The Dreamcast VGA Box is an accessory for the Dreamcast, a video game console produced by Sega, that allows it to output to a computer monitor or a high-definition television (HDTV) set through a VGA connector in 480p, otherwise known as progressive scan.[1][2] The Dreamcast was one of the first consoles to support 480p and HDTV in general.[3][4] Sega released the VGA Box as an official accessory in Japan on January 14, 1999, at an MSRP of ¥7000;[5] it was only available in the United States via Sega's online store, retailing between $30 and $50.[6][a] Though the VGA Box did not receive a release in Europe,[10][11] PAL consoles can use it since it has no regional lockout.[12]
Most Dreamcast games are compatible with the VGA Box so long as they display in 640×480; this applies to most 3D titles.[19][20] Games marked as incompatible typically present an error message upon boot;[14] such a designation was determined via a simple toggle switch in the game's code.[19] As such, VGA output from most incompatible games can be forced via having the VGA Box unplugged while booting a game,[21][22] temporarily switching the VGA Box into TV mode while booting a game,[16] or using a boot disc such as DC-X.[23] This loophole is not possible for games that only display in lower resolutions, with most sprite-based games rendered fully incompatible with VGA output as a result.[19][24] Though a handful of sprite-based games supported VGA, most notably ones from Capcom, at least some, if not all of their sprites were originally designed for lower-resolution displays and may resultingly appear less detailed when displayed through VGA due to poor image scaling.[19][25]
^The U.S. version of Official Dreamcast Magazine stated various prices for the official VGA Box during its run, mentioning it as $30,[7] $40,[8] and $50.[9]