The Polymega's journey to market hasn't been a smooth one by any stretch of the imagination, with some customers still waiting to get their hands on the system they laid down cash for many moons ago β but now the product is finally out there, there's been a lot of speculation about where it could potentially go next.
We already know that an N64 module is in development, but one system that fans have constantly been asking about is the Sega Dreamcast.
Playmaji β the company behind the Polymega β has long maintained that supporting Dreamcast would be difficult due to the fact that the system used GD-ROM discs, but in a recent interview with Electric Playground Network, Playmaji CEO Bryan Bernal appeared to offer a little more hope:
We're working on that. We have been vetting it basically since day one, and looking at different mechanisms [by] which you can get at the types of data on the GD-ROM... the media is completely different and there were specialised drives that were made for the Dreamcast. My understanding is that it will be challenging a normal DVD or Blu-ray drive that you could buy off the shelf in 2021 and 2022 to read a GD-ROM disc, but there's more than one way to skin a hamster, or whatever! We are always thinking outside the box... maybe we can look at plugging in an original Dreamcast and load it in that way... something like that. We're coming up with ideas. It's 'TBD' at the moment.
The interview also showed the first footage of the N64 module in action, which you can view around the 23-minute mark.
This article was originally published by nintendolife.com on Wed 18th May, 2022.
Comments 34
Ah, I thought it had Dreamcast support either already implemented, or at least in the works. That's a big one, they should jump on it!
Yeah Ironically it will be far easier hardware and software wise to emulate the Dreamcast than the Saturn (which the Polymega already does a decent job at) so running isos or pirated discs (which were compressed by cracking groups to fit on normal CDs) is easily possible, but the stumbling block will be getting official disks to run.
βPlug in a Dreamcast and load itβ
So⦠why not just play it on the actual Dreamcast?
The Dreamcast has a library of wonderful games for it. I'm definitely in for it.
@Hikingguy I use an acer nitro monitor with my Dreamcast and it looks and runs superbly I got the monitor recently but you really have to look around for a monitor with vga and as for tvs itβs very rare these days
Just give us Dreamcast on the switch!
Would be awesome if we hadn't already could play Dreamcast games on everything nowadays.
@syrupdash , once loaded onto the Polymega you wouldn't need the media any more. The main selling point of the Poly is to create an on demand library consisting of your games. I've said this before, but I really want to buy this console. The only things stopping me at this point is that I refuse to purchase until the console is in stock, ready to ship.
@syrupdash Because you'd be able to digitise your collection. You'd only need to hook the DC up once to download all of your games to the Polymega.
Personally, I'm still waiting for a Dreamcast themed Steam Deck
@yuwarite I'm thinking you might turn colors holding your breath on that...
This is getting closer and closer to become reality and not just MORE vaporware....if they do add Dreamcast support then I'm totally on board, I like the idea they have but to not be easily accessible to buy atm is still a bit shaky..
Wonder if there's any decent android emulation of DC..I should look into that.
Then again Seaman was the only game I'd bother to play again.
Yes, the team needs to focus on core hardware distribution. This is good forward facing PR, but the console is still unavailable to purchase without having to hope that it eventually gets to you.
I ordered my Polymega bundle back in November of last year. Sadly that puts me pretty much at the end of the line so probably won't see mine for a looooooooooong time.
Just buy a real Dreamcast much easier:)
Okay, now this is getting serious. I barely still have a N64 or PS1 collection anymore, but I absolutely still have a large Dreamcast collection and I would absolutely buy this system if they make a Dreamcast module!
I still have my black sports edition Dreamcast with like five controllers and about 30 games, but my system has been having issues.
@syrupdash The only other reason I can think of is region lock.
But surely an AR disc is a cheaper solution?
My Dreamcast struggles to read discs most days. Itβs very hit & miss. I still have my Dreamcast games. Excellent library.
Still waiting for my Polymega delivery
@TTgowings Any one of these devices will allows you to play Dreamcast games on them, just download the proper emulator like Redream or Flycast and any games you own and you're good to go. The same emulation Polymega will give you is already kinda perfected by these:
Just pretend any one of these is a Dreamcast and you'll be right at home. You could even use a controller of your choice and even the old VMU if your controller and emulator supports it. These devices could also play Dreamcast games if you know the modding procedure to do so:
@Grail_Quest I ordered mine 1/1/2022, so I am in the same boat.
@Hikingguy Their are a lot of solutions for getting the Dreamcast looking amazing on a 4k/HD TV.
I'm currently using an Akura, which is purchasable with relative ease online. I believe the OSSC has a vga input. Among many other options. None of my legacy consoles are using component or composite anymore if I can avoid it. That means things like the DCDigital mods. There are RGB kits too.
Don't get me wrong in concept the Polymega is cool, but in execution its still a mess. With complaints about controller ports not being to spec, faulty drives and cartridge connectors, to issues with game stability. Even then I have to say, maybe Launch Box and other launchers in combination with various emulator solutions are a better path to take. Even running Steam OS 3 on a PC with EmuDeck or Emulation station seems like is becoming a very viable option going forward.
So plenty of solutions out there.
@Hikingguy
Ya the Akura is/was 55 dollars when I got it. Pretty much no more effort than plugging in any other console. Everything else is switches for things like scan lines.
I can't speak for your TV's upscaler which might be part of the problem. That Akura will output 480p. Not sure it'll do it any better than your current solution. At which point some other upscaler might be more apt. Then again there might be something about that old video standard I don't understand, a bad cable, or a bad port. I've upgraded all my displays to 4k and they have pretty decent built in upscalers. OSSC and the RetroTink 5x have pretty much taken care of everything else.
Ya any linux distro will work, but SteamOS 3 takes a lot of that work out of it imo. Like setting up proton in case there is a Windows Emulator you're after that doesn't have a linux port. I've run emulators on everything from RPi w/Raspbian too Custom built Gentoo configs. It does take me back to original hardware a lot of the time. Still trying to get my light gun working with one of my Pi's I think its not getting enough power as the behavior is flaky on the Pi. I really want to play Elemental Gearbolt on my nice big TV's lol. When you get down to it the Polymega really isn't original hardware or even an FPGA, it's an intel CPU running emulators with some nifty software under the hood. Aside from their GD-ROM attachment, they aren't doing anything the opensource community won't try now that steamos 3.0 is becoming a thing with emulator solutions.
The idea of Dreamcast on NSO gives me the feels. That should definitely happen.
Probably the portable game systems are next after the Dreamcast like retro 5 with the Gameboy cartridges.
Tell Polymega to hurry up, i've been waiting for this! And even the PS2 asap, the CD player is a samsung DVD reader, just quickly get working on the software emulator!
@Zochmenos it was arcade heaven
The day they announce Dreamcast support officially is the day I officially regret selling off all of my Dreamcast games. Or rather, regret more.
@syrupdash Not everyone has their Dreamcast anymore, (my family doesn't but we still have a few of our games,) and the thing is that you buy a Polymega to play everything, eliminating the need to buy used copies of the many consoles it supports.
@Gitface I'm sorry, my friend. Hopefully we will see our systems eventually.
Because God forbid Sega ports any Dreamcast games to any current gen consoles πππ€¨
That would be one hell of a syncher! I hope I can eventually land one under my TV
@TTgowings Well with white/grey Dbrand skins and changeable button colours, I think we'll see a 'Steam Cast' Deck sooner than later.
@syrupdash eh... I know for me, I've got quite the Frankenstein of a setup with both the Saturn and the Dreamcast both hooked up to an upscaler which is then hooked up to a system selector which is the hooked up to a free port of my HDTV... So, to finally be able to have a system that can handle both Saturn and Dreamcast (official) games without all that setup with be such a relief
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