Sega to launch Sega Vision handheld in 2009?

By Leon Bailey on Fri 03 October 2008

1 Comment

We’re extremely cautious about the veracity of this one but, while we’re awaiting a reply from Sega itself, we thought we’d flag up a story on tech-gossip site the Register that claims the former console king will launch a new handheld media-player-cum-games gadget next year.

Called the Sega Vision, it will feature eight key functions, including a music player, digital camera, games console and a built-in TV tuner. As The Register notes, it sounds like something intended to take on Sony’s PlayStation Portable.

However, as we said, we have a few doubts over the reliability of this story. More after the cut.

For starters, the YouTube-hosted video posted with the Reg’s story shows the Sega Vision to be no bigger than a credit card, with a screen about two-thirds the size of that. Just hold a credit card in your hands for a moment and imagine it with buttons and a screen. Seems too small to be realistic to us.

Then there’s the claim that this device is already in the UK, only apparently lurking at the bottom of some crane-style prize-grabbing machine, manufactured by an outfit called SegaPrize Europe. Why, if the Sega Vision is already in production, has Sega chosen this particular route to market?

At best it smells like a Far East knock-off to us. At worst, it's a hoax. Mind you, the Register states that Sega itself had imparted this information. But as we said, we await a call from Sega. In the meantime, head over to the Register for the rest of its exclusive.

[via The Register]