Intense graphics? You betcha! Convenient Package? That's right! details By: Performance Category: Peripheral

Yes, believe it or not, Sega's VGA Box is lacking a pass-through feature, which would allow for users to easily switch their monitor between the Dreamcast and PC. This means that in order to use the VGA Box, you have connect your monitor's VGA cord directly to it. If, after a long gaming session, you feel the need to use your computer, you'll have to remove the VGA plug from the VGA Box and re-connect it to the computer - a time consuming task, for sure. You can, of course, go out and buy a switch box of some sort, but the only thing I was able to find at my local mega electronics store (I'm referring, San Francisco Bay Area residents, to Fry's Electronics, but I also checked out Radio Shack) was a twenty dollar device that, while allowing you to switch off between the Dreamcast and computer quickly, actually degraded the signal enough so that the benefits of the whole setup came into question.

Thankfully, the Performance VGA Adapter has a pass-through, allowing you to hook up both your PC and Dreamcast to the VGA monitor simultaneously. Switching off between the PC and Dreamcast is as simple as flipping a switch, and there's no signal loss what-so-ever! In fact, I'm actually typing this long-winded article through the VGA Adapter now - how's that for a dedicated reviewer, eh? The VGA Adapter also has a pass-through for sound, so you can connect your Dreamcast and PC to your single set of speakers and switch off between the two easily. Also, just like in Sega's adapter, you can output the signal to a TV, through S-video or composite (Red, Yellow, and White) cables.

What makes the product even more attractive is that Performance has decided to include both a VGA and headphone cable, making it so that you won't have to buy a single extra item to start enjoying VGA performance from your Dreamcast. A word of warning, though. The VGA Adapter is somewhat strange in that its connection to the DC is somewhat loose. You'll have to make sure the connection is completely secure, or the color of the image will be wrong. Furthermore, pushing on the connection even slightly will make the color shift, a problem that doesn't plague Sega's VGA Box.

Despite this trivial problem, it's clear that the VGA Adapter is a more than worthy product, and something you should consider even above Sega's own VGA Box. Playing games through your expensive monitor, experiencing visual clarity previously only experienced by silly PC gamers, has just been made more convenient by Performance.

NOTE: Despite my ravings for this whole notion of playing games through the VGA monitor, it actually turns out that some games look worse when placed under such scrutiny. Specifically, if you only plan on playing games such as Street Fighter Alpha and Marvel vs. Capcom, or most other 2D games for that matter, you're better off sticking with a regular television, as these games tend to look ugly in a high-res display. Some games, including Acclaim's popular Trickstyle, won't even allow you to use the VGA adapter at all. This last problem is rare, and should be non-existent in most future titles, but to be safe, you'll have to take a look at the boxes for your games to make sure they're VGA compatible. Be sure you take these facts into account before taking the VGA plunge.

-- Anoop Gantayat, IGNDC