1982 · NEC · Japan · computer
NEC PC-9801
For nearly two decades, the PC-98 was Japanese computing.
Essential Fiddly Needs a keyboard Awkward on a modern pad ▶ Watch on YouTube ↗
For nearly two decades, the PC-98 was Japanese computing. Because IBM PCs struggled with displaying high-resolution Japanese Kanji characters, NEC designed the PC-98 with dedicated 640x400 hardware Kanji ROMs and rich Yamaha FM synthesizer audio.
ZUN coded an early five Touhou Project bullet-hell games (Highly Responsive to Prayers through Mystic Square) on PC-98, establishing an indie music and dōjin phenomenon.
Under the hood
- CPU
- NEC V30 (8086 compatible) @ 8–10 MHz up to Intel 486 / Pentium on PC-9821
- Sound chip
- Yamaha YM2203 (OPN FM) / YM2608 (OPNA 6-channel FM + 6 ADPCM rhythm channels + Roland MIDI)
- Graphics
- 640 × 400 high resolution (16 colors from 4,096 palette) with dedicated Kanji character ROM
- Media
- 5¼" / 3½" Floppy Disks & SASI/SCSI Hard Disk Images (.hdi)
What it cost
about a month of an average wage in 1982 · about $3,875 today
| Japan PC-9801 launch price (¥298,000 / ~$1,200 USD) |
¥298,000 (1982)
Dominated Japanese business and PC gaming for 15+ years. |
|---|---|
| Typical street price | — No verified mass-market street price recorded yet. |
| Units sold | 18,000,000 Over 18 million units sold in Japan. |
Why it mattered
ZUN coded an early five Touhou Project bullet-hell games (Highly Responsive to Prayers through Mystic Square) on PC-98, establishing an indie music and dōjin phenomenon.
Emulating it today
| Emulators | Neko Project II Kai (libretro), Anex86, T98-Next |
|---|---|
| Setup effort | Fiddly (7.5 on this site's scale) |
| Controls | The original software assumes a keyboard. A desktop setup feels natural; on a handheld, map common keys and keep an on-screen keyboard available. |
| Runs on a handheld | No — it needs a real machine |
Requires Japanese system BIOS and font ROMs (`FONT.ROM`, `bios.rom`) in `np2kai` directory. Neko Project II kai handles floppy (.d88) and hard disk (.hdi) images. The emulator names above are starting points, not a promise that every title or accessory behaves identically. Computer platforms usually add model selection, disk handling and keyboard setup even when CPU emulation itself is mature.
system firmware or BIOS
Requires `FONT.ROM` (Kanji font ROM), `bios.rom`, `sound.rom`, and `itf.rom` in `bios/np2kai/` directory.
How many files you need: 1. Start with the firmware for the exact model and region you are emulating; some families need additional revisions for later models.
Where it stands legally: Firmware normally remains copyrighted. The clean route is to extract it from hardware you own unless the rights holder offers a download or licensed package.
Firmware details checked 2026-08. Emulator requirements change — see Libretro documentation 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
- Touhou Project (Games 1–5: Lotus Land Story, Mystic Square) Danmaku / Bullet Hell Shmup
ZUN’s legendary original PC-98 shmups with incredible OPNA FM synth music.
- Policenauts Cinematic Graphic Adventure
Hideo Kojima’s hard sci-fi space detective adventure in crisp 640x400 resolution.
- Rusty Action Platformer
Superb Castlevania-style dark fantasy platformer starring female whip-wielding protagonist Rusty.
- Brandish 1 & 2 Top-down Dungeon Crawler
Nihon Falcom’s unique maze crawler where the entire world rotates around the hero.
- EVE Burst Error Visual Novel / Mystery
Hiroyuki Kanno’s acclaimed dual-perspective detective mystery thriller.
- Grounseed Sci-Fi Action RPG
Stunning high-res mech action with dynamic anime combat portraits.
The verdict
The undisputed king of Japanese personal computing (60%+ market share for 15 years). Breathtaking high-res 16-color pixel art visual novels, dungeon crawlers, and the birthplace of the Touhou…
The strongest software can be rewarding, but original controls and setup assumptions may matter more than screenshots suggest.
- Worth it if
- Players curious about nec consoles and 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 4/5 for fun today and 5/5 for historical importance. Those two scores decide the label at the top — a machine can matter enormously and still be no fun.
Read more & watch
This page is 50% complete against the facts we try to record for every system. Gaps are shown as gaps.