So I tried getting a Japanese AC adapter for an american VB unit. It just came in the mail today, and sure enough I can’t get it to work. The end of the AC adapter won’t fit into the hole in the tap. It’s too big. Am I using the wrong adapter or will the Japan Unit just simply not work with the USA virtual boy?

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With a Japanese tap you need a Japanese Super Famicom power block. A US SNES power block will only fit in the US adapter taps.

Super Famicom power bricks are pretty cheap on ebay.

Oh, ok thanks. Do they make super famicom ac adapters with 120 V AC adapters? As I understand it Japan runs on 100 V AC.

I think the Japanese tap has a standard 5.5mm barrel jack, so you should be able to use any universal or generic AC adapter with the right output voltage/current ratings (which you can find on the forums, or by looking up what an SFC adapter provides).

RunnerPack wrote:
I think the Japanese tap has a standard 5.5mm barrel jack, so you should be able to use any universal or generic AC adapter with the right output voltage/current ratings (which you can find on the forums, or by looking up what an SFC adapter provides).

Wow, thanks for the encouragement guys. So as it turns out, the Genesis 1 and Sega Master system match up nicely with the Super Famicom in terms of AC adapter specs.. So I went to my local game store, luckily the owner was there who I am friends with, and he hooked me up with an AC adapter for the Genesis 1 for $10. It works perfectly on the Japanese virtual boy tap, it’s even 9V (many adapters out there are 10 V, which will work but may shorten the life of your unit). Thanks for the help guys.

Glad we could help 🙂

Reel Big Fish wrote:
(many adapters out there are 10 V, which will work but may shorten the life of your unit).

Well, since the VB’s on-board regulator is rated to 13V – and probably a little conservatively, at that, since it’s the more efficient “buck” (switching) type – I don’t think anyone should worry about using a 10V adapter (especially since that’s what Nintendo themselves designed the U.S. tap to use :-P)

RunnerPack wrote:
Glad we could help 🙂

Reel Big Fish wrote:
(many adapters out there are 10 V, which will work but may shorten the life of your unit).

Well, since the VB’s on-board regulator is rated to 13V – and probably a little conservatively, at that, since it’s the more efficient “buck” (switching) type – I don’t think anyone should worry about using a 10V adapter (especially since that’s what Nintendo themselves designed the U.S. tap to use :-P)

Ah ok I wasn’t aware of that with the Virtual Boy. As far as I’m aware other retro consoles aren’t as forgiving.

I suppose that this question has already been answered for the most part, but I’d like some clarification. I too have recently purchased a Japanese VB AC tap, and after the mini-freakout I had when my SNES adapter didn’t fit, I found that my American NES adapter actually fit perfectly, and seemed to work fine. But being that the AC adapter isn’t exactly the US VBs recommended voltage/ampage/whatever, and that the tap itself is foreign and uses a whole different adapter, I can’t help but feel worried that over time that power setup may ruin my Virtual Boy. Should I be worried? Since mine appears to work with an NES adapter, and Reel Big Fish’s works with a Genesis Model 1 adapter, what other console adapters are compatible with the VB? Is there a certain range of volts/amps that will work? Virtual Boys are sadly growing so expensive I almost have a heart attack if I see people so much as breathe near mine, so even finding replacement parts for it is a dreaded nightmare I have. Hopefully someone out there can put my mind at ease.

Cheers!

*UPDATE*
I’ve read somewhere that a DC adapter would make the VB run a bit less hot, so I’ve found that because of this the Atari Jaguar AC adapter is a better alternative to the NES AC Adapter. Is that still acceptable for giving my VB a long lifespan?

Cheers!

Good to know you found a solution. I wouldn’t use the NES adapter, because it’s AC (not DC), and I’ve heard that could fry your console.

I’ve heard that too, which is the main reason I’d rather use the Jag Adapter. I just wanna be certain that I won’t be doing any harm to my console.