Nintendo may be getting plenty of pats on the back for their recently-released console-handheld hybrid, but hardcore Sega fans know the Switch is nothing new. 1995 saw the release of the Nomad, a portable that could play Sega Genesis cartridges and be hooked to your TV and used as a full console just like the Nintendo Switch.
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Of course, Sega‘s Nomad also had some major drawbacks – the thing was the size and weight of a brick, its screen sucked, and it gobbled up triple-A batteries at an obscene rate. You’d be lucky if six lasted you more than two hours. As such, the Nomad never really caught on, despite being over two decades ahead of its time.
Well, modder and YouTuber The Sega Holic is giving the poor, neglected Nomad a chance to live up to its full potential. In a thread on the NeoGAF messageboard, The Sega Holic (aka Catch 22) details how he’s upgraded his Nomad with a USB power supply and a more modern screen. The power supply is a big one, as it makes Sega’s ancient portable actually, y’know, portable. In fact, it has the potential to keep the Nomad powered up longer than the 2.5 to 5 hours you get from the Nintendo Switch. You can get a full walkthrough of the Nomad USB power mod above, and the screen replacement, below.
Apparently, The Sega Holic is considering further upgrades to his Nomad, because once you’ve gone this far, why stop? What’s next? A giant charging dock for his Nomad? Motion controls? All I know, is this is making me want to dig my unloved Nomad out of my parents’ basement.
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[via Engadget]
