Saturn是於1994年推出的家用遊戲主機，也是SEGA在家用主機市場中的第四代產品。作為16位元機種Mega Drive（在美國名為Genesis）的後繼者，企圖鞏固SEGA在遊戲主機市場的地位。然而，卻並不如預期般順利。

於1994年11月22日在日本首次發售，隨後在1995年5月11日於北美推出。採用相當複雜的硬體架構。為了提高主機的計算能力和多任務處理的效率，內建兩顆Hitachi SH-2 32位元RISC處理器，運行頻率為28.6 MHz。這種雙處理器架構也導致開發難度的增加，特別是對於第三方遊戲開發者來說。還配備一顆SH-1處理器，專門用於控制CD-ROM的讀取，並搭載多顆協同處理器以增強其圖形和音效處理能力。擁有8MB的主記憶體，並且有1.5MB的視訊記憶體和512KB的音效記憶體。其視訊處理器支援最大640×224的解析度，可以在2D和3D遊戲中展現出色的畫面表現。儲存媒體使用的是CD-ROM，並且具備內建的備份記憶體，以便玩家保存遊戲進度和數據。

主要的優點在於其強大的2D圖形處理能力，這使得它能夠運行一些視覺效果極佳的2D遊戲。與此同時，也支援多達32000色的顯示，這在當時的遊戲主機中屬於先進水平。此外，還提供豐富的擴展選項，例如連接到網絡，這使得它在功能上比其他主機更具潛力。然而，缺點也相當明顯。首先，其複雜的硬體架構使得遊戲開發難度增加，許多第三方開發者在開發遊戲時面臨挑戰，導致Saturn的遊戲陣容相對較弱。其次，SEGA在市場策略上也犯一些錯誤。SEGA Saturn的發售日期突然提前，讓很多遊戲開發商措手不及，並且令消費者感到困惑。此外，Saturn的硬體設計更適合2D遊戲，這在3D遊戲逐漸成為主流的市場中成為其弱點。相較於索尼的PlayStation，Saturn在3D圖形處理上顯得不夠強大，這也使得許多熱門的3D遊戲未能在Saturn上取得成功。

儘管如此，SEGA Saturn平台上仍然誕生多款經典遊戲。其中，《戰斧》、《VR快打》系列、《莎木》以及《惡魔城：月下夜想曲》等都是代表性作品。《VR快打2》特別受玩家喜愛，精緻畫面和流暢操作成為當時的經典之一。SEGA Saturn在商業上的表現不如預期，全球銷量僅約930萬台，遠遠落後於競爭對手PlayStation的銷售數據。日本市場的反應相對較好，但在北美和歐洲市場，銷量一直低迷。這主要是因為SEGA在市場策略上的失誤，特別是與第三方開發者的合作不順利，以及缺乏足夠的遊戲陣容來吸引玩家。再者，SEGA總公司內部對於市場策略存在分歧，導致不同地區市場推廣不一致，這進一步削弱市場競爭力。

最終，隨著索尼PlayStation和任天堂64在市場上取得巨大成功，SEGA Saturn逐漸失去市場占有率。1998年，SEGA正式停止Saturn的生產和支持，將注意力轉向下一代主機SEGA Dreamcast。儘管未能成功占領市場，但它作為SEGA在家用主機市場上的一個重要環節，對遊戲產業的發展仍然具有一定的歷史意義。

The Sega Saturn, released in 1994, was Sega's fourth-generation home gaming console, following the 16-bit Mega Drive (known as the Genesis in North America). It was designed to solidify Sega's position in the gaming console market, but the journey was far from smooth.

The Saturn was first launched in Japan on November 22, 1994, followed by its release in North America on May 11, 1995. The console featured a highly complex hardware architecture. To boost its processing power and multitasking efficiency, it was equipped with two Hitachi SH-2 32-bit RISC processors, each running at a frequency of 28.6 MHz. This dual-processor setup, however, significantly increased the difficulty of game development, particularly for third-party developers. Additionally, the Saturn included an SH-1 processor dedicated to controlling the CD-ROM drive and several co-processors to enhance its graphics and audio processing capabilities.

The Saturn boasted 8MB of main memory, 1.5MB of video memory, and 512KB of sound memory. Its video processor supported a maximum resolution of 640×224 and delivered impressive visual performance in both 2D and 3D games. The console used CD-ROMs as its storage medium and came with built-in backup memory, allowing players to save game progress and data.

One of the Saturn's major strengths was its powerful 2D graphics processing capability, which allowed it to run visually stunning 2D games. Additionally, the console supported up to 32,000 colors on display, which was considered advanced for its time. The Saturn also offered a variety of expansion options, such as network connectivity, giving it more potential functionality compared to other consoles.

However, the Saturn had several notable drawbacks. The complexity of its hardware made game development more challenging, leading to a relatively weak lineup of games, especially from third-party developers. Sega also made strategic missteps in the market. The sudden advancement of the Saturn’s release date caught many developers off guard and left consumers confused. Furthermore, the Saturn's hardware was better suited for 2D games, which became a disadvantage as 3D games began to dominate the market. Compared to Sony’s PlayStation, the Saturn was less powerful in 3D graphics processing, making it difficult for popular 3D games to succeed on the platform.

Despite these challenges, several classic games were released on the Sega Saturn. Titles such as "Golden Axe," the "Virtua Fighter" series, "Shenmue," and "Castlevania: Symphony of the Night" were standout examples. "Virtua Fighter 2" was particularly beloved by players, known for its refined graphics and smooth gameplay, making it a classic of the era.

Commercially, the Sega Saturn fell short of expectations, selling only around 9.3 million units worldwide, far behind the sales of its competitor, the PlayStation. While the Saturn performed relatively well in the Japanese market, its sales in North America and Europe were consistently poor. This was largely due to Sega’s strategic miscalculations, particularly in its relationships with third-party developers and the lack of a strong enough game lineup to attract players. Moreover, internal disagreements within Sega's headquarters regarding market strategy led to inconsistent promotion across different regions, further weakening its competitive edge.

Ultimately, as Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo 64 achieved great success in the market, the Sega Saturn gradually lost market share. In 1998, Sega officially ceased production and support for the Saturn, shifting its focus to its next-generation console, the Sega Dreamcast. Although it failed to dominate the market, the Saturn remains an important chapter in Sega's history in the home console market and has left a lasting impact on the evolution of the gaming industry.