Legendary Sega console designer Hideki Sato, the man behind everything from the Master System to Dreamcast, has passed away

Hideki Sato, the man behind practically every Sega console, has sadly died.As reported by VGC and gaming history zine Beep21, the iconic console designer and veteran Sega boss was in his late 70s when he tragically passed on February 13, 2026. Sato's illustrious career in games began in 1971 when he joined Sega, eventually leading the company's research and development arm before becoming Sega's president for a brief stint in the 2000s.He's perhaps best known for leading the engineering teams be