CastleMania Games has teased an upcoming release with a simple but effective message, Mega Smart Drive is coming soon. While no release date has been shared yet, the tease points to an imminent arrival of this new upgrade for Sega Mega Drive and Genesis hardware.
Mega Smart Drive turns an original console into a fully region-free system, allowing players to switch between PAL (50Hz), USA (60Hz), and Japanese (60Hz) modes using a controller button combination. No external switches are needed, everything is handled directly from controller 1. For those who prefer a more traditional switchless setup, region selection can also be performed by holding the Reset button.
The device includes an on-screen display that makes it easy to select region, frequency, and overclock options directly on screen. An optional bi-color LED provides quick visual feedback, red for PAL, blue for NTSC-USA, and purple for NTSC-JAP, although the same information is also shown through the OSD.
Mega Smart Drive dynamically adjusts the console’s internal clock depending on the selected region, ensuring correct timings and strong compatibility with both original hardware and modern displays. Compared to older solutions such as MFO or DFO mods, this approach offers improved stability and better results across different video outputs. Composite video remains in color across regions, while RGB is recommended for the best image quality.
Additional features include in-game reset via a controller shortcut and a quick-solder PCB design that simplifies installation.
With CastleMania Games hinting that more information is coming soon, Mega Smart Drive is shaping up to be a noteworthy upgrade for Mega Drive and Genesis enthusiasts.
Check the official website for more details
Hmm, this looks like a cool little project to do.
I have a Megadrive that could use this mod and it doesn’t seems all that hard to do.
It’s just that I also have a MegaSG and don’t really need it. But maybe for the fun of it.
Their own store seems a bit funky, so then it would have to be ordered via CastleMania with increased shipment costs I guess?