Atari Atari 2600 vs SEGA Mega Drive

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Atari 2600 compared with Mega Drive

	AtariAtari 2600	SEGAMega Drive
Overview
Released
Released	1977	September 1990
Performance
Type
Type	Home console	Home console
CPU
CPU	MOS Technology 6507, 1.19 MHz	Motorola 68000, 7.6 MHz, plus Zilog Z80
GPU
GPU	Television Interface Adaptor (TIA)	SEGA VDP (custom LSI)
Memory
Memory	128 bytes	128 KB (better)
Disc drive
Disc drive	No	No
CPU
CPU	MOS Technology 6507 at about 1.19 MHz in the original NTSC VCS (Atari service and developer manuals)	Motorola 68000 at 7.60 MHz on PAL consoles and Zilog Z80A for sound (SEGA technical overview)
GPU
GPU	Atari Television Interface Adaptor (TIA), which generates video and two channels of sound (Atari manuals)	64 of 512 colours at once; 80 sprites and 2 scroll planes
Memory detail
Memory detail	128 bytes of RAM in the 6532 RAM and I/O chip (Atari developer manual)	64 KB RAM for the 68000 plus 64 KB VRAM; 8 KB for the Z80
Storage detail
Storage detail	ROM cartridges	Cartridges; some save on the cartridge
Storage expansion
Storage expansion	–	Expansion slot (Mega-CD); extension control port
Display and video
Built-in screen
Built-in screen	No built-in screen	No built-in screen
Video output
Video output	RF output to a TV	A/V out; 320 × 224 or 256 × 224, with 240-line PAL and interlaced modes (SEGA technical overview)
Audio
Audio	–	6 FM channels (one usable for PCM) plus 3 PSG channels and 1 noise; stereo headphone jack
Connections
Ports
Ports	–	2 × control ports, headphone jack with volume, A/V out, AC adaptor input, cartridge slot, expansion slot
Controller
Controller	Joystick; also paddles, driving controllers, keypads and Trak-Ball (Atari manuals)	Control Pad with D-pad, three action buttons and Start
Backward compatibility
Backward compatibility	–	Master System games with the separately sold Master System Converter; some titles do not work (SEGA)