MSX2¶
Overview¶
Microsoft updated the original MSX1 in 1985 with the MSX2 standard, bringing better video and mapper support. REG-Linux keeps it under the msx2 tag so metadata stays in sync.
Quick reference¶
- ROM folder:
/userdata/roms/msx2 - Accepted ROM formats:
.dsk,.mx2,.rom,.zip,.7z,.cas,.m3u - Emulators: RetroArch (
libretro: bluemsx,libretro: fmsx), openMSX, CLK - System group:
msx
| Emulator/Core | Notes |
|---|---|
libretro: bluemsx |
High-accuracy MSX2 emulation with sprite limit toggles |
libretro: fmsx |
Speed-friendly core with netplay |
openmsx |
Official openMSX implementation supporting MSX2 |
CLK |
Clock Signal still leverages MSX2 BIOS dumps as of REG-Linux 42 |
Technical specifications¶
- CPU: Zilog Z80-compatible (typically 3.58 MHz) with the same 8-bit bus as MSX1.
- Memory: 64–512 KB of main RAM with mapper expansions up to 4 MB.
- Display: Yamaha V9938 VDP supporting 256×212/512×212 resolutions, 256 colors per palette and smooth hardware scrolling.
- Sound: AY-3-8910 PSG reused from MSX1 families.
Supported ROM extensions¶
dsk, mx2, rom, zip, 7z, cas, m3u, ogv, openmsx
ROMs¶
Place MSX2 titles inside /userdata/roms/msx2. Wrap multi-disk games in .m3u playlists for a cleaner EmulationStation entry (see /cd_image_formats#multi-disc_games).
BIOS¶
MSX2 uses the same BlueMSX/FMSX ROM bundle detailed in msx1.md. Copy BlueMSX’s Databases/Machines into /userdata/bios and drop the FMSX files from that page as well.
CLK also checks for these MSX2-exclusive binaries:
| MD5 checksum | Share file path | Description |
|---|---|---|
ec3a01c91f24fbddcbcab0ad301bc9ef |
bios/MSX2.ROM |
MSX2 BIOS (BlueMSX/openMSX) |
2183c2aff17cf4297bdb496de78c2e8a |
bios/MSX2EXT.ROM |
MSX2 extension BIOS |
Emulators¶
RetroArch¶
RetroArch runs libretro: bluemsx and libretro: fmsx for MSX2; the shared msx2.* options match those described in msx1.md.
libretro: bluemsx¶
Use global.bluemsx_nospritelimits to remove the per-line sprite limit and the same rewinding/autosave/achievements
options (msx2.rewind, msx2.autosave, msx2.padtokeyboard, msx2.cheevos).
libretro: fmsx¶
fMSX mirrors the option set and adds msx2.netplay.
openMSX¶
openMSX shares the msx2.* configuration tree and uses the MSX2 BIOS files recorded above.
CLK¶
CLK (Clock Signal) included MSX2 support in REG-Linux 42. It uses the BIOS table above and exposes the usual msx* option set.
Controls¶
Use the REG-Linux RetroPad overlay for MSX2 games; the Turbo-R/MX1 overlays apply equally.
Troubleshooting¶
See the generic support pages if you need extra help.