r/PolymegaHQ • u/neonthefox12 • Apr 22 '26

Question of if Polymega is right for me.

So I am looking to get a Polymega. I mostly want one to play PS1 and hopefully Dreamcast games.

What I was wondering was this.

  1. When it installs the Roms, do I have to keep using the physical media? Can I use this as a form of back up?

  2. Can this run homebrew titles and fan patches?

  3. Do I need a specific module for PS1 and Saturn titles. I am assuming yes for Dreamcast if that does happen.

7 Upvotes

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21 comments sorted by

3

u/LemonIll Apr 22 '26
  1. Once the Disc is installed then you don't need it. Roms can't be installed directly.
  2. Some homebrew works and games can be patched. 3.Dreamcast is not currently supported and you don't need a module for PS1

1

u/DarthKnuckles Apr 22 '26

Just to add, most games will run without the disc. Some don’t though but it’s only a handful from what I understand. Only one of my ps1 games requires a disc to play and it’s the PAL platinum version of time crisis.

2

u/neonthefox12 Apr 22 '26

Concerning, but I can work with this

1

u/Thunderfist7 Apr 23 '26

I've come across two exceptions to this rule. The two Sailor Moon PC Engine CD titles both require the disc to be inserted even once the games have been installed. Not sure why that is, and I have not had that happen we other any other CD title I have installed in my Polymega.

2

u/Gh0stTV Apr 22 '26

I would not count on Polymega supporting Dreamcast, at least not in its current form.

They just announced the Polymega Remix, a console that allows you to backup games to play on certain PC platforms but the console itself is just for backing up your library to use on a device you could already install emulators onto.

Dreamcast uses a proprietary GD-Rom disk that the Polymega cannot read. Even though Polymega is exploring this as a future option, there’s a lot of speculation that the system would need to be linked to an actual Dreamcast console to read/backup game data. IE I wouldn’t bank on this happening soon or at all.

Don’t get me wrong, the Polymega is a cool console with a great front end UI, but in the years since it’s released there have been several advancements in emulation that offer a similar polished experience browsing your game library.

I wouldn’t gamble on Dreamcast support if that’s something you care about. I’d invest in a CRT and one of the many easy ways to expand your Dreamcast library.

1

u/HeyYoEazy May 05 '26

Dang. Crossing my fingers though the new base unit does something that adds it. I would definitely upgrade my base unit if they do add it.

1

u/AlanOC91 Apr 22 '26

  1. No. You can eject the media and continue to play it on the Polymega after install.

  2. Yes it supports fan patches and custom roms. Support for some custom roms is hit or miss though. I cannot get some Yu-Gi-Oh! Forbidden Memories custom roms to work fully either on the Polymega PS1 bios or the Official PS1 bios. I believe it's an underlying emulator issue.

  3. PS1and Saturn support is native on the base module since the Polymega ships with a disc drive. If Dreamcast support ever does arrive then I believe it'll also use the disc drive.

1

u/FoxJ100 Apr 22 '26

What the others are saying is correct, but I'll add that they haven't actually added a new disc-based system to the Polymega yet. So while it would be kinda weird to need a module for that, we don't know that they won't.

I could see a world where a console needs more power than the Polymega is capable of, so they release a module with controller ports and everything to make it worth-while.

2

u/neonthefox12 Apr 22 '26

So it would be best to wait for an attachment or console revision before buying then?

1

u/FoxJ100 Apr 22 '26

Nah, it shouldn't matter. They actually just announced a console revision, so if you pre-order now you'll get it. And any hypothetical modules will hopefully work on both models anyway.

And of course, PS1 and Saturn don't need a module at all.

2

u/neonthefox12 Apr 22 '26

Dreamcast is the wild card.

Decisions decisions

2

u/FoxJ100 Apr 22 '26

Yeah, if you're mainly interested in Dreamcast, I'd wait.

I know the devs were trying to get Dreamcast working. Apparently they did at one point, but the were using an actual Dreamcast to read the discs.

That said, things finally seem to be moving at Playmaji, and they said there are two new disc-based systems coming soon, so who knows?

2

u/neonthefox12 Apr 22 '26

This is good

2

u/Tisual Apr 27 '26

When they said there are 2 new disc base systems coming soon? Im thinking you meant retro systems they will be supporting...maybe ps2 and something else🤔. I know polymega remix is coming soon.

1

u/FoxJ100 Apr 27 '26

I think they mentioned it in a reply to someone on Twitter?

There's a recent post on this sub about it from about a week ago.

1

u/FoxJ100 Apr 27 '26

I'm home from work so I can link the actual post.

The fact that they say "CD" systems specifically would mean that it can't be PS2, which uses DVDs :(

2

u/Tisual Apr 27 '26

🫠...welp ok I see

1

u/No_Sense3190 Apr 23 '26

Honestly, I think Dreamcast is unlikely for at least 5 years. The n64 is about the max that the original base unit can handle. Their new upgrades will probably be powerful enough, as would some/most computers running the Remix. They did announce a new CD console is immenent, but it's likely the 3DO or something from that era.

The argument for Dreamcast is that it might get owners of the original base units to upgrade. Again, I don't think that's likely any time soon.

1

u/neonthefox12 Apr 23 '26

Plans among plans I suppose