Hideki Sato, Legendary Sega Console Designer and Former President, Dies Aged 77

Sega has lost another giant. Hideki Sato passed away on 13 February 2026 at the age of 77 , according to Japanese gaming outlet Beep21.

The engineer spent more than three decades shaping the hardware that defined Sega's most influential era. From the SG-1000 in 1983 right through to the Dreamcast in 1999, Sato's fingerprints are all over the company's golden years.

Sato joined Sega back in 1971. That's right, 1971. He started working on arcade machines before most people even knew what a home console was. Things like MonacoGP and Turbo. Proper old-school coin-op stuff.

His career really took off in 1989 when he was promoted to director of Sega's Research and Development department, where he and his team were given one hell of a task: take down Nintendo .

The result? The Mega Drive, released in 1988 in Japan and later known as the Sega Genesis in North America, combined high-performance graphics and sound with a stylish, modern design . That machine went head to head with the Super Nintendo and won millions of fans.

But Sato didn't stop there. He oversaw the Saturn, a machine that never quite hit its stride in the West but built a cult following. Then came the Dreamcast in 1999. Sato's final design was a sales failure, but these days it is fondly remembered as a machine well ahead of its time, boasting a library of cult classics and groundbreaking online functionality .

After Sega's console business collapsed, Sato stepped into the role of Sega president following the death of Isao Okawa in 2001, serving until 2003 . He guided the company through one of its darkest periods, the painful transition from hardware manufacturer to third-party publisher. Sato left Sega entirely in 2008.

In its tribute post, Japanese outlet Beep21 described him as a great figure who shaped Japanese gaming history and captivated Sega fans all around the world .

Sato's death comes just two months after Sega co-founder David Rosen passed away on December 25, 2025, at the age of 95 . Two legends gone in quick succession. Brutal timing for anyone who grew up with these machines.

For those who spent their childhoods arguing about blast processing or stayed up late playing Crazy Taxi and Jet Set Radio, Sato's work was the foundation. His consoles powered memories that still hit hard decades later.