The Panasonic Q was released in December 2001 exclusively in Japan with a ¥41,000 JPY price tag (a little over $300 in USD). At a glance, you probably wouldn’t even think this thing was a GameCube — it looks more like an avant-garde home stereo system. But indeed, it was fully capable of playing GameCube games and using GameCube peripherals like the controllers, memory cards, and even a modified version of the Game Boy Player. More importantly, though, the Q was an entertainment powerhouse, with the ability to play DVDs, audio CDs, and MP3 CDs. It featured a Dolby Digital 5.1 sound output, plus a subwoofer jack, making it just as functional as a stereo or home theater as it was a game console.
The original version of the Q was region-locked to Japan, so it could only play Japanese GameCube games, as well as Japanese movies and audio. However, at an indeterminate point in the console’s lifespan, a modified version that could play Western media began to circulate for a slightly inflated price tag. Unfortunately, the Q only had a lifespan of two years due to underwhelming sales and a general lack of interest. Less than 100,000 Q units are believed to have been sold worldwide.
[Featured image by Evan-Amos via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 3.0]
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