VTxx

The VTxx is an early series of systems-on-a-chip created by V.R. Technology. There are five known VTxx chips: VT01, VT02, VT03, VT09, and VT32, all of which are based on the Famicom core, albeit with improved hardware specifications. VTxx variants are used in almost all Famiclones released from the 2000s onward.

VTxx hardware was preceded by the UM6578 chip, and would later be followed by the VTxxx hardware line.

Chips[]

All VTxx types use "OneBus" technology: combining the two PRG (program) and CHR (character) chips of the NES/Famicom into a single, all-in-one chip.

VT01 - The VT01 chipset was designed for early portable Famiclones, using an STN display rather than an LCD display. Because of this, the VT01 is of a lower quality than a standard NES/Famicom, not being able to output full color. One variant runs games in monochrome, while another outputs shades of red and cyan.
- Very few VT01 systems are actually known to exist; the only confirmed console to use the hardware is a rare "Portable FC-LCD" system, featuring Inventor hacks and "educational computer" software.
VT02 - Almost identical to the NES/Famicom except for its improved processor and better sound capabilities. The VT02 chipset particularly adds support for raw 8-bit PCM output and includes a second APU, doubling the amount of sound channels available.
VT03 - Built on top of the VT02; adds enhancements for 4BPP graphics with a maximum of 16 colors for sprites and background graphics. Notably used by Zechess and Hummer Team (Hummer Technology) for the Samuri and ZDog plug & play systems released in 2006, with the former manufacturing the hardware and the latter developing software for the systems. Games for other consoles using this hardware would also be developed by Nice Code Software, Waixing, JungleTac, Cube Technology, and Timetop.
VT09 - Near identical to the VT03 with minor under-the-hood hardware differences. This chip is only known to have been used by JungleTac.
VT32 - Features the ability to run multiple sampled sound channels. Some VT32 variants support NES/Famicom chip types uncommon in other Famiclones, such as MMC1 ("mapper 1") and UxROM ("mapper 2"). Nice Code is known to have ported some of their VT03 games to this hardware.