Modder Turns Sega Saturn Into A Portable Device Called Sega Uranus

The Sega Saturn used to only be a plug-in home device, but no longer. Thanks to modder TZMWX, fans can now see what the 64-bit system would look like if it transformed into a portable console. TZMWX dubbed their invention the Sega Uranus, riffing on the planet-themed name that Sega used for the original console.

On March 8, TZMWX tweeted the demo for their Sega Uranus prototype, which they had been working on for months. Their Twitter timeline shows the steady progress they put into the build, including a digital model from last month before the prototype came to fruition and the process of trimming the Sega Saturn motherboard.

TZMWX created the Sega Uranus using the Sega Saturn motherboard as a base. Its thick, blocky shape mimics the Sega Game Gear, Sega’s official portable device that it created in the ’90s. However, the three-button layout matches the Sega Saturn’s controller.

On BitBuilt, a forum dedicated to “giving life to old consoles,” TZMWX laid out a visual guide for how to trim the Sega Saturn’s motherboard to a size appropriate for a portable console. They also listed the specs for the device to help fellow techies interested in recreating the project:

• Motherboard: Sega Saturn
• ODE: Fenrir
• Cart: 4M memory & 4M EXRAM
• Display: 3.5”640x480ips LCD
• Battery: 3300mA 18650*2 (>3 Hours)

The Sega Uranus listed a number of playable games in its directory, including Resident Evil, Sega Rally, and Street Fighter II. TZMWX demoed a few of them in their prototype video, switching between games so that viewers could see it runs many of them without running into hiccups.

It’s been years since Sega has abandoned the hardware market. We might never get an official Sega Uranus, but fans haven’t forgotten the legacy of the game publisher’s consoles.