PC Engine Duo/Turbo Duo

Summary

The PC Engine Duo is a series of versions of the PC Engine game console by NEC and Hudson Soft. All variants are common that they play both games on cartridges and games on CD-ROM disks.

In Japan, the first duo model named PC Engine Duo was launched in September 1991. This is compatible with the PC Engine media HuCard, CD-ROM² and Super CD-ROM². The PC Engine Duo is also compatible with the later introduced Arcade CD-ROMS by NEC and Hudson Soft. For playing these games only distributed in Japan, however, the so-called Arcade Card extension is necessary. In addition, the PC Engine Duo plays commercial audio CDs and the rare CD graphics format.

In the USA, where players are familiar with the PC Engine as TurboGrafx, NEC and Hudson Soft release the so-called PC Engine Turbo Duo a year later. Visually, the systems differ only marginally on the basis of some surface details. Both have very narrow black enclosures and module or disc enclosures placed next to each other.

In Japan, March 1993 saw the launch of the PC Engine Duo R.

Among PC Engine fans, the various PC Engine Duo variants are now among the most popular incarnations of the console family. On the one hand, they have a rather simple and timeless design. On the other hand, it is not necessary to connect them to hardware add-ons in order to be able to play CD-ROM titles at all.