The Dreamcast was Sega’s final roll of the dice in the hardware arena and is rightly held in very high esteem by millions of players worldwide. Many fans still have their consoles hooked up today, and there’s a range of aftermarket upgrades – such as more efficient power supplies, better VMU memory cards and even razor-sharp HDMI mods – which elevate Dreamcast to new levels.
For me personally, though, one of the main things I wanted to fix with my console was its horribly yellowed shell.
Like many other pieces of consumer electronics, the Dreamcast’s white plastic casing is prone to yellowing over time. Some units suffer from this worse than others, and I got a really bad one – so bad, in fact, it looked as if someone had urinated on it (full disclosure: I haven’t, to the best of my knowledge, ever urinated on my Dreamcast).
I’m aware that it’s possible to restore yellowed systems to their former glory with products like Retrobrite, but I fancied giving my beloved machine a slightly more extreme makeover – and opted for a reproduction of the “This is Cool” Saturn that was released in very limited quantities in Japan.
The shell was manufactured by Retro is Cool, a Chinese outlet which produces a range of replacement shells for a variety of classic systems. I was even able to get a fancy new chrome Dreamcast badge for the new shell from the same store, which came pre-applied.
My Dreamcast is fitted with an HDMI mod, which made the installation of the new shell rather tricky, as I had to cut away an opening for the mini-HMDI port, but outside of that, fitting the new shell is a reasonably straightforward process that doesn’t require any tools beyond a screwdriver.
I’m now incredibly pleased with my reshelled Dreamcast – the only downside to this story is that Retro is Cool appears to have sold out of the “This is Cool” shell, although it does have a cool Mega Drive-inspired variant.
Go on.... treat yourself to a new game.
2 Comments
That reshell looks amazing! I totally get the struggle with the yellowing—my Dreamcast is in the same boat, and it’s such a bummer to see it like that. I’ve thought about trying Retrobrite, but the idea of a full-on makeover is way more appealing. The “This is Cool” design is such a nostalgic throwback, too! I love that you went the extra mile with the chrome badge—really adds a nice touch.
Cutting out for the HDMI port sounds a bit intense, but it’s awesome that you managed it. I might have to look into getting one of those shells before they’re all gone. The Mega Drive variant sounds cool, but I’m definitely leaning towards something unique like what you did. Thanks for sharing your experience!
That reshelling project sounds awesome! The Dreamcast is such a classic, and it’s wild how yellowing can ruin its look over time. I totally get wanting to give it an extreme makeover instead of just using Retrobrite. The “This is Cool” Saturn shell sounds like a perfect choice—definitely adds a unique flair!
I’ve been thinking about upgrading my own Dreamcast, too. Those HDMI mods really make a difference, but I can imagine how tricky it must’ve been to fit everything in with the new shell. Glad to hear it all came together well for you! It’s a bummer that the shell is sold out, but the Mega Drive-inspired one sounds pretty slick, too. Can’t wait to see more Dreamcasts getting some love like this!