Nintendo Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) vs SEGA Mega Drive

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Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) compared with Mega Drive

	NintendoSuper Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)	SEGAMega Drive
Overview
Released
Released	April 1992	September 1990
Performance
Type
Type	Home console	Home console
CPU
CPU	Ricoh 5A22 (16-bit), 2.68 MHz	Motorola 68000, 7.6 MHz, plus Zilog Z80
GPU
GPU	Nintendo S-PPU1 and S-PPU2	SEGA VDP (custom LSI)
Memory
Memory	192 KB (better)	128 KB
Disc drive
Disc drive	No	No
CPU
CPU	16-bit 65816-based Ricoh 5A22 with a variable clock; Nintendo UK lists 2.68 MHz	Motorola 68000 at 7.60 MHz on PAL consoles and Zilog Z80A for sound (SEGA technical overview)
GPU
GPU	16-bit graphics processor with Mode 7 background effects and up to 256 colours on screen (Nintendo UK)	64 of 512 colours at once; 80 sprites and 2 scroll planes
Memory detail
Memory detail	128 KB work RAM plus 64 KB video RAM (Nintendo UK)	64 KB RAM for the 68000 plus 64 KB VRAM; 8 KB for the Z80
Storage detail
Storage detail	Super NES Game Paks (cartridges); some save on the cartridge	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	Up to 512 × 448 pixels; RF, RGB and S-Video outputs (Nintendo UK)	A/V out; 320 × 224 or 256 × 224, with 240-line PAL and interlaced modes (SEGA technical overview)
Audio
Audio	Sony SPC700 sound chip with eight channels (Nintendo UK)	6 FM channels (one usable for PCM) plus 3 PSG channels and 1 noise; stereo headphone jack
Connections
Ports
Ports	2 × controller ports (Nintendo UK)	2 × control ports, headphone jack with volume, A/V out, AC adaptor input, cartridge slot, expansion slot
Controller
Controller	Super NES controller with D-pad, A, B, X, Y, L, R, Start and Select	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)