Sega launched the 32X in North America on 21 November 1994 as an expansion for the Genesis. The module fitted into the cartridge slot and added two 32-bit Hitachi SH-2 processors and its own graphics hardware while continuing to use part of the Genesis electronics. Its games were distributed mainly on dedicated cartridges, and some titles also required the Sega CD. Sega conceived the 32X as a lower-cost transitional route towards 32-bit hardware, but it appeared at almost the same time as the Saturn in Japan, leaving both platforms coexisting within the company’s strategy.