Optical drive replacements
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An optical drive replacement is a device that replaces the Dreamcast's GD-ROM drive with an alternative storage method, typically SD cards or USB storage. These devices typically use an FPGA to simulate the GD-ROM drive hardware.
Examples include:
- GDEMU (official version and clones)
- USB-GDROM
- iceGDROM (DIY, not a product)
- MODE - Multi Optical Drive Emulator Unreleased, preorder here
| GD-ROM Optical Drive Features Comparison | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Device: | GDEMU | USB-GDROM | MODE | iceGDROM | |||||||||||||||
| console revisions supported | va1 only | va0 and va1 | ??? (no va2 support) | ??? (no va2 support) | |||||||||||||||
| media type | SD cards | USB 2.0 storage compatible with SATA to USB 2.0 bridges |
SD, USB 2.0 SATA through built-in USB 2.0 bridge |
SD cards | |||||||||||||||
| media capacity | officially, up to 32GB large cards like 400GB and 512GB tested and widely used |
up to 2TB | ??? | ??? | |||||||||||||||
| menu type | officially, no menu, controlled by hardware GDMenu graphical menu is current de facto default menu |
text-based menu | List view and advanced covert art views | no menu, controlled by hardware | |||||||||||||||
| media format | FAT32 with images specifically named and in numbered folders community tools such as GDEmu SD card creator exist to assist in creating cards |
FAT32, drag and drop | ?? | FAT32, requires conversion to custom image format, files must be specifically numbered | |||||||||||||||
| image format | TOSEC GDI+BIN, GDI+ISO, CDI, CCD+IMG+SUB, MDS+MDF, ISO for homebrew disc-swapping (e.g. for emulator ROM discs) | TOSEC GDI+BIN, GDI+ISO, CDI | TOSEC GDI+BIN, GDI+ISO, CDI, CCD+IMG+SUB, MDS+MDF, Redump CUE+BIN/ISO | ||||||||||||||||
| custom loader/bleemshell support | allows custom coded menus with direct control of console, can control of disc-swapping done through hidden API Community menus exist including GDMenu, bleemshell, OpenMenu, etc. |
none | none | none | |||||||||||||||
| bleemcast! GT2/TK3/MGS version support | no (support requires either firmware update to enhance CCD image support, or community effort to further crack protection) |
no (support requires either firmware update to enhance CCD image support, or community effort to further crack protection) |
??? | no (support requires either firmware improvement for image support, or community effort to further crack protection) | |||||||||||||||
| availability | periodic sales done on creator's website, shipped from Poland unofficial China-based clones widely available worldwide |
sale's through creator's website, shipped from Russia | currently unreleased, ETA | ||||||||||||||||