PC Engine CD
 
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Western markets model (top) and the original Japanese system (bottom).
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| Manufacturer |
NEC Home Electronics Hudson Soft |
|---|---|
| Type | Home video game console |
| Generation | Fourth generation |
| Release date | |
| Discontinued | |
| Units sold | Worldwide: 5.8 million Japan: 3.9 million |
| Media | HuCard, CD-ROM (only with the CD-ROM² add-on) |
| CPU | Hudson Soft HuC6280 |
| Display |
Resolution: - max. 565×242 - majority: 256×239 Colors: - available: 512 (9-bit) - onscreen: max. 482 (241 background, 241 sprite) |
| Dimensions | 14 cm×14 cm×3.8 cm (5.5 in×5.5 in×1.5 in) |
| Successor |
SuperGrafx (upgraded) PC-FX |
The TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem, known in Japan and France as the PC Engine (PCエンジン? Pī Shī Enjin), is a home video game console jointly developed by Hudson Soft and NEC Home Electronics, released in Japan on October 30, 1987 and in the United States on August 29, 1989. It also had a limited release in the United Kingdom and Spain in 1990, known as simply TurboGrafx and based on the American model, whilst the Japanese model was imported and distributed in France in 1989. It was the first console released in the 16-bit era, albeit still utilizing an 8-bit CPU. Originally intended to compete with the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), it ended up competing with the Sega Genesis, and later on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES).
The TurboGrafx-16 has an 8-bit CPU, a 16-bit video color encoder, and a 16-bit video display controller. The GPUs are capable of displaying 482 colors simultaneously, out of 512. With dimensions of just 14 cm×14 cm×3.8 cm (5.5 in×5.5 in×1.5 in), the Japanese PC Engine is the smallest major home game console ever made. Games were stored on a HuCard cartridge, or in CD-ROM optical format with the TurboGrafx-CD add-on.
The TurboGrafx-16 failed to break into the North American market and sold poorly, which has been blamed on inferior marketing. However in Japan the PC Engine was very successful, where it gained strong third-party support and outsold the Famicom at its 1987 debut, eventually becoming the Super Famicom's main rival. Lots of revisions - at least 17 distinct models - were made, such as portable versions and a CD-ROM add-on. A short lived successor, PC Engine SuperGrafx, failed to break through and was quickly discontinued. The entire series was succeeded by the PC-FX in 1994, only released in Japan.
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