Run the update_all.sh script from the console. As of April 2025, the PC98 core is included in the official distribution.
Some games will boot, providing a glimpse into the potential of the core.
The core supports a massive library of games, including those that require precise timing, such as Touhou Project , Rusty , and various visual novels.
The MiSTer FPGA framework circumvents the pitfalls of software emulation by using a Field Programmable Gate Array (the Cyclone V DE10-Nano board). Instead of writing code that instructs a modern CPU how to pretend to be an old computer, developers write Hardware Description Language (HDL) to physically reconfigure the FPGA circuits to become the target hardware.
The PC-98 was the home of unique, often mature, and artistically significant games that never saw Western releases. With the verified PC-98 core, you can enjoy: Brandish , Dragon Slayer , Ys series. Visual Novels/Adventure: Snatcher , YU-NO .
Users have reported better image quality on certain displays by setting vga_scaler=1 in the MiSTer.ini file.
The core is best described as an or a proof-of-concept . It is not stable, and its current state is missing critical features like HDD support, proper FM sound, and accurate graphics processing.
The system was engineered natively to display complex Kanji characters cleanly, utilizing a standard 640x400 resolution at a time when Western PCs were stuck in lower-resolution CGA or EGA modes.
He traced the IP logs (he had admin friends, favors he’d banked from writing drivers). The IP resolved to a residential block in Osaka. Then, he cross-referenced the shipping manifests of rare SCSI controllers that popped up on Yahoo Auctions Japan. He found the winning bids. They all led back to the same private courier service.
The PC98’s sound landscape was a mess (internal beeper, YM2203, MIDI). This core nails it. You get crisp FM synth, optional MPU-401 MIDI emulation, and even the rare Sound Board II (26K) support for games that demanded it. No more crackling like some retroarch cores.