¶ Technical data
- Manufacturer: Microsoft / ASCII standard, machines built by Sony, Philips, Panasonic, Canon, Yamaha, Toshiba, Sanyo…
- Year of release: 1983
- CPU: Zilog Z80A @ 3.58 MHz
- RAM: 8 to 64 KB depending on the model
- Video: Texas Instruments TMS9918, 256×192, 16 colors, 32 sprites
- Sound chip: General Instrument AY-3-8910 (PSG), 3 voices
- Media: cartridge, tape, 3"½ floppy disk
¶ Presentation
MSX is not a machine but a standard, defined in 1983 by Microsoft Japan — driven by Kazuhiko Nishi — and ASCII Corporation. The idea was to bring to home computing what VHS had brought to video: a single standard, with the same CPU, the same video chip and the same BASIC, so that a piece of software would run on every machine whoever built it.
About thirty manufacturers produced MSX computers: Sony, Philips, Panasonic, Canon, Yamaha, Toshiba, Sanyo, Casio, Sharp… The standard never took off in the United States or the United Kingdom, but it dominated the Japanese market and was hugely successful in the Netherlands, Spain, Brazil, South Korea and the Middle East.
The MSX 1 owes its gaming reputation to its Japanese publishers. Konami made it its platform of choice with games that became classics — Nemesis (Gradius), Knightmare, King's Valley, Penguin Adventure — often shipped on cartridge, sometimes with extra sound chips embedded in the cartridge itself.
¶ Emulators
Emulator availability per board:
| Emulator | RPI3/RPI02W | RPI4/400 | RPI5/500 | OGA/OGS/RG351 | PC | RG353 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libretro bluemsx | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Libretro fmsx | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Libretro fbneo | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
blueMSX is the default emulator on every board: it is the most accurate one and the only one handling CRT output. Recalbox automatically configures it as an "MSX" type machine for this system. fMSX is a lighter fallback. FBNeo only accepts MSX romsets in FBNeo format and mostly serves arcade collections. Netplay is not available on this system, but RetroAchievements are supported.
A keyboard is recommended on this system. Many MSX games are fully playable with a pad, but the MSX boots into BASIC and plenty of titles ask for a specific key (
SPACE,F1,ESC, entering a name, loading a tape). Without a USB or Bluetooth keyboard, part of the library stays out of reach. The mouse is not used on MSX 1.
¶ BIOS
The blueMSX core does not start without its set of machine ROMs. All those files come from the official blueMSX v2.8.2 ("full" edition) package: get it, then copy its Machines folder as is into /recalbox/share/bios/, keeping folder and file names, spaces included.
/recalbox/share/bios/
└── Machines/
├── Forte II Games - Pesadelo/
├── MSX - C-BIOS/
├── MSX2 - C-BIOS/
├── MSX2+ - C-BIOS/
├── MSX2+ - European/
├── SEGA - SF-7000/
└── Shared Roms/
This
Machinesfolder is shared by every system using blueMSX: MSX 1, MSX 2, MSX Turbo R, Spectravideo, ColecoVision and SG-1000. It therefore only has to be installed once.
Complete list of the expected files:
| File name | Description | MD5 | Emulators |
|---|---|---|---|
Machines/Forte II Games - Pesadelo/pesadelo.rom |
Forte II Games Pesadelo machine | ba53d700ec25bcb08020ce693319cd28 | blueMSX |
Machines/MSX - C-BIOS/cbios_logo_msx1.rom |
C-BIOS MSX1 (free BIOS) | 25b5cdea5040883a206b89845cdf55f1 | blueMSX |
Machines/MSX - C-BIOS/cbios_main_msx1.rom |
C-BIOS MSX1 (free BIOS) | 87b27f48cc25e2b6f749c019587d5f23 | blueMSX |
Machines/MSX2 - C-BIOS/cbios_logo_msx2.rom |
C-BIOS MSX2 (free BIOS) | 659db9142e62c51f2f75fd52fac78e44 | blueMSX |
Machines/MSX2 - C-BIOS/cbios_main_msx2.rom |
C-BIOS MSX2 (free BIOS) | 98b94c2d99066f272bb5de07778f7fd1 | blueMSX |
Machines/MSX2 - C-BIOS/cbios_sub.rom |
C-BIOS MSX2 (free BIOS) | 9dd9a69432cc116d0f1d4ec7a51053e0 | blueMSX |
Machines/MSX2+ - C-BIOS/cbios_logo_msx2+.rom |
C-BIOS MSX2+ (free BIOS) | 462d6ecb52a8c35dd7d48c2d46687f14 | blueMSX |
Machines/MSX2+ - C-BIOS/cbios_main_msx2+.rom |
C-BIOS MSX2+ (free BIOS) | 0a34c660614ead31dab78638ce7745e9 | blueMSX |
Machines/MSX2+ - C-BIOS/cbios_music.rom |
C-BIOS MSX2+ (free BIOS) | e09783c4ec6d4770c5395c42bb0e1d91 | blueMSX |
Machines/MSX2+ - C-BIOS/cbios_sub.rom |
C-BIOS MSX2+ (free BIOS) | 9dd9a69432cc116d0f1d4ec7a51053e0 | blueMSX |
Machines/MSX2+ - European/KANJI.rom |
European MSX2+ machine | acf53887c2d2783dc059a9b442c86b90 | blueMSX |
Machines/MSX2+ - European/MSX2PMUS.rom |
European MSX2+ machine | f877f32e6d8687474ac5ee83e40de23b | blueMSX |
Machines/MSX2+ - European/MSXKANJI.rom |
European MSX2+ machine | 9dfdebfaa6b547222a40aab8bb2e29f8 | blueMSX |
Machines/MSX2+ - European/Msx2pe.rom |
European MSX2+ machine | 277fd57c13f301fb4b366845a32d673a | blueMSX |
Machines/MSX2+ - European/Msx2pexte.rom |
European MSX2+ machine | f78ab735aaad7045badbda8f4c8ac751 | blueMSX |
Machines/MSX2+ - European/PANASONICDISK.rom |
European MSX2+ machine | 00aa02b6077de40a0b51d71a3c3e1d5f | blueMSX |
Machines/MSX2+ - European/XBASIC2.rom |
European MSX2+ machine | 0b6120f289336538bc564548109f97c6 | blueMSX |
Machines/SEGA - SF-7000/sf7000.rom |
Sega SF-7000 machine | 561b362f9aa4cbcb240461abf83c2e0d | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/ARAB1.ROM |
Shared system ROM | 7fa0558bcec9dba310579521623d9f6a | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/ARABIC.rom |
Shared system ROM | 20c4b5d1d9469c201b145f082ec32658 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/BEERIDE.ROM |
Shared system ROM | b32279f2700652a5ce0a809318626763 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/FMPAC.rom |
Shared system ROM | 6f69cc8b5ed761b03afd78000dfb0e19 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/GCVMX80.ROM |
Shared system ROM | fd0b8f1766dc6dcc03a43d9c79dc4e37 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/HANGUL.rom |
Shared system ROM | 9baf17b190f631405b6b0eeeeb162b87 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/KANJI.rom |
Shared system ROM | acf53887c2d2783dc059a9b442c86b90 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MICROSOLDISK.ROM |
Shared system ROM | 02e8b1f96049f09d6d3a735647cbbb2a | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MOONSOUND.rom |
Shared system ROM | 42af93619160ef2116416f74a6cb12f2 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX.rom |
Shared system ROM | 364a1a579fe5cb8dba54519bcfcdac0d | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2.rom |
Shared system ROM | ec3a01c91f24fbddcbcab0ad301bc9ef | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2AR.ROM |
Shared system ROM | 91764e84f977671ac7caa50b36273fd2 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2AREXT.ROM |
Shared system ROM | be5d1ec8001d945ca1432285722e9d16 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2BR.rom |
Shared system ROM | d3df424728a225b301510f5384cae583 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2BREXT.rom |
Shared system ROM | 355c6d5ee31da441d485cd89ca906413 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2EXT.rom |
Shared system ROM | 2183c2aff17cf4297bdb496de78c2e8a | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2FR.rom |
Shared system ROM | 7af9e84da1520a8a7fb82e73703e5075 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2FREXT.rom |
Shared system ROM | 6ffe789cca2eca9d2e71ca7b69b97e6b | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2G.rom |
Shared system ROM | b6c33b7b3508d691d7872589c778f808 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2GEXT.rom |
Shared system ROM | 4047ce143a8bf391e21991835aa65b59 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2HAN.rom |
Shared system ROM | 7b9466546009d419ebd0dc27db90c30e | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2J.rom |
Shared system ROM | 53bec1c22b30c0a15263e04b91a7814f | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2JEXT.rom |
Shared system ROM | 8aabde714a42256bef36ea9b04f6ef59 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2KR.rom |
Shared system ROM | 6819a1533502261bfdd52436b8346073 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2KREXT.rom |
Shared system ROM | 30a0b3402a0a13b516af76d39f45a365 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2P.rom |
Shared system ROM | 847cc025ffae665487940ff2639540e5 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2PEXT.rom |
Shared system ROM | 7c8243c71d8f143b2531f01afa6a05dc | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2PMUS.rom |
Shared system ROM | f877f32e6d8687474ac5ee83e40de23b | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2R.rom |
Shared system ROM | db56360c85ef8410dc4bcf8e8602f61e | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2R2.ROM |
Shared system ROM | 96ac231b718e88ce64d5a9b4a5e9ae12 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2REXT.rom |
Shared system ROM | 8e4af1124e2b82fbdc74a7bc5f20dc6e | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2SE.rom |
Shared system ROM | fb8f7ab15e32a91147204bd7f7a1b451 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2SP.rom |
Shared system ROM | 79caefa20a0d056fb42eaeca856c6f82 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSX2SPEXT.rom |
Shared system ROM | d71842ce8f559a8aed2721766bc15f2b | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSXAR.ROM |
Shared system ROM | 793e3b833c33be7aaf834beacb8fb926 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSXBR.rom |
Shared system ROM | d13c1fc9ad4897c322f51aab3ad3b30d | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSXDOS23.ROM |
Shared system ROM | 56bf5b02fed377b7bb9d91f914965431 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSXFR.rom |
Shared system ROM | 6f43d28ac4a69182c860c2db0e18ee6d | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSXG.rom |
Shared system ROM | 4655329d3f37bf1a655d05f2abd1aa62 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSXHAN.rom |
Shared system ROM | 394efbc50fb7df1151130d8c162f85c3 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSXJ.rom |
Shared system ROM | f005e55c680ba6e7b19f6d4dc8f73ce5 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSXKANJI.rom |
Shared system ROM | 9dfdebfaa6b547222a40aab8bb2e29f8 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSXKR.rom |
Shared system ROM | c84f362c44192659273d45ae97462362 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSXR.rom |
Shared system ROM | 0db9592930488259fc1a5c127215e784 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSXR2.ROM |
Shared system ROM | 704bdd980fa56c6be5c680358458eeeb | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSXSE.ROM |
Shared system ROM | 161cb768c52a13f5b38ba46e721b68c1 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSXSP.rom |
Shared system ROM | 51af5b19aeccf94eb8e03bce0b5d33c4 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSXTR.ROM |
Shared system ROM | fd9513736823e470965949f2a3ec6a43 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSXTREXT.ROM |
Shared system ROM | 824b1c4475a3bd3b91c5ae81ea940aa2 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSXTRMUS.ROM |
Shared system ROM | c688a229f834f95f8c64df7d33188cd8 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/MSXTROPT.ROM |
Shared system ROM | 2cba0d812ec445cfe63ffa2cac8d42c2 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/NATIONALDISK.rom |
Shared system ROM | 86269da485e852d9f581ac27f4ba32ff | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/NOVAXIS.rom |
Shared system ROM | 20989124671593ab04eeb01d52a1e25c | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/PAINT.rom |
Shared system ROM | 41db0d7b37be479296ffd59fcd6775f0 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/PANASONICDISK.rom |
Shared system ROM | 00aa02b6077de40a0b51d71a3c3e1d5f | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/PHILIPSDISK.rom |
Shared system ROM | 01dd1d72ed9bb6afe8a9b441c198a1cd | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/RS232.ROM |
Shared system ROM | 55cca200bbbdd0a1ec5c9d70966c05c0 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/SUNRISEIDE.rom |
Shared system ROM | 7b564497beb2c0de0847f107dec00ddf | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/SWP.rom |
Shared system ROM | 490db04e2a3c1c993a2a9d3611949c76 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/XBASIC2.rom |
Shared system ROM | 0b6120f289336538bc564548109f97c6 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/nowindDos1.rom |
Shared system ROM | 8c294a75f14fc30fce0c8642d28ccec1 | blueMSX |
Machines/Shared Roms/nowindDos2.rom |
Shared system ROM | 1847398c014384b833868c64f149f338 | blueMSX |
¶ The fMSX rom set
The second core, fMSX, does not use blueMSX's Machines/ folder: it expects its own rom set in /recalbox/share/bios/msx/. These files are optional — fMSX boots without them, using its built-in free BIOS — but they are needed to get the exact behaviour of the original machines, the floppy drive, the FM-PAC or the Japanese and Cyrillic fonts.
| File name | Description | MD5 |
|---|---|---|
msx/MSX.ROM |
MSX 1 BIOS | aa95aea2563cd5ec0a0919b44cc17d47 |
msx/MSX2.ROM |
MSX 2 BIOS | ec3a01c91f24fbddcbcab0ad301bc9ef |
msx/MSX2EXT.ROM |
Extension MSX 2 BIOS | 2183c2aff17cf4297bdb496de78c2e8a |
msx/MSX2P.ROM |
MSX 2+ BIOS | 6d8c0ca64e726c82a4b726e9b01cdf1e |
msx/MSX2PEXT.ROM |
Extension MSX 2+ BIOS | 7c8243c71d8f143b2531f01afa6a05dc |
msx/DISK.ROM |
Floppy disk controller | 80dcd1ad1a4cf65d64b7ba10504e8190 |
msx/MSXDOS2.ROM |
MSX-DOS 2 | 6418d091cd6907bbcf940324339e43bb |
msx/FMPAC.ROM |
FM-PAC sound cartridge | 6f69cc8b5ed761b03afd78000dfb0e19 |
msx/FMPAC16.ROM |
FM-PAC sound cartridge (16 KB) | af8537262df8df267072f359399a7635 |
msx/KANJI.ROM |
Kanji font | febe8782b466d7c3b16de6d104826b34 |
msx/CYRILLIC.FNT |
Cyrillic font | 85b38e4128bbc300e675f55b278683a8 |
msx/ITALIC.FNT |
Italic font | c83e50e9f33b8dd893c414691822740d |
msx/PAINTER.ROM |
Painter cartridge | 403cdea1cbd2bb24fae506941f8f655e |
msx/RS232.ROM |
RS-232 serial interface | 279efd1eae0d358eecd4edc7d9adedf3 |
msx/CARTS.SHA |
Cartridge checksum database | d6dedca1112ddfda94cc9b2e426b818b, 74b0f217fa0e2b8bb5a2f8e2ecc69da3 |
This
msx/folder is shared too, between MSX 1, MSX 2 and MSX turbo R: installing it once is enough.
¶ Roms
Put your games in:
/recalbox/share/roms/msx1/
Supported extensions per emulator:
| Emulator | Extensions |
|---|---|
| blueMSX | .cas .dsk .m3u .mx1 .ri .rom .zip .7z |
| fMSX | .cas .dsk .m3u .msx1 .rom .zip .7z |
| FBNeo | .zip .7z |
A few landmarks about those formats:
.romand.mx1are cartridge images, the most common format on MSX 1;.dskis a 3"½ floppy disk image,.casa tape image;.riis a cartridge image as produced by some dumpers;.zipand.7zarchives start without being extracted.
For a game spread over several floppy disks, create a
.m3ufile listing the images in order, one per line, and start that.m3u: disk swapping is then done from the emulator menu.
With FBNeo, leave the romsets zipped and do not rename them: the core expects exact romset names, just like for arcade.