Sega Genesis Model 3 VA2 / RGB, Stereo Audio, Virtua Racing, Game Genie support

About this deal

This is a pre-modified Sega Genesis Model 3 VA2, a budget console released in 1998 by Majesco under licence from Sega. It has a significantly smaller and lighter design than its predecessors. In stock form, all Genesis 3 consoles output RGB video but audio is mono-only, and Game Genie, Virtua Racing, and other accessories will not work. This unit has been modified to address those limitations: stereo audio can be restored with a Triple Bypass modification, as the two-channel stereo signal is present inside the Genesis but is combined into mono before reaching the connector. The VA2 uses a different chip layout from the VA1, built around the 315-6123 GOAC. It is missing certain cartridge slot connections, and not all of them can be restored on this revision because the needed signals have been removed from the chip entirely. As a result, only Virtua Racing and Game Genie compatibility can be restored on the VA2. This makes it a good choice for retro collectors who want a compact, space-saving Genesis for standard cartridge play, with the added benefit of using cheat devices and playing the SVP-chip-powered Virtua Racing. Note that the VA2 received a fix to a long-standing bug in the 68000 CPU's TAS instruction that some games relied upon, meaning titles such as Gargoyles will not work correctly on this revision.