Mednafen

Sega Saturn Documentation

Last updated January 2, 2024
Valid as of 1.32.0-UNSTABLE

Table of Contents:

Introduction

NOTE: The Sega Saturn emulation is currently under active development. By default(and for the official releases for Windows), Saturn emulation is only compiled in for builds for some 64-bit architectures(x86_64, AArch64, PPC64). The separate SSF playback module does not have this limitation.

Mednafen's Sega Saturn emulation is extremely CPU intensive. The minimum recommended CPU is a quad-core Intel Haswell-microarchitecture CPU with a base frequency of >= 3.3GHz and a turbo frequency of >= 3.7GHz(e.g. Xeon E3-1226 v3), but note that this recommendation does not apply to any unofficial ports or forks, which may have higher CPU requirements.

Save states are supported, but the data is not fully sanitized properly on save state load, so definitely avoid loading save states acquired from sources you don't trust(this includes via netplay).

Enabling CD image preloading into memory via the cd.image_memcache setting is recommended, to avoid short emulator pauses and audio pops due to waiting for disk accesses to complete when the emulated CD is accessed.

A list of known emulation bugs(with workarounds in some cases) in Saturn games with Mednafen is available at https://forum.fobby.net/index.php?t=msg&th=1357

Mednafen's Sega Saturn emulation should not be used in lieu of a Sega Saturn for authoritative game performance/FPS review purposes. The emulation will generally run Saturn games with less slowdown than on a real Saturn, even when more accurate emulation modes are enabled via internal databases.


Firmware/BIOS

Place the correct BIOS image files in the correct location. If you don't intend to emulate the arcade ST-V at all, you don't need to provide the corresponding ST-V BIOS files.

The filenames listed below are per default ss.bios_* settings.

Filename:Purpose:SHA-256 Hash:
sega_101.binBIOS image.
Required for Japan-region games.
dcfef4b99605f872b6c3b6d05c045385cdea3d1b702906a0ed930df7bcb7deac
mpr-17933.binBIOS image.
Required for North America/US-region and Europe-region games.
96e106f740ab448cf89f0dd49dfbac7fe5391cb6bd6e14ad5e3061c13330266f

epr-20091.ic8ST-V BIOS image.
Required for Japan-region ST-V games.
ac778ec04aaa4df296d30743536da3de31281f8ae5c94d7be433dcc84e25d85b
epr-17952a.ic8ST-V BIOS image.
Required for North America/US-region ST-V games.
bac5a52794cf424271f073df228e0b0eb042dede6a3b829eb49abf155e7e0137
epr-17954a.ic8ST-V BIOS image.
Required for Europe-region ST-V games.
3e6f91506031badc4ebdf7fe5b4f33180222a369b575522861688d3b27322a68

Default Input Mappings

Digital Gamepad on Virtual Port 1

Key:Emulated Button:
WUp
SDown
ALeft
DRight
EnterSTART
Keypad 1A
Keypad 2B
Keypad 3C
Keypad 4X
Keypad 5Y
Keypad 6Z
Keypad 7Left Shoulder
Keypad 9Right Shoulder


Mouse on Virtual Ports 1-12

NOTE: The default mapping for the emulated mouse "START" button conflicts with the default mapping for the "Enter" key on the emulated keyboards on all virtual ports, and the default mapping for "START" on the emulated digital gamepad on virtual port 1. If you want to use an emulated mouse with an emulated keyboard, you should probably remap the "START" button to a non-keyboard host device.

Button:Emulated Button:
Mouse, Left ButtonLeft Button
Mouse, Right ButtonRight Button
Mouse, Middle ButtonMiddle Button
Keyboard, EnterSTART


Light Gun on Virtual Ports 1-12

Button:Emulated Button:
Mouse, Left ButtonTrigger
Mouse, Middle ButtonSTART
Mouse, Right ButtonOffscreen Shot(simulated)



ST-V

Mednafen has experimental support for ST-V games that don't require special expansion hardware nor use a decryption or decompression chip. ST-V-specific BIOS files are required. The games should be loaded via ZIP archives, one variant of one game per archive, with all ROM image files in the same directory in the archive, and ideally with no extraneous files that may confuse autodetection. Lowercase MAME-style filenames must be used. For testing purposes, an ST-V game outside of an archive may also be played by loading the first boot/program ROM image file.

Upon loading a supported ST-V game, a suitable emulated Saturn input device is selected automatically, and input data is remapped internally to the form the emulated ST-V hardware needs. For most games, the device selected is the Digital Gamepad("gamepad"), but for "Critter Crusher" and "Tatacot", it is Light Gun("gun").

ST-V Service, Test, and Pause currently cannot be remapped inside Mednafen itself, due to limitations that may be resolved in a future version. They can still be remapped manually, however.

Default Key Mappings:
Key:Emulated Function:Mapping Setting:
F8Coin Insertion Triggercommand.insert_coin

"Keypad -" + "Keypad /"Test Buttonss.input.builtin.builtin.stv_test
"Keypad -" + "Keypad +"Service Buttonss.input.builtin.builtin.stv_service
"Keypad -" + "Keypad Enter"Pause Button (Requires game support, may cause malfunctions)ss.input.builtin.builtin.stv_pause

The following ST-V games and game variants are explicitly supported:

The following ST-V games are currently broken due to missing emulation of the decryption/decompression chips:


Bootable ROM Cart

Mednafen supports bootable cart ROM images up to 48MiB in size, with a filename extension of "ss".

The first 32MiB is mapped into A-bus CS0, and the ROM data beyond 32MiB is mapped into A-bus CS1; both are mapped as 16-bit ROM. If the ROM image is 32MiB or smaller, a standard 512KiB of non-volatile cart backup memory will be provided in the A-bus CS1 area instead of ROM data.


Internal Databases

Region

This database is used in conjunction with a game's internal header and the "ss.region_default" setting to automatically select the region of Saturn to emulate when the "ss.region_autodetect" setting is set to "1", the default.

Game:      ID:      Region:Purpose:
Preview Sega Saturn Vol. 1 (Europe)10 8f e1 af 55 5a 95 42 04 85 7e 98 8c 53 6a 31Europe
Primal Rage (Europe)ed 4c 0b 87 35 37 86 76 a0 f6 32 c6 a4 c3 99 88Europe
Race Drivin' (Japan)15 fc 3a 82 16 a9 85 a5 a8 ad 30 af 9a ff 03 a9Japan
Riven - A Sequencia de Myst (Brazil) (Disc 1)e1 dd fd a1 8b 47 02 21 36 1e 5a ae 20 c0 59 9fBrazil
Riven - A Sequencia de Myst (Brazil) (Disc 2)bf 5f f8 5f f2 0c 35 f6 c9 8d 03 bc 34 d9 da 7fBrazil
Riven - A Sequencia de Myst (Brazil) (Disc 3)98 b6 6e 09 e6 dc 30 e6 55 db 85 01 33 0c 0b 9cBrazil
Riven - A Sequencia de Myst (Brazil) (Disc 4)a2 34 b0 b9 aa 47 74 1f d4 1e 35 da 3d e7 4d e3Brazil
Sega International Victory Goal (Japan)f7 e9 23 0a 9e 92 f1 93 16 43 f8 6c e8 21 50 66Japan
Virtua Racing (Europe)64 75 25 0c a1 9b 6c 5e 4e a0 6d 69 d9 0f 32 caEurope
Virtua Racing (Japan)0d e3 fa fb 2b b9 6d 79 e0 3a b7 6d cc bf b0 2cJapan
WWF WrestleMania - The Arcade Game (Europe) (Demo)73 91 4b e1 ad 4d af 69 c3 eb b8 43 ee 3e b5 09Europe
Winter Heat (Europe) (Demo)6b 29 33 fc dd ad 8e 0d 95 81 a6 ee fd 90 4b 43Europe

Cart

This database is used to automatically select the type of cart to emulate when the "ss.cart" setting is set to "auto", the default. If a game is not found in the database when auto selection is enabled, then the cart used is specified by the "ss.cart.auto_default" setting, default "backup"(a backup memory cart).

Game:      ID:      Cart:Purpose:
Astra Superstars (Japan)T-1521G1MiB Extended RAM
Cotton 2 (Japan)T-9904G1MiB Extended RAM
Cyberbots (Japan)T-1217G1MiB Extended RAM
Daytona USA CCE Net Link EditionMK-81218NoneReserved for future modem support.
Dennou Senki Virtual On (SegaNet)GS-7106NoneReserved for future modem support.
Dezaemon 2 (Japan)T-16804GBackup MemoryAllows saving.
Die Hard Trilogy (Europe/USA)T-16103HBackup MemoryGame will crash when running with a RAM expansion cart.
Die Hard Trilogy (Japan)GS-9123Backup MemoryGame will crash when running with a RAM expansion cart.
Dragon's Dream (Japan)GS-7114NoneReserved for future modem support.
Duke Nukem 3DMK-81071NoneReserved for future modem support.
Dungeons and Dragons Collection (Japan)T-1245G4MiB Extended RAMGame requirement("Shadow over Mystara").
Fighter's History Dynamite (Japan)GS-91071MiB Extended RAMGame requirement.
Final Fight Revenge (Japan)T-1248G4MiB Extended RAMGame requirement.
Friends (Japan)T-20109G1MiB Extended RAM
Groove on Fight (Japan)T-14411G1MiB Extended RAMGame requirement.
Habitat II (Japan)GS-7105NoneReserved for future modem support.
Heart of Darkness (Prototype)4a f9 ff 30 ea 54 fe 3a 79 a7 68 69 ae de 55 bb16MiB A-bus CS1 RAMGame requirement(though it's probable the original dev cart was only around 6 to 8MiB).
Heart of Darkness (Prototype)f1 71 c3 e4 69 d5 99 93 94 09 05 fc 29 d3 8a 5916MiB A-bus CS1 RAMGame requirement(though it's probable the original dev cart was only around 6 to 8MiB).
King of Fighters '95, The (Europe)MK-81088King of Fighters 95 ROMGame requirement.
King of Fighters '95, The (Japan)T-3101GKing of Fighters 95 ROMGame requirement.
Kouryuu Sangoku Engi (Japan)T-26104GBackup Memory
Marvel Super Heroes (Europe)T-7032H-501MiB Extended RAM
Marvel Super Heroes (Japan)T-1215G1MiB Extended RAM
Marvel Super Heroes vs. Street Fighter (Japan)T-1238G4MiB Extended RAMGame requirement.
Metal Slug (Japan)T-3111G1MiB Extended RAMGame requirement.
NOël 3 (Japan)T-22205G1MiB Extended RAM
Pad Nifty (Japan)GS-7101NoneReserved for future modem support.
Pia Carrot e Youkoso!! 2 (Japan)T-20114G1MiB Extended RAM
PlanetWeb Browser (multiple versions)T-319-01HNoneReserved for future modem support.
Pocket Fighter (Japan)T-1230G4MiB Extended RAM
Puzzle Bobble 3 (SegaNet)GS-7113NoneReserved for future modem support.
Real Bout Garou Densetsu (Japan)T-3105G1MiB Extended RAMGame requirement.
Real Bout Garou Densetsu Demo (Japan)T-99901G
REAL BOUT
1MiB Extended RAMGame requirement.
Real Bout Garou Densetsu Special (Japan)T-3119G1MiB Extended RAMGame requirement.
Samurai Spirits - Amakusa Kourin (Japan)T-3116G1MiB Extended RAMGame requirement.
Samurai Spirits - Zankurou Musouken (Japan)T-3104G1MiB Extended RAMGame requirement.
Saturn BombermanMK-81070NoneReserved for future modem support.
Saturn Bomberman (SegaNet)T-14305GNoneReserved for future modem support.
Sega Ages - Galaxy Force IIGS-9197Backup MemoryAllows saving replay data.
Sega Rally Championship Plus NetLink EditionMK-81215NoneReserved for future modem support.
SegaSaturn Internet Vol. 1 (Japan)T-31301GNoneReserved for future modem support.
Street Fighter Zero 3 (Japan)T-1246G4MiB Extended RAMGame requirement.
Super Real Mahjong P7 (Japan)T-16509G1MiB Extended RAM
Super Real Mahjong P7 (Japan)T-16510G1MiB Extended RAM
Tech Saturn 1997.6 (Japan)6106360081MiB Extended RAMRequired by "Groove on Fight" demo.
The King of Fighters '96 (Japan)T-3108G1MiB Extended RAMGame requirement.
The King of Fighters '97 (Japan)T-3121G1MiB Extended RAMGame requirement.
Ultraman - Hikari no Kyojin Densetsu (Japan)T-13308GUltraman ROMGame requirement.
Vampire Savior (Japan)T-1229G4MiB Extended RAMGame requirement.
Virtual On NetLink EditionMK-81072NoneReserved for future modem support.
Waku Waku 7 (Japan)T-1515G1MiB Extended RAMGame requirement.
X-Men vs. Street Fighter (Japan)T-1226G4MiB Extended RAMGame requirement.

Cache Mode

This database is used to automatically select cache emulation mode, to fix various logic and timing issues in games. The default cache mode is data-only(with no high-level bypass).

The cache mode "Data-only, with high-level bypass" is a hack of sorts, to work around cache coherency bugs in games. These bugs are typically masked on a real Saturn due to the effects of instruction fetches on the cache, but become a problem when only data caching is emulated.

Full cache emulation is not enabled globally primarily due to the large increase in host CPU usage.

For ST-V games, this database is not used, and instead full cache emulation is always enabled.

Game:      ID:      Cache Mode:Purpose:
3D Baseball (USA)T-15906HFullFixes minor FMV glitches.
3D Baseball - The Majors (Japan)T-18003GFullFixes minor FMV glitches.
Albert Odyssey (Japan)T-1507GFull
Albert Odyssey (USA)T-12705HFullFixes battle text truncation.
Area 51 (Europe)T-25408HData only, with high-level bypassFixes game hang.
Area 51 (USA)T-9705HData only, with high-level bypassFixes game hang.
Clockwork Knight 2 (USA)MK-81036Data only, with high-level bypassFixes game hang that occurred when some FMVs were played.
Corpse Killer (USA)T-16201HFullFixes glitchy rotation-zoom effect.
Creature Shock - Special Edition (USA)T-01304HData only, with high-level bypassFixes game crash when trying to start a level.
Crow, The (Europe)T-8124H-50FullFixes minor FMV glitches.
Crow, The (Germany)T-8124H-18FullFixes minor FMV glitches.
Crow, The (USA)T-8124HFullFixes minor FMV glitches.
Dark Seed II (Japan)T-36101GFullFixes game hang.
DeJig - Lassen Art Collection (Japan)T-30304GData only, with high-level bypassFixes graphical glitches.
Die Hard Trilogy (Europe/USA)T-16103HFullFixes game hang.
Die Hard Trilogy (Japan)GS-9123FullFixes game hang.
Doraemon - Nobita to Fukkatsu no Hoshi (Japan)T-19801GData only, with high-level bypassFixes blank Game Over screen.
Dragon Force II (Japan)GS-9184Data only, with high-level bypassFixes math and game logic errors during battles.
Father Christmas (Japan)T-18504GData only, with high-level bypassFixes stuck music and voice acting.
Fighting Vipers (Europe/USA)MK-81041Data only, with high-level bypassFixes computer-controlled opponent turning into a ghost statue.
Fighting Vipers (Japan)GS-9101Data only, with high-level bypassFixes computer-controlled opponent turning into a ghost statue.
Formula Grand Prix - Team Unei Simulation (Japan)T-7309GData only, with high-level bypassFixes game hang.
Gal Jan (Japan)T-29101GFullFixes game hang after game ends.
Gambler Jiko Chuushinha - Tokyo MahjonglandT-4504GFullFixes flickering octopus screen.
GeGeGe no Kitarou (Japan)T-13310GFullFixes game hang.
Gex (Europe)T-15904H50FullFixes minor FMV glitches.
Gex (Japan)T-15904GFullFixes minor FMV glitches.
Gex (USA)T-15904HFullFixes minor FMV glitches.
Golden Axe - The Duel (Europe/USA)MK-81045Data only, with high-level bypassFixes flickering title screen.
Golden Axe - The Duel (Japan)GS-9041Data only, with high-level bypassFixes flickering title screen.
Hideo Nomo World Series Baseball (Japan)GS-9061Data only, with high-level bypassFixes severe gameplay logic glitches.
Horror Tour (Japan)T-24301GFullFixes graphical glitches on the save and load screens.
House of the Dead (Japan)GS-9173Data only, with high-level bypassFixes game crash on lightgun calibration screen.
Irem Arcade Classics (Japan)T-22403GFullFixes hang when trying to start "Zippy Race".
Kanzen Chuukei Pro Yakyuu Greatest Nine (Japan)GS-9017Data only, with high-level bypassFixes game hang.
Kidou Senkan Nadesico - Yappari Saigo wa Ai ga KatsuGS-9142FullFixes game hang.
Linkle Liver Story (Japan)GS-9055Data only, with high-level bypassFixes game crash when going to the world map.
Lunar - Silver Star Story (Japan)T-27901GFullFixes FMV flickering.
Magic Carpet (Europe)T-5006HData only, with high-level bypassFixes game hang.
Mahjong Doukyuusei Special (Japan)T-25302G1Data only, with high-level bypassFixes missing background layer on disc 2.
Mahjong Doukyuusei Special (Japan)T-25302G2Data only, with high-level bypassFixes missing background layer on disc 2.
Manx TT SuperBike (Europe)MK-81210Data only, with high-level bypassFixes game crash during optional intro movie.
Mujintou Monogatari R - Futari no Love Love Island (Japan)T-28901GData only, with high-level bypassFixes glitches when character graphics change.
NBA Action (Europe)MK81103-50FullFixes minor FMV glitches.
NBA Action (USA)MK-81103FullFixes minor FMV glitches.
NFL Quarterback Club 96 (Europe)T-8109H-50FullFixes minor FMV glitches.
NFL Quarterback Club 96 (Japan)T-8105GFullFixes minor FMV glitches.
NFL Quarterback Club 96 (USA)T-8109HFullFixes minor FMV glitches.
Nobunaga no Yabou Shouseiroku (Japan)T-7664GFullFixes game hang.
Policenauts (Japan)T-9510GFullFixes screen flickering on disc 2.
Rampage - World Tour (Europe)T-25416H50FullFixes game hang.
Real Bout Garou Densetsu (Japan)T-3105GFullFixes game hang.
Real Bout Garou Densetsu Demo (Japan)T-99901G
REAL BOUT
Full
Revolution X - Music Is the Weapon (Europe)T-8107H-50FullFixes game hang.
Revolution X - Music Is the Weapon (Germany)T-8107H-18FullFixes game hang.
Ronde (Japan)T-14415GData only, with high-level bypassFixes missing graphics on the title screen, main menu, and elsewhere.
Saturn Super Vol. 2 (Japan)610602002Data only, with high-level bypassFixes flickering title screen in the "Golden Axe - The Duel" demo.
Sega Saturn Choice Cuts (USA)81600Data only, with high-level bypassFixes FMV playback hangs and playback failures.
Segakore Sega Bible Mogitate SegaSaturn (Japan)610680501Data only, with high-level bypassFixes graphical glitch on the character select screen in the "Zero Divide" demo.
Senken Kigyouden (Japan)T-37401GFullFixes dialogue text truncation.
Senkutsu Katsuryu Taisen - Chaos Seed (Japan)T-30902GFullFixes inability to skip intro FMV.
Shunsai (Japan)T-18703GData only, with high-level bypassFixes various graphical glitches.
Slam 'n Jam 96 (Europe)T-15902H50FullFixes minor FMV glitches.
Slam 'n Jam 96 (Japan)T-159056FullFixes minor FMV glitches.
Slam 'n Jam 96 (USA)T-159028HFullFixes minor FMV glitches.
Solar Eclipse (USA)T-15911HFullFixes minor FMV glitches.
Space Jam (Europe)T-8125H-50FullFixes game crash.
Space Jam (Japan)T-8119GFullFixes game crash.
Space Jam (USA)T-8125HFullFixes game crash.
Spot Goes to Hollywood (Japan)T-7014GData only, with high-level bypassFixes hang at corrupted "Burst" logo.
Spot Goes to Hollywood (USA)T-7001HData only, with high-level bypassFixes hang at corrupted "Burst" logo.
Street Fighter Zero (Japan)T-1206GData only, with high-level bypassFixes weird color/palette issues during game startup.
Street Fighter Zero 3 (Japan)T-1246GData only, with high-level bypass
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo (USA)T-1215HData only, with high-level bypassFixes color/brightness and other graphical issues.
The Lost World - Jurassic Park (Europe/USA)MK-81065FullFixes most graphical glitches in rock faces.
The Lost World - Jurassic Park (Japan)GS-9162FullFixes most graphical glitches in rock faces.
Theme Park (Europe)T-5001HData only, with high-level bypassFixes hang during FMV.
Thunder Force Gold Pack 1 (Japan)T-1807GFullIn "Thunder Force III", fixes explosion graphic glitches throughout the game and ship sprite glitches in the ending sequence.
Thunder Force Gold Pack 2 (Japan)T-1808GData only, with high-level bypassFixes hang when pausing the game under certain conditions in "Thunder Force AC".
Titan Wars (Europe)T-15911H50FullFixes minor FMV glitches.
Titan Wars (Japan)T-15903GFullFixes minor FMV glitches.
Virtua Cop (Europe)MK-81015

E
FullFixes game hang.
Virtua Cop 2 (Europe)MK-81043

E
FullFixes game hang.
Virtua Fighter (Europe)MK_8100550FullFixes graphical glitches.
Virtua Fighter (Japan)GS-9001FullFixes graphical glitches.
Virtua Fighter (USA)MK-81005FullFixes graphical glitches.
Virtua Fighter Kids (Japan/Europe)GS-9079
VF. KIDS
Data only, with high-level bypassFixes FMV glitches.
Virtua Fighter Kids (Korea/Java Tea Original)GS-9113
VF. KIDS
Data only, with high-level bypassFixes FMV glitches and/or malfunction of computer-controlled player.
Virtua Fighter Kids (USA)MK-81049
VF. KIDS
Data only, with high-level bypassFixes FMV glitches.
Virtua Fighter Remix (Europe)MK-8102350FullFixes graphical glitches.
Virtua Fighter Remix (Japan)GS-9039FullFixes graphical glitches.
Virtua Fighter Remix (SegaNet)SG-7103FullFixes graphical glitches.
Virtua Fighter Remix (USA)MK-81023FullFixes graphical glitches.
Virtual Mahjong (Japan)T-2206GData only, with high-level bypassFixes graphical glitches on the character select screen.
Virtual Volleyball (Japan)T-15005GData only, with high-level bypassFixes invisible menu items and hang.
Whizz (Europe)T-9515H-50FullFixes quasi-random hangs during startup.
Whizz (Japan)T-36102GFullFixes quasi-random hangs during startup.
WipEout (Europe)T-11301HData only, with high-level bypassFixes hang when trying to exit gameplay back to the main menu.
WipEout (Japan)T-18603GData only, with high-level bypassFixes hang when trying to exit gameplay back to the main menu.
WipEout (USA)T-18601HData only, with high-level bypassFixes hang when trying to exit gameplay back to the main menu.
World Series Baseball (Europe/USA)MK-81109Data only, with high-level bypassFixes severe gameplay logic glitches.
Xian Jian Qi Xia Zhuan (Taiwan)T-37401HFullFixes dialogue text truncation.
Yu-No (Japan)T-28004GFullFixes FMV ending too soon.
Zero Divide - The Final Conflict (Japan)T-31601GData only, with high-level bypassFixes graphical glitch on the character select screen.

Horrible Hacks

This database is used to automatically enable various horrible hacks to fix issues in certain games.

Note that slowing down VDP1 command execution due to SH-2 reads/writes isn't a horrible hack per-se, but it's activated on a per-game basis to avoid the likelihood of breaking some games due to overall Saturn emulation timing inaccuracies.

For ST-V games, this database is not used, and instead VDP1 command slowdown on SH-2 reads/writes is always enabled.

Game:      ID:      Horrible Hacks:Purpose:
Albert Odyssey (Japan)T-1507GSH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Partially fixes battle text truncation.
Albert Odyssey (USA)T-12705HSH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Partially fixes battle text truncation.
All-Star Baseball 97 (USA)T-8150HSH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes texture glitches.
Arcade's Greatest Hits (USA)T-9703HSH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes flickering credits text.
Arcade's Greatest Hits - Atari Collection 1 (USA)T-9706HSH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes flickering credits text.
Burning Rangers (Europe/USA)MK-81803SH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes flickering rescue text.
Burning Rangers (Japan)GS-9174SH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes flickering rescue text.
Burning Rangers Taikenban (Japan)6106856SH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes flickering rescue text.
Falcom Classics II (Japan)T-31505GSH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes FMV tearing in "Ys II".
Fighters Megamix (Europe/USA)MK-81073Disable slowing down of SH-2 CPU reads/writes during SH-2 DMA.Fixes hang after watching or aborting FMV playback.
Fighters Megamix (Japan)GS-9126Disable slowing down of SH-2 CPU reads/writes during SH-2 DMA.Fixes hang after watching or aborting FMV playback.
Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball (Japan)T-8111GSH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Reduces graphical glitches.
Frank Thomas Big Hurt Baseball (USA)T-8138HSH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Reduces graphical glitches.
Grandia (Japan)T-4507GPatch VDP1 VRAM to break an infinite loop.Fixes hang at end of first disc.
Herc's Adventures (USA)T-23001HSH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes some sprite flickering and tearing.
In The Hunt (Europe/USA)T-10001GSH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes FMV tearing.
Kaitei Daisensou (Japan)T-15006GSH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes FMV tearing.
Thunderhawk II (Japan)T-6006GBlock SH-2 DMA on last line of frame. Execute VDP1 commands instantly.Fixes hangs just before and during gameplay.
Thunderstrike II (USA)T-11501H00Block SH-2 DMA on last line of frame. Execute VDP1 commands instantly.Fixes hangs just before and during gameplay.
Tokimeki Memorial - Forever with You (Japan)T-9504GSH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes glitchy frames on the Konami intro arm sprite.
Virtua Fighter (Europe)MK_8100550SH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes graphical glitches.
Virtua Fighter (Japan)GS-9001SH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes graphical glitches.
Virtua Fighter (USA)MK-81005SH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes graphical glitches.
Virtua Fighter Remix (Europe)MK-8102350SH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes graphical glitches.
Virtua Fighter Remix (Japan)GS-9039SH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes graphical glitches.
Virtua Fighter Remix (SegaNet)SG-7103SH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes graphical glitches.
Virtua Fighter Remix (USA)MK-81023SH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes graphical glitches.
Whizz (Europe)T-9515H-50SH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes major graphical issues during gameplay.
Whizz (Japan)T-36102GSH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes major graphical issues during gameplay.
Wolf Fang SS - Kuuga 2001 (Japan)T-26105GSH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Fixes graphical glitches.
Yu-No (Japan)T-28004GSH-2 reads/writes from/to VDP1 slow down command execution.Reduces FMV tearing.


Settings Reference

Caution: Any settings that change emulation behavior as seen from the emulated game are shown with the setting name bolded in the table. One should be conscious of these settings if one has changed them from the default values when using network play or movies, as they can cause desychronizations if not set the same among hosts(or between the recording emulator and the playing emulator).

Setting:Value Type:Possible Values:Default Value:Description:
ss.affinity.vdp2integer0x0000000000000000 through 0xFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF0VDP2 rendering thread CPU affinity mask.

Set to 0 to disable changing affinity.

 
ss.bios_jpstring sega_101.binPath to the Japan ROM BIOS
 
ss.bios_na_eustring mpr-17933.binPath to the North America and Europe ROM BIOS
 
ss.bios_sanityboolean0
1
1Enable BIOS ROM image sanity checks.
 
ss.bios_stv_eustring epr-17954a.ic8Path to the Europe ST-V ROM BIOS
 
ss.bios_stv_jpstring epr-20091.ic8Path to the Japan ST-V ROM BIOS
 
ss.bios_stv_nastring epr-17952a.ic8Path to the North America ST-V ROM BIOS
 
ss.cartenumauto
none
backup
extram1
extram4
cs1ram16
autoExpansion cart.
  • auto - Automatic

  • none - None

  • backup - Backup Memory(512KiB)

  • extram1 - 1MiB Extended RAM

  • extram4 - 4MiB Extended RAM

  • cs1ram16 - 16MiB RAM mapped in A-bus CS1
 
ss.cart.auto_defaultenumnone
backup
extram1
extram4
cs1ram16
backupDefault expansion cart when autodetection fails.

Expansion cart to emulate when "ss.cart" is set to "auto", but the game wasn't found in the internal database for carts.

  • none - None

  • backup - Backup Memory(512KiB)

  • extram1 - 1MiB Extended RAM

  • extram4 - 4MiB Extended RAM

  • cs1ram16 - 16MiB RAM mapped in A-bus CS1
 
ss.cart.kof95_pathstring mpr-18811-mx.ic1Path to KoF 95 ROM image.
 
ss.cart.ultraman_pathstring mpr-19367-mx.ic1Path to Ultraman ROM image.
 
ss.cd_sanityboolean0
1
1Enable CD (image) sanity checks.
 
ss.correct_aspectboolean0
1
1Correct aspect ratio.

Disabling aspect ratio correction with this setting should be considered a hack.

If disabling it to allow for sharper pixels by also separately disabling interpolation(though using Mednafen's "autoipsharper" OpenGL shader is usually a better option), remember to use scale factors that are multiples of 2, or else games that use high-resolution and interlaced modes will have distorted pixels.

Disabling aspect ratio correction with this setting will allow for the QuickTime movie recording feature to produce much smaller files using much less CPU time.

 
ss.h_blendboolean0
1
0Enable horizontal blend(blur) filter.

Intended for use in combination with the "goat" OpenGL shader, or with bilinear interpolation or linear interpolation on the X axis enabled. Has a more noticeable effect with the Saturn's higher horizontal resolution modes(640/704).

 
ss.h_overscanboolean0
1
1Show horizontal overscan area.
 
ss.input.mouse_sensitivityreal through 0.50Emulated mouse sensitivity.
 
ss.input.port1enumnone
gamepad
3dpad
mouse
wheel
mission
dmission
gun
keyboard
jpkeyboard
gamepadInput device for Virtual Port 1
  • none - none

  • gamepad - Digital Gamepad
    Standard Saturn digital gamepad.

  • 3dpad - 3D Control Pad
    3D Control Pad

  • mouse - Mouse
    Mouse

  • wheel - Steering Wheel
    Arcade Racer/Racing Controller

  • mission - Mission Stick
    Mission Stick

  • dmission - Dual Mission
    Dual Mission Sticks, useful for "Panzer Dragoon Zwei". With 30 inputs to map, don't get distracted by..LOOK A LOBSTER!

  • gun - Light Gun
    Virtua Gun/Stunner. Won't function properly if connected behind an emulated multitap.
    Emulation of the Saturn lightgun in Mednafen is not particularly accurate(in terms of low-level details), unless you happen to be in the habit of using your Saturn with a TV the size of a house and bright enough to start fires.

  • keyboard - Keyboard (US)
    101-key US keyboard.
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.

  • jpkeyboard - Keyboard (JP)
    89-key Japanese keyboard(e.g. HSS-0129).
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.
 
ss.input.port1.3dpad.mode.defposenumdigital
analog
digitalDefault position for switch "Mode".

Sets the position for the switch to the value specified upon startup and virtual input device change.

  • digital - Digital(+)

  • analog - Analog(○)
    Analog mode is not compatible with all games. For some compatible games, analog mode reportedly must be enabled before the game boots up for the game to recognize it properly.
 
ss.input.port1.gun_chairsinteger0x000000 through 0x10000000xFF0000Crosshairs color for lightgun on virtual port 1.

A value of 0x1000000 disables crosshair drawing.

 
ss.input.port10enumnone
gamepad
3dpad
mouse
wheel
mission
dmission
gun
keyboard
jpkeyboard
gamepadInput device for Virtual Port 10
  • none - none

  • gamepad - Digital Gamepad
    Standard Saturn digital gamepad.

  • 3dpad - 3D Control Pad
    3D Control Pad

  • mouse - Mouse
    Mouse

  • wheel - Steering Wheel
    Arcade Racer/Racing Controller

  • mission - Mission Stick
    Mission Stick

  • dmission - Dual Mission
    Dual Mission Sticks, useful for "Panzer Dragoon Zwei". With 30 inputs to map, don't get distracted by..LOOK A LOBSTER!

  • gun - Light Gun
    Virtua Gun/Stunner. Won't function properly if connected behind an emulated multitap.
    Emulation of the Saturn lightgun in Mednafen is not particularly accurate(in terms of low-level details), unless you happen to be in the habit of using your Saturn with a TV the size of a house and bright enough to start fires.

  • keyboard - Keyboard (US)
    101-key US keyboard.
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.

  • jpkeyboard - Keyboard (JP)
    89-key Japanese keyboard(e.g. HSS-0129).
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.
 
ss.input.port10.3dpad.mode.defposenumdigital
analog
digitalDefault position for switch "Mode".

Sets the position for the switch to the value specified upon startup and virtual input device change.

  • digital - Digital(+)

  • analog - Analog(○)
    Analog mode is not compatible with all games. For some compatible games, analog mode reportedly must be enabled before the game boots up for the game to recognize it properly.
 
ss.input.port10.gun_chairsinteger0x000000 through 0x10000000x00FF80Crosshairs color for lightgun on virtual port 10.

A value of 0x1000000 disables crosshair drawing.

 
ss.input.port11enumnone
gamepad
3dpad
mouse
wheel
mission
dmission
gun
keyboard
jpkeyboard
gamepadInput device for Virtual Port 11
  • none - none

  • gamepad - Digital Gamepad
    Standard Saturn digital gamepad.

  • 3dpad - 3D Control Pad
    3D Control Pad

  • mouse - Mouse
    Mouse

  • wheel - Steering Wheel
    Arcade Racer/Racing Controller

  • mission - Mission Stick
    Mission Stick

  • dmission - Dual Mission
    Dual Mission Sticks, useful for "Panzer Dragoon Zwei". With 30 inputs to map, don't get distracted by..LOOK A LOBSTER!

  • gun - Light Gun
    Virtua Gun/Stunner. Won't function properly if connected behind an emulated multitap.
    Emulation of the Saturn lightgun in Mednafen is not particularly accurate(in terms of low-level details), unless you happen to be in the habit of using your Saturn with a TV the size of a house and bright enough to start fires.

  • keyboard - Keyboard (US)
    101-key US keyboard.
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.

  • jpkeyboard - Keyboard (JP)
    89-key Japanese keyboard(e.g. HSS-0129).
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.
 
ss.input.port11.3dpad.mode.defposenumdigital
analog
digitalDefault position for switch "Mode".

Sets the position for the switch to the value specified upon startup and virtual input device change.

  • digital - Digital(+)

  • analog - Analog(○)
    Analog mode is not compatible with all games. For some compatible games, analog mode reportedly must be enabled before the game boots up for the game to recognize it properly.
 
ss.input.port11.gun_chairsinteger0x000000 through 0x10000000x8080FFCrosshairs color for lightgun on virtual port 11.

A value of 0x1000000 disables crosshair drawing.

 
ss.input.port12enumnone
gamepad
3dpad
mouse
wheel
mission
dmission
gun
keyboard
jpkeyboard
gamepadInput device for Virtual Port 12
  • none - none

  • gamepad - Digital Gamepad
    Standard Saturn digital gamepad.

  • 3dpad - 3D Control Pad
    3D Control Pad

  • mouse - Mouse
    Mouse

  • wheel - Steering Wheel
    Arcade Racer/Racing Controller

  • mission - Mission Stick
    Mission Stick

  • dmission - Dual Mission
    Dual Mission Sticks, useful for "Panzer Dragoon Zwei". With 30 inputs to map, don't get distracted by..LOOK A LOBSTER!

  • gun - Light Gun
    Virtua Gun/Stunner. Won't function properly if connected behind an emulated multitap.
    Emulation of the Saturn lightgun in Mednafen is not particularly accurate(in terms of low-level details), unless you happen to be in the habit of using your Saturn with a TV the size of a house and bright enough to start fires.

  • keyboard - Keyboard (US)
    101-key US keyboard.
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.

  • jpkeyboard - Keyboard (JP)
    89-key Japanese keyboard(e.g. HSS-0129).
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.
 
ss.input.port12.3dpad.mode.defposenumdigital
analog
digitalDefault position for switch "Mode".

Sets the position for the switch to the value specified upon startup and virtual input device change.

  • digital - Digital(+)

  • analog - Analog(○)
    Analog mode is not compatible with all games. For some compatible games, analog mode reportedly must be enabled before the game boots up for the game to recognize it properly.
 
ss.input.port12.gun_chairsinteger0x000000 through 0x10000000xFF8080Crosshairs color for lightgun on virtual port 12.

A value of 0x1000000 disables crosshair drawing.

 
ss.input.port2enumnone
gamepad
3dpad
mouse
wheel
mission
dmission
gun
keyboard
jpkeyboard
gamepadInput device for Virtual Port 2
  • none - none

  • gamepad - Digital Gamepad
    Standard Saturn digital gamepad.

  • 3dpad - 3D Control Pad
    3D Control Pad

  • mouse - Mouse
    Mouse

  • wheel - Steering Wheel
    Arcade Racer/Racing Controller

  • mission - Mission Stick
    Mission Stick

  • dmission - Dual Mission
    Dual Mission Sticks, useful for "Panzer Dragoon Zwei". With 30 inputs to map, don't get distracted by..LOOK A LOBSTER!

  • gun - Light Gun
    Virtua Gun/Stunner. Won't function properly if connected behind an emulated multitap.
    Emulation of the Saturn lightgun in Mednafen is not particularly accurate(in terms of low-level details), unless you happen to be in the habit of using your Saturn with a TV the size of a house and bright enough to start fires.

  • keyboard - Keyboard (US)
    101-key US keyboard.
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.

  • jpkeyboard - Keyboard (JP)
    89-key Japanese keyboard(e.g. HSS-0129).
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.
 
ss.input.port2.3dpad.mode.defposenumdigital
analog
digitalDefault position for switch "Mode".

Sets the position for the switch to the value specified upon startup and virtual input device change.

  • digital - Digital(+)

  • analog - Analog(○)
    Analog mode is not compatible with all games. For some compatible games, analog mode reportedly must be enabled before the game boots up for the game to recognize it properly.
 
ss.input.port2.gun_chairsinteger0x000000 through 0x10000000x00FF00Crosshairs color for lightgun on virtual port 2.

A value of 0x1000000 disables crosshair drawing.

 
ss.input.port3enumnone
gamepad
3dpad
mouse
wheel
mission
dmission
gun
keyboard
jpkeyboard
gamepadInput device for Virtual Port 3
  • none - none

  • gamepad - Digital Gamepad
    Standard Saturn digital gamepad.

  • 3dpad - 3D Control Pad
    3D Control Pad

  • mouse - Mouse
    Mouse

  • wheel - Steering Wheel
    Arcade Racer/Racing Controller

  • mission - Mission Stick
    Mission Stick

  • dmission - Dual Mission
    Dual Mission Sticks, useful for "Panzer Dragoon Zwei". With 30 inputs to map, don't get distracted by..LOOK A LOBSTER!

  • gun - Light Gun
    Virtua Gun/Stunner. Won't function properly if connected behind an emulated multitap.
    Emulation of the Saturn lightgun in Mednafen is not particularly accurate(in terms of low-level details), unless you happen to be in the habit of using your Saturn with a TV the size of a house and bright enough to start fires.

  • keyboard - Keyboard (US)
    101-key US keyboard.
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.

  • jpkeyboard - Keyboard (JP)
    89-key Japanese keyboard(e.g. HSS-0129).
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.
 
ss.input.port3.3dpad.mode.defposenumdigital
analog
digitalDefault position for switch "Mode".

Sets the position for the switch to the value specified upon startup and virtual input device change.

  • digital - Digital(+)

  • analog - Analog(○)
    Analog mode is not compatible with all games. For some compatible games, analog mode reportedly must be enabled before the game boots up for the game to recognize it properly.
 
ss.input.port3.gun_chairsinteger0x000000 through 0x10000000xFF00FFCrosshairs color for lightgun on virtual port 3.

A value of 0x1000000 disables crosshair drawing.

 
ss.input.port4enumnone
gamepad
3dpad
mouse
wheel
mission
dmission
gun
keyboard
jpkeyboard
gamepadInput device for Virtual Port 4
  • none - none

  • gamepad - Digital Gamepad
    Standard Saturn digital gamepad.

  • 3dpad - 3D Control Pad
    3D Control Pad

  • mouse - Mouse
    Mouse

  • wheel - Steering Wheel
    Arcade Racer/Racing Controller

  • mission - Mission Stick
    Mission Stick

  • dmission - Dual Mission
    Dual Mission Sticks, useful for "Panzer Dragoon Zwei". With 30 inputs to map, don't get distracted by..LOOK A LOBSTER!

  • gun - Light Gun
    Virtua Gun/Stunner. Won't function properly if connected behind an emulated multitap.
    Emulation of the Saturn lightgun in Mednafen is not particularly accurate(in terms of low-level details), unless you happen to be in the habit of using your Saturn with a TV the size of a house and bright enough to start fires.

  • keyboard - Keyboard (US)
    101-key US keyboard.
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.

  • jpkeyboard - Keyboard (JP)
    89-key Japanese keyboard(e.g. HSS-0129).
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.
 
ss.input.port4.3dpad.mode.defposenumdigital
analog
digitalDefault position for switch "Mode".

Sets the position for the switch to the value specified upon startup and virtual input device change.

  • digital - Digital(+)

  • analog - Analog(○)
    Analog mode is not compatible with all games. For some compatible games, analog mode reportedly must be enabled before the game boots up for the game to recognize it properly.
 
ss.input.port4.gun_chairsinteger0x000000 through 0x10000000xFF8000Crosshairs color for lightgun on virtual port 4.

A value of 0x1000000 disables crosshair drawing.

 
ss.input.port5enumnone
gamepad
3dpad
mouse
wheel
mission
dmission
gun
keyboard
jpkeyboard
gamepadInput device for Virtual Port 5
  • none - none

  • gamepad - Digital Gamepad
    Standard Saturn digital gamepad.

  • 3dpad - 3D Control Pad
    3D Control Pad

  • mouse - Mouse
    Mouse

  • wheel - Steering Wheel
    Arcade Racer/Racing Controller

  • mission - Mission Stick
    Mission Stick

  • dmission - Dual Mission
    Dual Mission Sticks, useful for "Panzer Dragoon Zwei". With 30 inputs to map, don't get distracted by..LOOK A LOBSTER!

  • gun - Light Gun
    Virtua Gun/Stunner. Won't function properly if connected behind an emulated multitap.
    Emulation of the Saturn lightgun in Mednafen is not particularly accurate(in terms of low-level details), unless you happen to be in the habit of using your Saturn with a TV the size of a house and bright enough to start fires.

  • keyboard - Keyboard (US)
    101-key US keyboard.
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.

  • jpkeyboard - Keyboard (JP)
    89-key Japanese keyboard(e.g. HSS-0129).
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.
 
ss.input.port5.3dpad.mode.defposenumdigital
analog
digitalDefault position for switch "Mode".

Sets the position for the switch to the value specified upon startup and virtual input device change.

  • digital - Digital(+)

  • analog - Analog(○)
    Analog mode is not compatible with all games. For some compatible games, analog mode reportedly must be enabled before the game boots up for the game to recognize it properly.
 
ss.input.port5.gun_chairsinteger0x000000 through 0x10000000xFFFF00Crosshairs color for lightgun on virtual port 5.

A value of 0x1000000 disables crosshair drawing.

 
ss.input.port6enumnone
gamepad
3dpad
mouse
wheel
mission
dmission
gun
keyboard
jpkeyboard
gamepadInput device for Virtual Port 6
  • none - none

  • gamepad - Digital Gamepad
    Standard Saturn digital gamepad.

  • 3dpad - 3D Control Pad
    3D Control Pad

  • mouse - Mouse
    Mouse

  • wheel - Steering Wheel
    Arcade Racer/Racing Controller

  • mission - Mission Stick
    Mission Stick

  • dmission - Dual Mission
    Dual Mission Sticks, useful for "Panzer Dragoon Zwei". With 30 inputs to map, don't get distracted by..LOOK A LOBSTER!

  • gun - Light Gun
    Virtua Gun/Stunner. Won't function properly if connected behind an emulated multitap.
    Emulation of the Saturn lightgun in Mednafen is not particularly accurate(in terms of low-level details), unless you happen to be in the habit of using your Saturn with a TV the size of a house and bright enough to start fires.

  • keyboard - Keyboard (US)
    101-key US keyboard.
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.

  • jpkeyboard - Keyboard (JP)
    89-key Japanese keyboard(e.g. HSS-0129).
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.
 
ss.input.port6.3dpad.mode.defposenumdigital
analog
digitalDefault position for switch "Mode".

Sets the position for the switch to the value specified upon startup and virtual input device change.

  • digital - Digital(+)

  • analog - Analog(○)
    Analog mode is not compatible with all games. For some compatible games, analog mode reportedly must be enabled before the game boots up for the game to recognize it properly.
 
ss.input.port6.gun_chairsinteger0x000000 through 0x10000000x00FFFFCrosshairs color for lightgun on virtual port 6.

A value of 0x1000000 disables crosshair drawing.

 
ss.input.port7enumnone
gamepad
3dpad
mouse
wheel
mission
dmission
gun
keyboard
jpkeyboard
gamepadInput device for Virtual Port 7
  • none - none

  • gamepad - Digital Gamepad
    Standard Saturn digital gamepad.

  • 3dpad - 3D Control Pad
    3D Control Pad

  • mouse - Mouse
    Mouse

  • wheel - Steering Wheel
    Arcade Racer/Racing Controller

  • mission - Mission Stick
    Mission Stick

  • dmission - Dual Mission
    Dual Mission Sticks, useful for "Panzer Dragoon Zwei". With 30 inputs to map, don't get distracted by..LOOK A LOBSTER!

  • gun - Light Gun
    Virtua Gun/Stunner. Won't function properly if connected behind an emulated multitap.
    Emulation of the Saturn lightgun in Mednafen is not particularly accurate(in terms of low-level details), unless you happen to be in the habit of using your Saturn with a TV the size of a house and bright enough to start fires.

  • keyboard - Keyboard (US)
    101-key US keyboard.
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.

  • jpkeyboard - Keyboard (JP)
    89-key Japanese keyboard(e.g. HSS-0129).
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.
 
ss.input.port7.3dpad.mode.defposenumdigital
analog
digitalDefault position for switch "Mode".

Sets the position for the switch to the value specified upon startup and virtual input device change.

  • digital - Digital(+)

  • analog - Analog(○)
    Analog mode is not compatible with all games. For some compatible games, analog mode reportedly must be enabled before the game boots up for the game to recognize it properly.
 
ss.input.port7.gun_chairsinteger0x000000 through 0x10000000x0080FFCrosshairs color for lightgun on virtual port 7.

A value of 0x1000000 disables crosshair drawing.

 
ss.input.port8enumnone
gamepad
3dpad
mouse
wheel
mission
dmission
gun
keyboard
jpkeyboard
gamepadInput device for Virtual Port 8
  • none - none

  • gamepad - Digital Gamepad
    Standard Saturn digital gamepad.

  • 3dpad - 3D Control Pad
    3D Control Pad

  • mouse - Mouse
    Mouse

  • wheel - Steering Wheel
    Arcade Racer/Racing Controller

  • mission - Mission Stick
    Mission Stick

  • dmission - Dual Mission
    Dual Mission Sticks, useful for "Panzer Dragoon Zwei". With 30 inputs to map, don't get distracted by..LOOK A LOBSTER!

  • gun - Light Gun
    Virtua Gun/Stunner. Won't function properly if connected behind an emulated multitap.
    Emulation of the Saturn lightgun in Mednafen is not particularly accurate(in terms of low-level details), unless you happen to be in the habit of using your Saturn with a TV the size of a house and bright enough to start fires.

  • keyboard - Keyboard (US)
    101-key US keyboard.
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.

  • jpkeyboard - Keyboard (JP)
    89-key Japanese keyboard(e.g. HSS-0129).
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.
 
ss.input.port8.3dpad.mode.defposenumdigital
analog
digitalDefault position for switch "Mode".

Sets the position for the switch to the value specified upon startup and virtual input device change.

  • digital - Digital(+)

  • analog - Analog(○)
    Analog mode is not compatible with all games. For some compatible games, analog mode reportedly must be enabled before the game boots up for the game to recognize it properly.
 
ss.input.port8.gun_chairsinteger0x000000 through 0x10000000x8000FFCrosshairs color for lightgun on virtual port 8.

A value of 0x1000000 disables crosshair drawing.

 
ss.input.port9enumnone
gamepad
3dpad
mouse
wheel
mission
dmission
gun
keyboard
jpkeyboard
gamepadInput device for Virtual Port 9
  • none - none

  • gamepad - Digital Gamepad
    Standard Saturn digital gamepad.

  • 3dpad - 3D Control Pad
    3D Control Pad

  • mouse - Mouse
    Mouse

  • wheel - Steering Wheel
    Arcade Racer/Racing Controller

  • mission - Mission Stick
    Mission Stick

  • dmission - Dual Mission
    Dual Mission Sticks, useful for "Panzer Dragoon Zwei". With 30 inputs to map, don't get distracted by..LOOK A LOBSTER!

  • gun - Light Gun
    Virtua Gun/Stunner. Won't function properly if connected behind an emulated multitap.
    Emulation of the Saturn lightgun in Mednafen is not particularly accurate(in terms of low-level details), unless you happen to be in the habit of using your Saturn with a TV the size of a house and bright enough to start fires.

  • keyboard - Keyboard (US)
    101-key US keyboard.
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.

  • jpkeyboard - Keyboard (JP)
    89-key Japanese keyboard(e.g. HSS-0129).
    Emulated keyboard key state is not updated unless input grabbing(by default, mapped to CTRL+SHIFT+Menu) is toggled on; refer to the main documentation for details.
 
ss.input.port9.3dpad.mode.defposenumdigital
analog
digitalDefault position for switch "Mode".

Sets the position for the switch to the value specified upon startup and virtual input device change.

  • digital - Digital(+)

  • analog - Analog(○)
    Analog mode is not compatible with all games. For some compatible games, analog mode reportedly must be enabled before the game boots up for the game to recognize it properly.
 
ss.input.port9.gun_chairsinteger0x000000 through 0x10000000xFF80FFCrosshairs color for lightgun on virtual port 9.

A value of 0x1000000 disables crosshair drawing.

 
ss.input.sport1.multitapboolean0
1
0Enable multitap on Saturn port 1.
 
ss.input.sport2.multitapboolean0
1
0Enable multitap on Saturn port 2.
 
ss.midienumnone
stdout
noneMIDI I/O connection.
  • none - None/Disconnected

  • stdout - Standard Output
    Intended for debug text; escape characters(0x1B) will be filtered from the output.
 
ss.region_autodetectboolean0
1
1Attempt to auto-detect region of game.
 
ss.region_defaultenumjp
na
eu
kr
tw
as
br
la
jpDefault region to use.

Used if region autodetection fails or is disabled.

  • jp - Japan

  • na - North America

  • eu - Europe

  • kr - South Korea

  • tw - Taiwan

  • as - China

  • br - Brazil

  • la - Latin America
 
ss.scsp.resamp_qualityinteger0 through 104SCSP output resampler quality.

0 is lowest quality and CPU usage, 10 is highest quality and CPU usage. The resampler that this setting refers to is used for converting from 44.1KHz to the sampling rate of the host audio device Mednafen is using. Changing Mednafen's output rate, via the "sound.rate" setting, to "44100" may bypass the resampler, which can decrease CPU usage by Mednafen, and can increase or decrease audio quality, depending on various operating system and hardware factors.

 
ss.slendinteger0 through 239239Last displayed scanline in NTSC mode.
 
ss.slendpinteger-16 through 271255Last displayed scanline in PAL mode.
 
ss.slstartinteger0 through 2390First displayed scanline in NTSC mode.
 
ss.slstartpinteger-16 through 2710First displayed scanline in PAL mode.
 
ss.smpc.autortcboolean0
1
1Automatically set RTC on game load.

Automatically set the SMPC's emulated Real-Time Clock to the host system's current time and date upon game load.

 
ss.smpc.autortc.langenumenglish
german
french
spanish
italian
japanese
englishBIOS language.

Also affects language used in some games(e.g. the European release of "Panzer Dragoon").

  • english - English

  • german - Deutsch

  • french - Français

  • spanish - Español

  • italian - Italiano

  • japanese - 日本語
 

Setting:Value Type:Possible Values:Default Value:Description:
ss.debugger.disfontsizeenum5x7
6x9
6x12
6x13
9x18
5x7Disassembly font size.

Note: Setting the font size to larger than the default may cause text overlap in the debugger.

  • 5x7 - 5x7

  • 6x9 - 6x9

  • 6x12 - 6x12

  • 6x13 - 6x13. CJK support.

  • 9x18 - 9x18; CJK support.
 
ss.debugger.memcharencstring SJISCharacter encoding for the debugger's memory editor.
 
ss.enableboolean0
1
1Enable (automatic) usage of this module.
 
ss.forcemonoboolean0
1
0Force monophonic sound output.
 
ss.scanlinesinteger-100 through 1000Enable scanlines with specified opacity.

Opacity is specified in %; IE a value of "100" will give entirely black scanlines.

Negative values are the same as positive values for non-interlaced video, but for interlaced video will cause the scanlines to be overlaid over the previous(if the "video.deinterlacer" setting is set to "weave", the default) field's lines.

 
ss.shaderenumnone
autoip
autoipsharper
scale2x
sabr
ipsharper
ipxnoty
ipynotx
ipxnotysharper
ipynotxsharper
goat
noneEnable specified OpenGL shader.

Obviously, this will only work with the OpenGL "video.driver" setting, and only on cards and OpenGL implementations that support shaders, otherwise you will get a black screen, or Mednafen may display an error message when starting up. When a shader is enabled, the "ss.videoip" setting is ignored.

  • none - None/Disabled

  • autoip - Auto Interpolation
    Will automatically interpolate on each axis if the corresponding effective scaling factor is not an integer.

  • autoipsharper - Sharper Auto Interpolation
    Same as "autoip", but when interpolation is done, it is done in a manner that will reduce blurriness if possible.

  • scale2x - Scale2x

  • sabr - SABR v3.0
    GPU-intensive.

  • ipsharper - Sharper bilinear interpolation.

  • ipxnoty - Linear interpolation on X axis only.

  • ipynotx - Linear interpolation on Y axis only.

  • ipxnotysharper - Sharper version of "ipxnoty".

  • ipynotxsharper - Sharper version of "ipynotx".

  • goat - Simple approximation of a color TV CRT look.
    Intended for fullscreen modes with a vertical resolution of around 1000 to 1500 pixels. Doesn't simulate halation and electron beam energy distribution nuances.
 
ss.shader.goat.fprogboolean0
1
0Force interlaced video to be treated as progressive.

When disabled, the default, the "video.deinterlacer" setting is effectively ignored with respect to what appears on the screen, unless it's set to "blend" or "blend_rg". When enabled, it may be prudent to disable the scanlines effect controlled by the "ss.shader.goat.slen" setting, or else the scanline effect may look objectionable.

 
ss.shader.goat.hdivreal-2.00 through 2.000.50Constant RGB horizontal divergence.
 
ss.shader.goat.patenumgoatron
borg
slenderman
goatronMask pattern.
  • goatron - Goatron
    Brightest.

  • borg - Borg
    Darkest.

  • slenderman - Slenderman
    Spookiest?
 
ss.shader.goat.slenboolean0
1
1Enable scanlines effect.
 
ss.shader.goat.tpreal0.00 through 1.000.50Transparency of otherwise-opaque mask areas.
 
ss.shader.goat.vdivreal-2.00 through 2.000.50Constant RGB vertical divergence.
 
ss.specialenumnone
hq2x
hq3x
hq4x
scale2x
scale3x
scale4x
2xsai
super2xsai
supereagle
nn2x
nn3x
nn4x
nny2x
nny3x
nny4x
noneEnable specified special video scaler.

The destination rectangle is NOT altered by this setting, so if you have xscale and yscale set to "2", and try to use a 3x scaling filter like hq3x, the image is not going to look that great. The nearest-neighbor scalers are intended for use with bilinear interpolation enabled, for a sharper image, though the "autoipsharper" shader may provide better results.

  • none - None/Disabled

  • hq2x - hq2x

  • hq3x - hq3x

  • hq4x - hq4x

  • scale2x - scale2x

  • scale3x - scale3x

  • scale4x - scale4x

  • 2xsai - 2xSaI

  • super2xsai - Super 2xSaI

  • supereagle - Super Eagle

  • nn2x - Nearest-neighbor 2x

  • nn3x - Nearest-neighbor 3x

  • nn4x - Nearest-neighbor 4x

  • nny2x - Nearest-neighbor 2x, y axis only

  • nny3x - Nearest-neighbor 3x, y axis only

  • nny4x - Nearest-neighbor 4x, y axis only
 
ss.stretchenum0
full
aspect
aspect_int
aspect_mult2
aspect_mult2Stretch to fill screen.
  • 0 - Disabled

  • full - Full
    Full-screen stretch, disregarding aspect ratio.

  • aspect - Aspect Preserve
    Full-screen stretch as far as the aspect ratio(in this sense, the equivalent xscalefs == yscalefs) can be maintained.

  • aspect_int - Aspect Preserve + Integer Scale
    Full-screen stretch, same as "aspect" except that the equivalent xscalefs and yscalefs are rounded down to the nearest integer.

  • aspect_mult2 - Aspect Preserve + Integer Multiple-of-2 Scale
    Full-screen stretch, same as "aspect_int", but rounds down to the nearest multiple of 2.
 
ss.tblurboolean0
1
0Enable video temporal blur(50/50 previous/current frame by default).
 
ss.tblur.accumboolean0
1
0Accumulate color data rather than discarding it.
 
ss.tblur.accum.amountreal0 through 10050Blur amount in accumulation mode, specified in percentage of accumulation buffer to mix with the current frame.
 
ss.videoipenum0
1
x
y
1Enable (bi)linear interpolation.
  • 0 - Disabled

  • 1 - Bilinear

  • x - Linear (X)
    Interpolation only on the X axis.

  • y - Linear (Y)
    Interpolation only on the Y axis.
 
ss.xresinteger0 through 655360Full-screen horizontal resolution.

A value of "0" will cause the current desktop horizontal resolution to be used.

 
ss.xscalereal0.01 through 2563.000000Scaling factor for the X axis in windowed mode.
 
ss.xscalefsreal0.01 through 2561.000000Scaling factor for the X axis in fullscreen mode.

For this setting to have any effect, the "ss.stretch" setting must be set to "0".

 
ss.yresinteger0 through 655360Full-screen vertical resolution.

A value of "0" will cause the current desktop vertical resolution to be used.

 
ss.yscalereal0.01 through 2563.000000Scaling factor for the Y axis in windowed mode.
 
ss.yscalefsreal0.01 through 2561.000000Scaling factor for the Y axis in fullscreen mode.

For this setting to have any effect, the "ss.stretch" setting must be set to "0".