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Sharp X68000

Sharp X68000 icon Sharp X68000 logo

Overview

The Sharp X68000 (1987) brought arcade-quality graphics to the home with a Motorola 68000 CPU pair and a custom graphics pipeline. REG-Linux lists it under the x68000 group and boots games via the libretro: px68k core, which is tuned for the system’s packed sprite/line drawing logic.

Technical specifications

  • CPU: Motorola 68000 running at 10 MHz (up to 12 MHz in later towers) with 16-bit bus bridging to the custom video chips.
  • Memory: 1 MB or more RAM standard plus 512 KB VRAM and ROM for system BIOS and fonts.
  • Display: Custom Sharp video pipeline offering 512×512 pixels, 65,536 colors on-screen, hardware sprites, and analog RGB output.
  • Sound: Yamaha YM2151 FM synthesizer together with OKI M6295 ADPCM chip delivering multi-channel stereo audio.

Quick reference

  • ROM folder: /userdata/roms/x68000
  • Accepted formats: .dim, .img, .d88, .88d, .hdm, .dup, .2hd, .xdf, .hdf, .cmd, .m3u, .zip, .7z
  • Emulators: libretro: px68k
  • System group: x68000

BIOS

Drop both BIOS files into /userdata/bios/keropi/ so the px68k core can load the Japanese keyboard and sprite data.

MD5 checksum Filename Purpose
7fd4caabac1d9169e289f0f7bbf71d8e iplrom.dat IPL ROM
cb0a5cfcf7247a7eab74bb2716260269 cgrom.dat Character generator

ROMs

Copy DIM, D88, HDM, and HDF disk images into /userdata/roms/x68000. The core accepts compressed archives when the image sits at the archive root and honors .m3u playlists for multi-disk releases.

Emulators

libretro: px68k

RetroArch exposes the usual x68000.* settings plus a handful of px68k-specific options. Use the Quick Menu ([HOTKEY] + south) to change the display mode, enable shaders, and tweak the CPU speed if a title becomes sluggish.

px68k tuning

Setting Description
global.px68k_cpuspeed Raise the emulated clock between 10–200 MHz when running demanding shooters.
global.px68k_ramsize Switch between 1–12 MB emulated RAM depending on the software you launch.
global.px68k_frameskip Skip frames when you need speed; leave it off for precise sprite timing.
global.px68k_joytype Pick the controller layout (2 buttons, Mega Drive, SNES, or custom pads).

Consider enabling global.res_multi to improve vector artwork, and turn on x68000.video_threaded if shader-heavy filters introduce lag.

Controls

The default overlay mirrors the X68000 two-button layout with user-defined key mappings. Remap the pads via the Quick Menu if you prefer a Mega Drive-style grip or need keyboard-input hotkeys.

Troubleshooting

  • Confirm both BIOS files exist in /userdata/bios/keropi/—missing the CGROM will prevent any game from starting.
  • If a game shows graphical glitches, try toggling px68k_frameskip and disable shaders temporarily.
  • For general input or RetroArch hints, consult the generic support pages.