, and good mixing circuitry around it.
- It takes the Sega CD through the expansion port on the side and the 32X through the cartridge slot.
Revisions worth knowing:
- Motherboard revisions are labeled VA0, VA1 and so on. Collectors generally prize the early ones for sound.
- The earliest units don't show the "Produced by or under license from Sega Enterprises" screen at startup. That trademark screen was added in a later revision as a licensing measure, so a console that goes straight into the game is an early one.
Tip
The motherboard revision is printed on the board, so you have to open the console or ask the seller to. A photo of the board is a reasonable thing to ask for if the revision matters to you.
Model 2
Smaller, cheaper to make, and the one most people actually owned. It was often bundled with Sonic 2.
- No headphone jack or volume control.
- Sound quality varies by board. Many Model 2s sound a bit muddier than a good Model 1. Some early Model 2 boards hold up well.
- It still takes the Sega CD (the matching Sega CD Model 2 sits beside it) and the 32X.
- Majesco later sold budget reissues, and those are generally the weaker ones.
It's the practical choice. Easy to find, reasonably priced, compatible with everything, and good enough sound for most ears.
Model 3
A tiny, lightweight console made by Majesco under license, released very late in 1998, after the Nintendo 64 was already out. It was sold new at a budget price.
- No expansion port, so no Sega CD.
- No 32X either; it physically doesn't fit.
- No Master System converter support.
- The weakest sound of the three, and some units have reliability problems.
It's fine if all you want is to play Genesis cartridges and you want the smallest box. But it gives up the expansion options and the audio, which are two of the better reasons to own real hardware.
Heads up
Genesis sound is a big part of the system's character, from Streets of Rage to Sonic. If you're buying real hardware instead of emulating, sound quality is the thing worth paying a little extra for.
Which one I'd buy
| If you are... | Get |
|---|---|
| After the best sound, or a purist | An early Model 1, ideally from 1989 or 1990 |
| A practical collector who wants the add-ons | A Model 2 |
| Just playing cartridges in a small space | A Model 3 is fine |
Whichever you get, all three put out RGB through the AV port, so the picture side is easy: the right cable into a CRTCathode-ray tube. The deep, heavy glass TV everybody had before flat screens.More: CRT 90s TV: Channel Surfing Like It's 1996, on a Raspberry Pi or upscalerA box that takes an old console's low-resolution signal and turns it into something a modern TV displays cleanly, ideally without adding lag.More: RGB and Retro Consoles: Which Ones Need a Mod and Which Just Need a Cable and you're done. The details on cables and displays are in RGB modding retro consoles. Nintendo's two-model version of this story is in the SNES comparison. And if you're into the Genesis at the file level, Genesis ROM Workshop is my toolkit for pulling palettes, tiles and text out of Genesis games.