So, you're thinking of potentially purchasing a PC-9800 series computer. Being a Japan-only machine, this isn't a trivial task. From logistics, to basic use, as well as advanced troubleshooting.

This document is designed to help you stay informed in these regards as of mid 2026.

1. Introduction
2. "Should I REALLY get a PC-9800 series machine?"
3. "Well, I still wish to get one eventually. How should I prep?"
4. "I am ready. I'm well versed in MS-DOS and would like some hardware"
1. The various system generations
2. Two 80s hardware
3. 486/early Pentium hardware
4. Late Pentium/Pentium Pro/Pentium II era hardware
5. Epson PC-98 clones (PC-286/386/486)
6. The drawbacks
5. "I have made my choice. Where do I start shopping?"

For the vast majority of you, the answer will likely be NO!

If your main use case is to play video games, at best play some music disks, and you do not wish to stray away from pre-built convenient environments like that of YAHDI or similar, do not even think of trying to get one. It will be a frustrating experience that will cost you a LOT of money and especially a LOT of TIME!

Simple. Use emulators! Specifically use either np21/w or np2kai. They are in the upper tier of accuracy, provide tons of emulated hardware options, and are actively maintained. For more information on emulation, check out the Emulators page.

Assuming you're able to grasp the basics of operating them, you'll have to try and use them like you would an actual computer, which is to say that you will have to get familiar with creating and formatting hard disk and floppy disk images, installation of an operating system, drivers, and programs yourself. In fact, before you do any of this, you should familiarize yourself with MS-DOS and Windows 3.x/9x on IBM PC compatibles first!

A lot of knowledge will carry over, but you won't be able to rely on English text on the PC-98 side for the most part. Once you consider yourself trained in these areas and are able to reliably set up software and manage memory usage, you may continue.

Alright, ask yourself this first: What am I going to use the machine for?

If you plan to use later versions of DOS (5.00H+) and play more advanced, colorful games with decent amounts of action, or play more demanding multi-media, potentially want to leave room for 16-bit Windows, and minimize repair and parts gathering troubles, you ought to consider 486 or early Pentium era PC-9821 machines.

If you are more interested in earlier software that is more optimized for 80s specs, then it is best to stick to hardware dated between 1985 and 1990. More specifically, machines with a 286 or 386 that have a V30 CPU option.

Finally, if you're more of a power nut and want a strong system, this is where you look at Socket 5/7 or Slot 1 era systems. These have various advantages and disadvantages.

Be EXTREMELY wary of buying any PC-98 laptop, as they have not aged well. They are highly prone to having bad caps, vinegar syndrome, battery leak damage, broken plastic, and oftentimes are simply unrepairable as a result.

As explained in detail on the Technical Details page, just the PC-9801 line alone had various hardware generations with distinct characteristics that funnel you into specific kinds of viable software. This also applies to the PC-9821 series, so down below we will explain why you should or shouldn't get a certain kind of machine.

This mostly covers the range between 1985 and 1990. While the series began in 1982, you really do not want to bother with first generation hardware as a beginner, unless you fancy living a miserable life.

The "de facto" minimum spec computer for less demanding titles (largely adventure, strategy, simulation and puzzle games) would be the PC-9801 VM. It is equipped with a V30, analog color graphics, a pair of 5.25" drives, and maybe a 20 to 40MB SASI hard drive. 16-color palettes are supported with an upgrade board, and memory expansion usually comes in the form of EMS C-Bus cards. This will be sufficient for simpler games, less demanding business-grade software, and versions of DOS between 2.11 and 3.30C.

The 286 machines would make 16-color palettes standard, and also introduced the EGC blitter chip. This is required for many later action games, and cannot be added to older machines.

Before we continue, we have to go through the "C-Bus" and the expansion cards made for it. It is more or less equivalent to ISA on IBM compatibles, but it is 16-bit from the get go, and the cards are installed horizontally without opening the case. Naturally, you can't use ISA cards, and PCI is not yet an option.

In terms of parts standardization and availability, this range is highly proprietary. You are limited to machine-specific power supplies, on-motherboard conventional memory, and exclusively C-Bus cards for further expansion.

Our recommendations depend on if you're fine with only a V30 or want a 286 or 386. For the former, a PC-9801UV is always a good pick. They are compact, have a built-in music synthesizer, and are known to be decently reliable. If possible, try to find a PC-9801UX, they are similar but are 286-equipped. Sometimes the PC-9801ES can be found, it's larger than a UX but has FM and a 286.

If you wish to have a 386 machine, look no further than the PC-9801RA or PC-9801ES. They are bulkier and don't have built-in synths, but that can be remedied with an expansion card. If you do not mind not having a V30 CPU, the PC-9801DA, DX, FS, FX, and DS have 286 or 386 CPUs and FM sound support, but lack the second V30 CPU.

For many years these were the top pick for buying a gamer's system. They come with plenty-fast processors, commonly had built-in synths and PCM audio, and allowed finer grained control of CPU speed. As such, they are a good pick if you want a mixture of lesser and more demanding games, a decent DOS 6, Windows 3.x or OS/2 user experience, and minimal troubles caused by overly speedy hardware. The amount of permutations of hardware configurations are too many to count, but in general they come with 486 or Pentium CPUs, between 1.6 and 6MB of RAM, some form of game-friendly sound hardware, a CD-ROM drive, a reasonably sized IDE hard drive, and 256-color graphics.

For a 486 pick, it comes down to cost and availability. The prime pick would be a PC-9821Ap or As series machine, as they have nearly all of the afore- mentioned characteristics. Alternatively, CanBe series computers are also an okay pick, specifically a PC-9821Cs2, Ce2, or Cx. The built-in audio isn't quite as compatible on Cx, but that can be software patched.

A cheaper option is the 98FELLOW series, including the PC-9801BX series. These models lack audio supported for games, which keeps the cost of them down.

For Pentiums, it's hard to go wrong with the Cx2 or Cx3 (if you want built-in audio) or an Xa/Xe series machine like the Xa7e or Xe10 (Mostly standard and easily replacable AT power supplies). You will have to buy a sound card for the latter, however they are usually a lot more robust and easier to maintain.

While not exactly the most ideal choice for DOS gaming, they are generally more cost-effective, by far the easiest to maintain, and give you plenty of wiggle room for further upgrading centered around Windows (or even Linux). Use of standard FPM or EDO SIMMs is guaranteed across the board (in some cases even SDRAM DIMMs), AT and ATX power supplies are a viable option, PCI is almost fully standards compliant, built-in IDE as well (albeit quite slow) and will usually work even if looking to be in rough shape.

True to it's name, the Valuestar line is the budget king in the Socket 5/7 range. Plenty of "junk" machines that are perfectly functional are in circulation, and they might even have some good upgrades like MMX-capable CPUs or well supported LAN cards. Certain X-Mate series machines also fit these roles nicely. The major drawbacks are lack of built-in game friendly audio and speed control, so be prepared for this.

In the i686 class, later Ra series machines are plentiful. Working Ra40/Ra43 units can get pricey, so it's best to stick to Ra300 or Ra333 instead. Many of the ups and downs of the previously mentioned machines are still present, with the added benefit of built-in Ethernet across the board. Still, these should not be considered if your primary use case revolves around DOS. These should be your pick only if you prioritize Windows 9x, NT, and 2000.

The PC-9800 series was so successful in Japan that Epson ended up building a series of PC-98 clones, which survived a legal battle and lasted nearly as long as the PC-98 series itself did. These clones usually lagged behind that of the PC-98 series in terms of functionality, only having the YM2203 FM chip and taking longer to implement the EGC chip which was in the 286-based PC-98 machines. These machines also require specific upgrades in many cases as well, which can be hard to find. Despite this, the Epson PC series is notable for having several unique models available, and they have their own fans.

The PC-286C is a PC-98 crammed into the form factor of an 80s home computer, with the entire machine fitting inside the keyboard. It does not have AV output, but it has a single C-Bus slot and built in FM audio.

The PC-486 series has some models in a tiny form factor (including the PC-486SE, MU, P, FS, and more) which are some of the smallest PC-98 compatible machines aside from laptops.

You have made your pick. You should still think a second time once you take the following downsides into the equation:

• 80s machines will have all of the usual problems aging computers face. Various parts are near failure or have failed, and these go beyond just memory. This can include the disk drives, the video circuitry, capacitors, the IPL ROMs, battery leak corrosion-induced board damage etc. Finding parts requires searching for very specific models, potentially even gathering a dedicated parts machine. Naturally, since all parts are proprietary, imports are a must, they're not gonna be a one and done deal. These would for example be the PC-9801-54 and PC-9801-61 memory expansions that target the PC-9801RA and related models. Standard SIMMs cannot be used, and they WILL be fried if used! Since no internal HD controllers are present, You have to either get a SCSI card (and appropriate drive) or a specific HD/controller combo card.

  For more information on memory expansion options, visit https://radioc.web.fc2.com/column/pc98bas/pc98extnecram_en.htm.

• 486 and early Pentium machines share some of these issues as well. Most notably, capacitor leakages can induce pretty catastrophic damage to the boards and components, and repair can actually be more difficult due to increased use of SMD mounted ICs. Additionally, certain A-Mate and CanBe machines use proprietary boards for RAM expansion, and these too can suffer damage. Certain A-Mate models don't come with a built in CD-ROM drive, requiring a third party external or internal file-bay drive to be purchased separately. While the VL2330 batteries usually don't leak, they can fail to charge or barely hold a charge, requiring an EXACT replacement to be soldered to the wires.

• i586/i686 class machines will suffer from various speed-related glitches in older games. Some can be worked around in software, others require toggling of L1 and L2 caches on the processor. BIOS support for throttling is removed at this point. Many of these machines come with a single floppy disk drive. This will lock you out of various pre-1994 games that are designed to only work with dual floppy drive machines, requiring a separate FDD purchase. Very late machines also do not support 40-column text or 15kHz video output at all. This only affects very early (pre-1984) software, but it is worth noting. In regards to SDRAM support on the few machines that can take DIMMs, you are limited to low-density chips. If you use high-density sticks, you will at best only be able to use 1/4 of the total memory, or the system will refuse to boot entirely.

• Epson machines suffer from some of the same problems as other PC-98 machines including dead batteries and proprietary upgrades. As a result of competition between NEC and Epson, NEC versions of DOS pre-6.2 and BASIC will "reset" the machine if they do not detect the NEC copyright string in the BIOS. There are both patches to work around this and Epson versions of DOS and Basic. This was a known issue, and if an Epson detects too many resets it will display a specific error message about patching the disk.

This is where things get cumbersome and pricey. Right off the bat, don't even think of buying on eBay or similar English sites! 99% of listings there are resellers or dropshippers trying to scam you shamelessly. You should only ever make your purchases on Japanese sites, or if possible make a deal directly with someone in the scene.

The Japanese sites in question will primarily be Yahoo Auctions Japan (now referred to as YAJ for simplicity) and potentially Mercari. YAJ is primarily an auction site, sometimes with the possibility of direct purchase. Mercari is exclusively for direct purchases.

Unless you happen to live in Japan, purchases are to be done through a proxy service of some sort. The two primary picks as of 2026 are ZenMarket and FromJapan. They've built up a decent reputation over the years with decent service and reasonable fees. You will likely at some point see official partnerships with the Buyee service. AVOID THEM AT ALL COSTS! Their business borders on fraudulent, with an ever increasing number of mishandling reports, refusals to ship packages, and item theft. This affects circuit boards more than any other type of item, which includes C-Bus cards.

If you are familiar with how auction sites work, there's not much to mention here, and it is outside of the scope of this guide either way. Same goes for the proxy services themselves, you'll have to do your research on them yourself, as their service is constantly evolving, which could be beneficial or not to you, depending on where you live.

The costs of shipping will vary wildly. Smaller items like C-Bus/PCI cards, PCMCIA cards, physical games, manuals and smaller gadgets will be decently affordable (for now). Larger items like monitors and computer units will be noticeably more expensive just from weight and girth alone, and monitors especially require specialized packaging to minimize damage, incurring further costs. If possible, obtain a 24kHz compatible LCD display locally as your starter option.

If you're in the US or another country with tariffs, always take those costs into account. Same goes for customs-heavy countries like in Europe. There is always a chance of you being severely ripped off by these parties, so always keep a record of your purchases and the billing information for evidence.

The minimum required hardware to have a usable PC-9800 system is:

• A desktop/tower unit (obviously)
• A proprietary PC-9800 series keyboard (ideally with lights instead of mechanical switches for CAPS/KANA, more on this later)
• A bus mouse (optional, but ideal. Your PC-98 will either use an inport- style Mini-DIN connector, or a DE-9 connector with a missing pin)
• A 24kHz compatible analog display (VGA works for PC-9821, Japanese DB-15 adapter required for PC-9801 and older PC-9821 series
• A step-down transformer (For 220-240V countries)
• IDE hard drive or SCSI card+external storage (model dependent)

Nice to haves for a better experience:

• A YM2203 or YM2608 equipped sound card (if no built-in audio is present)
• A magneto-optical drive (useful for 486 era machines)
• A 10Base-T network card: LGY-98, LA98, or PC-9801-104 compatible (great for network shares and Windows)

SCSI devices require a "half-pitch" cable, since this is the port size used on most SCSI cards. Very early cards use a full sized Centronics plug though.

If your PC-98 requires a DB-15 video adapter, it MUST be one with a pinout for Japanese computers! You CANNOT use a Mac video adapter. The Sanwa Supply AD-D15NE adapter works for this purpose.

If your PC-98 uses a round mouse port, you can find "Inport" or "Bus" mice for sale on local auction sites. These mice were also used on western PCs. Otherwise, you'll need to import a mouse, or build an adapter.

When buying a keyboard, you have to make a choice between either a "soft-lock" or "mecha-lock" type, each name referring to how the CAPS and KANA keys are toggled. Mecha-lock keyboards use physical on/off switches, while soft-locks work like modern keyboards, where the toggle is indicated by an LED light. This choice is important because the keyboard controller chip is in the keyboard itself, not on the computer's motherboard like on IBM compatibles, and this has the downside of a large chunk of 32-bit era software not being programmed to properly handle the differences in the pinout (something that the BIOS handles on 16-bit software), ultimately crashing the microcontroller until a cold reboot is performed. Examples include ports of western games (Doom, System Shock, and a few others) and even Windows 2000. Additionally, most mecha-lock keyboards lack the additional "VF" keys in the top-right, leaving you with only F1-F10. A good number of software is designed with VF keys in mind. Visually you can tell which is which by looking at the top left. Soft-lock ones have two LEDs there, mecha-locks don't.

Many listings will be listed as "Junk", which usually means either untested, partially tested, or broken. This doesn't necessarily mean a machine is not usable, it could be something as simple as a missing hard drive. However, you should still be vigilant for signs of serious damage, which is commonly in the form of heavy rusting, or worse board corrosion.