The Zilog Z80 powered some of the most influential technology of the late 20th century. Below is a list of the most well-known devices, categorised by their primary use.
The Z80 was the dominant choice for the "home computer revolution" in the UK and Japan, as well as the early portable business market.
- Sinclair ZX Spectrum: A 1982 British icon and one of the best-selling microcomputers of all time.
- Amstrad CPC Series: A popular European series (including the CPC 464 and 6128) that competed with the Commodore 64.
- MSX Standard: A unified computing architecture adopted by giants like Sony, Panasonic, and Philips.
- Tandy/Radio Shack TRS-80: Known as "Trash-80" to its fans, it was the most popular personal computer of the very early era.
- Osborne 1: The first truly portable "luggable" business computer.
- Commodore 128: Unique for having two CPUs; it used a Z80 specifically to run professional CP/M business software. [1, 2, 3]
While other consoles used different chips, Sega and Nintendo relied heavily on the Z80 for their early portable and home systems. [4]
Game Boy Color Console, Grape, Discounted
Used a custom Sharp-made CPU based closely on the Z80 architecture.
Sega's 8-bit home console that went head-to-head with the NES.
Sega Game Gear Console: Built To Order
A powerful handheld version of the Master System with a full-colour screen.
ColecoVision Shop Retro Video Games and More
A high-end home console known for its near-perfect arcade ports.
Sega Mega Drive Console: Built To Order
While its main brain was the Motorola 68000, it included a Z80 to handle sound and provide backwards compatibility with Master System games. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
The Z80 was incredibly popular in the arcade industry because it was fast and relatively easy to program. [7]
- Pac-Man: The original 1980 arcade phenomenon was powered by a single Z80.
- Donkey Kong: Nintendo's early arcade hit also utilised the Z80.
- TI-83/TI-84 Graphing Calculators: These ubiquitous student tools have used Z80-compatible chips for decades and are still in production today.
- Roland Jupiter-8: One of the most famous polyphonic synthesizers in music history used a Z80 for system control. [1, 4, 5, 8]