website/content/museum/sharp-x68000.md

---
title: Sharp X68000
categories:
- Computers
types:
- Home Computer
origins:
- Japan
years:
- '1987'
cpus:
- Motorola MC68000
params:
  name: X68000
  company: /companies/sharp
  company_name: Sharp
  specs:
  - label: NAME
    value: X68000
  - label: MANUFACTURER
    value: Sharp
  - label: TYPE
    value: Home Computer
  - label: ORIGIN
    value: Japan
  - label: YEAR
    value: '1987'
  - label: KEYBOARD
    value: Full-stroke keyboard
  - label: CPU
    value: Motorola MC68000
  - label: SPEED
    value: 10 MHz
  - label: CO-PROCESSOR
    value: Unknown
  - label: RAM
    value: 1 MB (up to 12 MB)
  - label: VRAM
    value: 512 KB graphic + 512 KB text
  - label: ROM
    value: 1 MB
  - label: TEXT MODES
    value: Unknown
  - label: GRAPHIC MODES
    value: 256 x 240 / 256 x 256 / 512 x 240 / 512 x 256 / 512 x 512 / 640 x 480 / 768 x 512 / 1024 x 1024 / 128 sprites (16 x 16 dots)
  - label: COLORS
    value: 65535 (16 colors in 1024 x 1024 to 65K in 512 x 512)
  - label: SOUND
    value: 'FM Sound (Yamaha 2151 : 2 channels / 8 octaves stereo) + PCM (OKI MSM6258V : 4 bit mono)'
  - label: I/O PORTS
    value: Joystick(2), Audio IN / OUT, Stereo scope, TV Control, NTSC Video Image I/O, Expansion (2 slots), External FDD, SASI, RS232
  - label: BUILT IN MEDIA
    value: 2 x 5.25'' disk-drive
  - label: OS
    value: Human 68K 1.0 + VS
  - label: PERIPHERALS
    value: Built-in power supply unit
  tabs:
  - emulators
  - links
  - videos
  emulators:
  - title: Virtual X68000 Project
    url: http://www.vx68k.org/vx68k/
    platform: Windows
    text: X68000 emulator for linux and windows
  - title: X68000 emulator for Windows
    url: http://www.ksky.ne.jp/~yamama/emul/
    platform: Windows
    text: For Win9x / Me / 2K / NT
  - title: X68000 Emulator PPC
    url: http://emulation.net/x68000/
    platform: Apple
    text: X68000 Emulator PPC is currently the only X68000 emulator available for the Macintosh
  links:
  - title: NNA's X68000 Information Page
    url: http://nna.c-get.ne.jp/X68000/index.html
    text: Technical information and tips
  - title: Wikipedia
    url: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharp_X68000
    text: nice article
  - title: X68000 Ko-Window's page
    url: http://www.yo.rim.or.jp/~m_araki/kowin/index.html
    text: '"Windows-style" graphical interface for X68000 platform'
  - title: Web Wiz CAPTCHA
    url: http://www.webwizcaptcha.com
    text: ''
  videos:
  - title: Sharp X68000 japanese commercial
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPO1uTtK3bM
    text: 'Length: 59 s'
  - title: Sharp X68000 japanese commercial
    url: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK3GY3HUrm8
    text: 'Length: 29 s'
  comments:
  - author: Taylor S (Canada)
    date: Saturday 25th August 2018
    text: I agree the Sharp X68000 was a killer when you see some of those arcade identical games. Despite its technical achievement i really dont believe it would have succeeded as a game machine outside the asian countries. $3000 USD at the time was way beyond what ANY reasonable person would pay for a game machine$ games were great but not that great. Granted the X68K system was capable of more but at that time home computers had to be IBM compatible or you were dead. Lets face it, people were getting their fix from significantly cheaper NES, Sega, and even cheap IBM Compatibles with VGA graphics.
  - author: Laserdisc (USA)
    date: Saturday 7th January 2012
    text: The Sharp X68000 was the top dog in it''s day of 68k based home computers and it better be since it was hella expensive. One could purchase a few Amiga 500s for the price of one entry level X68000.
  - author: j (ny)
    date: Friday 20th May 2005
    text: square screens are cool
  related:
  - /museum/sharp-x68000-ace-ace-hd
  - /museum/sharp-x68000-expert
  - /museum/sharp-x68000-expert-ii
  - /museum/sharp-x68000-pro
  - /museum/sharp-x68000-pro-ii
  - /museum/sharp-x68000-super-super-hd
  - /museum/sharp-x68000-xvi
  - /museum/sharp-x68000-xvi-compact
  - /museum/sharp-x68030-68030-compact
  oc_id: 298
  source:
    url: https://web.archive.org/web/20230609140735/http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=298
    date: '2023-06-09'
---

Here is the first of a great family. It is the successor of the [Sharp X1 family](/museum/sharp-x1-cz-800c/), shipped with a unique square screen monitor, fist in a grey case, then in black.

Instead of using the Zilog Z80, it uses a powerful Motorola MC 68000. This computer (and all its family) has great features (look at the emulator), it was more powerful than the other 68000 computers at this time ([Atari ST](/museum/atari-520-st-st-stm/) or [Amiga 500](/museum/commodore-amiga-500/)) : more colors or more hardware sprites, hardware scrolling, genlocking, perspective or playfields (up to 16) .

Unfortunately, it was never marketed outside Japan where it was and still is very very popular ! Too bad, I'm sure it would have a great success !! A very great range of games were developed for the X680x0 serie and the best arcade conversions were done on this computer.

It runs under Human 68K, an operating system which looks like CP/M 68 or MSDOS and uses a graphic user interface called VS.

Notice that the development is still active on that computer, several OSes have been ported on the X68000, the most famous are Minix and Unix NetBSD and all the GNU tools and there are some projects under development : XNeptune (a Ethernet card) or Ko-Windows (a 'NextStep-like' graphic environment).

It was followed by the [X68000 Ace and Ace HD](/museum/sharp-x68000-ace-ace-hd/).