emulator: PrimeHack
type: standalone
core_classification: enhanced_fork
source: "https://github.com/shiiion/dolphin"
upstream: "https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin"
profiled_date: "2026-03-26"
core_version: "1.0.8"
display_name: "PrimeHack (Dolphin fork for Metroid Prime)"
systems: [nintendo-gamecube, nintendo-wii]
analysis_date: "2026-03-26"
analysis_commit: "b10f147 (depth=1)"
mode: standalone

# PrimeHack is a Dolphin fork by shiiion adding mouselook controls for Metroid Prime Trilogy.
# BIOS loading code is identical to upstream Dolphin.
# File paths relative to Dolphin User directory:
#   Standalone: User/GC/ and User/Wii/
# Sys/ is checked as fallback when not found in User/.

pack_structure:
  standalone: ""

data_directories:
  - ref: dolphin-sys
    destination: "Sys"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/Common/CommonPaths.h:128-141"

files:
  # -- GameCube IPL (Boot ROM) --
  # Region-specific, placed in GC/<region>/IPL.bin
  # Checked in User/GC/<region>/ then Sys/GC/<region>/
  - name: "IPL.bin"
    path: "GC/USA/IPL.bin"
    size: 2097152
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    note: "GameCube NTSC-U boot ROM. HLE available but real IPL needed for GC menu boot and accurate fonts"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/Common/CommonPaths.h:138, Source/Core/Core/HW/EXI/EXI_DeviceIPL.cpp:109-110"

  - name: "IPL.bin"
    path: "GC/EUR/IPL.bin"
    size: 2097152
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    note: "GameCube PAL boot ROM"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/Core/HW/EXI/EXI_DeviceIPL.cpp:184"

  - name: "IPL.bin"
    path: "GC/JAP/IPL.bin"
    size: 2097152
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    note: "GameCube NTSC-J boot ROM. JAP is the legacy directory name"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/Core/HW/EXI/EXI_DeviceIPL.cpp:186"

  # -- DSP ROMs --
  # Used by DSP LLE for accurate audio.
  # PrimeHack ships free replacement ROMs, but real dumps improve accuracy.
  # Searched in: User/GC/ then Sys/GC/
  - name: "dsp_rom.bin"
    path: "GC/dsp_rom.bin"
    size: 8192
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    validation: [size]
    known_hash_adler32: "0x66f334fe"
    adler32_byteswap: true
    note: "DSP instruction ROM for LLE audio. Free replacement (v0.4) included"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/Common/CommonPaths.h:135, Source/Core/Core/HW/DSPLLE/DSPLLE.cpp:87-117"

  - name: "dsp_coef.bin"
    path: "GC/dsp_coef.bin"
    size: 4096
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    validation: [size]
    known_hash_adler32: "0xf3b93527"
    adler32_byteswap: true
    note: "DSP coefficient ROM for LLE audio. Free replacement included"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/Common/CommonPaths.h:136, Source/Core/Core/DSP/DSPCore.cpp:32-38"

  # -- GameCube Fonts --
  # Bundled free alternatives exist but have padding differences causing misplaced text.
  # If IPL dump is present, fonts are extracted from it instead (preferred).
  # Searched in: Sys/GC/
  - name: "font_western.bin"
    path: "GC/font_western.bin"
    size: 9589
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    note: "Windows-1252 font for GC/Wii text rendering. Free alternative bundled, real one from IPL dump preferred"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/Common/CommonPaths.h:132, Source/Core/Core/HW/EXI/EXI_DeviceIPL.cpp:131,203-218"

  - name: "font_japanese.bin"
    path: "GC/font_japanese.bin"
    size: 303693
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    note: "Shift-JIS font for Japanese text. Free alternative bundled, real one from IPL dump preferred"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/Common/CommonPaths.h:133, Source/Core/Core/HW/EXI/EXI_DeviceIPL.cpp:130"

  # -- GBA BIOS (for GC-GBA link) --
  # Used by integrated mGBA core for GameCube-GBA connectivity.
  # Loaded from User/GBA/gba_bios.bin.
  - name: "gba_bios.bin"
    path: "GBA/gba_bios.bin"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    note: "GBA BIOS for GC-GBA link feature (uses integrated mGBA). Path configurable in settings"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/Common/CommonPaths.h:144, Source/Core/Core/HW/GBACore.cpp:344-361"

  # -- Wii System Files --
  - name: "SYSCONF"
    path: "Wii/shared2/sys/SYSCONF"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    note: "Wii system configuration. Auto-generated by PrimeHack, can be imported from NAND backup"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/Common/CommonPaths.h:117, Source/Core/Core/WiiRoot.cpp:266"

  - name: "setting.txt"
    path: "Wii/title/00000001/00000002/data/setting.txt"
    size: 256
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    note: "Wii region/language settings. Auto-generated during Wii boot emulation"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/Common/CommonPaths.h:152, Source/Core/Core/Boot/Boot_BS2Emu.cpp:377-454"

  # -- Wii NAND Backup (BootMii) --
  - name: "nand.bin"
    path: null
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    note: "BootMii NAND backup. Can be imported to populate Wii NAND with channels, saves, system menu"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/DiscIO/NANDImporter.cpp:26-89"

  - name: "keys.bin"
    path: null
    size: 1024
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    note: "OTP/SEEPROM dump (Wii encryption keys). Needed if not appended to nand.bin for NAND import"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/DiscIO/NANDImporter.cpp:19,76-88"

  # -- Wii SD Card Image --
  - name: "WiiSD.raw"
    path: "Load/WiiSD.raw"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    note: "Virtual SD card image for Wii homebrew. Auto-created, supports SD/SDHC up to 4GB"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/Common/CommonPaths.h:149"

  # -- Gecko Code Handler --
  - name: "codehandler.bin"
    path: null
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    note: "Gecko/Ocarina cheat code handler. Shipped with PrimeHack in Sys/"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/Common/CommonPaths.h:154, Source/Core/Core/GeckoCode.cpp:121"

  # -- Wii System Menu (WAD) --
  - name: "Wii System Menu"
    path: null
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    note: "Wii System Menu WAD. Installed to NAND via Tools > Install WAD, needed for Wii Menu boot"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/DolphinQt/MenuBar.cpp:323,1219-1227"

  # -- NAND Certificates (auto-extracted) --
  - name: "clientca.pem"
    path: "Wii/clientca.pem"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    note: "SSL client certificate. Auto-extracted from IOS13 content during NAND import"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/DiscIO/NANDImporter.cpp:201-285"

  - name: "clientcakey.pem"
    path: "Wii/clientcakey.pem"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    note: "SSL client private key. Auto-extracted from IOS13 content during NAND import"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/DiscIO/NANDImporter.cpp:237"

  - name: "rootca.pem"
    path: "Wii/rootca.pem"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    hle_fallback: true
    note: "SSL root CA certificate. Auto-extracted from IOS13 content during NAND import"
    source_ref: "Source/Core/DiscIO/NANDImporter.cpp:238"

  # -- Realtek Bluetooth firmware (Wiimote passthrough) --
  # Required for real Wiimote connectivity via USB Bluetooth adapters with Realtek chipsets.
  # PrimeHack can auto-download these from gitlab.com/kernel-firmware/linux-firmware.
  # Placed in Load/Firmware/rtl_bt/.
  # ref: Source/Core/Core/IOS/USB/Bluetooth/RealtekFirmwareLoader.cpp:373-416

  - name: "rtl8723a_fw.bin"
    path: "Load/Firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8723a_fw.bin"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    note: "Realtek 8723A BT firmware for Wiimote passthrough"
    source_ref: "RealtekFirmwareLoader.cpp:379"

  - name: "rtl8723b_fw.bin"
    path: "Load/Firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8723b_fw.bin"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    note: "Realtek 8723B BT firmware for Wiimote passthrough"
    source_ref: "RealtekFirmwareLoader.cpp:381"

  - name: "rtl8723d_fw.bin"
    path: "Load/Firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8723d_fw.bin"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    note: "Realtek 8723D BT firmware for Wiimote passthrough"
    source_ref: "RealtekFirmwareLoader.cpp:383"

  - name: "rtl8761a_fw.bin"
    path: "Load/Firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8761a_fw.bin"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    note: "Realtek 8761A BT firmware for Wiimote passthrough"
    source_ref: "RealtekFirmwareLoader.cpp:385"

  - name: "rtl8761bu_fw.bin"
    path: "Load/Firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8761bu_fw.bin"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    note: "Realtek 8761BU BT firmware for Wiimote passthrough"
    source_ref: "RealtekFirmwareLoader.cpp:387"

  - name: "rtl8821a_fw.bin"
    path: "Load/Firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8821a_fw.bin"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    note: "Realtek 8821A BT firmware for Wiimote passthrough"
    source_ref: "RealtekFirmwareLoader.cpp:389"

  - name: "rtl8821c_fw.bin"
    path: "Load/Firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8821c_fw.bin"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    note: "Realtek 8821C BT firmware for Wiimote passthrough"
    source_ref: "RealtekFirmwareLoader.cpp:391"

  - name: "rtl8822b_fw.bin"
    path: "Load/Firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8822b_fw.bin"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    note: "Realtek 8822B BT firmware for Wiimote passthrough"
    source_ref: "RealtekFirmwareLoader.cpp:395"

  - name: "rtl8822cu_fw.bin"
    path: "Load/Firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8822cu_fw.bin"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    note: "Realtek 8822CU BT firmware for Wiimote passthrough"
    source_ref: "RealtekFirmwareLoader.cpp:393"

  - name: "rtl8851bu_fw.bin"
    path: "Load/Firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8851bu_fw.bin"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    note: "Realtek 8851BU BT firmware for Wiimote passthrough"
    source_ref: "RealtekFirmwareLoader.cpp:397"

  - name: "rtl8852au_fw.bin"
    path: "Load/Firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8852au_fw.bin"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    note: "Realtek 8852AU BT firmware for Wiimote passthrough"
    source_ref: "RealtekFirmwareLoader.cpp:399"

  - name: "rtl8852bu_fw.bin"
    path: "Load/Firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8852bu_fw.bin"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    note: "Realtek 8852BU BT firmware for Wiimote passthrough"
    source_ref: "RealtekFirmwareLoader.cpp:401"

  - name: "rtl8852cu_fw.bin"
    path: "Load/Firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8852cu_fw.bin"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    note: "Realtek 8852CU BT firmware for Wiimote passthrough"
    source_ref: "RealtekFirmwareLoader.cpp:403"

  - name: "rtl8852btu_fw.bin"
    path: "Load/Firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8852btu_fw.bin"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    note: "Realtek 8852BT/8852BE-VT BT firmware for Wiimote passthrough"
    source_ref: "RealtekFirmwareLoader.cpp:405"

  - name: "rtl8922au_fw.bin"
    path: "Load/Firmware/rtl_bt/rtl8922au_fw.bin"
    required: false
    mode: standalone
    note: "Realtek 8922AU BT firmware for Wiimote passthrough"
    source_ref: "RealtekFirmwareLoader.cpp:407"

notes:
  hle_available: true
  hle_note: >
    PrimeHack provides HLE for GameCube IPL (boot ROM), DSP, and Wii system functions
    (same as Dolphin). No BIOS files are strictly required for most games.
  ipl_regions: ["USA", "EUR", "JAP", "JPN", "DEV"]
  dsp_rom_note: >
    DSP ROMs are verified at load time via Adler32 hash.
    Official Nintendo hashes: irom=0x66f334fe, drom=0xf3b93527.
  bt_passthrough_note: >
    Bluetooth passthrough allows connecting real Wiimotes via USB Bluetooth adapters.
    Realtek chipsets require firmware files in Load/Firmware/rtl_bt/.
    PrimeHack can auto-download these from kernel-firmware/linux-firmware on GitLab.