The Advanced Pico Beena is a sixth-generation home console released by Sega Toys in Japan in 2005.
Spec Table
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Maker | Sega Toys |
| Type | Home console |
| Generation | 6th generation |
| Release Date | Japan: 2005 |
| Launch Price | Not documented |
| Units Sold | 4.1 million consoles |
| Media | Storyware cartridges |
| CPU | ARM7TDMI @ 81 MHz |
| Predecessor / Successor | Sega Pico / ePico |
History
Sega Toys released the Advanced Pico Beena in Japan on August 6, 2005, positioning it as the direct successor to the company’s original Sega Pico. Where the Pico had leaned on a simple, sturdy console shape, the Beena adopted a folding, laptop-like case: unlatching the front revealed a touch-sensitive pad and rows of buttons flanking a slot for the system’s cartridge-based Storyware. The name itself was reportedly built from the opening syllables of “Be Natural,” reflecting the system’s marketing pitch toward whole-child development rather than pure entertainment.
The Beena expanded meaningfully on its predecessor’s formula. Games could now be played without connecting to a television at all, a first for the Pico line, and a second, separately sold Magic Pen stylus enabled two children to play together on a single unit. Sega Toys also built in save data support and parental controls that could cap daily playtime, alongside software that adjusted its own difficulty as a child’s skill improved. The educational pitch spanned intellectual, moral, physical, dietary, and safety themes, continuing the “learn while playing” philosophy Sega had established with the original Pico more than a decade earlier. Arriving in 2005, the Beena is counted among the educational hardware of the sixth console generation.
Licensing drove much of the software lineup, with Western properties like Toy Story 3 and Disney’s The Lion King and Winnie the Pooh titles sitting alongside Japanese children’s franchises. A dedicated line of Pokémon cartridges and bundles ran from 2005 through 2010, though notably the catalog never drew on Sega’s own Sonic the Hedgehog character. Sega Toys also built out an unusually broad accessory ecosystem around the hardware, including drum controllers, a steering wheel, a toy kitchen playset, and even a barcode scanner, extending the console well past a standard cartridge-and-controller setup.
A lower-cost redesign, the Beena Lite, arrived on July 17, 2008, broadening the console’s reach among budget-conscious households. Sega never formally discontinued the platform, and by 2010 the company put lifetime sales at roughly 4.1 million consoles alongside 20 million game cartridges, though early momentum had reportedly fallen short of Sega’s first-year targets. New software continued to appear until 2011, and Sega carried the “Beena” branding forward in 2014 through Telebeena, an educational mobile app rather than a piece of dedicated hardware. Because no later machine has carried the Sega name since, the Beena is sometimes described as the company’s last true console, even as it quietly gave way to its successor, the ePico.
Library Highlights
Rather than arcade-style action, the Beena’s library leaned almost entirely on licensed children’s entertainment, pairing familiar characters with reading, counting, and problem-solving activities aimed at preschool and early-elementary players.
- Disney’s The Lion King: Adventures at Pride Rock
- A Year at Pooh Corner
- Toy Story 3
Variants
The Beena Lite, a more affordable redesign of the original hardware, launched in July 2008 to widen the console’s audience beyond the initial price point. Sega Toys later carried the Beena name into 2014’s Telebeena, an educational mobile app rather than a hardware variant, extending the brand into connected home entertainment after the original console line wound down. No other major hardware revisions are documented. See the full Sega manufacturer hub for other systems the company released, including its predecessor.
Collector Value
As a Japan-only release aimed at young children, complete Advanced Pico Beena units with their original AC adapter, Magic Pen, and boxed Storyware cartridges are considerably scarcer outside Japan than mainstream consoles of the same era, and import shipping adds meaningfully to the total cost. Loose consoles turn up more often than complete-in-box examples, while the accessory ecosystem (extra Magic Pens, playsets, and peripherals like the steering wheel or toy kitchen) tends to command its own premium separate from the base console. Because the system was never widely sold outside Japan, buyers should expect Japanese-language packaging and cartridges by default.
Buying Guide
Before buying a used Advanced Pico Beena, confirm the listing includes the original AC adapter and at least one Magic Pen stylus, since the console cannot be used without one and replacements can be hard to source outside Japan. Check that the folding hinge and latch mechanism open and close cleanly, as this is the most common wear point on the hardware, and ask whether the cartridge slot has been tested with a Storyware cartridge rather than simply powered on. Because most units and software were sold only in Japan, expect Japanese-language cartridges and manuals unless the listing specifically states otherwise.
FAQs
When did the Advanced Pico Beena come out?
The Advanced Pico Beena was released by Sega Toys in Japan in 2005.
How many units did the Advanced Pico Beena sell?
Sega reported approximately 4.1 million consoles sold over the system’s lifetime.
How much did the Advanced Pico Beena cost at launch?
The launch price is not documented in verified sources for this page.
What CPU does the Advanced Pico Beena use?
It uses an ARM7TDMI processor running at 81 MHz.
What console followed the Advanced Pico Beena?
Sega Toys’ successor system was the ePico, which continued the Beena line’s educational, Storyware-based approach.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_Pico_Beena
- https://www.megavisions.net/advanced-pico-beena-segas-final-console-featured-edutainment-cookware-and-pokemon/
Facts on this page last verified 2026-07-15.