Sega Mega Drive Master System Converter Official Genesis/Megadrive

About this deal

The Mega Drive is electronically backwards compatible with the Sega Master System, but the cartridge ports are physically incompatible -- hence the official Master System Converter, known in the US as the Power Base Converter. Once slotted into the Mega Drive, it accepts both Master System cartridges via a port under its top cover and card-based titles through a forward-facing slot, supports the use of Sega Master System 3D glasses, and replicates the Master System pause button that the Mega Drive itself lacks. It was made for Master System owners who moved to the 16-bit Mega Drive but still wanted to play their existing library without switching between consoles. The Mega Drive was designed to be fully hardware-compatible with its predecessor, and with the converter in place it switches modes so that the Z80 sound processor becomes the main chip. Standard Mega Drive controllers work with 8-bit games since both consoles share the same control input, though the original converter's shape does not fit the Mega Drive II, the JVC X'Eye, or the Pioneer LaserActive without modification. This is a used item.