Neo Geo CD

Neo Geo CD

The top loading Neo Geo CD system with controller
Manufacturer	SNK
Type	Home video game console
Generation	Fourth
Release date	JP: September 9, 1994 EU: December 3, 1994 AU: December 23, 1994 NA: January 15, 1996
Introductory price	NA: US$399 EU: £399 JP: ¥49,800
Discontinued	1997
Media	CD-ROM
CPU	Motorola 68000 @ 12 MHz
Predecessor	Neo Geo AES

The Neo Geo CD (Japanese: ネオジオCD, Hepburn: Neo Jio Shī Dī) is the second home video game console of SNK Corporation's Neo Geo family, released on September 9, 1994, four years after its cartridge-based equivalent. This is the same platform, converted to the cheaper CD format retailing at $49 to 79 per title, compared to the $300 cartridges.^[1] The system was originally priced at US$399,^[2] or £399. The system can also play Audio CDs. All three versions of the system have no region lock, but they are region aware, and some games will display English or Japanese depending on the console's region setting. The Neo Geo CD was launched with a bundled control pad instead of a joystick like the AES version. A newly designed joystick was released alongside the Neo Geo CD, and the system was compatible with controllers from the AES.

The Neo Geo CD had met with limited success due to it being plagued with slow loading times that could vary from 30 to 60 seconds between loads, depending on the game.

As of March 1997, there had been 570,000 Neo Geo CD units sold worldwide.^[3]