Sega VR

The Sega VR's design was based on an IDEO virtual reality head-mounted display containing LCD screens in the visor and stereo headphones.[2] Inertial sensors in the headset allow the system to track and react to the movements of the user's head.

Sega, flush with funds from the success of its Mega Drive/Genesis, announced the peripheral in 1991.[2] It was later seen in early 1993, at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show (CES), where Electronic Gaming Monthly noted it was an adaptation of a similar headset that Sega was already using for arcades. The magazine stated that a Mega Drive/Genesis version was planned for release in late 1993 at US$200 (equivalent to $353.97 in 2019) and would be released with four launch games, including a port of arcade game Virtua Racing.[3] Sega later announced its release schedule for early 1994, according to Electronic Games.[4]

Because of development difficulties, the Sega VR headset remained only a prototype and was never released to the general public. Then-CEO Tom Kalinske stated that the system would not be released due to it inducing motion sickness and severe headaches in users.[5] It was last seen at the 1993 Summer CES, where it was demonstrated by Alan Hunter.[6] It vanished from release schedules in 1994. Four games were apparently developed for the system, each using 16 MB cartridges that were to be bundled with the headset.[2]

The company claimed to have terminated the project because the virtual reality effect was too realistic, so users might move while wearing the headset and injure themselves.[2] The limited processing power of the system makes this claim unlikely, although there were reports of testers developing headaches and motion sickness.[2] Mark Pesce, who worked on the Sega VR project, says SRI International, a research institute, warned Sega of the "hazards of prolonged use".[7]

Only five original games were known to be in development.[8]

• Dennou Senki Net Merc: Unique in that uses the "Sega Net Merc" system.[9]
• Nuclear Rush: A simulation in which users pilot a hovercraft in a futuristic war.
• Iron Hammer: In this helicopter simulation, gamers pilot a flying gunship as in EA's popular Strike series.
• Matrix Runner: Reported to be a cyberpunk adventure game inspired by Hideo Kojima's Snatcher.
• Outlaw Racing: A vehicle racing and combat game.

In addition, Sega also announced a port of Sega AM2's hit 1992 arcade game Virtua Racing as a launch game for the device.[3]

Sega went on to other VR projects for use in arcades and a similar peripheral was reported but never seen for the Saturn.[2][10] The project encouraged a brief flurry of other companies to offer VR products.

In 1994, Sega VR technology was utilized for the Sega VR-1 motion simulator arcade attraction,[11][12] which was available at SegaWorld arcades. It is able to track head movement and features 3D polygon graphics in stereoscopic 3D. A scaled-down version, Dennoo Senki Net Merc, was demonstrated at Japan's 1995 AOU (Amusement Operators Union) show, using the Sega Model 1 arcade system board to produce the 3D graphics. However, the game's flat-shaded graphics were compared unfavorably to the Sega Model 2's textured-filtered graphics.[13][14]

• Virtual Boy