Welcome to r/Dreamcast!

Hello! I'm not sure if this is a great place for this, but I felt like I should try to open it up to this community to see since I think it's a bit of a niche thing that not everyone knows about or has interest in, but could be real useful for Dreamcast folks.

I have Brook Wingman Converter SD available for sale. Looking for $45 and then shipping. It's essentially brand new, just tested once to ensure it works. If you're unaware of what it does, it allows you to use peripherals from things such as the X360, X1, X|S, PS3, PS4, PS5, and Switch with no hassle on a Dreamcast (or Saturn.) It also comes with 240 blocks of memory and no separate need for batteries, so it might be useful just for that alone. You can find more information about it on Brook's site, but these are no longer in circulation so probably limited avenues to acquiring them!

Let me know if you have any questions, thanks.

https://preview.redd.it/a66ff4hqej4e1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=dcb7f6364bab89002ba00081278fdb1a3a93ff8e

https://preview.redd.it/7xrykpwqej4e1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7aa07da11a24db3544e16b313e86544049fc57d9

https://preview.redd.it/vr8q6ibrej4e1.jpg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d1213380833e69c4f36c23609cef5bf693e9d26e

I remember playing this as a kid at a friend's house. Was scared of it at first but it became so much fun and we played the hell out of it.

Ppl like to talk shit on it now but I think it's a solid game. Thoughts?

Hey everyone, I recently bought the modded Dreamcast from Dr Mod. Does anyone have one of these? I'm new to modded consoles and would like to ask the community if they have had any experience with it. I wonder how well the emulations are for the SNES, N64, ect. I'm sure the DC games run great since it's on OG hardware. Thought and opinions please!!

I just got a collection of Dreamcast magazine demo discs. However, my dreamcast can't seem to play ANY of them. All my other games work fine, even CDs that i've burned work. Yet these magazine discs have a weird issue:

Instead of failing to read and going to the main menu, the disc spins up, I see the SEGA logo, then the console reboots. It does this in an endless loop. However it only happens with these magazine discs. I doubt it has anything to do with loose wires/connections since its just these discs.

Has anyone else ever had a similar issue with certain discs rebooting the dreamcast? Also, I do have the japanese cake bios installed, IDK if that would effect anything?

I recently bought my first Dreamcast; as kid I wanted a Dreamcast so bad, but we already had a N64 and PS1 so my parents thought was enough. I accepted it, but couldn't shake it for years.

Lately I got the nostalgia and started emulate a bit everything and felt was time to catchup with the Dreamcast. And oh boy if I love the little fucker. Has an amazing library in my opinion, so much fun, pure gaming.
So I decided to do the jump. Was time to buy one.

I live in Japan (not in Tokyo atm so not many used game shop around here), and I discovered that finding a proper V1* in good condition with I price I felt comfortable isn't that easy but eventually I managed. Found a good one.

I had fun with the the SD adapter for a couple of days -- was okay, choppy, unstable but was a start.
Keep in mind this was my first experience using a real DC, with a DC Controller. I managed with an adapter to use the controller on my Retroarch box but the jump pack wasn't supported so feeling Knuckles punching was amazing after so much time of emulation so while the SD Card adapter worked I felt the DC (and I) deserved better.

Meaning that I decided to the big jump and went for a GEMU, mostly likely a clone, from a good reseller on Amazon JP. Good review, great rating, years selling: I can trust this one.

Package arrived, I took the "mounting kit" (SD extender, button, tray replacer and so on), watched countless videos and opened the console, to my surprise extremely clean the console inside. Putting a GMEMU seemed easy and was, indeed, easy. Too bad nothing worked.

I double checked the SD card, formatted, tried with another one, then discovered that the SD Adaptor wasn't working so I tried with another one and nothing.

Open again everything, clean contacts, put all together and… nothing stays in the Bios, no "disc" found. Doing research online I discover that the issue could be the extender so I plug it off and use the port on the GDEMU and finally, from the bios, we have a boot.

Too bad nothing works, any game simply crashes. They are in the correct format and placement I tried manually, I tried with GDMENU Card Manager. It doesn't work.
Another thing is that GDEMU refuses to boot (the screen stays stuck on "Dreamcast" logo) if any SD card is insert.

I'm about to give up, I'll be honest with you. Sorry for this poorly boring ass post, but I really didn't expected so much troubles with a solution that, everyone, online makes to seem so seamless and easy. Maybe I just got a bad one.

TLDR, GDEMU won't work when an SD card is plugged, and if I plug after any game/app crashes.

EDIT: I have a V1, not V0.

In the Video Mode Settings is an entry "Switch Trick VGA". Can s/o explain to me how this works? I tried with NFL Blitz PAL but it didn't work. For running it in 480p I need to do the following:

1. Set to "Cable Detect"
2. Connect VGA Box with switch between "TV/PC" (no display connected)
3. Connect my HDMI Display to DCHDMI
4. Start DC with VGA Box set to "TV"
5. Switch to "PC" after Swirl is completed
6. Game now runs in 480p and is correctly shown via HDMI

I would have thought that the setting "Switch Trick VGA" wouldn't make that necessary, but in the description it's also stated as "...for a select few games that will not start in 480p mode. But can work after switching to 480p once the game has started.". Given the fact that the doing the VGA switch manually is working, I think that NFL Blitz is one of these games.

Maybe someone can share his experiences with that setting.

Environment:
- PAL DC
- modded with DCHDMI (After FW upgrade now called DCDigital, I guess it's then DCDigital HW rev1?)
- NFL Blitz PAL

I dont completly know what region locked means so tell me if I'm right in the comments and answer my question about the dreamcast so basically what I'm asking is if I buy a Japanese version is SA2 will it work on an American dreamcast and if the diolauge is in Japanese is it possible to change it to American

Hey everyone,

I recently purchased a GDEMU clone (V5.20.5) from AliExpress, and I’m trying to figure out if it’s compatible with my Dreamcast. I haven’t opened up the console yet, but I’m happy to do so and take photos if it helps.

Before I crack it open, I was wondering if anyone can tell the compatibility based on the model number or any other external details.

If opening it is necessary, could someone let me know what specific details I should look for on the motherboard to determine compatibility? Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

I have a vga cable that I use with my monitor, but finally decided to get an S-Video cable for my 27 inch JVC CRT. Man it looks sweet!

I think I got mine for $200 I got the VMU for $40 sonic adventure 1 was also $40 the console and the controller together was around $120 was this a good deal?

I bought a Dreamcast from a local game store. I'm happy with my purchase. But it had some issues. It has a broken Screw well, light rust on the modem shell, inner rust on what looks to be a shell on either the mother board or disc reader. The lid also is missing a guide pin so it doesnt close/open the smoothest. It works good. So im now on the market of getting a new shell. I have been looking at some listing's on Amazon. I know im def not interested in any that have the "Cool" branding.

For the second half of my questions. I'm really interested in connecting my Dreamcast to the internet. And was going to attempt it with the "Dream-Pi" kit you can buy for 110 bucks. But it's been out of stock for a little bit. (Anyone with experience with buying the Dream-Pi kit, id appreciate if you'd know how long it usually takes for a restock. Cause that would server as an answer for my dream pi concerns).

I have one SCART socket on the back of my TV so I use an adaptor that turns that one socket into four. I currently have my Saturn, VHS Player and now Dreamcast connected to it.

I turned on my Saturn to listen to some music CDs and the fan in the Dreamcast powered on, I unplugged the power cable and it kept going. Only when unplugging the video cable did it stop. Connect the cable again and the fan started up.

Could this be because the GDEMU doesn't draw as much power as the GDROM drive and so the Saturn's video output is enough to power the fan in the Dreamcast?

Hey everyone so anyways i was using xbmc4xbox to listen to internet radio via pls radio streams. But then It got me thinking, what if the Dreamcast could do it? So I ask, how do I listen to internet radio streams on Dreamcast?

Hey gang,

Is there a different process for burning GDI versus CDI. A lot of the videos I have watched are using CDI but my roms are GDI.

Does the file format make a difference?

Are there any specific disk drives and discs anyone would recommend?

TIA

New owner of a Dreamcast. Bought it as a self present for Christmas but I obviously had to test it after buying it.

Any games that you consider a must own or try? I am planning on using it for arcade gaming mostly, that’s why I got a Japanese version.

The Sega Dreamcast, despite being innovative and ahead of its time, ultimately failed due to a combination of factors. Here’s a breakdown of the key reasons for its downfall:

1. Poor Timing and Competition

• PlayStation 2’s Hype: The Dreamcast launched in 1999, a year before Sony released the PlayStation 2. The PS2’s promised features, like backward compatibility with PS1 games and its ability to play DVDs, overshadowed the Dreamcast. Many gamers held off buying the Dreamcast, waiting instead for Sony’s system.

• Competition from Other Consoles: The Nintendo 64 and Sony PlayStation (PS1) were still popular when the Dreamcast launched. Later, Microsoft announced the Xbox, further complicating Sega’s position in the market.

2. Sega’s Tarnished Reputation

• Failures of Previous Consoles: Sega had a history of poorly received consoles before the Dreamcast, such as the Sega CD, 32X, and Sega Saturn. These failed to attract a large audience and caused gamers and retailers to lose confidence in Sega as a reliable brand.

• Saturn’s Botched Launch: The Sega Saturn’s surprise early launch and poor game library alienated developers and customers. Sega’s relationship with third-party developers suffered, which carried over to the Dreamcast era.

3. Lack of Third-Party Developer Support

• Limited Game Library: Many major game publishers, like Square Enix and EA, were hesitant or unwilling to develop games for the Dreamcast. EA’s absence was particularly damaging, as it left the console without popular sports titles like Madden NFL.

• Focus on In-House Games: While Sega’s in-house games (e.g., Sonic Adventure, Shenmue, and Jet Set Radio) were innovative and critically acclaimed, they weren’t enough to compete with Sony’s vast third-party library.

4. Financial Issues at Sega

• Declining Resources: Sega had already suffered heavy financial losses from the failures of the Sega Saturn and other ventures. By the time the Dreamcast launched, the company lacked the financial strength to compete with industry giants like Sony and Nintendo.

• Expensive Marketing Campaigns: Sega spent heavily to market the Dreamcast, but it couldn’t sustain the same level of marketing as Sony, especially leading up to the PlayStation 2’s launch.

5. Lack of DVD Support

• The DVD Revolution: The PlayStation 2 doubled as a DVD player, making it an attractive and cost-effective purchase for many consumers. The Dreamcast only supported CD-ROMs and GD-ROMs, which put it at a significant disadvantage as DVDs became the dominant media format.

6. Piracy Issues

• Easy Game Piracy: The Dreamcast was notorious for being vulnerable to piracy. Hackers quickly found ways to bypass the system’s copy protection, allowing users to burn and play pirated games. This not only hurt software sales but also discouraged third-party developers from investing in the platform.

7. Online Features Ahead of Their Time

• Innovative but Early: The Dreamcast was the first console to include a built-in modem for online gaming. While this was groundbreaking, internet connectivity was not yet widespread or fast enough in many regions to make the feature a major selling point.

•	Cost of Online Services: Sega struggled to maintain its online infrastructure and couldn’t monetize it effectively, unlike Microsoft’s later success with Xbox Live.

8. Limited Lifespan and Market Presence

   • Short Lifecycle: Sega discontinued the Dreamcast in 2001, just two years after its release, due to poor sales and mounting financial losses. This short lifespan meant the console never had a chance to build a large audience or an extensive game library.

   • Overtaken by Competitors: By the time Sega pulled the Dreamcast from the market, Sony’s PS2 was dominating, and Microsoft’s Xbox and Nintendo’s GameCube were on the horizon.

9. Internal Corporate Struggles

   • Leadership Changes: Sega faced frequent leadership changes and conflicting strategies within its management. Poor decision-making at the executive level contributed to the company’s inability to effectively support the Dreamcast.

   • Japanese Market Weakness: Sega historically struggled in its home market of Japan, where the Dreamcast failed to gain traction against Sony and Nintendo.

10. Changing Industry Landscape

    • Rising Development Costs: As game development became more complex and expensive, developers preferred platforms with a larger install base, such as the PS2. The Dreamcast, with its smaller audience, was less appealing for developers.

    • Shift to Multimedia Consoles: The Dreamcast focused primarily on gaming, while competitors like the PS2 marketed themselves as entertainment hubs, offering DVD playback and broader appeal.

Conclusion

The Sega Dreamcast was a bold and innovative console, but it faced overwhelming challenges from both external competition and internal mismanagement. Despite its failure, the Dreamcast remains beloved by fans for its groundbreaking features, unique games, and its role in shaping the future of console gaming. Unfortunately, it marked Sega’s exit from the hardware market, forcing the company to focus solely on game development.

For me personally, one of my gripes is the controller. I actually like the Rocketship design and find it to be quite comfortable, but having gotten a saturn a few months ago, I wish the the controller kept that D-pad as it makes fighting games play as well as they do with an arcade stick, and I also wish the controller had dual analogue as that would have improved many games I feel.

Hi all,

I recently purchased a 'junk' Japanese Dreamcast off of eBay with the intent of sticking a cloned GDEMU in it. The console safely arrived a few days ago, but two issues have cropped up;

1. My GDEMU is stuck in transit since my local post company's been on strike for the past 2 weeks, so I'm considering recapping my GDROM drive to see if that fixes anything.

I know how to read capacitor values, but I was wondering if all SMD caps of a certain capacitance and voltage have the same diameter/size. I don't have anything precise enough to measure them out myself.

2. I didn't do enough research beforehand and wound up with a VA0 DC, which I hear can kill the GDEMU due to the drive being supplied 5V rather than 3.3V. I've come across three different solutions for this issue; the resistor mod, a power mod involving the GDEMU itself, or just sticking the GDEMU in the Dreamcast and using it as-is.

My solder skills are rather crap, so the third solution sounds the most appealing, but how long will it last? Most folks who choose that route seem to have modded their consoles with an external PSU, which I'm not at all interested in doing.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice.

First, I have very little experience with mods and getting them working. I am tired of worrying about scratching my discs or the laser giving out. I am looking in to the GDEMU and I know I need to find roms that are in GDI or CDI format. I am confused because I keep finding ROMS with a 1KB GDI file and then bin files that are the actual size of the game. Even when I randomly grab a few games from what I think is the TOSEC dump, it is still is in this format of bin files with a small GDI file. Am I missing a step here? I have also checked on sites like Vimm and CDRomance. They seem to be the same.

TOSEC Link I Was Using: https://archive.org/details/tosecdcus20190822

Can I like… kill the beep speaker in my VMUs?? I’m open to suggestions lol.