Difference between revisions of "Sega Dreamcast"

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{{ConsoleBob
 
{{ConsoleBob
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| logos=[[File:Dreamcast logo.svg|150px]]
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| | logo=Dreamcast logo.svg|150px]]
 
| consoleimage=Dreamcast.jpg
 
| consoleimage=Dreamcast.jpg
 
| imgwidth=320px
 
| imgwidth=320px
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| name= Sega Dreamcast
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| name= Dreamcast
 
| maker= [[Sega]]
 
| maker= [[Sega]]
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| processor=  
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| variants=[[Sega NAOMI]], [[Atomiswave]], [[Sega System SP]]
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| releases={{releases
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| processor= [[SuperH|Hitachi SH-4]]
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| releases={{releasesDC
 
| dc_date_jp=1998-11-27
 
| dc_date_jp=1998-11-27
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| dc_date_us=1999-09-09
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| dc_rrp_jp=29,800
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| dc_rrp_us=199.00
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| dc_code_jp=HKT-3000
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| dc_date_br=1999-10-04
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| dc_date_us=1999-09-09{{intref|Press release: 1999-09-02: Sega Dreamcast Launch Titles and Peripherals}}
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| dc_rrp_br=899,00
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| dc_rrp_us=199.99
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| dc_date_uk=1999-10-14 {{fileref|CVG UK 216.pdf|page=52}}
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| dc_code_us=HKT-3020
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| dc_rrp_uk=199.99 {{fileref|CVG UK 215.pdf|page=59}}
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| dc_date_uk=1999-10-14{{magref|cvg|216|52}}
 +
| dc_rrp_uk=199.99{{magref|cvg|215|59}}
 +
| dc_code_uk=HKT-3030
 
| dc_date_fr=1999-10-14
 
| dc_date_fr=1999-10-14
 +
| dc_code_fr=HKT-3030
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| dc_rrp_fr=1,690{{fileref|ConsolesMicro FR 01.pdf|page=15}}
 
| dc_date_de=1999-10-14
 
| dc_date_de=1999-10-14
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| dc_code_de=HKT-3030
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| dc_rrp_de=499,-{{fileref|NextLevel DE 1999-0910.pdf|page=6}}
 
| dc_date_es=1999-10-14
 
| dc_date_es=1999-10-14
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| dc_code_es=HKT-3030
 
| dc_date_au=1999-11-30
 
| dc_date_au=1999-11-30
−
| dc_date_kr=200x
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| dc_rrp_au=499.00{{magref|hyper|71|29}}
 +
| dc_date_br=1999-10-04{{ref|[http://web.archive.org/web/20000303160725/www.tectoy.com.br/unshock/prop.htm Dreamcast] ([[Tectoy]])}}
 +
| dc_rrp_br=899.00
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| dc_date_ru=2000-11-10<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20010409225930/http://sega.ru:80/news.phtml</ref>
 +
| dc_date_pl=2000-12-01
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| dc_rrp_pl=999
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| dc_date_as=1998-11
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| dc_code_as=HKT-3010
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| dc_date_kr=1998-11
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| dc_code_kr=HKT-3010
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| dc_date_cz=2000-03
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| dc_rrp_cz=10400 <ref>https://www.idnes.cz/ekonomika/test-a-spotrebitel/nova-konzole-dreamcast-prehrava-konkurenci.A_2000M051T05A</ref>
 +
| dc_date_ma=1999-11-04
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| dc_rrp_ma=3.999 DH
 +
| dc_date_in=2000-12<ref>https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/22/dreamcast-heads-to-india</ref>
 +
| dc_rrp_in=14000<ref>https://www.afaqs.com/news/story/795_Stracon-ready-to-turn-the-TV-into-a-multi-dimensional-entertainment-device</ref>
 
}}
 
}}
 
}}
 
}}
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The '''Sega Dreamcast''' (ドリームキャスト), code-named "Katana" and "Dural" during development, is a video game console manufactured by [[Sega]] as a successor to the [[Sega Saturn]]. It was the first machine released in what is now known as the sixth generation of video game consoles, with its sixth-generation peers being the [[PlayStation 2]], the [[Nintendo GameCube]] and the [[Xbox]]. The Dreamcast had an arcade counterpart, the [[Sega NAOMI]] (which, in turn, was succeeded by the [[Sega Hikaru]] and [[NAOMI 2]]).
+
<section begin=intro />The '''Dreamcast''' (ドリームキャスト) is a home video game console manufactured by [[Sega]] as a successor to the [[Sega Saturn]]. Dubbed as Sega's "Super Console"{{intref|Press release: 1998-05-21: Sega Unveils Super Console!}}, it is a "128-bit" machine designed with then-cutting edge hardware and a focus on the internet. The Dreamcast was originally released in Japan in November 1998 before seeing a Western release the following year.
  
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The Dreamcast was Sega's last home console, and developed primarily to detoxify the Sega brand. Western trust in Sega had been reduced following the dismal performance of the [[Sega Mega-CD]], [[Sega 32X]] and Sega Saturn, and Sega were keen to regain the trust seen in the days of the [[Sega Mega Drive]]. Faced with increased competition from [[Sony]], [[Nintendo]] and [[Microsoft]], the Dreamcast landed in a distant fourth place, and Sega largely pulled out of the console business as a result.
+
The Dreamcast was Sega's seventh and final home video game console, and was discontinued in early 2001{{intref|Press Release: 2001-01-28: Dúvidas e confirmações no futuro da Dreamcast}}{{intref|Press Release: 2001-10-29: Dreamcast não desiste e mostra novos trunfos}} due to financial constraints within the company. It had sold at least 8.2 million hardware units and 51.63 million software units by March 2001,{{fileref|AnnualReport2001 English.pdf|page=16}}, with estimates suggesting 10.6 million hardware units in total.<section end=intro />
  
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Many of Sega's games still in development for the Dreamcast at the time of its discontinuation were eventually released for other platforms, leading to the [[Dreamcast Diaspora]]. However, the innovative features of the Dreamcast along with a strong library of games means the console still has a large, dedicated fanbase, to the extent that Dreamcast games are still being released commercially today.
+
An arcade counterpart to the Dreamcast exists as the [[Sega NAOMI]].
 +
 
 +
<div class="toclimit-{{{1|{{{4|4}}}}}}">__TOC__</div>
  
 
==Hardware==
 
==Hardware==
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The Sega Dreamcast lays claim to being a "128-bit" video game console, although like many consoles of the era, this concept was mainly used as marketing jargon to assert a position above systems like the 32-bit PlayStation and "64-bit" Nintendo 64 (and save for a few handhelds and the [[PlayStation 2]], it was the last mainstream console to make these sorts of claims). It is widely considered to be the console which ushered in what is now known as the "sixth generation" of video game consoles, beginning in 1998 and ending around 2007 when the major industry players began to focus their attention on seventh generation systems.
+
The Dreamcast is a small, white box with aesthetics designed to appeal to a wide-ranging audience. It was envisioned as an "128-bit" "super console", designed to leapfrog "32-bit" and "64-bit" contemporaries in the form of the [[PlayStation]] and [[Nintendo 64]], respectively (although from a technical standpoint, its main processor deals in 32-bit or 64-bit instructions, with the 128-bit figure coming from the graphics hardware). Incidentally the Dreamcast was the last home console to use "bits" as a selling point, with processing capabilities now typically measured in other ways.
  
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The Dreamcast is a small, white box with four control ports (taking design cues from the Nintendo 64), a removable modem, disc drive and an extension port (as well as the expected AV and power inputs). It is not backwards compatible with any prior Sega hardware or software (although [[Controller (Dreamcast)|its controller]] derives from the Saturn's [[3D Control Pad]]), and operates in much the same way as the Saturn (and PlayStation) does, with a configurable settings and memory management accessed through a BIOS screen.
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Taking design cues from the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn, the Dreamcast contains four control ports, a removable modem, disc drive and an extension port (as well as the expected AV and power inputs). It is not backwards compatible with any prior [[Sega]] hardware or software (although [[Dreamcast Controller|its controller]] derives from the Saturn's [[3D Control Pad]]), and operates in much the same way as the Saturn (and [[PlayStation]]) does, with a configurable settings and memory management accessed through a BIOS screen.
  
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The Dreamcast uses a proprietary format of storage called [[GD-ROM]]s for games in order to foil software pirates, a strategy that ultimately backfired when the first run of discs had a high rate of defects. The format was also cracked fairly quickly (and in some cases, the pirated games were released ''before'' the legitimate versions). Sega largely had themselves to blame for the high levels of Dreamcast piracy—their use of the GD-ROM format was completely undermined by the console's support for the [[Mil-CD]] format, which allowed the console to boot from a standard CD-R. Mil-CD support was removed from the final Dreamcast revisions toward the end of the console's life.
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The Dreamcast uses a proprietary format of storage called [[GD-ROM]]s for games in order to circumvent software piracy, a strategy that ultimately backfired when the first run of discs had a high rate of defects. The format was also cracked fairly quickly (and in some cases, the pirated games were released ''before'' the legitimate versions). Sega largely had themselves to blame for the high levels of Dreamcast piracy—their use of the GD-ROM format was completely undermined by the console's support for the [[Mil-CD]] format, which allowed the console to boot from a standard CD-R. Mil-CD support was removed from the final Dreamcast revisions toward the end of the console's life.
  
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The GD-ROM format also put the console at a disadvantage when competing against the [[PlayStation 2]] - the PS2 used DVDs, and could therefore run DVD videos making it an inexpensive DVD player as well as a video game console. DVD-ROMs also have more stoage space, allowing for bigger games (though the initial run of PS2 games used a blue CD-ROM format).
+
The GD-ROM format also put the console at a disadvantage when competing against the [[PlayStation 2]] - the PS2 used DVDs, and could therefore run DVD videos making it an inexpensive DVD player as well as a video game console. DVD-ROMs also have more storage space, allowing for bigger games (though the initial run of PS2 games used a blue CD-ROM format). Sega looked into DVD technology during the Dreamcast's development but claimed it was too expensive.
  
 
The Dreamcast was the first video game console to ship with a built-in 56k modem, with broadband adapters being made available later on in certain regions. This allowed the system to connect to the internet using a custom, fully-functional web browser and e-mail client. Many games released for the Dreamcast shipped with online play modes, the most popular being ''[[Phantasy Star Online]]'' and the [[Sega Sport]]s lineup (now published under the ESPN label). Although other consoles before the Dreamcast had network gaming support, such as the [[Sega Saturn]]'s [[Sega NetLink|NetLink]] and the [[Sega Mega Drive]]'s [[XB∀ND]], the Dreamcast was the first game console to include this ability out of the box and is therefore considered the first internet-enabled home game system.
 
The Dreamcast was the first video game console to ship with a built-in 56k modem, with broadband adapters being made available later on in certain regions. This allowed the system to connect to the internet using a custom, fully-functional web browser and e-mail client. Many games released for the Dreamcast shipped with online play modes, the most popular being ''[[Phantasy Star Online]]'' and the [[Sega Sport]]s lineup (now published under the ESPN label). Although other consoles before the Dreamcast had network gaming support, such as the [[Sega Saturn]]'s [[Sega NetLink|NetLink]] and the [[Sega Mega Drive]]'s [[XB∀ND]], the Dreamcast was the first game console to include this ability out of the box and is therefore considered the first internet-enabled home game system.
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The Dreamcast has a modest hacking enthusiast community.  The availability of Windows CE software development kits on the Internet—as well as ports of Linux ([http://linuxdc.net/ LinuxDC]) and [http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/dreamcast/ dreamcast NetBSD] operating systems to the Dreamcast—gave programmers a selection of familiar development tools to work with, even though they do not really support the high speed graphics.  A homebrew minimal operating system called [http://sourceforge.net/projects/cadcdev/ Kallistios] offers support for most hardware, while not offering multi-tasking, which is superfluous for games.  Many emulators and other tools (MP3, DivX players, and image viewers) have been ported to or written for the console, taking advantage of the relative ease with which a home user can write a CD which is bootable by an unmodified Dreamcast.
 
The Dreamcast has a modest hacking enthusiast community.  The availability of Windows CE software development kits on the Internet—as well as ports of Linux ([http://linuxdc.net/ LinuxDC]) and [http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/dreamcast/ dreamcast NetBSD] operating systems to the Dreamcast—gave programmers a selection of familiar development tools to work with, even though they do not really support the high speed graphics.  A homebrew minimal operating system called [http://sourceforge.net/projects/cadcdev/ Kallistios] offers support for most hardware, while not offering multi-tasking, which is superfluous for games.  Many emulators and other tools (MP3, DivX players, and image viewers) have been ported to or written for the console, taking advantage of the relative ease with which a home user can write a CD which is bootable by an unmodified Dreamcast.
  
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Sega released an arcade board, using the same technology as the Dreamcast, called [[Sega NAOMI]], leading to many Dreamcast-exclusive games with a high level of arcade quality. They later packaged the Dreamcast into an arcade board as the [[Atomiswave]].
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Sega released an [[arcade]] board, using the same technology as the Dreamcast, called [[Sega NAOMI]], leading to many Dreamcast-exclusive games with a high level of arcade quality.
  
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Though the Dreamcast was officially discontinued in early 2001, commercial games were still developed for it and worldwide software support continued until 2002, terminating in the USA with the February 12th release of ''[[NHL 2K2]]'', and in Europe with ''[[Cannon Spike]]'' and ''[[Freestyle Scooter]]'' on May 3. In Japan, software support continued for much longer. On February 24, 2004, Sega released its final Dreamcast game, ''[[Puyo Puyo Fever]]''. The final new third party game for the system was ''[[Karous]]'', released on March 8, 2007, and the final official release was a reprint of the 2003 title ''[[Border Down]]'' released exclusively through the Messe Sanoh store on January 17, 2008.
+
The Dreamcast's [[PowerVR CLX2]] was the first GPU for a home system with hardware capabilities such as [[wikipedia:Bump mapping|bump mapping]], [[wikipedia:Volumetric lighting|volumetric]] effects,{{magref|gr|3|29}} [[wikipedia:Order-independent transparency|order-independent transparency]], and [[wikipedia:Normal mapping|Dot3 normal mapping]].{{ref|1=''[[wikipedia:PC Magazine|PC Magazine]]'', [https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=90OvoBUqQoIC&pg=PA193 December 1999, page 193]}}
  
 
===Models===
 
===Models===
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:See also: [[Dreamcast consoles]]
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{{MainArticle|Dreamcast consoles}}
 +
 
 
<gallery widths="250px" heights="160px">
 
<gallery widths="250px" heights="160px">
 
Dreamcast JP.jpg|Japanese model
 
Dreamcast JP.jpg|Japanese model
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Dreamcast PAL.jpg|European model
 
Dreamcast PAL.jpg|European model
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
 +
 +
Japanese Dreamcasts can be identified by the triangle at the front of the unit. Though the power LED is identical across all regions, the piece of plastic attached to the lid of the Japanese model is transparent, while in North America it is grey. The Japanese models also have the text "Designed for Microsoft Windows CE" printed on the front right, whereas Western versions say "Compatible with Microsoft Windows CE".
  
 
For a full list of special edition Dreamcasts, see [[Special Dreamcast Models]].
 
For a full list of special edition Dreamcasts, see [[Special Dreamcast Models]].
  
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== Technical Specifications ==
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===Technical specifications===
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=== CPU ===
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{{mainArticle|Sega Dreamcast/Technical specifications}}
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{{multicol|
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*CPU: [[Hitachi]] [[SuperH|SH-4]] ([[RISC]], 2&#8209;way [[wikipedia:Superscalar|Superscalar]]) {{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm}}
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===Hardware comparisons===
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** Operating frequency: 206&nbsp;MHz
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{{MainArticle|Sega Dreamcast/Hardware comparison}}
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** 128-bit [[wikipedia:SIMD|SIMD]] @ 200&nbsp;MHz: [[wikipedia:Floating-point unit|Floating&#8209;point unit]], vector unit, geometry processor, graphic functions, [[wikipedia:Direct memory access|DMA]] controller, interrupt controller {{ref|http://pdf.datasheetcatalog.com/datasheets/70/271868_DS.pdf}}
 
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** 128-bit graphic computational engine: Calculates geometry and lighting of polygons, creates [[wikipedia:Display list|display lists]] of polygons for tiling, DMA allows SH4 access to VRAM and PowerVR2 access to Main RAM, store queue mechanism (allowing high-speed packet transfers between Main RAM and VRAM) {{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}
 
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* Performance: {{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm}}
 
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** Fixed&#8209;point performance: 360&nbsp;[[wikipedia:Instructions per second|MIPS]]
 
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** Floating&#8209;point performance: 1.4&nbsp;[[wikia:w:c:Instructions per second|GFLOPS]]
 
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** Polygon performance: Can calculate geometry and lighting of more than 10&nbsp;million polygons/sec
 
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}}
 
  
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=== Graphics ===
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==History==
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{{multicol|
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{{MainArticle|History of the Sega Dreamcast}}
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*GPU: [[NEC]]-[[wikipedia:Imagination Technologies|VideoLogic]] PowerVR2 CLX2* (PVR2DC / HOLLY) @ 100&nbsp;MHz {{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}{{fileref|PowerVR2DCFeaturesUnderWindowsCE.pdf}}
 
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** Cores: Tile Accelerator (TA), Image Synthesis Processor (ISP), Texture & Shading Processor (TSP)
 
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*** TA: Tile renderer, partitions infinite strip polygon data, divides polygons into tiles, performs tile clipping, generates object lists, retrieves display lists from SH4 (through store queues and DMA), generates ISP/TSP parameters
 
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*** ISP: Rasterizer, depth-sorting, [[wikipedia:Run-length encoding|RLE]] tile/polygon compression, parallel-processing of tiles/polygons at high speeds (1 clock cycle per vector, 32 pixels per clock cycle)
 
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*** TSP: Shader and texture-mapping unit, avoids shading/texturing overdrawn pixels/tiles and back-facing polygons to maximize bandwidth for on-screen pixels/tiles and front-facing polygons
 
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** [[wikipedia:RAMDAC|RAMDAC]]: 230&nbsp;MHz {{ref|http://segatech.com/technical/gpu/index.html}}
 
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** [[wikipedia:Texture mapping|Texture mapping]]: [[wikipedia:Texture mapping#perspective correctiveness|Perspective-correct]] [[wikipedia:Mipmap|mipmapping]], [[wikipedia:Environment mapping|environment mapping]], 1×1 to 2048×2048 texture sizes, [[wikipedia:Vector quantization|VQ]] [[wikipedia:Texture compression|texture compression]] {{ref|http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5471/12172411045_18bfc5912f_c.jpg}} (12.52% to 37.5% compression ratios), texture clamping/wrapping/mirroring, [[wikipedia:Multitexturing|multi&#8209;texturing]], [[wikipedia:Bump mapping|bump mapping]] (2&#8209;pass), [[wikipedia:Normal mapping|normal mapping]] (Dot3 bump mapping)
 
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** [[wikipedia:Texture filtering|Filtering]]: [[wikipedia:Nearest-neighbor interpolation|Point filtering]], [[wikipedia:Bilinear filtering|bilinear filtering]],{{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm}} [[wikipedia:Trilinear filtering|trilinear filtering]], [[wikipedia:Anisotropic filtering|anisotropic filtering]]
 
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** [[wikipedia:Spatial anti-aliasing|Anti-aliasing]]: [[wikipedia:Supersampling|Super-sampling anti-aliasing]] (up to 4× SSAA), [[wikipedia:FSAA|full-scene anti-aliasing]] (FSAA), edge anti-aliasing
 
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** [[wikipedia:Alpha blending|Alpha blending]]: 256 levels of transparency, multi-pass blending, per-pixel translucency sorting
 
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** [[wikipedia:Shading|Shading]]: Perspective-correct ARGB [[Gouraud shading]], flat shading, [[wikipedia:Shadow mapping|shadows]]
 
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** [[wikipedia:Rendering (computer graphics)|Rendering]]: [[wikipedia:Render output unit|ROP]] (render output unit), 32&#8209;bit floating-point [[wikipedia:Z-buffering|Z-buffering]] (on-chip), 256 [[wikipedia:Distance fog|fog effects]], vertex fog. per-pixel table fog, hardware clipping to viewport
 
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** Lighting: [[wikipedia:Specular highlight|Specular highlighting]],{{ref|http://www.ludd.luth.se/~jlo/dc/ta-intro.txt}} [[wikipedia:Per-pixel lighting|per-pixel lighting]] {{ref|http://ign.com/articles/2000/01/22/zombie-revenge-3}}
 
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** [[wikipedia:Tiled rendering|Tiled rendering]]: Screen partitioning into 32×32 tiles, tile/strip/line buffer (framebuffer compression), [[wikipedia:Deferred shading|deferred rendering]]: [[wikipedia:Hidden surface determination|hidden surface removal]] (32&#8209;bit floating-point), [[wikipedia:Back-face culling|back-face culling]], culling of tiny polygons
 
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** Polygons: [[wikipedia:Triangle mesh|Triangle polygons]], [[wikipedia:Polygon mesh|quad polygons]], [[sprite]] polygons, effective performance of more than 10&nbsp;million polygons/sec (including overdrawn and back-facing polygons), capable of drawing 7&nbsp;million front-facing polygons/sec on screen (geometry data storage for polygon models reduce VRAM available for textures), purely opaque "punch through" polygons drawn at high speed (32 pixels per clock cycle) {{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm}}
 
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** GMV (general modifier volumes): Light beams, shadows, lasers, glowing suns {{ref|http://www.gamepilgrimage.com/DCPScompare.htm}}
 
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* Display Resolution: 320×240 to 800×608 pixels, interlaced and progressive scan, TV and [[Dreamcast VGA Adapter|VGA]]
 
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** Internal resolution: 320×240 to 1600×1200 pixels {{ref|http://segatech.com/technical/gpu/index.html}}
 
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* Color Depth: 16&#8209;bit RGB to 32&#8209;bit [[wikipedia:RGBA color space|ARGB]], 65,536 colors (16&#8209;bit color) to 16,777,216 colors ([[wikipedia:24-bit color|24&#8209;bit color]]) with 8&#8209;bit (256 levels) [[wikipedia:Alpha compositing|alpha blending]], [[wikipedia:YUV|YUV]] and [[wikipedia:RGB color space|RGB color spaces]], [[wikipedia:Chroma key|color key]] overlay
 
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** Color output on screen: 65,536 colors (16&#8209;bit color) to 486,400 colors (32&#8209;bit color, 800×608 resolution) {{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20070811102018/www3.sharkyextreme.com/hardware/reviews/video/neon250/2.shtml}}
 
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* [[wikipedia:Framebuffer|Framebuffer]]:
 
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** Full framebuffer: 320×240×16&#8209;bit (150&nbsp;KB) to 1600×1200×32&#8209;bit (7500&nbsp;KB)
 
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** Strip buffer: 32×32×16&#8209;bit (4&nbsp;KB) to 32×1024×32&#8209;bit (256&nbsp;KB) {{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}
 
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* [[wikia:w:c:gaming:Three-dimensional|Polygon]] Performance: {{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm}}
 
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** More than 10&nbsp;million polygons/sec, with lighting (effective performance, including overdrawn and back-facing polygons)
 
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** 7&nbsp;million textured polygons/sec, with shadows,{{ref|http://segatech.com/technical/gpu/index.html}} lighting and trilinear filtering {{ref|http://tinyurl.com/o6oagjm}} (on-screen front-facing polygons)
 
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** 5&nbsp;million textured polygons/sec, with shadows, lighting, trilinear filtering and anti-aliasing (on-screen front-facing polygons)
 
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* Rendering [[wikipedia:Fillrate|Fillrate]]: {{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}
 
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** 3.2&nbsp;billion pixels/sec, for purely opaque "punch through" polygons (32&nbsp;pixels per clock cycle)
 
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** 100&nbsp;million pixels/sec, for transparent polygons with maximum hardware sort depth of 60 (1&nbsp;pixel per clock cycle)
 
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** 100&nbsp;million to 3.2&nbsp;billion pixels/sec, depending on opacity/translucency of polygons (1&#8209;32&nbsp;pixels per clock cycle) {{fileref|PowerVR2DCFeaturesUnderWindowsCE.pdf}}
 
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* Texture Fillrate:
 
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** 200-500&nbsp;million texels/sec, effective fillrate (including overdrawn and back-facing textures)
 
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** 100&nbsp;million [[wikipedia:Texel (graphics)|texels]]/sec, for front-facing textures drawn on screen
 
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* [[VRAM]]: 8&nbsp;MB (unified framebuffer/polygon/texture memory) {{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}{{ref|http://segatech.com/technical/consolecompare2/}}
 
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** Framebuffer: 4&nbsp;KB to 7500&nbsp;KB
 
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** Polygons: Up to 6511&nbsp;KB (10&nbsp;million polygons/sec, 32&#8209;bit precision, 40&nbsp;bytes per polygon)
 
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** Textures: Up to 8188&nbsp;KB (63.8&nbsp;MB with maximum compression)
 
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** Note: Main RAM can also be used to store textures and polygon display lists
 
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* Full-Motion Video: MPEG decoding, video compression, 320×240 to 640×320 and 320×480 video resolutions, 3D polygons can be superimposed over FMV video {{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm}}
 
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}}
 
  
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=== Sound ===
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===Localised names===
−
{{multicol|
+
{{aka
−
*Sound Card: Super Intelligent ([[Yamaha]]) Sound Processor with 47&nbsp;MHz 32&#8209;Bit [[RISC]] ARM7 CPU core built-in (64 channel PCM/ADPCM)
+
|en_name=Sega Dreamcast
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** [[wikipedia:Sound chip|Sound engine]]: [[Yamaha Super Intelligent Sound Processor|Yamaha AICA Super Intelligent Sound Processor]] @ 67&nbsp;MHz {{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm}}
+
|jp_name=ドリームキャスト
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** Internal CPU: 32&#8209;bit [[wikipedia:ARM7|ARM7]] RISC CPU @ 45&nbsp;MHz
+
|jp_trans=Dreamcast
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** CPU performance: 40 MIPS {{ref|http://www.segatech.com/technical/saturnspecs/}}
+
|il_name=דרימקאסט
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** Features: DSP, sound [[wikipedia:Synthesizer|synthesizer]], [[MIDI]],{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}} PCM sampling, ADPCM
 
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* [[Pulse-code modulation|PCM/ADPCM]]: 16&#8209;bit [[wikipedia:Audio bit depth|depth]], 48&nbsp;kHz [[wikipedia:Sampling rate|sampling rate]] ([[wikipedia:DVD-Audio|DVD quality]]), 64 channels {{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}
 
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* Middleware: Audio compression, voice recognition {{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm}}
 
 
}}
 
}}
  
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=== Memory ===
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==Games==
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{{multicol|
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{{MainArticle|Sega Dreamcast games}}
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* System [[RAM]]: 26.125&nbsp;[[Byte|MB]]
 
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** Main RAM: 16&nbsp;MB SDRAM ([[:file:HY57V161610D datasheet.pdf|Hyundai HY57V161610D]])
 
−
*** Can be used for storing textures and polygon display lists, accessible by SH4 and PowerVR2 (via SH4 DMA) {{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}
 
−
** [[VRAM]]: 8&nbsp;MB SDRAM (unified framebuffer/polygon/texture memory)
 
−
*** Accessible by Power VR2 and SH4 (via DMA and store queues)
 
−
** Sound RAM: 2&nbsp;MB SDRAM
 
−
** GD-ROM buffer RAM: 128&nbsp;KB {{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf}}
 
−
* System [[ROM]]: 2&nbsp;MB {{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf}}
 
−
* Flash Memory: 128&nbsp;KB {{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}
 
−
* Internal Processor Memory: 65,232&nbsp;[[byte]]s (63.703&nbsp;KB) {{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}
 
−
** SH4: 26,178&nbsp;bytes (8&nbsp;KB instruction cache, 16&nbsp;KB data cache,{{ref|http://web.archive.org/web/20000823204755/computer.org/micro/articles/dreamcast_2.htm}} 64&nbsp;bytes store queue cache,{{fileref|SH-4 Software Manual.pdf}} 1538&nbsp;bytes registers)
 
−
** PowerVR2: 6274&nbsp;bytes (128&nbsp;bytes ISP cache, 1&nbsp;KB texture cache, 509&nbsp;bytes fog table, 4093&nbsp;bytes palette RAM, 256&nbsp;bytes FIFO buffer, 264&nbsp;bytes registers)
 
−
** AICA: 32,780&nbsp;bytes (32&nbsp;KB sound registers, 8&nbsp;bytes RTC registers,{{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf}} 4&nbsp;bytes FIFO buffer)
 
−
* GD-ROM Drive: 12× maximum speed (when running in Constant Angular Velocity mode) {{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf}}{{fileref|DreamcastDevBoxSystemArchitecture.pdf}}
 
−
** Disc formats: GD&#8209;ROM, CD&#8209;ROM, CD&#8209;DA, , Photo CD, Video CD, CD Extra, CD+G, CD+EG
 
−
** Storage capacity: 1&nbsp;GB per GD&#8209;ROM, 656&nbsp;MB per CD&#8209;ROM
 
−
}}
 
  
−
==== Bandwidth ====
+
==Production credits==
−
{{multicol|
+
A list of names, likely the various people involved with console's creation, can be found at '''0x1A1A0''' in the flash ROM.
−
* System RAM Bandwidth: 1745&nbsp;MB/sec (1.704&nbsp;[[Byte|GB]]/sec) {{fileref|Dreamcast Hardware Specification Outline.pdf}}
+
{{creditstable|
−
** SH4 <-> Main RAM — 800&nbsp;MB/sec <small>(64&#8209;bit, 100&nbsp;MHz)</small>
+
*[[Shoichiro Irimajiri]], [[Sadahiko Hirose]], [[Hidekazu Yukawa]], [[Hideki Satou]], [[Nobuhisa Yamada]], [[Taku Matsubara]], [[Kazuhiro Yasutomi]], [[Shoji Nishikawa]], [[Takashi Sekimoto]], [[Toshihiro Oba]], [[Shuji Hori]], [[Masaharu Shinohara]], [[Kazuhiro Baba]], [[Katsunori Gendo]], [[Kouji Horikawa]], [[Masatoshi Horikawa]], [[Osamu Hosokawa]], [[Seiichi Kajiwara]], [[Junko Kase]], [[Toshikazu Kawada]], [[Yasuhisa Kawase]], [[Yusuke Kiguchi]], [[Naohiko Kobayashi]], [[Manabu Kubo]], [[Teruaki Kuwana]], [[Kunihiro Mori]], [[Tomoyuki Mori]], [[Shigeru Motoyoshi]], [[Takeshi Nagashima]], [[Yoshifumi Nakamura]], [[Chuji Nakayama]], [[Madoka Nakayama]], [[Tatsuya Namatame]], [[Yasuhiro Nishiyama]], [[Toshiyuki Ogawa]], [[Tadashi Ohya]], [[Tetsuya Okawa]], [[Tatsuya Sakurai]], [[Hideaki Satou]], [[Yutaka Suetsugi]], [[Eriko Suzuki]], [[Masahiko Takeuchi]], [[Makoto Takiguchi]], [[Ryo Taki]], [[Masaki Tanaka]], [[Kazuo Tsuda]], [[Satoshi Tsuda]], [[Koichi Takayasu]], [[Naoki Niizuma]], [[Atsunori Himoto]], [[Tomoe Shinohara]], [[Kunihiro Tokumaru]], [[Yoshikazu Nagao]], [[Satoshi Kira]], [[Akitoshi Oikawa]], [[Hirokazu Hama]], [[Toshimichi Sugai]], [[Naoji Ozaki]], [[Hiroki Goto|Hiroki Gotou]], [[Masaharu Yoshii]], [[Masaki Kawahori]], [[Yuki Yamanaka]], [[Shinichi Uchida]], [[Masahiro Seki]], [[Takashi Ando]], [[Hideki Kudo]], [[Nobuhiro Fukuda]], [[Jiro Terakawa]], [[Yoichi Uchida]], [[Hiroki Okabata]], [[Kazuyoshi Hara]], [[Yuko Nasu]], [[Syuuji Okada]], [[Yutaka Okunoki]],  [[Tatsuya Kouzaki|Tatuya Kouzaki]], [[Tadashi Jokagi]], [[Yoshiaki Kashima]], [[Kazumi Suyama]], [[Yutaka Sugano]], [[Tomoko Hasegawa]], [[Kazuhiro Matsuta]], [[Katsuhiko Sato]], [[Manabu Kusunoki]], [[Shinichi Oya]], [[Takeshi Suzuki]], [[Kazunori Shibata]], [[Shigeyuki Shimizu]], [[Masayuki Imanishi]], [[Kenji Otsuji|Kenji Ohtsuji]], [[Masamichi Miyoshi]], [[Tarou Mitani]], [[Takaaki Jindou]], [[Yoshitake Noguchi]]
−
** PVR2 <-> VRAM  — 800&nbsp;MB/sec <small>(64&#8209;bit, 100&nbsp;MHz)</small>
+
| source=ROM text{{ref|https://tcrf.net/Dreamcast}}
−
** AICA <-> Sound RAM — 132&nbsp;MB/sec <small>(16&#8209;bit, 66&nbsp;MHz)</small>
+
| console=DC
−
** SH4 <-> GD&#8209;ROM buffer — 13.3&nbsp;MB/sec <small>(16&#8209;bit)</small>
 
−
* System ROM Bandwidth: 20&nbsp;MB/sec <small>(16&#8209;bit, 10&nbsp;MHz)</small>
 
−
* Internal Processor Memory Bandwidth:
 
−
** SH4: 1600&nbsp;MB/sec (1.562&nbsp;GB/sec) <small>(64&#8209;bit, 200&nbsp;MHz)</small>
 
−
** PowerVR2: 800&nbsp;MB/sec <small>(64&#8209;bit, 100&nbsp;MHz)</small>
 
−
** AICA: 256&nbsp;MB/sec <small>(32&#8209;bit, 67&nbsp;MHz)</small>
 
−
* GD-ROM Drive: 1800&nbsp;KB/sec (1.76&nbsp;MB/sec) transfer rate, 250 milliseconds access time
 
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
=== BIOS ===
+
{{creditstable|
−
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
+
*[[Hideki Sato]]
−
|+ BIOS Revisions
+
*[[Hiroyuki Ohtaka]]
−
|-
+
*'''Start-up Video Production:''' [[Kazuhiro Fumoto]]
−
! width="50"| BIOS Version
+
*'''Start-up Jingle:''' [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]]
−
! Machine
+
| source=Developer mentions{{fileref|Sega_Consumer_History_JP_EnterBrain_Book.pdf|page=23}}{{ref|https://www.facebook.com/hiroyuki.ohtaka/about_work_and_education}}{{ref|https://web.archive.org/web/20231029150957/https://area.autodesk.jp/column/tutorial/softimage_maniacs/}}<ref>JW Szczepaniak (2014). ''The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers: Volume 1''</ref>
−
! Download
+
| console=DC
−
|-
 
−
| 1.004
 
−
| Sega Dreamcast (Commercial-Early)
 
−
| {{file|Jp_dc_1.004.7z|1.004 (Japan)}}
 
−
|-
 
−
| rowspan="3"| 1.01d
 
−
| rowspan="3"| Sega Dreamcast (Commercial)
 
−
| {{file|Us_dc_1.01d.zip|1.01d (North America)}}
 
−
|-
 
−
| {{file|Eu_dc_1.01d.zip|1.01d (Europe)}}
 
−
|-
 
−
| {{file|Jp_dc_1.01d.zip|1.01d (Japan)}}
 
−
|-
 
−
| 1.011
 
−
| Sega Dreamcast (HKT-0120 Devbox)
 
−
| {{file|Jp_dc_1.011(dev).7z|1.011 (HKT-0120 Devbox)}}
 
−
|}
 
−
 
 
−
=== Other Specifications ===
 
−
{{multicol|
 
−
* Operating Systems:
 
−
** [[Sega]] native operating system
 
−
** Custom [[Windows CE]],{{ref|http://segatech.com/technical/overview/index.html}} with [[wikipedia:DirectX|DirectX 6.0]], [[wikipedia:Direct3D|Direct3D]] and [[wikipedia:OpenGL|OpenGL]] support
 
−
* Inputs: Four ports that can support a digital and analog controller, steering wheel, joystick, keyboard, mouse, and more
 
−
* Dimensions: 189mm x 195mm x 76mm (7 7/16" x 7 11/16" x 3")
 
−
* Weight: 1.9kg (4.4lbs)
 
−
* Modem: Removable; Original Asia/Japan model had a 33.6 Kbytes/s; models released after 9 September 1999 had a 56 Kbytes/s modem
 
−
*[[Sega Dreamcast Broadband Adapter]]: these adapters are available separately and replace the removable modem
 
−
** HIT-400: "Broadband Adapter", the more common model, this used a RealTek 8139 chip and supported 10/100mbit
 
−
* HIT-300: "Lan Adapter", this version used a Fujitsu MB86967 chip and supported only 10mbit
 
−
*Storage: "Visual Memory Unit" ([[VMU]]) 128 Kb removable storage device
 
−
*Input devices: (4 custom controller ports)
 
−
**[[Controller (Dreamcast)|Standard Dreamcast gamepad]] with two add-on ports
 
−
***Add-ons: VMU, 4x Memory Card, Jump Pack
 
−
**Sega Dreamcast Keyboard
 
−
**Sega Dreamcast Mouse
 
−
**[[Dreamcast fishing controller|Sega Dreamcast Fishing Controller]]
 
−
**Sega Dreamcast Microphone (bundled with Seaman)
 
−
**[[VMU MP3 Player]] (Unreleased)
 
−
**[[Swatch Access for Dreamcast]] (Unreleased)
 
−
*Output devices:
 
−
**Sega Dreamcast RF Unit
 
−
**Sega Dreamcast AV cables (composite)
 
−
**[[Sega Dreamcast VGA Adapter]]
 
−
*Add-ons:
 
−
**Sega Dreamcast Karaoke System (Japan only)
 
−
**[[Dreameye]] (Japan only)
 
−
**[[Dreamcast Zip Drive|Sega Dreamcast Zip Drive]] (Unreleased)
 
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
==History==
+
==Magazine articles==
−
===Development===
+
{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Magazine articles}}
−
:''Main article: [[Sega Dreamcast Development]]''
 
  
−
===Release===
+
==Video coverage==
−
====Japan====
+
{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Video coverage}}
−
The Dreamcast was first released on the 27th of November 1998 in Japan with four launch titles: ''[[July]]'', ''[[Pen Pen TriIcelon]]'', ''[[Virtua Fighter 3tb]]'', and ''[[Godzilla Generations]]''. The situation in Japan was very different to that of the western world - in Japan the Sega Saturn had been a rousing success, and Japanese publishers failed to see the need for a new console. However sales were still strong for many years and Sega of Japan's position was to run the two consoles in parallel, with the possibility of the Saturn handling 2D games, and the Dreamcast, 3D.
 
  
−
Initial predictions by Sega were that the [[PlayStation 2]] would debut in late 1999 (it was actually early 2000 in Japan). The aim was to attract as many developers as possible within a year to attempt to secure the Dreamcast as the number one consoles of its generation.
+
==Promotional material==
 +
{{mainArticle|{{PAGENAME}}/Promotional material}}
  
−
With the Mega Drive, Sega had identified the US and Europe as the largest video game markets. With the Saturn and Dreamcast, they felt (perhaps wrongly) that Japan was the key territory. As such, like the Saturn, the Dreamcast was subjected to many games exclusive to Japan, along with numerous exclusive peripherals and special Dreamcast models.
+
==Digital manuals==
−
 
+
<gallery>
−
Japanese Dreamcasts can be identified by the triangle at the front of the unit. Though the power LED is identical across all regions, the piece of plastic attached to the lid of the Japanese model is transparent, while in North America it is grey.
+
Dreamcast US DigitalManual.pdf|US manual
−
 
+
</gallery>
−
====North America====
 
−
The US had to wait nearly a full year for their Dreamcasts - Sega executed a massive launch on the 9th of September 1999 (9/9/99). Shoichiro Irimajiri claimed this was so the Dreamcast could launch with wider variety of games (it ended up being 4 (JP) vs. 18 (US)), and the first time a Sega console would launch with "enough" games.
 
−
 
 
−
The Dreamcast took in over $97 Million USD on the first day of launch in North America, and sold over 500,000 machines in the first two weeks. Sega were quick to point out that $97,000,000 is more than ''Star Wars: The Phantom Menace'' brought in on its first day of release. Over a million machines were sold in North America in just over two and a half months, making the Dreamcast the fastest selling video games machine in that region, ever.
 
−
 
 
−
Sega Dreamcast's motto in the US was "It's thinking". There was some confusion with Sega's marketing tactics at the time, as adverts often failed to address ''what'' was thinking. It was not always clear that the Dreamcast was a games console.
 
−
 
 
−
But the Dreamcast was met with problems when rumours of Sony's PlayStation 2 came into circulation. Many consumers held back from buying Dreamcasts, anticipating that Sony's console would be superior. Predictably, the PlayStation 2 proved to be a more capable machine, and despite its relatively weak initial library of games, came out on top due to the inclusion of DVD-playback capabilities. At the time, DVD players were quite expensive, so the PS2 was seen as a much better deal.
 
−
 
 
−
Production of North American Dreamcasts ceased in November 2001, several months after Sega announced plans to leave the console business. Despite this, the Dreamcast is seen to have been more successful than the Sega Saturn (and Sega Master System) in this region.
 
−
 
 
−
====Europe====
 
−
The European release date was also aimed at a 9/9/99 release date but was pushed back to the 14th of October 1999. Likewise, initial European sales figures looked healthy, with over 100,000 machines sold in Europe on launch day alone and over 185,000 in the first weekend, but were console was threatened by the release of the PlayStation 2 and inevitably suffered the same fate as its North American counterpart. Albeit this, the Dreamcast did last longer in Europe than in North America, and was officially discontinued in the spring of 2002.
 
−
 
 
−
On 8 September 2000, Sega Europe reduced the price in the UK to £149.99. [http://sega.jp/corp/release/2000/0901_3/]
 
−
 
 
−
====Australia/New Zealand====
 
−
Unfortunately, in the Australian region the launch was less successful, often being labeled a disaster by fans of Sega. [[Ozisoft]], the official Sega distributor in Australia, only managed to output nine launch titles despite the late release date (November 30, 1999), none of which were first party products. Apparently Sega-developed software had been held in customs and could not reach store shelves by the release date. Also with no [[VMU]]s or other peripherals on the market, it seemed that after what seemed like infinite delays, Australian fans deserved better.
 
−
 
 
−
====Brazil====
 
−
[[Tectoy]], who had been responsible for distributing Sega consoles in Brazil since the [[Sega Master System]], brought the Dreamcast to Brazil on October 4, 1999. The majority of games were repackaged titles imported from the US, and the console was not particularly successful.
 
−
 
 
−
====South Korea====
 
−
Breaking from the tradition of partnering with [[Samsung]], in South Korea the Sega Dreamcast was reportedly distributed by Hyundai, the company who, curiously, had carried Nintendo products in the country during the 90s. Unlike the rest of the world, the Dreamcast arrived late in South Korea and was priced as a budget console competing against the [[PlayStation 2]] and [[Xbox]]. 25,000 units were shipped before Hyundai cancelled the project for unknown reasons. South Korean Dreamcasts were supposedly bundled with modem cables to take advantage of the system's online services.
 
−
 
 
−
Some Korean developers were reportedly developing games for the Dreamcast before the plug was pulled. ''[[Arcturus]]'' and ''[[White Day]]'', both eventually released on the PC, were once set to be released on the console.
 
−
 
 
−
<!-- old and should probably be killed
 
−
==What's in the box?==
 
−
You will normally find the following in your box, along with a bunch of advertising-based and warning pamphlets together with recycled and recyclable packaging materials.
 
−
 
 
−
*The Dreamcast console
 
−
*Modem (attached to the console, but detachable - try it!)†
 
−
*One joypad controller
 
−
*Demo [[GD-ROM]] Disc
 
−
*Browser Disc ††
 
−
*A long (30&nbsp;foot) phone cable for the modem†
 
−
*Power cable with the appropriate plug for your region
 
−
*Composite video lead (also known as an AV cable)†††
 
−
*Manual (a simple black and white affair)
 
−
† If your machine is imported from Asia, or if you live there, you won't get a modem, just a lump of plastic so that you don't have a gaping hole in the side of your machine.<br />
 
−
†† The exact browser disc included varied by region and time of release. The Japanese browser was [[Dream Passport]], the US browser was [[PlanetWeb]] and the European browser was [[DreamKey]].<br />
 
−
††† In the UK, a RF Unit was included instead of the AV cable to ensure that the Dreamcast was compatible with all TVs. I don't have any info yet on which TV leads were included in other European regions, but it is possible that an RGB/SCART cable was included.
 
−
 
 
−
There is no [[VMU]] in the standard Dreamcast packages in any of the 4 regions.
 
−
 
 
−
There is no RF unit in the standard North American Dreamcast package. For older TVs, you'll have to purchase this separately. Also, if you have a [[S-Video]] or [[SCART]] capable TV, you should buy the relevant cable for that, too.
 
−
-->
 
−
 
 
−
==Launch Titles==
 
−
===Japan===
 
−
*''[[Godzilla Generations]]''
 
−
*''[[July]]''
 
−
*''[[Pen Pen TriIcelon]]''
 
−
*''[[Virtua Fighter 3tb]]''
 
−
===North America===
 
−
{{multicol|
 
−
*''[[Air Force Delta]]''
 
−
*''[[Blue Stinger]]''
 
−
*''[[Expendable]]''
 
−
*''[[Flag to Flag]]''
 
−
*''[[House of the Dead 2]]''
 
−
*''[[Hydro Thunder]]''
 
−
*''[[Monaco Grand Prix]]''
 
−
*''[[Mortal Kombat Gold]]''
 
−
*''[[NFL 2K]]''
 
−
*''[[NFL Blitz 2000]]''
 
−
*''[[PenPen TriIcelon]]''
 
−
*''[[Power Stone]]''
 
−
*''[[Ready 2 Rumble Boxing]]''
 
−
*''[[Sonic Adventure]]''
 
−
*''[[SoulCalibur]]''
 
−
*''[[TNN Motorsports Hardcore Heat]]''
 
−
*''[[Tokyo Xtreme Racer]]''
 
−
*''[[TrickStyle]]''
 
−
}}
 
−
===Europe===
 
−
{{multicol|
 
−
*''[[Blue Stinger]]''
 
−
*''[[Buggy Heat]]''
 
−
*''[[Expendable]]''
 
−
*''[[Incoming]]''
 
−
<!-- *''[[Metropolis Street Racer]]'' -->
 
−
*''[[Monaco Grand Prix]]''
 
−
*''[[Power Stone]]''
 
−
*''[[Sega Rally 2]]''
 
−
*''[[Sonic Adventure]]''
 
−
*''[[Speed Devils]]''
 
−
*''[[Trick Style]]''
 
−
*''[[Virtua Fighter 3tb]]''
 
−
}}
 
  
 
==Gallery==
 
==Gallery==
−
===Hardware Diagrams===
+
{{ratings|DC}}
 +
===Official photographs===
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
−
File:Dreamcast Diagram1.svg
+
DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dreamcast & cd.png
−
File:Dreamcast Diagram2.svg
+
DreamcastScreenshots Hardware back dreamcast.png
 +
DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dreamcast master.png
 +
DreamcastScreenshots Hardware Dreamcast 1.png
 +
DreamcastScreenshots Hardware Dreamcast 2.png
 +
DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dream cast & board.png
 +
DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware dc mit joypad und vm.jpg
 +
DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE.jpg
 +
DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE CONTR.jpg
 +
DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE CONTR VM.jpg
 +
DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware GROUP VM.jpg
 +
DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware console frei.jpg
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
−
===Logos===
+
 
−
<gallery>
+
==Logos by regions==
−
File:Dreamcast logo.svg
+
{|class="prettytable sortable" style="background: #f2f2f2;"
−
File:Dreamcast PAL logo.svg|European/Australian logo
+
|-
 +
! style="width:100px;" style="text-align: center;" |'''Logo'''
 +
! style="width:100px;" style="text-align: center;" |'''Region'''
 +
|- style="background: silver;"
 +
|-
 +
|<gallery>Dreamcast logo.svg</gallery>
 +
|Used in Japan, Asia and South Korea
 +
|-
 +
|<gallery>Dreamcast logo.svg
 +
Dreamcast US Logo Sega.svg
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
 +
|Used in North and South America
 +
|-
 +
|<gallery>Dreamcast PAL logo.svg</gallery>
 +
|Used in Western and Eastern Europe,<br> Asia, Africa, Australasia
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
−
==Promotional Material==
+
==Artwork==
−
===Print Advertisements===
 
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
−
File:Dreamcast US PrintAdvert.jpg|US (pre-launch 1)
+
Dreamcast Diagram1.svg|Hardware diagrams
−
File:Dreamcast US PrintAdvert 2.jpg|US (pre-launch 2)
+
Dreamcast Diagram2.svg
−
File:Dreamcast US PrintAdvert 3.jpg|US (pre-launch 3)
+
DreamcastPressDisc4 Logos STYLEGUIDE.pdf|EU branding guidelines
−
File:Dreamcast US PrintAdvert 4.jpg|US (pre-launch 4)
 
−
File:DC UK PrintAdvert 2.jpg|UK (pre-launch)
 
−
DC UK PrintAdvert Rex.jpg|UK
 
−
File:DC DE PrintAdvert.jpg|DE (1)
 
−
File:DC DE PrintAdvert 2.jpg|DE (2)
 
−
File:Dreamcast_BR_PrintAdvert.jpg|BR (1)
 
−
File:Dreamcast_BR_PrintAdvert2.jpg|BR (2)
 
−
File:Dreamcast_BR_PrintAdvert3.jpg|BR (3)
 
−
File:DCInternet DC UK PrintAdvert British.jpg|UK (the British)
 
−
File:DCInternet DC UK PrintAdvert French.jpg|UK (the French)
 
−
File:DCInternet DC UK PrintAdvert Germans.jpg|UK (the Germans)
 
−
File:DCInternet DC UK PrintAdvert Spanish.jpg|UK (the Spanish)
 
−
File:DCInternet DC FR PrintAdvert British.jpg|FR (the British)
 
−
File:DCInternet DC FR PrintAdvert Germans.jpg|FR (the Germans)
 
−
File:DCInternet DC FR PrintAdvert Spanish.jpg|FR (the Spanish)
 
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
  
−
===Television Advertisements===
+
==Patents==
 
<gallery>
 
<gallery>
−
DC UK TVAdvert Barbers.mp4|UK (launch)
+
Patent USD412940.pdf|USD412940
−
DC JP TVAdvert SomethingCampaign.mp4|JP (Campaign)
 
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
 +
==External links==
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20000621105240/http://www.dreamcast.com.au/ www.dreamcast.com.au (Australia and New Zealand)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010207203709/http://www.sega.at/start.html www.sega.at (Austria)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20020811061905/http://dreamcast.gz.ee/ dreamcast.gz.ee (Estonia)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/19991006055629/http://www.dreamcast-europe.com/ www.dreamcast-europe.com (Europe)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010723143113/http://www.dcfin.net/ www.dcfin.net (Finland) ]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/2001*/http://dreamcastfinland.net/ dreamcastfinland.net (Finland) ]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040615201546/http://segadc.uw.hu/main/main.htm segadc.uw.hu (Hungary)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/19991110181603/http://www.dreamcast.is/ www.dreamcast.is (Iceland)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20011030031554/http://dreamcast.times.lv/ dreamcast.times.lv (Latvia)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030603165424/http://www.symbas.com/dreamarena/index.html dreamarena.ru (Russia) ]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20020109174127/http://www.dreamcast.pl/dreamcast/ www.dreamcast.pl (Poland)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030424194435/http://dreamcast-rus.boom.ru/  dreamcast-rus.boom.ru (Russia)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20020321230534/http://dream-cast.narod.ru/  dream-cast.narod.ru (Russia)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20010302164645/http://dreamcast.miesto.sk/ dreamcast.miesto.sk (Slovakia)]
 +
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20000618081150/http://www.dreamcast.nu/ www.dreamcast.nu (Sweden)]
  
−
{{Sega_Consoles}}
+
==References==
 +
{{multicol|
 +
<references />
 +
|cols=3}}
 +
 
 +
{{Sega Consoles}}
 
{{Dreamcast}}
 
{{Dreamcast}}
 +
 
[[Category:Sega Dreamcast| ]]
 
[[Category:Sega Dreamcast| ]]
 +
[[Category:Dreamcast hardware| ]]

Latest revision as of 16:21, 1 January 2024

Dreamcast logo.svg
Dreamcast.jpg
Dreamcast
Manufacturer: Sega
Variants: Sega NAOMI, Atomiswave, Sega System SP
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Dreamcast
JP 		¥29,80029,800 HKT-3000
Sega Dreamcast
US 		$199.99199.99 HKT-3020
Sega Dreamcast
DE 		DM 499,-499,-[5] HKT-3030
Sega Dreamcast
ES 		HKT-3030
Sega Dreamcast
FR 		1,690F1,690[4] HKT-3030
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UK 		£199.99199.99[3] HKT-3030
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CZ 		10400 Kč10400 [9]
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PL 		999zł999
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RU
Sega Dreamcast
AU 		$499.00499.00[6]
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BR 		R$899.00899.00
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MA 		3.999 DH3.999 DH
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IN 		₹1400014000[11]
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KR 		HKT-3010
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AS 		HKT-3010

The Dreamcast (ドリームキャスト) is a home video game console manufactured by Sega as a successor to the Sega Saturn. Dubbed as Sega's "Super Console"[12], it is a "128-bit" machine designed with then-cutting edge hardware and a focus on the internet. The Dreamcast was originally released in Japan in November 1998 before seeing a Western release the following year.

The Dreamcast was Sega's seventh and final home video game console, and was discontinued in early 2001[13][14] due to financial constraints within the company. It had sold at least 8.2 million hardware units and 51.63 million software units by March 2001,[15], with estimates suggesting 10.6 million hardware units in total.

An arcade counterpart to the Dreamcast exists as the Sega NAOMI.

Hardware

The Dreamcast is a small, white box with aesthetics designed to appeal to a wide-ranging audience. It was envisioned as an "128-bit" "super console", designed to leapfrog "32-bit" and "64-bit" contemporaries in the form of the PlayStation and Nintendo 64, respectively (although from a technical standpoint, its main processor deals in 32-bit or 64-bit instructions, with the 128-bit figure coming from the graphics hardware). Incidentally the Dreamcast was the last home console to use "bits" as a selling point, with processing capabilities now typically measured in other ways.

Taking design cues from the Nintendo 64 and the Sega Saturn, the Dreamcast contains four control ports, a removable modem, disc drive and an extension port (as well as the expected AV and power inputs). It is not backwards compatible with any prior Sega hardware or software (although its controller derives from the Saturn's 3D Control Pad), and operates in much the same way as the Saturn (and PlayStation) does, with a configurable settings and memory management accessed through a BIOS screen.

The Dreamcast uses a proprietary format of storage called GD-ROMs for games in order to circumvent software piracy, a strategy that ultimately backfired when the first run of discs had a high rate of defects. The format was also cracked fairly quickly (and in some cases, the pirated games were released before the legitimate versions). Sega largely had themselves to blame for the high levels of Dreamcast piracy—their use of the GD-ROM format was completely undermined by the console's support for the Mil-CD format, which allowed the console to boot from a standard CD-R. Mil-CD support was removed from the final Dreamcast revisions toward the end of the console's life.

The GD-ROM format also put the console at a disadvantage when competing against the PlayStation 2 - the PS2 used DVDs, and could therefore run DVD videos making it an inexpensive DVD player as well as a video game console. DVD-ROMs also have more storage space, allowing for bigger games (though the initial run of PS2 games used a blue CD-ROM format). Sega looked into DVD technology during the Dreamcast's development but claimed it was too expensive.

The Dreamcast was the first video game console to ship with a built-in 56k modem, with broadband adapters being made available later on in certain regions. This allowed the system to connect to the internet using a custom, fully-functional web browser and e-mail client. Many games released for the Dreamcast shipped with online play modes, the most popular being Phantasy Star Online and the Sega Sports lineup (now published under the ESPN label). Although other consoles before the Dreamcast had network gaming support, such as the Sega Saturn's NetLink and the Sega Mega Drive's XB∀ND, the Dreamcast was the first game console to include this ability out of the box and is therefore considered the first internet-enabled home game system.

The Dreamcast has a modest hacking enthusiast community. The availability of Windows CE software development kits on the Internet—as well as ports of Linux (LinuxDC) and dreamcast NetBSD operating systems to the Dreamcast—gave programmers a selection of familiar development tools to work with, even though they do not really support the high speed graphics. A homebrew minimal operating system called Kallistios offers support for most hardware, while not offering multi-tasking, which is superfluous for games. Many emulators and other tools (MP3, DivX players, and image viewers) have been ported to or written for the console, taking advantage of the relative ease with which a home user can write a CD which is bootable by an unmodified Dreamcast.

Sega released an arcade board, using the same technology as the Dreamcast, called Sega NAOMI, leading to many Dreamcast-exclusive games with a high level of arcade quality.

The Dreamcast's PowerVR CLX2 was the first GPU for a home system with hardware capabilities such as bump mapping, volumetric effects,[16] order-independent transparency, and Dot3 normal mapping.[17]

Models

Main article: Dreamcast consoles.

  • Japanese model

  • North American model

  • European model

Japanese Dreamcasts can be identified by the triangle at the front of the unit. Though the power LED is identical across all regions, the piece of plastic attached to the lid of the Japanese model is transparent, while in North America it is grey. The Japanese models also have the text "Designed for Microsoft Windows CE" printed on the front right, whereas Western versions say "Compatible with Microsoft Windows CE".

For a full list of special edition Dreamcasts, see Special Dreamcast Models.

Technical specifications

Main article: Sega Dreamcast/Technical specifications.

Hardware comparisons

Main article: Sega Dreamcast/Hardware comparison.

History

Main article: History of the Sega Dreamcast.

Localised names

Also known as
Language Localised Name English Translation
English Sega Dreamcast Sega Dreamcast
Japanese ドリームキャスト Dreamcast
Hebrew דרימקאסט

Games

Main article: Sega Dreamcast games.

Production credits

A list of names, likely the various people involved with console's creation, can be found at 0x1A1A0 in the flash ROM.

Source:
ROM text[18]


Source:
Developer mentions[19][20][21][22]


Magazine articles

Main article: Sega Dreamcast/Magazine articles.

Video coverage

Main article: Sega Dreamcast/Video coverage.

Promotional material

Main article: Sega Dreamcast/Promotional material.

Digital manuals

  • US manual

Gallery

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
GameZine (UK)
90
[23]
Komputer Świat Gry (PL)
75
[24]
Man!ak (PL)
85
[25]
Play (PL)
60
[26]
PSX Extreme (PL)
78
[27]
PSX Extreme (PL)
57
[28]
Sega Dreamcast
 74
Based on
6 reviews

Sega Dreamcast

Official photographs

  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dreamcast & cd.png
  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware back dreamcast.png
  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dreamcast master.png
  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware Dreamcast 1.png
  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware Dreamcast 2.png
  • DreamcastScreenshots Hardware dream cast & board.png
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware dc mit joypad und vm.jpg
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE.jpg
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE CONTR.jpg
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware CONSOLE CONTR VM.jpg
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware GROUP VM.jpg
  • DreamcastPressDisc4 Hardware console frei.jpg

Logos by regions

Logo Region
  • Dreamcast logo.svg
 Used in Japan, Asia and South Korea
  • Dreamcast logo.svg
  • Dreamcast US Logo Sega.svg
 Used in North and South America
  • Dreamcast PAL logo.svg
 Used in Western and Eastern Europe,
Asia, Africa, Australasia

Artwork

  • Hardware diagrams

  • Dreamcast Diagram2.svg

  • EU branding guidelines

Patents

  • USD412940

External links

References

  1. ↑ Press release: 1999-09-02: Sega Dreamcast Launch Titles and Peripherals
  2. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "November 1999" (UK; 1999-10-13), page 52
  3. ↑ Computer & Video Games, "October 1999" (UK; 1999-09-15), page 59
  4. ↑ File:ConsolesMicro FR 01.pdf, page 15
  5. ↑ File:NextLevel DE 1999-0910.pdf, page 6
  6. ↑ Hyper, "September 1999" (AU; 1999-xx-xx), page 29
  7. ↑ Dreamcast (Tectoy) (Wayback Machine: 2000-03-03 16:07)
  8. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20010409225930/http://sega.ru:80/news.phtml
  9. ↑ https://www.idnes.cz/ekonomika/test-a-spotrebitel/nova-konzole-dreamcast-prehrava-konkurenci.A_2000M051T05A
  10. ↑ https://www.ign.com/articles/2000/11/22/dreamcast-heads-to-india
  11. ↑ https://www.afaqs.com/news/story/795_Stracon-ready-to-turn-the-TV-into-a-multi-dimensional-entertainment-device
  12. ↑ Press release: 1998-05-21: Sega Unveils Super Console!
  13. ↑ Press Release: 2001-01-28: Dúvidas e confirmações no futuro da Dreamcast
  14. ↑ Press Release: 2001-10-29: Dreamcast não desiste e mostra novos trunfos
  15. ↑ File:AnnualReport2001 English.pdf, page 16
  16. ↑ Gamers' Republic, "August 1998" (US; 1998-07-21), page 29
  17. ↑ [PC Magazine, December 1999, page 193 PC Magazine, December 1999, page 193]
  18. ↑ The Cutting Room Floor: Dreamcast
  19. ↑ File:Sega_Consumer_History_JP_EnterBrain_Book.pdf, page 23
  20. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/hiroyuki.ohtaka/about_work_and_education
  21. ↑ https://area.autodesk.jp/column/tutorial/softimage_maniacs/ (Wayback Machine: 2023-10-29 15:09)
  22. ↑ JW Szczepaniak (2014). The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers: Volume 1
  23. ↑ GameZine (UK) (+0:00)
  24. ↑ Komputer Świat Gry, "Czerwiec-lipiec 2000" (PL; 2000-xx-xx), page 72
  25. ↑ Man!ak, "Grudzień 1999" (PL; 1999-xx-xx), page 10
  26. ↑ Play, "Wszystko o Konsolach" (PL; 2001-xx-xx), page 2
  27. ↑ PSX Extreme, "02/99" (PL; 1999-0x-xx), page 18
  28. ↑ PSX Extreme, "03/2001" (PL; 2001-0x-xx), page 42
Sega Home Video Game Systems
83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11
SG-1000 SG-1000 II Mega Drive Mega Drive II
SC-3000 Mega-CD Mega-CD II Genesis 3
Sega Mark III 32X Dreamcast
Master System Master System II
AI Computer Game Gear
Saturn
Pico Beena


Sega Dreamcast
Topics Technical specifications (Hardware comparison) | History (Development | Release | Decline and legacy | Internet) | List of games | Magazine articles | Promotional material | Merchandise
Hardware Japan (Special) | Western Europe | Eastern Europe | North America | Asia | South America | Australasia | Africa
Add-ons Dreamcast Karaoke | Dreameye
Controllers Controller | Arcade Stick | Fishing Controller | Gun (Dream Blaster) | Race Controller | Maracas Controller (Third-party) | Twin Stick | Keyboard | Mouse | Third-party
Controller Add-ons Jump Pack (Third-party) | Microphone | VMU (4x Memory Card | Third-party)
Development Hardware Dev.Box | Controller Box | Controller Function Checker | Sound Box | GD-Writer | C1/C2 Checker | Dev.Cas | GD-ROM Duplicator
Online Services/Add-ons Dreamarena | SegaNet | WebTV for Dreamcast | Modem | Modular Cable | Modular Extension Cable | Broadband Adapter | Dreamphone
Connector Cables Onsei Setsuzoku Cable | RF Adapter | Scart Cable | S Tanshi Cable | Stereo AV Cable | VGA Box

Dreamcast MIDI Interface Cable | Neo Geo Pocket/Dreamcast Setsuzoku Cable | Taisen Cable

Misc. Hardware Action Replay CDX | Code Breaker | Kiosk | MP3 DC | MP3 DC Audio Player | Official Case | Treamcast
Third-party accessories Controllers | Controller converters | Miscellaneous
Unreleased Accessories DVD Player | Zip Drive | Swatch Access for Dreamcast | VMU MP3 Player
Arcade Variants NAOMI | Atomiswave | Sega Aurora
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