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Famicom Disk System drive and RAM adapter

Famicom Disk System

ファミリーコンピュータ ディスクシステム

No. 00321 Feb 1986

Famicom Disk System

Manufacturer
Nintendo
Type
Add-on / peripheral
Note
Model HVC-022 (disk drive) / HVC-023 (RAM adapter)

03

Overview

Overview

A peripheral for the Family Computer. It used 'Disk Cards' based on Mitsumi's Quick Disk format and connected via a RAM Adapter plugged into the console's cartridge slot. The RAM Adapter added a single-channel wavetable sound channel.

04

Industrial Design

Industrial design

Standard Disk Cards were yellow; blue disks with shutters were used for network services, and gold and silver variants were event-exclusive.

A Famicom Disk System disk card
Famicom Disk System disk card

05

Technical Specifications

Technical specifications

Model number
HVC-022 (disk drive) / HVC-023 (RAM adapter)
Memory
RAM 32 KB (program) + 8 KB (tile/sprite data)

Values are from the sources below. Where sources differ, see the notes under Sources.

06

Controller

Controller

No verified information.

07

Media Format

Media format

  • Disk Card (Quick Disk-based, 112 KB double-sided)

  • Disk Card

    The magnetic disk medium of the Famicom Disk System, based on Mitsumi's Quick Disk. Disks could be rewritten with a different game at in-store Disk Writer kiosks for ¥500.

08

Launch & Context

Launch & historical context

Release (Japan)
21 Feb 1986[2]
Launch price (Japan)
¥15,000(Manufacturer's suggested retail price)[2]

Introduced to offer cheaper software than chip-based cartridges; in-store Disk Writer kiosks rewrote disks for ¥500 per title. The rewriting service ended on 30 September 2003.

09

Notable Games

Notable games

10

Gallery

Gallery

  • Famicom Disk System drive and RAM adapter

    Famicom Disk System

  • A Famicom Disk System disk card

    Famicom Disk System disk card

11

Timeline

Timeline

  1. 1983.07.15Family ComputerNintendo
  2. 1983.07.15SG-1000SEGA
  3. 1986.02.21Famicom Disk SystemNintendo
  4. 1987.10.30PC EngineNEC
  5. 1988.10.29Mega DriveSEGA
  6. 1988.12.04PC Engine CD-ROM² SystemNEC

12

Related Consoles

Related consoles

About Nintendo →

13

Sources

Sources

  1. [1]
    Famicom Disk System

    Wikipedia (English)

    ReferenceAccessed 2026-09-26
  2. [2]
    ファミリーコンピュータ ディスクシステム

    Wikipedia (日本語)

    ReferenceAccessed 2026-09-26
Notes on conflicting sources

unitsSold omitted: EN Wikipedia gives 4.4 million and JA Wikipedia '4 million+', neither clearly states shipped vs sold and no Nintendo IR figure was found. Generation/bits not applicable (add-on). Disk Writer install count differs: EN cites Nintendo's 1986 promise of 10,000 kiosks; JA states about 3,200 units were installed. Disk capacity 112 KB per double-sided card (56 KB per side).

14

Image Credits

Image credits

  • Famicom Disk System

    Famicom Disk System drive and RAM adapter

    PhotoEvan-Amos

    Wikimedia Commons·Public domain

  • Famicom Disk System disk card

    A Famicom Disk System disk card

    PhotoEvan-Amos

    Wikimedia Commons·Public domain