PC-FX

PC-FX Specifications

The PC-FX is a 32-bit home video game console made by NEC Corporation. It was released in Japan on December 23, 1994, just weeks after Sony's PlayStation and a month after the Sega Saturn. It is the successor to NEC's PC Engine, known as TurboGrafx-16 in North America.

Unlike its predecessor, the PC-FX was only released in Japan. The console is shaped just like a tower PC and was meant to be similarly upgradeable. However the PC-FX was using an outdated graphics chip that rendered the system underpowered in comparison to its competitors, which caused it to be a commercial failure. A lack of developers' support also meant inadequate games and as a result it was unable to compete effectively with its fifth generation peers. The PC-FX was NEC's last home video game console, and was discontinued in February 1998.

The PC-FX was notable for its ability to play FMV-based games with high-quality graphics and sound. It featured an enhanced version of the HuC6280 CPU used in the PC Engine, as well as dedicated hardware for handling video decompression and playback. However, the system's reliance on FMV-based games limited the types of games that could be made for it, and the console lacked the processing power to handle more advanced 3D graphics.

Despite its technical capabilities, the PC-FX suffered from poor marketing and limited third-party support, which contributed to its failure in the marketplace. Today, the console is primarily remembered as a curiosity among gaming enthusiasts and collectors.

The PC-FX uses CD-ROMs as its storage medium, following on from the expansion released for its HuCard based predecessor. The game controller is virtually identical to a DUO-RX controller, but the rapid fire switches have been replaced with mode A/B switches. Peripherals include a PC-FX mouse, which is supported by strategy games like Farland Story FX and Power DoLLS FX.

The PC-FX uses the HuC6270 and HuC6271 graphic chips, and is able to decompress 30 JPEG pictures per second while playing digitally recorded audio, essentially a form of Motion JPEG. This gives the PC-FX superior full motion video quality over all other fifth generation consoles.

The PC-FX's computer-like form factor was unusual for consoles at the time. It stands upright like a tower computer while other contemporary consoles lay flat, and it has three expansion ports. Similar to the 3DO, it features a built in power supply.

The PC-FX includes an HU 62 series 32-bit system board, an LSI chip, and a 32-bit V-810 RISC CPU. The system can display 16.77 million colors (the same amount as the PlayStation).

Unusual for a fifth generation console, the PC-FX does not have a polygon graphics processor. NEC's reasoning for this was that polygon processors of the time were relatively low-powered, resulting in figures having a blocky appearance, and that it would be better for games to use pre-rendered polygon graphics instead.