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TIL about the Sega CDX.

It’s Time To Go

It’s Time To Go

Member
Dec 2, 2017
20,695
I was listening to retronauts podcast about the mega drive, and they mentioned something called the Sega CDX, which I'd never heard of and looked up

1000



What does it do? It plays Megadrive and Sega CD games, and is a portable CD player!

Released in 1994 in North America under the name Sega CDX. A portable CD player that plays both Mega Drive and Mega-CD games, as well as audio CDs, and CD+G discs. Resembling a slightly longer version of the typical portable CD player of the day. About 5,000 CDX units were released in North America, and are considered rare and collectable.

Unlike the Mega-CD, its compact size and addition of a headphone port enabled it to play audio CDs on the move, powered by two AA batteries. However, unless high end batteries such as lithiums were used, it would drain the batteries fairly quickly. The unit featured front-mounted CD control buttons as well as a backlit LCD screen to display the track number. An extra line-out port was provided for connection to stereo equipment. However, games could only be played while the unit was powered by its main PSU and connected to a television, unlike the portable Sega Nomad.
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retroconsoles.fandom.com

Sega CDX/Multi-Mega

Released in 1994 in North America under the name Sega CDX. A portable CD player that plays both Mega Drive and Mega-CD games, as well as audio CDs, and CD+G discs. Resembling a slightly longer version of the typical portable CD player of the day. About 5,000 CDX units were released in North...
retroconsoles.fandom.com retroconsoles.fandom.com

So not quite as portable as the Nomad was, but thats so cool. I was born in 1993 so the Megadrive/SNES generation was before my time, but I love the idea of it. 90s Sega was cool.
 
NovumVeritas

NovumVeritas

Member
Oct 26, 2017
9,157
Berlin
WriterInTheDark said:
I was listening to retronauts podcast about the mega drive, and they mentioned something called the Sega CDX, which I'd never heard of and looked up

1000



What does it do? It plays Megadrive and Sega CD games, and is a portable CD player!



retroconsoles.fandom.com

Sega CDX/Multi-Mega

Released in 1994 in North America under the name Sega CDX. A portable CD player that plays both Mega Drive and Mega-CD games, as well as audio CDs, and CD+G discs. Resembling a slightly longer version of the typical portable CD player of the day. About 5,000 CDX units were released in North...
retroconsoles.fandom.com retroconsoles.fandom.com

So not quite as portable as the Nomad was, but thats so cool. I was born in 1993 so the Megadrive/SNES generation was before my time, but I love the idea of it. 90s Sega was cool.
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I had the Multi Mega when it released in Germany. Also modded it with a 50 / 60 hz Switch. Even had a battery option to use it as a portable CD player. Really cool. Was fun to play Sonic CD on it.
 
Pop-O-Matic

Pop-O-Matic

Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
12,983
Weirdly, it isn't even the first Genesis/CD hybrid system, as it was preceded by the X'Eye/Wondermega.

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sega.fandom.com

X'Eye

The JVC X'Eye was a partnership console between JVC and Sega. It combined a Sega CD and Genesis into a single console. It was released in March (?)1994 and was produced into late 1994 with a little over 500,000 units produced (?), however parts can still be found for it today via JVC. A 32X...
sega.fandom.com sega.fandom.com
 
xir

xir

Member
Oct 27, 2017
12,651
Los Angeles, CA
i be the skip protection was awful. i had a portable cd player in fifth grade....1991? couldnt even listen to it on car drives without skipping
 
krae_man

krae_man

Master of Balan Wonderworld
Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,633
There were actually multiple Genesis/CD combo units including the Wondermega, X'eye, and LaserActive.
 
galvatron

galvatron

Member
Oct 27, 2017
970
Austin, TX
It was a pretty cool idea. What a baller someone must have been back then to have a disc man and a game system in one.

You should check out some of the other niche genesis variants like the MegaJet and Wondermega/X-eye.
 
Aaron

Aaron

I’m seeing double here!
Member
Oct 25, 2017
18,077
Minneapolis
It's a pretty dandy little system, picked one up on eBay recently after selling mine long ago.

Love the design, and the convenience of a standalone Sega CD console. It's easy (especially for people who weren't there for it or never looked into it much) to lump CD in with 32x in terms of being a totally useless add-on, but it really did have a legit library of games in its own right, which complemented the Genesis library nicely.

Fun fact, due to FCC regulations Sega had to say the CDX wasn't compatible with the 32X, but it works perfectly. I've heard the issue was that the 32X console sits over the disc drive, so you can't access it while playing. They intended to release a plastic spacer to make it FCC-compliant, but probably figured it wasn't worth the hassle, given the userbases for both devices were so small.
 
Dekuman

Dekuman

Member
Oct 27, 2017
19,032
I've only seen the CDX once inside a display case in 1994 (?) at the largest local mall. It wasn't widely available and was endemic of the crazy hardware roadmap Sega was on in the middle 90s as they were careening into disaster.
 
CyberWolfBia

CyberWolfBia

Member
Apr 5, 2019
9,934
Brazil
I had one for like... 3 days;

My cousins (3 brothers) were getting rid of some old stuff when they were teens, and the oldest brother decided to give me their CDX. I was so happy! .. but then the youngest brother came to my home take it back 3 days later, saying it wasn't a consensus in their house lol

I really want to get one for my collection though, but it seems to be hard to find one reading discs perfectly. You mostly see people using it as a Genesis and nothing else.
 
Hero_of_the_Day

Hero_of_the_Day

Avenger
Oct 27, 2017
17,430
My friend had one and left it at our house. It sat in our attic for years before we finally tossed it. Sucks to see what they are worth now.
 
Ignatz Mouse

Ignatz Mouse

Member
Oct 27, 2017
10,746
I had a CDX. It sucked as a CD player, but as an easily mobile game console it was great. Easy to move from room to room or take on a trip.
 
skeezx

skeezx

Member
Oct 27, 2017
20,296
as a late 80s/early 90s kid it's stunning to me how they fumbled on "CD ROM TECHNOLOGY" already having a foothold on it and riding off the genesis/MD success
 
mute

mute

▲ Legend ▲
Member
Oct 25, 2017
25,252
There wasn't ever anything that combined Genesis+CD+32x in one piece of hardware was there? I'd be all over that just for the reduction in wall warts needed.
 
woodypop

woodypop

Member
Oct 27, 2017
818
Found one for $35 at a Value Village many years ago. Really solid-feeling piece of hardware. Recently found out they have issues running Terminator CD, which sucks. But very cool otherwise.
 
onpoint

onpoint

Neon Deity Games
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
15,043
716
It's a pretty cool piece of tech but doesn't the Genesis hardware have a worse version of the soundchip or at least worse output?
 

The Angry Internet

Member
Oct 28, 2017
295
I remember reading the breathless copy about how you could use it as a "portable CD player" and then seeing photos of it in an actual person's hand and wondering how the hell that would work. I see that Sega sold an official bag that could be used to "play without unpacking," which reminds me of the days when people had to lug around VCRs in carrying cases because video cameras didn't have built-in tape decks yet.
 
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Huey

Huey

Member
Oct 27, 2017
13,307
Yeah I remember this, I really wanted one. This was a phase were sega was producing some really cool iterations of its hardware, that almost no one would go on to buy.
 
mattiewheels

mattiewheels

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,110
greetdeath said:
CDX was great. Sega CD was definitely my all-time favorite console. I miss that startup music
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That an interesting choice for favorite, I'm curious what you favorite games are. I ordered a Polymega (lol) and I guess eventually I'll have the opportunity to play this, already bought Heart of the Alien and the Monkey Island repro in anticipation.
 
mopinks

mopinks

Member
Oct 27, 2017
30,615
the Activator was very, very bad

my cousin got one for his birthday and after we used it once it went into his closet forever
 
greetdeath

greetdeath

Member
Oct 27, 2017
707
mattiewheels said:
That an interesting choice for favorite, I'm curious what you favorite games are. I ordered a Polymega (lol) and I guess eventually I'll have the opportunity to play this, already bought Heart of the Alien and the Monkey Island repro in anticipation.
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I know it wasn't the greatest console, but it stuck with me. I was a Genesis fan in general, but had every single console that came out (thanks to working at Software Etc)

My favorite game, to this day, is Tomcat Alley. The stupid FPV games...I don't know why, but I just loved them.

I never had this specific model but I did have the Genesis/Sega CD/32x-basically Voltron edition and I sold it a few year back with all my games for about $600. I didn't think I would miss it since I could emulate everything now, but I still do.
 
Xbox Live Mike

Xbox Live Mike

Prophet of Truth
The Fallen
Oct 29, 2017
2,436
USA
I had a CDX at launch, it was cool because of the size. I dont think it had any skip protection at all for CDs when using it portable. It came with sewer shark packed in and I remember the loading taking long enough for me to walk downstairs make a sandwich and come back.
 
mattiewheels

mattiewheels

Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,110
greetdeath said:
I know it wasn't the greatest console, but it stuck with me. I was a Genesis fan in general, but had every single console that came out (thanks to working at Software Etc)

My favorite game, to this day, is Tomcat Alley. The stupid FPV games...I don't know why, but I just loved them.

I never had this specific model but I did have the Genesis/Sega CD/32x-basically Voltron edition and I sold it a few year back with all my games for about $600. I didn't think I would miss it since I could emulate everything now, but I still do.
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FMV games are so prevalent on it, I got Ground Zero Texas too. Did you ever play Wirehead? It's been called one of the great FMV games.
 
Fularu

Fularu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
10,609
Pop-O-Matic said:
Weirdly, it isn't even the first Genesis/CD hybrid system, as it was preceded by the X'Eye/Wondermega.

latest


sega.fandom.com

X'Eye

The JVC X'Eye was a partnership console between JVC and Sega. It combined a Sega CD and Genesis into a single console. It was released in March (?)1994 and was produced into late 1994 with a little over 500,000 units produced (?), however parts can still be found for it today via JVC. A 32X...
sega.fandom.com sega.fandom.com
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That'S the Wondermega 2 (and it'S so ugly)

The Wondermega never left japan and looks straight out of OEDO 808
 
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