---
title: MSX 2
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1985'
cpus:
- Zilog Z80A
params:
  name: MSX 2
  company: /companies/msx
  company_name: MSX
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: MSX 2
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: MSX
  - label: TYPE
    value: Home Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Japan
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1985'
  - label: CPU
    value: Zilog Z80A or equivalent
  - label: SPEED
    value: 3.58 MHz
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: 'Video Display Processor : V9938 (MSX-VIDEO)'
  - label: RAM
    value: at least 64 KB
  - label: VRAM
    value: at least 64 KB
  - label: ROM
    value: 48 KB
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: 40 x 24 / 32 x 24
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 64 x 48 / 256 x 192 / 256 x 212 / 512 x 212
  - label: COLORS
    value: '512'
  - label: SOUND
    value: 3 channels, 8 octaves
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Joystick(1 or 2), Cartridge(2), Tape(1200/2400 baud), RGB, Composite Video, Centronics, External Audio
  - label: OS
    value: MSX DOS 2.0 (available on a optional cartridge)
  tabs:
  - emulators
  - links
  forum_thread: 298
  emulators:
  - title: fMSX for MS DOS Homepage
    url: http://www.komkon.org/~dekogel/fmsx.html
    platform: MS DOS
    text: ''
  - title: BlueMSX
    url: http://www.bluemsx.com/
    platform: Windows
    text: Excellent free MSX emulator
  - title: BrMSX
    url: http://www.lsi.usp.br/~ricardo/brmsx.htm
    platform: Windows
    text: A Bresilian MSX Emulator written in 100% assembler
  - title: CompuJunk's MSX Emulator
    url: http://ftp.castel.nl/msx/
    platform: Windows
    text: A MSX1 and MSX2 Emulator
  - title: RuMSX
    url: http://members.ping.at/lexlechz/msx.html
    platform: Windows
    text: A MSX Emulator for Win95 and Win NT + Direct X
  - title: Virtual MSX
    url: http://www.msxnet.org/vmsx/
    platform: Windows
    text: An other MSX 1 emulator for Win 95 / Win NT
  - title: fMSX for MAC OS Homepage
    url: http://www.emulation.net/msx/index.html
    platform: Apple
    text: ''
  - title: fMSX official Homepage
    url: http://www.komkon.org/fms/fMSX
    platform: Other platform
    text: 'fMSX is a portable MSX emulator ported on : Amiga OS, Mac OS, MS DOS, OS/2, Sony Playstation, Risc OS, Towns OS, Unix / X, Win95 / NT, X68K.'
  - title: fMSX32
    url: HTTP://WWW.RETRODEV.INFO/
    platform: Other platform
    text: The excellent fMSX, but ported onto the GamePark GP32 handheld console.
  - title: openMSX - The MSX emulator that aims for perfection.
    url: http://openmsx.sourceforge.net/
    platform: Multiplatform
    text: This new MSX emulator can reproduce, among many other MSX, MSX2and MSX2+ machines, both Panasonic Turbo-R models. Be sure to get the catapult frontend and the system roms from FUNET.
  links:
  - title: MSX Faq
    url: http://www.faq.msxnet.org
    text: Here, you can find near all hardware pieces related to MSX.
  related:
  - /museum/canon-v-25
  - /museum/jvc-hc-95
  - /museum/kawai-kmc-5000
  - /museum/panasonic-fs-a1
  - /museum/panasonic-fs-a1f
  - /museum/sony-hit-bit-f1xd
  - /museum/sony-hit-bit-f500
  - /museum/sony-hit-bit-f700
  - /museum/sony-hit-bit-f9
  - /museum/sony-hit-bit-g900f
  oc_id: 288
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230529175859/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=288
    date: '2023-05-29'
---

After the (relative) success of the [MSX 1 computer](/museum/msx-1/) (in Japan, Europe and South America), Microsoft and ASCII presented its successor. The main new feature was the very enhanced graphic modes, no other computers were able to display such graphics! The 128 KB VRAM was very impressive! It had a battery-backed clock and a new MMU (to handle more than the Z80 64KB limit). The MSX 2 standard, like the MSX 1, was designed by ASCII, the new operating system MSX DOS 2.0 was designed by Microsoft (it's almost a copy of MS-DOS 3.3). A while after launching the MSX 2 standard, Microsoft abandoned the project, but several manufacturers took it over.

**John van Poelgeest** adds:\
As the MSX2 and [MSX2+](/museum/msx-2-291/) computers were very alike, it did not take long to have a MSX2 computer rebuilt with the MSX2+ VDP (V9958 from Yamaha) and the BIOS chips from the MSX2+, making the MSX2 computer a fully compatible MSX2+. The one thing lacking was the MSX-Music (FM-Pac), but this could be added by using a cartridge.

**Toby** comments:\
Note that MSX-DOS 2 did not ship with any MSX2 by default. It was developed later and sold as an external cartridge (with the kernel) and 3.5" diskette (containing the OS files). The only computer to ship with MSX-DOS 2 was the MSX turboR (both the [ST](/museum/panasonic-fs-a1-st/) and the [GT](/museum/panasonic-fs-a1-gt/)) which had MSX-DOS version 2.3x built in.