3) Yes. 360KB is also possible, as well.
Problem only occurs when sharing disks between different floppy drives.
Medium and drive of same capacity work fine, usually.

Edit:
1)

Main model differences […]
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Main model differences

MSX: base model
MSX2: more power allaround, best games require a base, 128kB MSX2 model to run, buy this!
MSX2+: slightly more video power, around 14 games require or support 2+. Sometimes only scroll feature is used if MSX2+ is detected. Normal MSX2+ models are Japanese only and have only 64kB RAM, which limit their capabilities again.
MSX turbo R: slightly more power, around 5 games require turbo R. Cannot run games on cassette tape.

https://www.msx.org/wiki/MSX_for_beginners

Getting a working MSX can be a little tricky and a basic working MSX2 unit costs around 200$ on eBay(+shipping)
And most of them don't come with any connectors or power adapters.
Also you want to get a unit with at least 128kB of RAM, even more is better.

The statement about the memory isn't fully correct, though.
512KBytes of RAM can cause issues, even.
I once read the Japanese are upset because European indie devs are writing games
that take advantage of all that memory and the Japanese computers don't have it.
There was even a saying about banning/to boycott these games in Japan. Or the devs, not sure. Speaking under correction.

Edited.

Edit: Also beware of some euro models. If it doesn't say MSX2, then it maybe isn't.
We had some MSX1 computers with MSX2 hardware, namely the Yamaha V9938 VDP.
MSX firmware was still MSX1, though..

Best all round cart is the Megaflashrom SCC+ SD.

You get +512k ram expansion (which makes my already expanded Sony MSX2+ a whopping 768k!), SCC/Konami sound, virtual floppy, hard drive and rom emulation.

Oh yeah, and 1.44 disks will usually work okay formatted at 720k. They are usually FAT formatted and can be shared with PC, but with some limitations - I think the initial version of MSX Dos 1 is missing directory support, for example.

I don't think your Samsung monitor is going to be suitable - looking at the specs it only goes as low as 30KHz. The MSX RGB output is a 15Khz signal,.really intended for TV-like displays.

You'll either want a TV with a normal RGB scart input as used to be common here in Europe, or a multi-mode monitor that can sync as low as 15KHz, or an upscaler like the OSSC to convert the MSX 15KHz output to a monitor friendly 31KHz.

megatron-uk wrote on 2025-05-13, 06:24:

I don't think your Samsung monitor is going to be suitable - looking at the specs it only goes as low as 30KHz. The MSX RGB output is a 15Khz signal,.really intended for TV-like displays.

You'll either want a TV with a normal RGB scart input as used to be common here in Europe, or a multi-mode monitor that can sync as low as 15KHz, or an upscaler like the OSSC to convert the MSX 15KHz output to a monitor friendly 31KHz.

Jo22 wrote on 2025-05-12, 21:39:

3) Yes. 360KB is also possible, as well. […]
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3) Yes. 360KB is also possible, as well.

Edit: Also beware of some euro models. If it doesn't say MSX2, then it maybe isn't.
We had some MSX1 computers with MSX2 hardware, namely the Yamaha V9938 VDP.
MSX firmware was still MSX1, though..

Thank you for your help, clears stuff up quite a bit. I may have some 720kb floppies around that may be put to use until I get my hands on a cart.

As for the Samsung monitor it's not that big of a deal, it was just for convenience. I'm not that experienced with soldering but would happily swap some pins around to make a SCART-BNC cable for that monitor if it was possible. I would do the same to use a Mega Drive / Genesis controller on it, but I'd rather get the adapter and keep the controller as original, without the ugly bridges across the traces. The pin swapping I could've lived with if it were enough to make it work. Maybe a cheap generic one with the MD 3 button format... hmm...

I've been hot and cold as to getting a Japanese 8-bit computer for years, and the MSX2 seems like the most practical while still having good looks and that slightly exotic feel. Now that I dove more into it I wasn't expecting such a high entry cost (MSX2 + 140€ cart + 10/15€ MD controller adapter, etc.) but I believe it will be worth it.

Any extra tips or advice from other users / owners? If so I'm all for it, thanks again

I think an MD pad to MSX pad adapter can be made somewhat cheaply from a DB9-RJ45 adapter like this: https://ja.aliexpress.com/item/32998825926.html
Just buy a pair and combine them with a LAN cable of about 0.1m.

andre_6 wrote on 2025-05-14, 03:10:

I've been hot and cold as to getting a Japanese 8-bit computer for years,
and the MSX2 seems like the most practical while still having good looks
and that slightly exotic feel.

I think same. MSX2 has all the fun games and can run MSX1 games, too.
Sometimes with help of a little workaround.
The first IBM PC/MSX hybrid PC has had a MSX2 VDP, too.
So I would consider MSX2 being a healthy beginning/entry point for the platform.

For the sake of completeness, there are also hardware hacking projects to upgrade MSX "1.5" computers to MSX2 (those earlier mentioned euro models).
But it's not for the fainth-hearted. It involves re-mapping stuff, adding expander and adding MSX2 firmware.
Some more information:
https://www.msx.org/forum/msx-talk/hardware/u … de-msx1-to-msx2
https://www.msx.org/forum/msx-talk/hardware/u … ading-msx1-msx2
^"Yes improve MSX to MSX2 is not really cheaper than buy real MSX2.
For me it was only a challenge.
So now I can use my old YC64 (YC128 Cool ) because msx1 are too limited."

Jo22 wrote on 2025-05-14, 05:08:

I think same. MSX2 has all the fun games and can run MSX1 games, too. Sometimes with help of a little workaround. The first IBM […]
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I think same. MSX2 has all the fun games and can run MSX1 games, too.
Sometimes with help of a little workaround.
The first IBM PC/MSX hybrid PC has had a MSX2 VDP, too.
So I would consider MSX2 being a healthy beginning/entry point for the platform...

kagura1050 wrote on 2025-05-14, 03:44:

I think an MD pad to MSX pad adapter can be made somewhat cheaply from a DB9-RJ45 adapter like this: https://ja.aliexpress.com/item/32998825926.html
Just buy a pair and combine them with a LAN cable of about 0.1m.

Ohh ok, some extra tweaks needed for games, good to know, thanks. The adapter project seems like a good one to get some more soldering practice. I had considered getting a generic Mega Drive 3 button pad to mod so it would look more "stock" connecting directly to the controller port instead of an adapter protruding from the case, but in the MSX 2 models I've seen the controller ports are all in the back. I guess it wouldn't matter that much at the end of the day

I use a Carnivore2 cartridge as a memory expander (1MB) and SCC/SCC+ and many other things. There is a Carnivore2+ now though.. but either way these expansion carts aren't quite cheap. I put Nextor DOS on my C2, which brings MSX DOS 2 much closer towards MS DOS (directories, auto-complete, ...).
Good choice to go with an MSX2 machine.. it's very versatile and more capable than MSX1.