Case whitening

The plastic case of the Dreamcast is prone to yellowing, but there are products available to help whiten it.

Why Dreamcast Plastic Yellows

Dreamcast cases are made from ABS, and ABS is known for turning yellow when exposed to UV of sunlight and/or excessive heat. The yellow color becomes more apparent because the standard base color of the plastic is a light gray which contrasts against the yellow.

Products

Retr0bright

The DIY Retr0bright solution consist of hydrogen peroxide and a TAED-based laundry booster.

Retro-Brite

Retro-Brite is a spray-on gel which may be purchased from Amazon.

Process

Do the following to whiten a Dreamcast case:

1. Disassemble the plastic case into the bottom shell, top shell, CD lid, controller port cover, and buttons; set aside all electronics
2. Carefully remove the Dreamcast logo sticker from the lid and labels on the bottom, if desired
   1. The whitening process WILL discolor stickers if they aren't removed
3. Put on gloves and spray down every exposed surface of all of the plastic pieces with the whitening solution
4. Put each plastic piece into one or more plastic bags or some other clear, enclosed container so that the yellowed surfaces are all facing upwards
5. Leave the bag(s)/container in full sun on warm days or under a UV light in a warm area for 8 to 24 hours of exposure, checking on their progress every few hours
6. Remove all pieces from bag(s), rinse with tap water, and let dry
7. The process may be repeated if more whitening is desired
8. Once satisfied, reassemble your Dreamcast and reattach logo sticker and labels

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