Saturn region converter cartridges

From Sega Retro

The Sega Saturn is region-locked, meaning that games can only be played on hardware from the same region. Various factors led to the Saturn being under-supported in the West. Thus, in order to play the plethora of Japanese releases, to play American games in Europe, or vice-versa of either scenario, one requires a region converter.

Saturn region converters are cartridges which plug into the Saturn's cartridge slot. The majority of converters start working as soon as the console is swiched on, i.e. there is no need to swap cartridges and discs to play games (unlike later consoles such as the Sega Dreamcast). Converters come in all shapes and sizes, most notably the Action Replay Plus, which bypasses region locking as well as offering storage space and cheat facilities. But before the Action Replay Plus became the de facto accessory for Saturn collectors, consumers had to make do with a basic region converter, which offered no additional features.

Unlike Mega Drive region converters, it is usually easier for Saturn region converters to enable playing of games from all regions at once, rather than unlocking one specific region. They are, however, similar in the sense that they cannot solve all regional issues. A game programmed for 60 Hz display on NTSC televisions will run slower, at 83.3% of its correct speed, on the 50 Hz televisions used (at least then) in PAL territories, due to the difference in refresh rate. Conversely, a European game running on an NTSC TV will run too fast – that is, if it was correctly adjusted for 50 Hz display during localisation for Europe, which many were not. Finally, and for obvious reasons that do not constitute a flaw in the region converter, games cannot be automatically translated; a converter may enable you to play a Japanese game on your Western Saturn, or vice-versa, but it will not guarantee that you can understand any of its text.

Box Name Brand Date & Price Images Documentation
CDPlus Saturn Unknown Box Front.jpg
CD+Plus Super UFO
(≥ 1995)
CDPlus Saturn Unknown.jpg


CDPlus Saturn Box Front Blaze.jpg
CD+Plus Blaze
(≥ 1995)
CDPlus Saturn Blaze.jpg


ProUniversalAdapter Saturn Box Front Alt.jpg
Pro Universal Adapter Datel
(≥ 1995)
ProUniversalAdapter Saturn Alt Back.jpgProUniversalAdapter Saturn Alt.jpg


ProUniversalAdapter Saturn Box Front.jpg
Pro Universal Adapter Datel
(≥ 1995)
ProUniversalAdapter Saturn.jpg


Game Adapter Datel
(≥ 1995)
GameAdapter Saturn Back.jpgGameAdapter Saturn.jpg


MultiGameAdapter Saturn Box Front.jpg
Multi-Game Adaptor
SS-239
Trend Master
United States of America US: (≥ 1995)
MultiGameAdaptor Saturn Back.jpgMultiGameAdaptor Saturn.jpg


Multi-GameAdapterSaturnEUManual.pdf
Manual
SegaSatellite Saturn Box Back.jpgNospine.pngSegaSatellite Saturn Box Front.jpg
Sega Satellite EMS
(≥ 1995)
SegaSatellite Saturn Back.jpgSegaSatellite Saturn.jpg


SSKey Saturn KR Box Back.jpgSSKey Saturn KR Box Spine.jpgSSKey Saturn KR Box Front.jpgSSKey Saturn KR Box Spine2.jpg
S-S Key ??
South Korea KR: (≥ 1995)
SSKey Saturn KR.jpg


STKey Saturn Box Back.jpgNospine.pngSTKey Saturn Box Front.jpg
ST-Key ??
(≥ 1995)
STKey Saturn Back.jpgSTKey Saturn.jpg


ST-Key ??
(≥ 1995)
STKey Saturn Alt.jpg


UMSTKey Saturn Box Back.jpgUMSTKey Saturn Box Front.jpg
Ultra Madness ST-Key
SSREP-2
Madness
United States of America US: (≥ 1998)
UMSTKey Saturn Back.jpgUMSTKey Saturn.jpg


Mega Converter HiCom
South Korea KR: PACK-INpack (≥ 1995)
Samsung Saturn Mega Converter Back.jpgSamsung Saturn Mega Converter Front.jpg


References


Sega Saturn
Topics Technical Specifications (Hardware Comparison) | History (Development | Release | Decline and legacy) | List of games (A-M) | List of games (N-Z) | Magazine articles | Promotional material | Merchandise
Hardware Japan | North America | Western Europe | Eastern Europe | South America | Asia | South Korea | Australasia | Africa

HiSaturn Navi | SunSeibu SGX | Sega Titan Video

Add-ons Backup Memory (third-party) | Sega PriFun | Video CD Card (third-party) | Extended RAM Cartridge (third-party) | Twin Advanced ROM System
Controllers Control Pad | Control Pad (Australia) | 3D Control Pad | Arcade Racer | Infrared Control Pad | Mission Stick | Shuttle Mouse | Twin Stick | Virtua Gun | Virtua Stick | Virtua Stick Pro
Online Services/Add-ons NetLink Internet Modem (NetLink Keyboard | NetLink Keyboard Adapter | NetLink Mouse) | Saturn Modem (Floppy Drive | Keyboard)
Connector Cables 21 Pin RGB Cable | Monaural AV Cable | RF Unit | Stereo AV Cable | S-Video Cable | Taisen Cable
Development Hardware Programming Box | Sound Box | E7000 | CartDev | SNASM2 | Address Checker | PSY-Q Development System | MIRAGE Universal CD Emulator
Misc. Hardware 6Player | SBom Multitap‎ | Saturn region converter cartridges | Action Replay | Pro Action Replay | Action Replay Plus | X-Terminator (Version 3) | S-S Promoter | Other cartridges