Hitachi Console

Hitachi Console is an extremely rare console, developed by Hitachi, a company that today manufactures televisions and agricultural vehicles.

Commercial Failure
Hitachi Console had problems: In December 1997, Hitachi stopped production of the Hitachi Console because it was a major commercial failure. Despite this, configuration was similar to a high-end PC in 1996, the price is very high, the configuration is therefore out of the ordinary and out of competitors like the Atari Jaguar with 2MB RAM, Nintendo 64 with 4MB RAM, Sega Saturn: 2MB RAM and the PlayStation with 2MB RAM. Hitachi sets the production of 100 units per day. But that did not work.
 * Not very reliable, longevity of 5 years maximum without any modification or restoration (there are still many working units but they are restored).
 * Expensive
 * Does not look like the configs and specs of a console

This price is still high despite the proposal of Windows 95 with Microsoft Plus!, so it has Internet Explorer, which can browse the internet in 1995. And online compatibility.

Internet connection
It had modem support through the expansion port; the most common modem type was 56k. Since it has Windows 95 with Microsoft Plus! (and even HitachiOS was based and mostly compatible with it), the consosle has Internet Explorer preinstalled, which can browse the intenet in 1995. It has online compatibility, some games used the online mode.

Graphics
Meanwhile most of the 5th geneartion consoles of the fifth generation used 320x240 or 640x480, the Hitachi Console has a 1024x768 resolution. The graphics of video games on Windows 95 are superior to the fifth generation competitors with a much cheaper price. This one can play all the games of Windows 95 (Doom, Quake, Microsoft Flight Simulator 95, Microsoft Combat Flight Simulator, etc) with high graphics for the time.

Compatibility with Windows and DOS software
Since it uses Windows 95 with Microsoft Plus! and it has PS/2 keyboard (included in the console's box) and PS/2 mouse support, it was compatible with most of the Windows (95) software. It was also compatible with MS-DOS software and games; some MS-DOS/Windows games at the time supported the Hitachi Console controllers. As the console fulfills the Windows 98 and Windows 98 Second Edition minimal requirements, there have been attempts to update the operating system to those Windows versions, which can be done, but it sometimes makes the system somewhat broken.

Hitachi Console games and software
It also has its own games, most of them being ports of Windows 95 games (and sometimes software) adapted to the Hitachi Console and its 64-bit architecture; despite that, it also has it's own games. The controllers use PS/2 ports.

Add-ons/Expansion ports
The console has 3 expansion ports. There was a 3.5-inch floppy drive shipped with the console; the floppy drive could be conected to one of the expansion ports. Modems were also released (and commonly shipped with the console) for Hitachi Console's expansion ports, but regular PC modems could be also compatible through an adapter; you could also use Hitachi Console modems in regular PCs through the same adapters. Other peripherals/add-ons were released, but they are extremely rare (even more than the console itself), like more controller ports, extra expansion ports, Sega Mega Drive 32X cartridge input, etc.