UPDATE: Which do you buy – Hyperkin or Pound for the Sega Genesis

I was asked a question about the which to buy; Hyperkin or Pound for the Sega Genesis. Here are my thoughts. First I want to state upfront that I purchased and sold my Hyperkin cable. I was sent a review cable from Pound, but that will not sway my opinion.

Both cables output similar visuals on the Sega Genesis Model 1 and 2. Factor in a 32x and things look much different, at least for the games themselves. Using the 32x as a passthrough and visually, I cannot tell the difference between them. The 32x games look awful with both cables, but I would give Hyperkin the edge because the colors are better than the Pound. Neither company officially supports the 32x.

The build quality is similar on both, but each has an advantage. Both require external USB power and have the little box that works as an upscaler. Hyperkin is an all-in-one unit, where Pound has a removable HDMI cable. I like the removable cable. (Just my $0.02). Hyperkin offers something unique though; where Pound has a fixed 4:3 ratio, should you (for some reason want 16:9), Hyperkin has a switch on the box. As a retro gamer, I see no need for this whatsoever.

So; which one is the best? I rated both of them as an 8/10 because they are both cheap alternatives to a RetroTink 2x / HD Retrovision cable combination and an Analogue Mega SG. Both cable do what they are supposed to do as a $30 price point.

If I only wanted the cable for 32x, I would go with the Hyperkin. It looks terrible, but it is better than the Pound. If I just wanted a cheap Genesis cable without considering the 32x, I would go with the Pound. One thing to keep in mind with both is this; the Model 1 adapter is pretty bad for both of them. I don’t think the pins are correct and the connection is very poor.