The SEGA Genesis Mini 2 supply will be very limited

After years of speculation, SEGA finally announced the Mega Drive Mini 2 earlier this summer. They only announced a Japanese release date, but didn’t rule out a possible SEGA Genesis Mini 2 version for North America. Now, the company has confirmed that North Americans can get their hands on a unit as well — but only if they hurry.

Supply for the console is going to be very limited across the globe. SEGA states that they will only be shipping a tenth of the original Genesis Mini’s supply.

It appears that manufacturing issues following the COVID-19 pandemic are rearing their ugly head yet again. SEGA has acknowledged that players in North America want the console, but it’s only coming in limited supply. And it won’t be cheap, either. You have to import the console into North America and on top of the $108 USD price tag, you’ve also got to play $22 USD in shipping — leading to a total $130 USD purchase.

Why is the SEGA Genesis Mini 2 in short supply?

Demand for a SEGA Genesis Mini 2 has been rampant since the original version launched. SEGA has commented before on the fan demand for more miniature consoles. However, issues like a chip shortage and pandemic-induced manufacturing costs have given them pause.

It seems that SEGA’s mindset is that for North America, it was either this small amount of units or nothing at all. SEGA originally intended for this to be a Japan-exclusive product, at least for the time being. But the company realized they could sell a small set of its units through Amazon.

“By using Amazon’s ‘Japan Store’ system,” a SEGA representative told Polygon, “we found that at least a small number of units could be sold via Amazon.com, so a portion was allocated to make the North American version.”

While supply is limited, North American players can pre-order the SEGA Genesis Mini 2 on Amazon by clicking our affiliate link here. Are you planning to get one? Let us know!

Via Polygon.