Sonic Origins Will Be a Native Port And Release Ahead of New Sonic Title

In an interview with Famitsu, Sonic producer Takashi Iizuka revealed that the upcoming Sonic Origins will be a native port for modern consoles. Additionally, Iizuka also notes that the game will likely release ahead of the new untitled Sonic the Hedgehog game, both planned to release in 2022.

The reveal comes from a special Sonic 30th-anniversary column published in the July 8, 2021 edition of Famitsu Weekly. The column also revealed that SEGA is currently working on turning the blue mascot into a VTuber and hopes to create a theme park in the future. The column also delves into the development history of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise in an interview with Iizuka and art director Kazuyuki Hoshino.

Iizuka clarifies that previous re-releases of classic Sonic entries, such as the Sonic Mega Collection released in 2002 for the GameCube, were emulated ports. However, the upcoming Sonic Origins will be a native port for “modern hardware” and will also have a 16:9 aspect ratio. Iizuka also states that the game will likely release “earlier than the new title,” though he did not mention a specific release date.

Previously announced during the Sonic Central May 2021 presentation, Sonic Origins is a compilation of past Sonic games including Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 2, Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Sonic & Knuckles, and Sonic CD. The Sonic Classic Collection released for the Nintendo DS in 2010 and was the last Sonic classics compilation title to release.

Sonic Origins will launch for unspecified platforms in 2022.