I have been interested in replacing the GD Rom controller on my Dreamcast for awhile now and have seen there are 2 devices that I can use. Is there a current comparison chart of the 2 or can someone tell me what features they have that the other doesn't? I would like to be able to use .GDI and .CDI images. Are there any issuers with games on either of them? Homebrew? Region free?
I have a USBGDROM and a Rhea (it's very similar than GDEMU), the USB GDROM is compatible with VA0 et VA 1 Motherboard (not with VA2). With USb GDROM like GDEMU, you DC is freezone, but with USB GDROM you can disable it, it's necessary for some game like SFIIX in NTSC/J. I like design with USB, but it's needs to cut back of DC, and you must wire the lidswitch. When it does, you can back to DC when youopen the front. USB GDROM support until 2 T, but the complet set DC game 650 g needed, and finally with less than 100 g you have the very must have games. GDEMU is easier than USBGDROM to mount no need to wire the lidswitch, use the button, and the front always open. The Menu is nicier than USBGDROM. I already sold my Saturn with Rhea, and few days I will sold my DC USB GDROM inside.
Are you sure, no lid switch how to exit game without push power button? I install it because I dont quit game without.
Most will just power cycle & select the disc 2 image, for a game that requires disc 2,3 or 4. You can also do a soft reset. (X) + (Y) + (A) + (B) + (Start)
I try it, when I success to DC menu, I select play and it restart the last game after played anytime. Reboot needed. Since I wired lid switch no problem open the front and I can change game without reboot.
Do you want/plan to have the entire dreamcast library available/installed? Yes: Get the USB GDROM No: Get GDEMU
Again this is optional, it is in no way required for the UGC to function. Just because you use it to swap games doesn't mean it's needed. There are more important features like ease of use, (ie, no need to rename folders or use tools to add menus or fix games folder/names, like is needed for the GDEmu) than a swap feature that's only needed for 1 game. V5 UGC PCB is just as easy to install as GDEmu.
You can swap the BIOS on VA2 units to fix the issues involved. My assumption is that the lack of Mil-CD support is the cause.
VA2 motherboards have the gd-rom daughterboard incorporated into them, so it's impossible (realisticly) to replace the gd-rom with either GDEMU or UGC; only the laser assembly can be swapped. Even a non mil-cd bios should allow both devices to boot gdi images, but not cdi of course.
Like we all done before the lid switch was supported. We turned the DC off & back on again. The soft reset is only useful if you need to get to the VMU menu.
Without lidswitch turn off is needed, it's not very properly, I prefer wired lidswitch for a real reset/back to DC Menu, from it we can back to MNEMO menu for run any games without turn off DC.
It can be done patching syscalls at the execution of the game. That's how neuroacid does it for gdemu/gdmenu. Specifically, abxy+start is patched to reboot into the menu instead of bios. Maybe he could be of assistance in implementing that into mnemo's menu.
I didn't realize there was a game that the GDEMU was incompatible with? Do you know which title(s) off the top of your head don't work?
I think it's more a matter of the whole collection won't fit on a sd-card. But it's possible to shrink games and some 64+ GB cards are reported to work, so it's not that bad.
