emulator: beetle_saturn
type: libretro
core_classification: community_fork
core: mednafen_saturn_libretro
source: "https://github.com/libretro/beetle-saturn-libretro"
upstream: "https://mednafen.github.io/"
profiled_date: "2026-03-24"
core_version: "v0.9.45.1"
display_name: "Sega - Saturn (Beetle Saturn)"
cores:
  - mednafen_saturn
  - beetle-saturn
systems:
  - sega-saturn

notes: |
  Libretro port of Mednafen's Saturn emulation module, frozen circa v0.9.45.1
  (2017) with some later backports. Region auto-detection reads the disc header
  and selects the matching BIOS. Manual override via beetle_saturn_region option.

  InitCommon() returns false if the BIOS file is missing or not exactly 512 KB.
  Both region BIOS files are required for full region coverage.

  KOF95 and Ultraman ROM carts are loaded when the cart type is set via core
  option or auto-detected from the internal game database.

  Upstream Mednafen (1.32.x) has ST-V arcade board support (3 additional BIOS
  files) and bootable ROM cart support, both absent from this libretro port.

files:
  - name: "sega_101.bin"
    system: sega-saturn
    region: [japan, asia-ntsc]
    required: true
    size: 524288
    validation: [size]
    note: "Saturn BIOS v1.01 (Japan). Used when region is JP or Asia NTSC."
    source_ref: "mednafen/ss/ss.cpp:928-929,937-949"

  - name: "mpr-17933.bin"
    system: sega-saturn
    region: [north-america, europe, south-korea, asia-pal, brazil, latin-america]
    required: true
    size: 524288
    validation: [size]
    note: "Saturn BIOS (NA/EU). Used for all non-JP/Asia-NTSC regions."
    source_ref: "mednafen/ss/ss.cpp:930-931,937-949"

  - name: "mpr-18811-mx.ic1"
    system: sega-saturn
    required: false
    size: 2097152
    note: "KOF95 expansion ROM cart. Loaded when cart type set to KOF95."
    source_ref: "mednafen/ss/cart.cpp:157-172, mednafen/ss/cart/rom.cpp:32-43"

  - name: "mpr-19367-mx.ic1"
    system: sega-saturn
    required: false
    size: 2097152
    note: "Ultraman expansion ROM cart. Loaded when cart type set to Ultraman."
    source_ref: "mednafen/ss/cart.cpp:157-172, mednafen/ss/cart/rom.cpp:32-43"

  - name: "satar4mp.bin"
    system: sega-saturn
    required: false
    size: 262144
    note: "Action Replay 4M Plus firmware. Unfinished in source (ar4mp.cpp:22-24), needs CPU UBC emulation. Cart type not exposed in core options."
    source_ref: "mednafen/ss/cart.cpp:174-188, mednafen/ss/cart/ar4mp.cpp:120-159"