Sega Saturn SAROO Review! A $70 ODE For Saturn...Worth It?

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The Sega Saturn Saroo cartridge is a pivot on the Optical Disc Emulator for Sega Saturn that allows for loading games across the Sega Saturn cartridge slot and is ALSO a 1MB and 4MB Ram Cart for Saturn...as well as a region free Sega Saturn cartridge...AS WELL AS a Saturn Memory card...all in one! But is it worth it? Let's find out! It's definitely the cheapest Sega Saturn Flash Cart that's for sure! Is this as good as something like GDEMU for Sega Dreamcast? because as much as we've been talking about MiSTer FPGA and Sega Saturn...you know I love my retro gaming consoles!
and yes I know the Terraonion MODE exist as well as the Satiator and the Fenrir!
Questions? Comments? Just leave them below and I will do my best to answer each and every one of them!
You can follow us at IG : ChicagoGameCollector , or join our Discord Server : / discord
VGE
#retrogames #retrogaming #retrogamer #sega #segasaturn

[@chungkingexpress94]

Insane that we're booting games from the cartridge slot now. Saturn must be the most heavily modded console of all time. So many ways to play the games

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Just goes to show the cart slot had a lot bigger plans than what it ended up being

[@tsbspionkop]

Got it last week and my answer is very much a YES

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s impressive for the price but a bit of room for improvement still

[@brandogg]

Definitely worth it.

[@ghostofva1987]

Can you tell me what I'm doing wrong then buddy? I got a small card from them just to make sure I had all the files needed. But now I want to upgrade to a bigger micro SD card. So I formatted to fat32 and copied and pasted the SAROO folder and all it's contents to the bigger sd card. The card that came with the saroo still works and plays games. But I cannot get my bigger card to work. Just boots right into the cd player screen when I turn on the Saturn. I don't get it. I paid attention to the file system and capitalization for the correct folders and I put my bin/cue game files in the ISO folder. I do not get it. Not even when I leave the new card stock (same game bin/cues, files, and folders as the SD card that came with my saroo works when used) will it work. As I said it does the same thing when I added my own game files and boots to the cd player screen. I also have the all new parts saroo if that matters

[@fasih_rehman]

@@ghostofva1987 double check the format of original sd card. Use an imaging tool like BalenaEtcher to copy the original SD card. Most likely you are missing some hidden files and that is causing the problem.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Hmm odd. I’m not sure but I’ll ask around

[@lizardking3268]

Wow, currently in Japan and found some cool Saturns here. Wanted to mod it but was thinking it might be too expensive. Perfect timing!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Bet they have tons of cool Saturns for sure

[@trzarector]

Had this in my Ali wanted list list for ages. Definitely going to pick up one in the next couple weeks. Ive been wanting an ODE solution for a while but the prices of products available were crazy.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes it’s great something now exists in the sun $100 category

[@JunkerDC]

this is the 32x we never got. With this cart high quility game on cart just like the 32x was gonna try to be here we go

[@voteDC]

Another thing to note is that the Saroo doesn't save to the Saturn's internal memory. The Saroo creates its own 'virtual' internal and external memory on the SDCard, it's to these files that all your games will be read from and saved to, so you can't use existing saves you have on your Saturn's internal memory while playing a game from the Saroo. These files also cannot be read on a PC with a tool like the Saturn RAM Parser, so there's no putting saves from emulators onto the Saroo. Though quite oddly the Saroo does create a backup file of the content of the Saturn's real internal memory but seemingly never uses it for anything. If you press ABC+Start to return to the CD Player and then to the settings while playing a game with the Saroo, you'll actually be experiencing the 'virtual' memory that the Saroo created. It's not a completely accurate term I know but it's almost like the Saroo is emulating the Saturn on the Saturn.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Good to know 👍

[@METR0lD]

More Saturn content? Yeeeaaah babyyy!!! ...ahem, SAROO for getting so excited.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Always more Saturn content!

[@comic999]

It also doesn’t mean you have to rip out a saturns disk drive or opt for some overpriced satiator or whatever its called. Ive had mine for a month and its worked flawlessly. Also it means those nonworking saturns can now play games without much problems.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes it’s nice it leaves a fully functioning CD drive behind

[@balaam_7087]

Cool video. MVG did one recently, and he seemed to like the specific model he reviewed.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

So long as you get a reputable vendor it’s pretty much worth it

[@Sonicfoxtrot]

70 dollars that works mostly out of the box? That's pretty good, especially considering how people out there will work on custom firmware that will probably fix the few games that don't want to run correctly.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s def on the cheap end for what it does

[@AfterBurnerTeirusu]

Ordered a blue Timeharvest Saroo elite today. The new updates look promising.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Nice. It’s a good product. Enjoy it when it arrives

[@jordanclark1715]

Update? You like

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Zero complaints

[@jordanclark1715]

@VideoGameEsoterica just ordered one today and I know a seller with a 512gb card with them all on it. Thanks

[@CorporalDanLives]

This thing slaps, I followed a Reddit guide and got the latest firmware on it and it plays everything I throw at it. Only error I've had was the Virtua Fighter CG discs skip their music. All of the other Saturn ODEs were way too expensive for me so having this thing is a dream come true.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s great to have an option in this low of a price range

[@ynotwalk7391]

seriously - MODE + storage gets silly

[@GenMasterB]

I got mine 3 days ago. I followed the reddit guide as well, but it's not working. I'm getting a solid red light on left side or cart, the right side flashes red 3 times and repeats. I'm wondering if I got one of those "bad cards" some people were talking about. Any help at all would be greatly appreciated. Thx

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Play around with the placement in the slot a bit. It can be sensitive

[@GenMasterB]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Well, I did a bit, but I'll mess with it some more. thx

[@TheScottMcCall]

I absolutely love mine. I actually bought a second one just in case. Works beautifully in my Model 1 US Saturn, my Model 2 V-Saturn and my Model 2 JP Saturn.

[@TheScottMcCall]

I have a slightly different version (from the KK DIY seller) and there's no issues with SFZ3... I play it all the time. I'm also on the latest TPunix firmware

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes once you get it seated properly it’s great

[@markmillar4910]

Where did you get yours? I'm trying to find one on eBay but there are a lot of different sellers, want to make sure I get a legitimate one

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Aliexpress. Time harvest store

[@markmillar4910]

​@@VideoGameEsotericathank you!

[@jonmurrs7068]

Saroo should just stay in the Saturn anyway, but I love to see beveled edges on carts-shows love for the gamer and system, imo.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes there’s no reason to take it out constantly but still should def be beveled

[@ynotwalk7391]

i had an unbeveled flash cart destroy the edge connector on a rare piece of 80s hardware. finding a replacement part was one of my greatest achievements

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

They can def stress pins over time

[@richardryan3551]

I got this one months ago and it's banging some proper Japanese shooters and the best thing is if your Saturn not reading discs you can play through the cartridge slot

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It def prolonged the hardware lifespan for some people

[@oldhedders]

I bought one of these recently and for the money it's remarkably good. Definitely hitting some compatibility issues here and there, but for 50 quid you can't really complain.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes the minor issues are outweighed by the super low cost

[@BarnyardCasanova]

First off I love the video. I just wanted to add that you can sand that PCB down to give it a beveled edge. Be very careful and use a higher grit sandpaper so it only takes off a little at a time giving you more control, but you can absolutely give it a bevel yourself. If you have any Genesis games look at one for reference and then go from there, but I wouldn’t recommend using the cart as is because even inserting it one time with that sharp 90° angle on the PCB could ruin the pins.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I did bevel it but I do that off camera. I don’t show what I anticipate people might fail at if the failure rate may be high

[@BarnyardCasanova]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Ok good to go.

[@beingsupersonic7499]

Seems a really good device for the money👌🏻Hopefully full compatibility is something that will come eventually.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I bet it does with newer firmwares

[@BocaRetroGames]

Got mine for 49 dollars, and i really recpmmend it..

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s a very good price that’s for sure

[@maximlopez6777]

I just got mine for 59€, new chip and new firmware ! Definitely worth it

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

100% worth it. Feels like a bargain

[@DuaneBendt-ch2od]

Which store did you get this one from? I cannot find any with the action replay built in like yours.

[@sherrygreen5129]

All saroos are the same

[@midosyt]

this video doesnt seem to be made anywhere i dont see the sticker what a shame i wouldve loved to know

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Lolol

[@Fattydeposit]

My Saturns all have perfectly functioning CD drives but totally dead cartridge slots (this includes one that was bought brand new and was never abused with bevel-less third party carts). So in my case sticking with OG discs / £15 modchips makes more sense. Also I feel kinda attached towards those CD-Rs I spent hours creating back in the day.. much more so than, say, the truncated GDROM images that I use on the Dreamcast. Having said all that it's obvious that Saroo is a completely different kind of ODE with potential for new kinds of homebrew. I'm personally not fussed however.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Generally you can get the cart slots working again by adjusting the pins outward for better contact

[@hacktheplanet.]

Clearly the idea is to save wear and tear on the CD drive. I've had my JP / EU saturn for around 15 years now, neither have a dead cartridge slot. No idea how you've managed that. It's a great solution and price point compared to others. How much is a replacement CD drive (if you can pick up a reasonable one?) Probably around £30, the Saroo is £38 on Aliexpress.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I think some Saturns just had iffy slots to start

[@Wobble2007]

At least you get to enjoy proper Redbook audio that way, as ISO images use standard MP3 via ADPCM, Redbook audio makes a big difference (FLAC quality), I'd be a happy camper if MiSTer ever gets full optical and proper digital CD audio support via an optical drive (CDDA).

[@Wobble2007]

Here is the technical reason why Redbook audio doesn't work with ISO images on flashcarts and MiSTer et cetera, for those that care: "A CD can have multiple tracks, which can contain computer data, audio, or video. File systems such as ISO 9660 are stored inside one of these tracks. Since ISO images are expected to contain a binary copy of the file system and its contents, there is no concept of a "track" inside an ISO image, since a track is a container for the contents of an ISO image. This means that CDs with multiple tracks can't be stored inside a single ISO image; at most, an ISO image will contain the data inside one of those multiple tracks, and only if it is stored inside a standard file system. This also means that audio CDs, which are usually composed of multiple tracks, can't be stored inside an ISO image. Furthermore, not even a single track of an audio CD can be stored as an ISO image, since audio tracks do not contain a file system inside them, but only a continuous stream of encoded audio data. This audio is stored on sectors of 2352 bytes different from those that store a file system and it is not stored inside files; it is addressed with track numbers, index points and a CD time code that are encoded into the lead-in of each session of the CD-Audio disc."

[@theanaloguegamer]

Nice. Just file the edge on both sides to create the bevelled edge. Very easy to do

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yeah it’s a pretty easy procedure

[@Monhamd1000]

A huge missed opportunity to try the Sakura Wars fan translation with the Saroo.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Just wasn’t what I tested that day

[@themadhater9003]

What would be nice is an oled like led spectrum of UV LEDs, that turn off and on no need for a screen. But that would take r&d much easier to use existing tech.

[@gutsberserker5476]

love your soft gentle voice, i feel asleep and woke up. :)

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha people always say that. I don’t get it

[@0.Kenshin]

@1:08 This is incorrect, Saroo does not have Action Replay or Pseudo Saturn Kai features. They use one package for all cards, the red dots let you know what features you have. Saroo has 1/4MB RAM and Memory Card support for the games it can play, but no AR or PSK.

[@danielstrzel2271]

Not sure if it was covered in the video but do you happen to know where this was made?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

No clue 🤣

[@1000davetron]

I want to say Bangladesh?

[@Dark_Jaguar]

If you disable autoplay and autorun, you can safely plug the sd card in and then wipe the files off the card.

[@chriscrossan8034]

Just ordered one today after watching this video as I have an old Saturn languishing in a cupboard that needs reviving. The flesh is weak 😅

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

The flesh is always weak

[@TBtheking405216]

Bruh.... Elevator Action Returns OST is nothing short of arcade perfection!!!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

The entire game is perfection

[@TBtheking405216]

@@VideoGameEsoterica indeed it is. i have the original Saturn version, the crappy Taito Legends PS2 arcade port and the City Connection version for Series S. Its definitely top 5 all time games for me

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

@TBtheking405216 the Saturn version is the best outside the F3 board original

[@TBtheking405216]

@@VideoGameEsoterica yeah man too bad my Saturn went kaput. ☹️☹️🙁🙁

[@kosmosyche]

Looks like a pretty awesome device, though I wish they wrote somewhere where it was made. Cause right now it's anyone's guess.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

The world may never know where it was made

[@plazma2891]

I'm waiting for the day that the Sega Saturn get development tools for making new games kind of like the genesis with its tools, support & community. like there is a fan game called streets of rage remake I WISH it would get made for the saturn

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

There are some tools out there

[@JDLopes82]

I received one but appreciate a little help on tutorial for setting up sd card.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

👍

[@JDLopes82]

Great honest review btw. Overall a decent product

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Thanks :)

[@Freelop]

I'm considering getting either one of these or a Satiator. I mainly want it for Panzer Dragoon Saga and Burning Rangers

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

So far both have worked fine on Saroo for me

[@THELEGENDARYK2]

Just got this today. Im also warry of putting that SD card in my computer. Might be time to visit my public library... would be interested in a clean install on a store bought microsd

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes call me cautious but putting it in my studio PC or my laptop just isn’t something I’m hot on doing

[@brandogg]

I think it's a great product, can only get better. I haven't run a ton of games on mine, but it's run everything I've played on it, and perfectly with almost zero load times. I already have a modchip in there for the rare instance where it won't play a particular game though.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Same. I have options which is always nice

[@miguelcarneiro1192]

Street Fighter Zero 3 runs when on my Saroo my friend. Try a diferent rom of the game on yours and it should be fine

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes it’s as likely down to a bad file

[@miguelcarneiro1192]

@@VideoGameEsoterica im almost shure it is. Regards

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

👍

[@Gorilla_Jones]

I like the Satiator solution better as it would still leave my cartridge slot open for Ram carts and action replay. Also my CD drive functions fine.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

That’s fair

[@Tom_Neverwinter]

I wish I had this when the sega saturn came out. I played bug and simcity2000 and a bunch of games like shining force arc [no bad files on the sdcard]

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha would have been too much to ask back then

[@BillsOldandNewGaming]

Very tempted to buy a Saturn and one of these.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Def worth it

[@chadshaffer4838]

I'm gonna have to check out that elevator action game on MiSter. I really hate killing dogs in games though.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Me too. But the game is so good just pretend they are rabid wolves

[@sega-re-trop-vieux]

Some important information that no one share about the Saroo issue: The device Doesn’t work properly on the Hi Navi Saturn. There is no sound in every game ! I am a specialist of the Saturn and I am a bit sad that this device hasn’t bend pins connectors ( it means that I don’t use the Saroo). I prefer my Satiator or my Rhea.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

That’s because not many people have the Hi Saturn. Fun console though

[@felixdufour4764]

Looking good, nice price. Do you know where these are manufactured? I'm curious..

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

We may never know what country they were made in

[@Riz2336]

I think it's pretty awesome, I've heard it's got a few bugs but I'm sure as it gets more updates and it's around for longer that will probably be fixed. Something to consider if the disc drive dies on my console

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes it’s a cheap and easily available option

[@cheapergamer]

I wonder where it was made? 😂 got mine a couple of weeks ago, loads very fast and works well in tandem with the fenrir on my model 1 console

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I have no clue where it was made. If only they’d labeled it!

[@UnbornApple]

I have a MODE and I ended up picking up a Saroo just out of curiosity, and I would not recommend it unless you are really on a tight budget. The combability is just not there yet, and it's a confusing mess trying to get the right firmware setup. The virtual internal/cart memory is a good feature, but currently the only way to get saves in and out of it is with a poorly documented and difficult to find Windows application that's in Chinese. It would be much more useful if there was an easy way to transfer saves from the real internal/cart memory to the virtual one. The Fenrir is not that much more expensive, and my understanding is that it basically has perfect compatibility. I think it's worth spending a little more for a better experience.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s fun to have options at all sorts of price ranges imo so I’m just happy people have choices

[@ciaranmccarthy]

Looks good. Where was it made?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

If only I knew

[@Jamesatighe]

For Streetfighter Alpha 3 I think it's either settings/firmware or your specific Saroo. There are videos of it working fine. Are you using the latest firmware?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes it’s on the latest firmware. It may be bad game files

[@Jamesatighe]

@@VideoGameEsotericafor reference I’m using the Japanese version for most of my games. I have heard that people have had issues depending on where they got the cart from. I got my from Amazon (UK) and it seems fine. I have managed to play all the games I added without issues. Even plays the enhanced version of Symphony of the Night with the transparency re-added.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I’m going to do a fresh SD card soon

[@Reprogrammed_By_SEGA]

I think the price point is definitely the strongest point, but the negative points are currently sketchy compatibility and the somewhat dubious reliability of the cartridge slot on a Saturn. Also if you want to play Netlink games you can't. Netlink is niche but interest in playing Saturn games online is picking up speed especially now that you can get cheap modems from Japan. Would be interesting if SAROO could be expanded to support Netlink via a WIFI module. I think a cheaper Satiator clone would be the best solution. It will end up being over $100 all in for most people importing. I would feel more comfortable at $50 all in for a device like this.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s not a perfect solution but it’s always good to have ANOTHER solution

[@TheWretchedWorld]

The variant of the saroo I got had a beveled edge. Same case and label as yours

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Maybe they started adding it

[@TheWretchedWorld]

@@VideoGameEsoterica did you file yours down ? Later in the video it looks as though yours has it.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

@TheWretchedWorld I hadn’t as of the video

[@BocaRetroGames]

Only games I had trouble with were die hard trilogy, golden axe the duel and virtua fighter remix ... still could not fix those

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Funny because Die Hard was fine for me

[@BocaRetroGames]

@@VideoGameEsoterica I'm using the latest firmware... maybe I'll try another iso

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Always good to try new game files first. Rule out the easy things

[@MarginalSC]

My Saroo seems to work ok. I noticed that Guardian Heroes and Sega Rally had issues with the redbook. I'd just get periodic static. Not sure if that's the Saroo or my HDMI convertor. (But I don't get how a HDMI convertor would play sounds but not music on some games...)

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

No that is def the Saroo doing something odd

[@crackerbrick1903]

Mine is otw from china rn. Cant wait

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Nice enjoy it when it arrives

[@SikSlayer]

Excellent video! Can you provide a link to where YOU bought this?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s TIMEHARVEST STORE on Aliexpress

[@SikSlayer]

Thanks! ​@@VideoGameEsoterica

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

👍

[@tareg234]

Street fighter zero 3 work fine with my saroo 🤔

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

They all seem to have their own quirks

[@RetroRacing]

Well, this proof that cartridge on saturn capable of gaming too, sega will stack money if they put megadrive compatibility or cartridge saturn game than just 512KB memory card that rarely used for saturn games (you could disagree with me)

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Lol why did you preface your argument with saying I could disagree with you? It’s just an opinion. People are allowed them on my channel

[@RetroRacing]

​@@VideoGameEsotericaYeah because people could argue about it, I remember first time knew this console had both cartridge and cd-rom I interested on it, but dissapointment cartridge doesn't do much, and why 512 KB memory card on saturn is same as normal cardridge form

[@liamconverse8950]

​@@RetroRacingSega did have the ST-V which is basically a Saturn with cartridges instead of CDs

[@ewrooney]

I tested this cart yesterday and I do have a couple things to add 1st-the cart saves all data only to the cartridge and never to the systems internal ram. On the surface this seems nice but until I can source a program that can read that format I cannot import saves to the cart. It would be nice if we could view the save info from the carts menu but unless I’m blind I can’t seem to find a way to do it. 2nd- and this is niche but important because currently Street Fighter Zero 3 doesn’t work. While you can still bypass the Saroo cart and load real disc, you cannot play any of the ram expansion games using a real disc+Saroo as a 1/4mb expansion only. All 4mb (MSH vs SF may be an exception) games exhibit major grafical errors and crash shortly after loading. All 1mb games show the missing ram cart error except Fighters History Dynamite which loads to the title screen and then crashes. I also have a Phoebe ODE in one of my Saturns and can confirm that the two do get along together. The Saroo cart starts after the Saturn bios screen then if you want to use the ODE just select either the cd player option or the play game disc option and you’ll be take to the ODE menu like normal. Phew…. Sorry for the massive wall of text. 🤣

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Haha useful massive wall of text though

[@NoriakiKakyoin]

SFZ3 does work, I finished arcade mode multiple times. Ditto for MSH vs SF and 1MB SNK games. The only ones I can't get to work are the ROM games but I know they are supported. Maybe you have a dirty/faulty cart connector? I did have some issues that went away after some cleaning.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I just think it might be bad game files

[@ewrooney]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Yeah I just did a full arcade run with no issues. I did run into a random glitch in training mode where my character was invisible but I could only re create it one other time and I think it was because i was mashing through screens so yeah don't do that the game is sped up as it is. ALSO, I have found a way to see save game save data. It's kinda jumping through hoops but i understand why it's the way it is. You have to boot a game first then when the game boots you soft reset (ABC+start) to the dash board then go to the system bios menu (the up arrow). from there youl go to memory manager like normal and you will now see two options top is system and bottom is ram cart and you can move data between one another but it's still per game so whatever game you booted will be the only thing in the system memory and whatever you've stored on the backup ram will be at the bottom. when i get done with errands today I'm going to test trying to import new stuff to the backup ram. again sorry for the wall of words

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Good to know. Good info!

[@Tochir0]

I got mine last week, played it nonstop for 7 days then the FPGA failed. I’ll probably just go ahead and buy another one

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Was it board pull chips or new chips? Def get the new

[@SeanUCF]

How did you get your own games onto the Saroo if you didn't put the micro SD in your PC?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I air gapped the card on a non-internet connected laptop I use just for stuff like this. A cheap older laptop with nothing important on it

[@darthv72]

I use the satiator on my JP saturn, but I also have a chip modded US saturn (rev 2). I was thinking of getting one of these for my original US saturn (rev 1) as the satiator does not seem to work on that one for some odd reason.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Weird it doesn’t work. Yeah give this a shot

[@StevieDrawStuff]

What about House of the Dead and Virtua Cop 1&2. Does the lightgun work with them still?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yep. Same as before

[@ericb.9488]

The point will be great

[@tournaline3448]

The only real problem is the 4mb Ram games not running correctly (frame drops) and also other games with random audio cuts (soundtrack drop out / FX sounds missing). Really hit n miss but pretty cheap so low risk.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Very cheap so honestly it’s worth it

[@justcallmebones]

I bought the same one as you. I see you mentioned only getting specific firmware updates from the seller to avoie bricking. Should I try messaging them or do you know if they provide updates in a description somewhere? I would love to get more game compatibility.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I’d check with the seller first yes

[@michaeldeslongchamps6532]

Where did you get your Saroo? Is there a model/provider you can recommend?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Time Harvest Store on AliExpress. Like two months ago

[@ynotwalk7391]

if this works ok, i see little reason to buy the more expensive options. mister fpga core will hopefully gel soon, which will further cover things

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes MiSTer will be THE defacto Saturn with an ODE once done

[@ynotwalk7391]

@@VideoGameEsoterica only real loss is that movie card in the future i can see this problem getting fixed with more capable fpga chips iirc a couple other consoles could also benefit (CDi)

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

We don’t know that the mpeg card won’t happen yet. Still hope

[@kjmullinz]

Where is the link that you claimed was in your description to order this particular Saroo? 🤷

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It kept failing to save. Timeharvest store on AliExpress

[@Ghost_Visuals]

does it come with all the games on the cart or you have to download them yourself?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

They were on the cart

[@crisjohnson5445]

Any chance you could link to the specific model you bought?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

The link for specific models doesn’t seem to link as you need to select it from a drop down menu

[@PopeTheRevXXVIII]

I have a Satiator so I'm not sure if this is for me Although it would make playing those 4mb Capcom games a breeze. Or not still no best version of zero 3. Satiator has problems with it too.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Interesting satiator has issues

[@PopeTheRevXXVIII]

it could be my firmware and it doesn't play well with the Action replay either. Gotta get a real cart and see.

[@lukeridout1529]

I haven't run into any problems with Zero 3 on the Satiatior - or any other games, for that matter. Only problem I have is actually getting my saturns to recognize the 4MB RAM cart.

[@PopeTheRevXXVIII]

@@lukeridout1529 I think it was the Action replay being my ram cart

[@Zenon00007]

Do you have link to buy this ???..👍

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I’ll try and remember to add it later when I am back home

[@Zenon00007]

@@VideoGameEsoterica thanks..👍

[@mundomakina1980]

Great........

[@adrianrodriguez-iz1wr]

Saroo doesn't boot burned backups correct?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Not that I’m aware of

[@adrianrodriguez-iz1wr]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Man that sucks.

[@JunkerDC]

This is all you need for the saturn.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It def gets 99% of the job done

[@mattunwin]

Description is missing the patreon link, and the discord link is expired.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

That happens. Fixing now

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Fixed

[@vchopra1007]

Is there a link for the one you purchased?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It’s TIMEHARVEST STORE on AliExpress. The link isn’t working in the description oddly

[@pcmcg]

Does the Saroo work with a MODE installed?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Should. The boot sequence will look at the cart slot first and any cd-rom second. So the Saroo should come up first in the boot queue per the bios

[@zap0072]

Mine needs to beveled. If you don't mind me asking, what type of files are you going to use?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

The wrong kind 🤣 whatever find toothed bevel I find in my box of tools. I’ll just clamp it to a jig and dial in the angle and take a little meat off

[@zap0072]

Thank you!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

👍

[@GLU-ViktorTrisjinVTR]

is there a NES or SNES emulator app for the saroo?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Not that I’m aware of

[@shain6946]

Was this made in China by any chance? By the way, I noticed your menu is on 240316, there is a newer 240515 out now which might fix the games that didn’t work for you. There are also some newer config fixes which fix speed,etc

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

I’ll take a peek at that

[@lionm8699]

I would buy it but it doesn't have games mostly some of them are in Xbox

[@Silenc3WillFall]

Do you have a link for the seller?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Time harvest store on Aliexpress

[@dorfus]

Wait hold up where was this made

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

NEK

[@colinwackl]

The SD card keeps getting corrupted on me. I lost all the ROMs that came with it... :(

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

If it corrupts once it’ll continually do it. Time to change cards if you haven’t

[@shain6946]

Using latest fw? Try formatting card to exfat and see if the problem goes away. A lot of this is down to the ingame reset and resetting at the wrong moment and corrupting the card. Anyway try exfat

[@crypticsailor]

0.6 fixes this

[@colinwackl]

@@VideoGameEsoterica That was exactly the problem. I put in a legit sandisk and it's been working great since then.

[@cubeflinger]

Maybe you'll get a firmware update but also don't firmware update it?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Don’t firmware update it with some random file you find. Just from the seller

[@PaperBanjo64]

Does it work out of the box with the SD card?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

This one did yes

[@PaperBanjo64]

@@VideoGameEsoterica nice, might eventually get one

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

@polycube868 worth it

[@PaperBanjo64]

@@VideoGameEsoterica I'm sure, Saturn stuff is pricey and Sega barely does anything with it.

[@hanzobi1926]

Also, Daytona needs config files on 0.5 based on the region of the game your using. # DAYTONA USA (U) [MK-81200 V1.000] sector_delay=500 # DAYTONA USA (J) [GS-9013 V1.000] sector_delay=500 # DAYTONA USA (E) [MK_8120050V1.000] sector_delay=500

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Good to know

[@sunderark]

Which seller did you get it from?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

TIMEHARVEST is their name on Ali

[@asiangrafx]

Do i need this if i already have a fenrir?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Definitely not :)

[@principleprofittrader]

Just got it yesterday and tried it just now today. Thought it was working suspiciously a little too well. Every SINGLE game worked. And then... it CRASHED. Doesn't boot. Crap.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Try adjusting the fit in the cart slot a bit

[@principleprofittrader]

@@VideoGameEsoterica I will try that today, thanks. Also, I will give an update on how the company handles this issue.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

@principleprofittrader yes please lmk

[@principleprofittrader]

@@VideoGameEsoterica 100%

[@principleprofittrader]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Damn, new one just arrived and does NOT boot up at all.

[@Silenc3WillFall]

does this work on a japanese saturn console?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yep. Region doesn’t matter for the cart

[@lessimcdowell9897]

A fenrir duo ode for $80 more is worth it

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Always an option yes

[@lessimcdowell9897]

@@VideoGameEsoterica the satiator is a good option if you want to keep your disc drive but I’m really not sure enough about the availability of that one to recommend to people

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Good thing is Saroo allows for cd drive usage too. Best of both worlds

[@lessimcdowell9897]

@@VideoGameEsoterica if they(and with saroo it’s a big question who is they) can fix the issue with the full game catalogue, I completely agree. Saturn had great d drives unlike Dreamcast, we should let them live out their golden years. My saturn however is completey gutted(ode and psu mod.)

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It is hard due to how fractured manufacturing is here and what level of support you will or won’t get depending on the vendor

[@preamstrikbiz0]

11:58 and here’s when I don’t buy it and hold onto my Satiator , smh

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

That’s fair. Not for everyone

[@preamstrikbiz0]

@@VideoGameEsoterica street fighter zero 3 is the whole reason why I got a Saturn and into collecting . The game relies heavily on the ram expansion even just for stability if the game is paused. It came out it very late with its high quality of its port for what it offers . So if it can’t play that as of present I’ll wait . Some say depending on where you buy the saroo and how reliable the cart is made from seller … Zero 3 can work with no issues but it’s not really promised yet

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

It could just need an update as well and then may work

[@crypticsailor]

​@@preamstrikbiz0It works perfectly now after 0.6.

[@Shiro128b]

Your discord link doesn't work.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Sorry try this : discord.gg/94v7U5ah

[@Shiro128b]

@@VideoGameEsoterica That one works!

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

👍

[@billymerritt420]

It's concerning to me to see you having issues with games I've seen other boot just fine. And it appears you have the same board as them. I may hafta give this product more time to develop. I'm curious if firmware or SD card quality are causing issues for you.

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Could also be poorly sourced game files or a janky SD card. All of the above are possible

[@AaronDavis057]

Panzer Dragoon Saga?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Worked fine

[@stefaneilenbrock2587]

Games on englisch?

[@VideoGameEsoterica]

Yes it can run all regions

[@stefaneilenbrock2587]

@@VideoGameEsoterica Text in game in englisch or jap.