Sega · 1995–1998 · ~9,500,000 worldwide
A technically capable console undermined by a shock early launch, a $399 price point, and a dual-CPU architecture that developers outside Japan found nearly impossible to program efficiently.
The Saturn launched in Japan to strong sales and launched in North America four months ahead of schedule, at $399, with only six games available. Sony responded immediately at E3 1995 with Tom Kalinske announcing the PlayStation would cost $299 — a turning point moment. The Saturn's architecture, designed around 2D sprite rendering, struggled with 3D games that the PlayStation handled elegantly. Japanese developers thrived with the hardware (producing landmark shoot-em-ups, RPGs, and fighting games), but Western support dried up quickly.