Not to be forgotten is Sega’s SG-1000, which is obscure in comparison next to the Famicom due to its limited release only in Japan and select markets, but is still an important part of gaming history.
Released in Japan on 7/15/1983, the same day as the Nintendo Famicom, it was Sega’s first home game console. Released alongside was the less popular SC-3000, which included a keyboard and was capable of programming in BASIC.
The SG-1000 was designed to compete with hobby computers like the MSX, but the Famicom had much more impressive specs and a lower price. Famicom also had the edge with a much more innovative control scheme (directional pad) and was capable of showing more colors on the screen simultaneously (25 vs. 15). This made games more enjoyable to play and look at on the Famicom.
Even with the odds against them, Sega still sold more SG-1000 units than they anticipated, paving the road for future consoles.
Happy birthday, SG-1000!
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Wikipedia Japan