Hyperkin revealed its Mega95 handheld back at the start of 2024, and it predictably got Sega fans very excited.
Boasting a 5-inch IPS screen, the ability to dock with your TV Switch-style and 10 hours of battery life on a single charge, this portable Genesis / Mega Drive aims to be the natural successor to Sega's own Nomad handheld.
However, we've heard very little about the Mega95 since that announcement, and this has led some to speculate that it had quietly been cancelled.
Thankfully, Hyperkin has issued a statement to reassure potential buyers:
Quick Mega95 development update for everyone waiting (and asking): Hardware is locked in and finished.
The holdup is software, specifically how the current build is translating game graphics. We’re seeing visual artifacts and occasional tearing, and we’re not okay shipping it like that.
We’ve been grinding on this for months, and it’s the core reason the release has taken longer than any of us wanted. We know that kind of performance is unacceptable, especially for a product built around the feel of classic games.
The good news: we’re actively iterating and expect to have a new software build to test soon. Once we’re satisfied, the visuals are clean and stable, we’ll move forward with mass production.
Thanks for sticking with us. We’d rather be late than ship something that isn’t worthy of your collection.
We applaud Hyperkin's desire to ship the best product possible, but it remains to be seen exactly how the company is approaching this one; it was speculated back in 2024 that the Mega95 wouldn't be using software emulation or FPGA, but something in between.