Scart Switches

SCART Switches

Most of us in retro gaming have more consoles than inputs on our TV, leaving us looking for switches.  If you’re using RGB SCART from your console, this page will show off some quality, tested SCART switches (and what to stay away from).

Here’s a video testing some of the switches, with info on how to test your own:

As a note, if you need info on how to connect the switch to your RGB display, please see the SCART to Display page.

                                gscartsw: automatic 8:2 SCART-RGB switch

This is an 8-port SCART switch made specifically for retro-gaming.  It’s the most mature product on this list with years of proven use.  It’s a bit expensive, but offers auto switching, dual simultaneous outputs, true sync regeneration and the ability to convert RGsB to RGBs.

Please check out the review page for more information.
Otaku-Store SCART / RCA Switch

The Otaku switch is my recommended low-cost solution.  It performed really well in all the testing I performed and added no interference.

Note:  These switches have two outputs, but they can only be used one at a time!!!  Do NOT use this as a dual-output switch!
 

 SCA101 JP21 and SCART Switch

This is the only switch on the market that supports simultaneous use of both JP21 and SCART cables, acting as both a switch and a converter!  It also supports 10 inputs and multiple output options;  Single output is recommended, but simultaneous outputs are possible (check the review above for more info).

There’s also some expert options such as RGB gain control and H&V controls.  Please note that the sync stripper outputs TTL level sync, so please leave that off if you’re going into SCART equipment.
Bandridge 5-port SCART Selector

There are two models available:  One with a push-button manual switch and another that auto-switches once your console is turned on.  Please note that some people have had major issues with theirs, while others seem happy: http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=49746
Hydra 8-port SCART switch

This is an 8-port SCART switch from Lotharek.  It has one SCART output and is powered by MicroUSB.
Shinybow SB-5525

The Shinybow is the only “matrix” SCART switch on this list:  You can assign different inputs to different output.

The only drawback of the Shinybow is it’s the only switch that doesn’t have a dedicated RCA audio out. That won’t matter if you use a SCART to BNC cable that separates audio-out, but if you don’t have one of those, you can use one SCART to BNC output to go to the monitor and get an adapter to pull just the audio from the other output. Check the links on the right –>
Taxon Tools 8×2 Switch

This switch offers both SCART and RCA outputs, as well as both manual and automatic switching.

A note for Brazilian retro gamers:  There’s a switch available that’s both manufactured and sold in Brazil, with no import taxes to worry about.  It uses a unique design that allows you to chain a few together for up to 16 inputs and simultaneous dual output.  I haven’t had a chance to test one, but it looks great!:  https://gamescare.com.br/produto/swt-scart/

What not to buy

Absolutely stay away from any switches that look like the ones pictured below (sometimes sold under the “Lindy” brand). I’ve tried a few of those and they ranged from “bad” to “terrible“.  One even caused a dark purple tint across the screen!
Please keep in mind that there are some cheap pushbutton switches out there that seem to work fine.  Most are just basic 2 – 1 switches, but it work fine with no quality loss.  Unfortunately, most come in generic cases, so it’s hard to tell which are the ones that work okay.  People have reported that the ones labeled “Wilko” or “Wickes” seem to be fine, but please use these at your own risk:
SCART Splitter
Someone had recently asked about splitting s SCART signal between two devices and this was the recommendation that came back:  http://www.shinybow.com.tw/pro/detail.php?pid=253&cid=111&f=61
There’s also a few SCART splitters begin designed by members of the retro gaming community.  I’ll update this page when I can.
Alternative Switches
If your setup includes a mix of Component Video, VGA and RGB, you might want to consider alternative switches.  This is much more complicated than using a SCART switch, so I suggest giving the page a full readthrough to see if it’s something you’d be interested in: Alternative Switches
If you came here while reading the RGB Guide, please move on to the section that shows how to get RGB from each game system!  That section also has info on audio enhancements, which versions of each system output the best quality, plus some other helpful info!  Alternatively, head back to the main page to see what other retro-awesomeness is available on this site!