As if Sonic Origins hasn’t already caused enough of a stir with its pre-order bonuses, DLC and two versions at launch, SEGA is now rubbing further salt into the wound.
The company has today announced that it plans to delist Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Sonic CD from various digital marketplaces on 20th May. That means after 20th May, the only way you’ll be able to buy them on current formats is via Sonic Origins.
Thanks to backwards compatibility, the Xbox 360 versions of Sonic The Hedgehog, Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Sonic 3 & Knuckles and Sonic CD can currently all still be purchased and played on Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Sonic CD is also playable on PS4 and PS5 thanks to its inclusion in PS Now. And all four of the titles included in Sonic Origins are also available via Steam on PC. But all of that will change.
There are a couple of exceptions, however. The SEGA AGES versions of Sonic The Hedgehog and Sonic The Hedgehog 2 will remain available on the eShop for Switch gamers. And Switch gamers who subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online + will also be able to access Sonic The Hedgehog 2 via the SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive virtual console.
It’s perhaps not all that surprising that SEGA is delisting the classic Sonic games on Xbox 360 and PS3, but it’s still disappointing nonetheless. Removing them from Steam, however, seems unnecessary. Ultimately, SEGA wants it so that if you want to play classic Sonic on current formats, Sonic Origins is the only option. Choice be damned. Let’s just hope the collection is worth the money.
