The legendary MSX computer system, of which millions were sold on the 1980's, is going to be re-introduced in a compact, low budget form. The MSX system was not successful in the USA, that is why you might not know it. In Japan and in Europe it was big and there is still a community out there fascinated with the MSX. The MSX was Microsoft's first video game attempt. Many years later came the Xbox.

S. Zuidema wrote us the following about the MSX chip:
The Japanese companies ASCII (who, together with Microsoft, introduced the MSX standard in 1982) and MSX Association (the owner of the MSX trademarks and copyrights) demonstrated the One Chip MSX1 at Altera's PLD World 2004.

The One Chip MSX has 32MB SDRAM, 1MB SRAM, FlashROM, an SD card-slot, two MSX Joystick-ports, two USB-ports, VGA and SVHS video-outputs and a stereo audio-connector. keyboard can be connected through a standard PS/2 port. The most interesting feature is however the chip itself: an Aletera Cyclone II FPGA chips allowes the end-user to alter, expand or even completely change the functionality of the device using VHDL code.


At the moment it is not clear if and when the Dutch company Bazix, that has recently become the official representative of MSX Association in Europe and America, will distribute the One Chip MSX outside of Japan. The company did, however, recently announce it is going to re-release old MSX games on WOOMB.net.

More MSX Links:
MSX
Bazix
ASCII24
Tweakers