Editing Commodore 128 (section)

== Display and Graphics ==

The C128 features a sophisticated dual-video system that was revolutionary for its time. A separate graphics chip provided 80-column color video output in addition to the original C64 modes<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_128 |title=Commodore 128 - Wikipedia |publisher=Wikipedia |date=2025-06-06 |access-date=2025-06-09}}</ref>.

A new chip, the VDC, provides the C128 with an 80-column color CGA-compatible display (also called RGBI for red-green-blue plus intensity)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodore_128 |title=Commodore 128 - Wikipedia |publisher=Wikipedia |date=2025-06-06 |access-date=2025-06-09}}</ref>. The 128's 80 column display mode would produce 640×200 which was better than the CGA mode that IBM PC's could produce even in the early 1990's!<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.commodore.ca/commodore-products/commodore-128-the-most-versatile-8-bit-computer-ever-made/ |title=Commodore 128 – The Most Versatile 8-Bit Computer Ever Made |publisher=Commodore.ca |date=2025 |access-date=2025-06-09}}</ref>

The VIC-II or VIC-8564 for the 40 character mode has the ability for 25 (rows) × 40 (columns) characters (singlecolor and multicolor) in text mode or in graphic mode (HiRes) 320×200 pixel in 16 colors, 16 frame colors and 16 background colors or Multicolor mode (4 colors) 160×200 pixel, as well as 8 Sprites (singlecolor or multicolor, 24×21) displaying<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Commodore_128 |title=Commodore 128 - C64-Wiki |publisher=C64-Wiki |date=2019-10-27 |access-date=2025-06-09}}</ref>.

Unlike earlier MOS video chips such as the popular VIC-II, the VDC had dedicated video memory, 16 kilobytes (16,384 bytes; upgradable to 64 kilobytes, 65,536 bytes) in the original or "flat" C128 and 64 kilobytes in the C128DCR<ref>{{cite web |url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MOS_Technology_8563 |title=MOS Technology 8563 - Wikipedia |publisher=Wikipedia |date=2023-08-23 |access-date=2025-06-09}}</ref>.