 | DRAFT (WORK IN PROGRESS ARTICLE - PLEASE DO NOT RELY ON THE INFORMATION BELOW UNTIL MARKED AS COMPLETED) |
[1][2][3][4][5][6][7].
A game cartridge is a replaceable part designed to be connected to a home computer or a video gaming console. The purpose of this article is to catalogue the dimensions of cartridges used by popular retro consoles, in order to facilitate production of replacement cartridge shells or customized outer packaging.
First generation of consoles
| Console
|
Height (mm)
|
Width (mm)
|
Thickness (mm)
|
Notes
|
Confirmed by
|
Image
|
| Magnavox Odyssey
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
|
|
| Magnavox Odyssey Multicard
|
110 [8]
|
105
|
15
|
105mm wide and 15mm thick at widest/thickest point of the 3D printed handle. The PCB is 90mm wide.
|
TheRealOC
|
|
|
| Magnavox Odyssey Series of Consoles
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
The Odyssey Series of dedicated consoles were limited to a fixed number of built-in games and were not equipped for additional games that are distributed via ROM cartridges, discs, downloads or other digital media.
|
TheRealOC
|
?
|
| TV Tennis Electrotennis (Epoch)
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| Atari Home Pong (Model C-100)
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| Atari Super Pong (Model C-140)
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| Coleco Telstar Series
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
The Coleco Telstar Series of dedicated consoles were limited to a fixed number of built-in games and were not equipped for additional games that are distributed via ROM cartridges, discs, downloads or other digital media. The one exception was the Coleco Telsar Arcade console.
|
TheRealOC
|
?
|
| Coleco Telstar Arcade
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| Nintendo Color TV - Game 6
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
Second generation of consoles
Third generation of consoles
Fourth generation of consoles
| Console
|
Height (mm)
|
Width (mm)
|
Thickness (mm)
|
Notes
|
Confirmed by
|
Image
|
| Atari Lynx *
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| NEC TurboGrafx 16 *
|
53
|
84
|
2
|
?
|
Reddit User: gsx115
|
|
| PC Engine *
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| NEC PC Engine CD *
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| NEC TurboGrafx-CD *
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| NEC SuperGrafx
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| NEC TurboExpress/PC Engine GT
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| NEC TurboDuo/PC Engine Duo
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| NEC Super CD-ROM2
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| NEC PC Engine LT
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| NEC PC Engine Duo-R/Duo-RX
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| Standard Sega Mega Drive Japanese Cartridges
|
67
|
93
|
17
|
The PCB's are always ~83mm since the receiver is around 85mm. Japanese carts have a rectangular footprint 93mm wide, 67mm tall, 17mm thick with rounded edges; the top and sides of the cart are also rounded, with the left side of the cart having an indentation (for locking the cart while the console is powered).
|
NagaTen
|
|
| Standard PAL Sega Mega Drive Cartridges
|
67
|
95/108
|
17
|
Genesis and PAL Mega Drive carts share the same mold; their footprint goes from a rectangular 95mm wide shape and widens into 108mm with rounded sides, 67mm tall and 17mm thick, with chamfered edges. Only the sides of the cart are rounded, with the top being being flat, and there is no indentation since consoles outside Japan don't have a cart locking mechanism.
|
NagaTen
|
|
| Standard NTSC Sega Genesis Cartridges
|
67
|
95/108
|
17
|
Genesis and PAL Mega Drive carts share the same mold; their footprint goes from a rectangular 95mm wide shape and widens into 108mm with rounded sides, 67mm tall and 17mm thick, with chamfered edges. Only the sides of the cart are rounded, with the top being being flat, and there is no indentation since consoles outside Japan don't have a cart locking mechanism.
|
NagaTen
|
|
| Sega Genesis EA (Electronic Arts) Cartridges
|
88
|
95
|
17
|
Electronic Arts reverse-engineered the Genesis and produced their own (taller) carts, which were notable for the large indentation with a yellow plastic section with the EA logo molded onto it. Cartridges have flat edges at the bottom, a flat top and chamfered/slightly rounded sides.
|
NagaTen
|
|
| Sega 32X
|
111
|
72
|
16
|
?
|
Reddit User: gsx115
|
|
| Sega Mega Drive Codemasters Cartridge
|
75
|
98/65
|
17
|
Codemasters cartridge (without controller ports) are 98mm wide at the bottom, tapering away to 65mm at the top. These carts have flat edges, a flat top and rounded sides.
|
NagaTen
|
|
| Sega Mega Drive Codemasters "J-Cart" Cartridge (with controller ports)
|
75
|
98/65
|
17
|
J-Carts are exactly the same as standard Codemasters cartridges, but with two front-facing 9-pin controller ports labelled "Control 3" and "Control 4".
|
NagaTen
|
|
| Sega Genesis Sonic and Knuckles cartridge
|
82 (incl. the cover)
|
95/116
|
17/22
|
"Sonic 3" and "Sonic & Knuckles" were originally conceived as a single game, however ROM size constraints meant that the game had to be split into two separate parts. The "Sonic & Knuckles" cart is an identical shape to a Standard PAL MegaDrive/NTSC Genesis cartridge at the bottom (with a "cut" on the left side of the cart for compatibility with the Japanese cart-locking mechanism).
However, the top of the cart has a swiveling cover called a "Lock-On Adapter", which allows the player to connect another cartridge on top. The footprint of the cartridge goes from a 95mm wide shape and widens into 116mm at the top, while the thickness goes from 17mm to 22mm.
|
NagaTen
|
|
|
| Mega Key region converter cartridge
|
67
|
95/108
|
17
|
This is an unofficial region bypass cartridge that uses dip switches to convert cartridges from any region (USA/Japan/Brazil/PAL+SECAM) to work with a Sega Genesis/MegaDrive console from any region. As with standard cartridges, the Mega Key footprint goes from a rectangular 95mm wide shape and widens into 108mm
The cartridge being converted would sit on top of an adapter which is 87mm wide and 9mm thick. The Mega Key cart itself is 67mm tall, but 127mm with a regular cart on top.
|
NagaTen
|
|
|
| Sega Game Gear *
|
68
|
66
|
10
|
?
|
Reddit User: gsx115
|
|
| Nintendo Game Boy
|
65.5
|
57
|
7.5
|
?
|
Reddit User: gsx115
|
|
| Nintendo Game Boy Pocket
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| Super Nintendo (US)
|
85
|
134
|
20
|
?
|
?
|
|
| Super Famicom *
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| Super Nintendo (PAL) *
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| SNK Neo Geo AES *
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| SNK Neo Geo CD
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
| Pioneer LaserActive
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
?
|
Fifth generation of consoles
Sixth generation of consoles
Seventh generation of consoles
Eighth generation of consoles
Ninth generation of consoles
| Console
|
Height (mm)
|
Width (mm)
|
Thickness (mm)
|
Notes
|
Confirmed by
|
Image
|
| Sony PlayStation 5
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Console uses disc-based physical media
|
TheRealOC
|
|
| Sony PlayStation 5 Digital Edition
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Console does not use physical media
|
TheRealOC
|
?
|
| Microsoft Xbox Series S
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Console does not use physical media
|
TheRealOC
|
|
| Microsoft Xbox Series X
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
Console uses disc-based physical media
|
TheRealOC
|
|
References
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