Hideki Sato, father of the Sega Dreamcast, Saturn, Genesis, and more, has died

Hideki Sato, father of the Sega Dreamcast, Saturn, Genesis, and more, has died | PC Gamer Skip to main content Open menu Close main menu PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES US Edition UK US Canada Australia Subscribe Sign in View Profile Sign out Search Search PC Gamer Games Hardware News Reviews Guides Video Forum More PC Gaming Show Software Movies & TV Codes Coupons Magazine Newsletter Affiliate links Meet the team Community guidelines About PC Gamer PC Gamer Magazine SubscriptionWhy subscribe?Subscribe to the world’s #1 PC gaming magTry a single issue or save on a subscriptionIssues delivered straight to your door or device From$1Subscribe now Don’t miss these Gaming Industry Remedy’s new CEO is a former sports betting guy and EA executive who aims to ‘scale Remedy in a way that builds lasting value’ Hardware ‘We had 16 megahertz CPUs, 640k of RAM, floppy disks’: John Carmack reflects on the hardware that made Wolfenstein 3D Gaming Industry Despite having nearly its entire back catalog on Steam, Suda51’s studio doesn’t benefit much from sales of its old games: ‘It’s really nice for the other people who are making bank off that, though’ Games Debate: Who is the best videogame composer of all time? 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Gaming Industry Hideki Sato, father of the Sega Dreamcast, Saturn, Genesis, and more, has died News By Ted Litchfield published 15 February 2026 Sato’s career in games began in the 1970s. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Koichi Kamoshida via Getty Images) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter PC Gamer Get the PC Gamer Newsletter Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Want to add more newsletters? Every Friday GamesRadar+ Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you’re going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them. Signup + Every Thursday GTA 6 O’clock Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O’clock experts. Signup + Every Friday Knowledge From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what’s on the horizon. Signup + Every Thursday The Setup Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more. Signup + Every Wednesday Switch 2 Spotlight Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo’s new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play. Signup + Every Saturday The Watchlist Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we’ve got you covered. Signup + Once a month SFX Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month! Signup + An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter As reported by VGC and Japanese gaming outlet Beep21, Sega console designer Hideki Sato has died. The engineer and former Sega president was 77. Sato’s career with Sega began in the 1970s⁠—SegaRetro.org lists his earliest projects as the arcade games MonacoGP, Turbo, and Star Jacker.Sato’s most notable contribution to gaming history, however, would be leading the engineering teams behind every Sega home console from 1983 to the company’s exit from the hardware business in 2001. The full list includes:SG-1000 (1983)Master System (1985)Mega Drive/Genesis (1989)Saturn (1994)Dreamcast (1999)Following the death of Isao Okawa in 2001, Sato became Sega’s company president, overseeing the publisher’s difficult transition away from the hardware business that had defined his career. Sato stepped down from this role in 2003, shortly before Sega’s lifesaving merger with pachinko manufacturer Sammy. Sato would ultimately leave Sega altogether in 2008. Related articles Sega’s American co-founder David Rosen dies at 95 years of age Google killed support for the Dreamcast web browser after 25 years The games industry pays tribute to the late Vince Zampella: ‘Thank you, Vince—You were one of the good ones’ Sato’s designs are historically significant as the first consoles to challenge Nintendo’s dominance of the post-1983 crash home market, paving the way for the likes of PlayStation and Xbox in the future⁠—though the success of Sony’s PlayStation and PS2, direct competitors with the Saturn and Dreamcast, would ultimately spell the downfall of Sega’s own console business.セガハードの父として知られる佐藤秀樹氏&#12