Hideki Sato, the engineer behind Sega’s most iconic consoles, passed away on February 13, 2026 at the age of 77. For many gamers, that’s a headline about hardware history. For me, it’s personal.
Sato was instrumental in the creation of the SG 1000, Sega Master System, Mega Drive or Genesis, Saturn, and Dreamcast. That list isn’t just a resume. It’s a timeline of my childhood.
My first console was a Nintendo Entertainment System. But when my parents got divorced and my dad moved into an apartment, he bought a Sega Master System so I’d have something to play at his place. That machine changed everything for me.
My dad and I had a complicated relationship, but some of my earliest and strongest gaming memories come from weekends at his apartment with that system humming in the background. Sitting cross-legged on the floor playing Ninja Gaiden. Taking turns on Paperboy. Trying to figure out California Games without a manual.
That Master System sparked something in me. It set me down the path to the Genesis. Then the Game Gear. Then the Saturn. Then the Dreamcast. Each one felt like the next chapter in an ongoing story.
That love of Sega hardware eventually led me to start a little website called Sega Post. Over time, that site evolved, and ultimately became Playing Out of Control Gaming. Without Hideki Sato’s work, that chain reaction probably never happens.
For retro collectors, preservationists, and anyone who still fires up original hardware on a CRT, Sato’s fingerprints are still there. Every cartridge click. Every boot screen. Every swirl of the Dreamcast logo.
Rest in peace, Hideki Sato. Thank you for the machines that shaped my life.
