Genesis Nomad
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| Also known as | Sega Nomad |
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| Manufacturer | Sega |
| Generation | Handheld game console |
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| Discontinued |
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| Media | Sega Genesis ROM cartridge |
| CPU | Motorola 68000 |
| Display | 320 × 224 pixels, 512 color palette, 64 colors on-screen |
| Power | 6 AA batteries, 2 to 3 hours |
| Predecessor | Game Gear, Mega Jet |
The Genesis Nomad (also known as Sega Nomad) is a handheld game console by Sega released in North America in October 1995. The Nomad is a portable variation of Sega's home console, the Sega Genesis (known as the Mega Drive outside North America). Designed from the Mega Jet, a portable version of the home console designed for use on airline flights in Japan, Nomad served to succeed the Game Gear and was the last handheld console released by Sega. In addition to functioning as a portable device, it was designed to be used with a television set via a video port. Released late in the Genesis era, the Nomad had a short lifespan.
Sold exclusively in North America, the Nomad was never officially released worldwide, and employs a regional lockout. Sega's focus on the Sega Saturn left the Nomad undersupported, and the handheld itself was incompatible with several Genesis peripherals, including the Power Base Converter, the Sega CD, and the 32X.
The Genesis represents Sega's entry into the 16-bit era of video game consoles. In Japan, Sega released the Mega Jet, a portable version of the Mega Drive designed for use on Japan Airlines flights. As a condensed version, the Mega Jet requires a connection to a television screen and a power source, and so outside of airline flights it is only useful in cars equipped with a television set and cigarette lighter receptacle.
Planning to release a new handheld console as a successor to the Game Gear, Sega originally intended to produce a system with a touchscreen interface, two years before the Game.com handheld by Tiger Electronics. However, such technology was very expensive at the time, and the handheld itself was estimated to have a high cost. Sega chose to suspend the idea and instead release the Genesis Nomad, a handheld version of the Genesis. The codename used during development was "Project Venus."
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