The Sega Dreamcast’s VMU was a technological marvel in its day: a memory card with its own screen and control setup that hosted its own basic minigames. Well, one modder decided to take its capabilities a little further by creating a VMU that can play Sega Genesis games.
X/Twitter user @GGEAR_TARO posted multiple clips of the modded VMU in action, including the iconic intro of the original Streets of Rage and gameplay of Space Harrier 2. Naturally, the VMU’s tiny D-pad might present some problems when compared to a traditional controller, but it’s a very cool idea that represents a fantasy a lot of Sega fans had for the VMU back in the day.
VMCはロマンがある #セガ好きと繋がる pic.twitter.com/7Ivue9r5LA
— ギア太郎 (@GGEAR_TARO) June 25, 2024
While it might seem somewhat strange, this isn’t the first innovation to hit the VMU scene in the past few years. Back in 2022, a company called Dreamwave Enterprises crowdfunded a decidedly unofficial upgrade to the VMU, the VM2. It features a better screen with a backlight, a higher resolution, microSD storage, external charging, and PC connectivity, among other features. In other Sega news, the company recently revealed a new trailer for the upcoming Sonic X Shadow Generations at Summer Game Fest, and it releases on October 25.
