On this day in 1983, SEGA released the SG-1000, the company’s first home video game console. It was also the day that Nintendo released its first home video game console, the Family Computer (or Famicom for short).
Both consoles started a years-long battle for video game hardware supremacy that would eventually see Nintendo outlast them and find a new battle against Sony (but that’s another story). Here’s a comparison of the specs:
| Specs | SG-1000 | Famicom |
|---|---|---|
| Media | ROM cartridge, compact cassette, My Card | Nintendo Entertainment System Game Pak (Nintendo’s proprietary ROM cartridge) |
| CPU | Z80 @ 3.58 MHz | Ricoh 2A03 @ 1.79 MHz, Ricoh 2A07 @ 1.66 MHz |
| Memory | 1 KB RAM | 2 KB RAM |
| Display | 256 × 192, 16 colours | 256 × 240, 54 colours |
| Graphics | TMS9918 | Ricoh 2C02 |
| Sound | SN76489 | APU (implemented in the RP2A03 (NTSC) and RP2A07 (PAL) chips) |
| Launch titles | Champion Tennis, Congo Bongo, Mahjong, N-Sub, Serizawa Hachidan no Tsume Shōgi, Star Jacker, Yamato | Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr., Popeye |
The SG-1000 gave way to the SG-1000 II in 1984 (and the SG-1000 was discontinued that same year) and sold 400,000 units. Meanwhile, the Famicom lasted much longer—19 years longer, in fact. I had no idea the Famicom lived until 2003 (and offered repair consoles until 2007). I think this alone epitomises Nintendo’s hardware longevity vs. SEGA’s flying too close to the sun.
As for launch titles, SEGA went all out with 7 titles from a variety of genres while Nintendo opted for just 3, two of which were based on Donkey Kong. Mario Bros. wouldn’t come out until September 1983 but we all know how that turn out!
Regardless of who won the console war, we wouldn’t be here today without the SG-1000 or Famicom, paving the way for much better hardware and unforgettable gaming memories. So happy birthday to them both and enjoy their first commercials below!
(thx to Sega City for the SG-1000 birthday reminder; featured image via Reddit)
