Abdessamad Derraz
602945faf0
- The installer says "Every file on the list is in place." where it said "Everything is in place.": a check covers the files the collection holds, and the required ones it lacks follow. - The FAQ, first install, legal and home pages state only what the code shows (PlayStation 1 and Saturn run without a BIOS on some emulators, save files are never touched, records are added). - MinUI and MyMinUI show their own boot logos, and the Android, Linux handheld and iPhone tiles show the Android robot, Tux and a plain device icon, each credited in sources.json. - Each Markdown copy, llms.txt and llms-full.txt name the commit they were built from, version.json the current one, and the answering rules tell assistants to fetch a stale copy again. - The deploy lists the pages whose words changed (digests.json) and posts them to IndexNow once the site is live.
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level, order
| level | order |
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| start | 10 |
What is a BIOS?
A console has a small program inside it. It starts first, then starts the game. This program is the BIOS, also called firmware.
An emulator is an app that acts like a console. For many consoles, it needs a copy of the BIOS. That copy is a file: a BIOS file.
How it works
- Pick a game in the setup's menu.
- The setup starts the emulator.
- The emulator opens the BIOS file in the BIOS folder.
- The game starts.
If step 3 fails, the screen says "BIOS missing" or stays black.
Which consoles need one?
- Yes: PlayStation 2, Neo Geo, PC Engine CD and many home computers.
- Most emulators: PlayStation 1 and Saturn.
- Better with it: Dreamcast. Some games need it.
- Usually not: NES, Super Nintendo, Mega Drive, Game Boy and Game Boy Advance.
- Add-ons need their own: the Famicom Disk System and the Mega CD.
Details: Every console, one by one
The name must match
Most emulators look for one exact name, like scph5501.bin. A file with
another name is not found. A few, like DuckStation, read any name and check
what the file holds.
The version must match
Two files can have the same name and different contents. One may be for Japan, another for Europe.
Some setups check each file's hash, a fingerprint of its contents. Batocera, Recalbox and EmuDeck report a version they do not expect.
Can a game start without it?
Sometimes. Some emulators carry their own code in place of the BIOS. Some games then glitch or do not start.
Is it legal?
Laws differ by country. Is it legal?