Back in the day, SEGA was one of the titans of the video game industry. The company specialized in hardware and software for the arcades, home consoles, and handheld. Sadly, it bowed out after its rivals maintained a huge market gap for years. However, a group of designers came up with a portable device dubbed the SEGA DBS to stir our nostalgia.
There’s no doubt that retro gaming is big business. Everybody wants a piece of the pie and the likes of Sony, Nintendo, Microsoft, and every other video game publisher continue to pump out old-school titles playable on almost every platform. The SEGA DBS, on the other hand, touts a unique classification.
Although its screen and control layout reminds us of the Gameboy, there are distinct features that make it unique. Instead of a dedicated gaming machine, WooJin Shin, JiHoon Park, Seungmin Hong, and Nahyun Kwon present a pocket organizer. As you can already guess by the design, this also doubles as a handheld console.
Their goal with the SEGA DBS is to minimize distractions brought about by the multitude of apps on our smartphones. Hence, they have outfitted their device with a black-and-white display. This element seems to have been inspired by Nintendo’s first-ever handheld system.
Apart from the calendar function, only three titles are preloaded with no word if more can be added later. Many will notice that it also bears a resemblance to Panic’s Playdate. Official details surrounding the SEGA DBS are still under wraps. Images show a mix of opaque and transparent materials for the housing. It also charges via USB-C and sports what looks like a speaker grille below the screen.
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Images courtesy of WooJin Shin/JiHoon Park/Seungmin Hong/Nahyun Kwon
