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Dreamcast Modded with GDEMU SD
Acquried a dreamcast around 2016 maybe for about $30. It included some burned CDS. Years later while it sat I learned about and finally purchased some retrofighters controllers because I've always disliked the stock dreamcast controllers.
Modded the dreamcast in late 2023 with a GDEMU SD card reader that replaced the CD rom. Also modded and replaced the power supply, even though I probably could have just de-soldered part of it to lower the voltage. It would be too much volts given the removal of the CD drive.
the SD kit came with a semi-enclosure so it looks good inside the dreamcast and has a port right where the CD was for a card, as well as a spare SD slot. Useful.
I learned to solder doing this project and watching this Dreamcast mod video. Did some through-hole soldering and some wicking. I was able to solder on a removeable battery module, LED light (which I thought was RGB but so far has just been green. I might ask for a replacement on that one.
Notes
- in UI, images are slow and menu scroll has latency
- GDI Games recommended (full game with multiple files)
- GDI on archive - https://archive.org/details/ef_SEGA_GDI_USA
- Put games in folders starting 02, 03, 04 etc
- That's the order they show in menu
- How to switch disks during game? (button press possibly)
- Get atomis wave games (possibly 30+ more games to library)
- Dreamconn+ BT controllers - https://www.dreammods.net/dreamconn.html
- Component video works
- HDMI can work if converter is good
- HDMI solder mod not worth it
- Multiple Region discs can be handled apparently
- ALL US Dreamcast games - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_q52LmeehY
- Dreamcast has a better console version of Dave Mirra BMX
- Old ports might be fixed with Contact cleaner spray
the GDEMU mod requires some software on the SD card, basically an application that the dreamcast reads like a game.
GDMENU
- SD cards above 64gb must be formatted as FAT32 using special software
- SanDisk 128 GB Ultra USH-I Class 10 SDXC can work
- Forum mentioned MadSheep tool to improve Menu speed (can't find it)
- Themes for GDMENU
- OpenMenu -
- GDMenu Theme Manager - https://segaxtreme.net/resources/gdmenu-theme-manager.61/
- Video walk through - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gxYiTNOzBE
- GDMENU card manager - https://github.com/mrneo240/GDMENUCardManager