1985 · Commodore · US · computer
Commodore 128
A three-in-one successor to the C64 that everyone used to play C64 games.
Mixed Trivial to run Needs a keyboard ▶ Watch on YouTube ↗
Image: Evan-Amos · CC BY-SA 3.0
Commodore's 1985 successor to the C64, and a machine with three personalities: a native 128K mode, full C64 compatibility, and a Z80 for running business CP/M software. It was clever engineering that arrived after the 8-bit home market had peaked.
Almost everyone bought it to run C64 games and left the 128 mode untouched — a fine machine used as a slightly nicer old one.
Under the hood
- CPU
- MOS 8502 @ 2 MHz, plus a Zilog Z80 @ 2 MHz for CP/M mode
- Memory
- 128 KB
What it cost
about a quarter of a month’s pay in 1985 · about $874 today
| US launch list price ($299.95, machine only) |
$299.95 (1985)
3 machines in 1: 128K dual-screen mode, 100% C64 hardware mode, and Z80 CP/M mode. |
|---|---|
| Typical street price | — No verified mass-market street price recorded yet. |
| Units sold | ≈4,000,000 estimate 4 million units sold between 1985 and 1989. |
Why it mattered
The 128 is a monument to backward-compatibility engineering — three machines in one box — and to the reality that by 1985 the market wanted cheaper C64s, not cleverer successors.
Emulating it today
| Emulators | VICE (x128), MAME |
|---|---|
| Setup effort | Trivial to run (1 on this site's scale) |
| Controls | This is a computer-like platform: games may use a joystick or pad, but launching and configuring software often needs a keyboard. |
| Runs on a handheld | Yes |
VICE's x128 is the mature choice and emulates all three personalities — native C128, C64 compatibility, and CP/M via the second Z80 CPU. The work is configuration, not CPU accuracy: pick the right mode, and supply a boot disk for CP/M. No separate BIOS file is needed.
Firmware
This system needs no firmware file. Install an emulator, open a game, and it runs.
How many files you need: none to go and find. No separate firmware file is needed for an ordinary setup.
Firmware details checked 2026-08. Emulator requirements change — see Commodore 128 — Emulation General Wiki for the current list.
Where the software is
TOSEC catalogues computer disks and tapes broadly, including many revisions. It is useful for preservation, while a smaller curated selection is usually easier to play.
Copyright: Commercial software remains copyrighted unless its owner explicitly released or relicensed it. Homebrew, public-domain programs and current reissues should be treated separately from abandoned commercial titles.
This site names preservation projects and explains what they are. It does not link to ROM downloads.
Where to start
- Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny 1988 RPG
One of the few big titles with a true 128 mode; mostly the machine ran C64 software.
- Krakout 1987 action
- The Last V8 1985 driving
The verdict
As a C64 it is excellent; the native 128 mode has a handful of programs worth seeing.
Almost its entire appeal is being a C64, so for games you may as well emulate the C64 directly.
- Worth it if
- Players curious about commodore 8-bit home computers and willing to learn how the original machine worked.
- Not for
- Anyone who wants a large, instantly accessible library and no model, firmware or control decisions.
Scored 3/5 for fun today and 3/5 for historical importance. Those two scores decide the label at the top — a machine can matter enormously and still be no fun.
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This page is 50% complete against the facts we try to record for every system. Gaps are shown as gaps.