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68 lines
1.9 KiB
Markdown
68 lines
1.9 KiB
Markdown
---
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level: start
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order: 10
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---
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# What is a BIOS?
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A console has a small program inside it. It starts first, then starts the game.
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This program is the **BIOS**, also called **firmware**.
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<a class="rb-button rb-button-primary" href="../which-pack.md">Get your files</a>
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An **emulator** is an app that acts like a console. For many consoles, it needs
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a copy of the BIOS. That copy is a file: a **BIOS file**.
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<!-- image: bios-chain -->
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## How it works
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1. You pick a game in your setup's menu.
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2. The setup starts the emulator.
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3. The emulator opens the BIOS file in your **BIOS folder**.
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4. The game starts.
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If step 3 fails, you see "BIOS missing" or a black screen.
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## Do I need one?
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- **Yes:** PlayStation 1 and 2, Saturn, Neo Geo, PC Engine CD and many home
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computers.
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- **Better with it:** Dreamcast. Some games need it.
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- **Usually not:** NES, Super Nintendo, Mega Drive, Game Boy and Game Boy
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Advance.
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- **Add-ons need their own:** the Famicom Disk System and the Mega CD.
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Details: [Every console, one by one](../systems/index.md)
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## The name must match
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Most emulators look for one exact name, like `scph5501.bin`. A file with
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another name is not found. A few, like DuckStation, read any name and check
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what the file holds.
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## The version must match
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Two files can have the same name and different contents. One may be for Japan,
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another for Europe.
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Some setups check each file's **hash**, a fingerprint of its contents.
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Batocera, Recalbox and EmuDeck report a version they do not expect.
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Our files are the versions each setup expects.
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## Can a game start without it?
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Sometimes. Some emulators carry their own code in place of the BIOS. Some games
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then glitch or do not start. The real file works best, so we include it.
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## Is it legal?
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Laws differ by country. [Is it legal?](legal.md)
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## Next steps
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- [Get your files](../which-pack.md)
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- [Words used on this site](glossary.md)
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