Chipping up your Dreamcast so you can play non-UK discs could be more trouble than it's worth...

Fitting the chip that allows a Dreamcast to play any-region discs is said to be about as easy as chipping in from a bunker, according to the instructions of a certain website.

Various Internet companies are offering the chips for £40 and under, but the operation to carry out the swap, which will negate the machine's warranty, is a complex one which can easily end in tears.

According to one site, even removing the cover is a tricky job, involving the use of a rubber band to keep the switch pressed back to the edge of the case. You're then faced with the task of unscrewing and connecting the controller boards and unsoldering the battery point so you can move the battery terminal, before you carry out the swap trick.

Alarm bells were ringing in the retail industry when the news broke that the chips were being sold on the web, but it's still not clear how many Dreamcast users will be tempted.