Set up, not yet played
Death Stranding Director's Cut
4K with a slightly widened field of view, using a community fix configured deliberately narrowly - only the parts that help a 16:9 screen are enabled, and the ultrawide-specific fixes are left off.
Display
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Display device my monitor
Community fix (DeathStrandingDCFix)
Intro Skip false
Custom Resolution false
Force Entity Updates true
Gameplay FOV multiplier 1.10
Center HUD false
Fix Movies false
Fix FOV false
Fix HUD false
ReShade
Disabled add-ons Generic Depth, Effect Runtime Sync
Read directly from DeathStrandingDCFix.ini and ReShade.ini in the game folder.
Mods
DeathStrandingDCFix Community fix. Only the field-of-view multiplier and entity-update fix are enabled; the ultrawide, movie and HUD fixes are deliberately off because they are for aspect ratios this setup does not use.
ReShade Installed with the add-ons that conflict with capture switched off.
Process Lasso CPU set pinned to the cache-heavy core cluster.
HDR correction for this one is still outstanding - unlike Returnal, its native HDR needs work, and that has not been done yet. It is listed here rather than left out, so the gap is visible.
Set up, not yet played
Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (Mega Drive / Game Gear)
The Mega Drive cartridge and the Game Gear cartridge, each from its own dump, on the same core at 4K in HDR with no filtering. A fixed-screen puzzle game, so it stays in its native aspect.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Genesis Plus GX
Mega Drive game file Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (USA).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (USA).zip"
Game Gear game file Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (USA, Europe).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine (USA, Europe).zip"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true (core override; the global file says false)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop true (core override; the global file says false)
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Genesis Plus GX)
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm preamp 100
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border left border
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit disabled
Overclock 100
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Console boot ROMs (the core's boot ROM option is on, so each console starts with its own start-up screen, as the hardware did)
Mega Drive boot ROM (its licence screen) bios_MD.bin, 2,048 bytes
Master System boot ROM (USA) bios_U.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Europe) bios_E.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Japan) bios_J.sms, 8,192 bytes
Game Gear boot ROM bios.gg, 1,024 bytes
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen, vrr_runloop_enable. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
I Hate Running Backwards
4K with scRGB HDR retrofitted by Special K onto the existing swap chain.
Display
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Window mode Exclusive fullscreen
Display device my monitor
HDR (Special K)
16-bit swap chain true
scRGB luminance 12.5 (= 1000 nits)
scRGB paper white 2.5 (= 200 nits)
Read directly from the Special K profile beside the game.
Mods
Special K Loaded as dxgi.dll beside the executable.
Set up, not yet played
Knuckles' Chaotix (32X)
The 32X cartridge at 4K in HDR with no filtering, in its native 4:3.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core PicoDrive
Game file Knuckles' Chaotix (Japan, USA) (En).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\picodrive_libretro.dll" "Knuckles' Chaotix (Japan, USA) (En).zip"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen false (core override)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop false
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (PicoDrive)
Aspect PAR
Audio filter disabled
Drc enabled
Fm filter off
Fmchip ym2612
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Ggghost off
Input1 3 button pad
Input2 3 button pad
Lowpass range 60
Overclk68k disabled
Ramcart disabled
Region Auto
Renderer accurate
Smsfm off
Smsmapper Auto
Smstms SMS
Smstype Auto
Sound rate 44100
Sprlim disabled
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Nintendo 3DS)
The 3DS cartridge on Azahar at 9x (an exact 4K fit for the top screen), both screens in their native stacked layout, no texture filter, vsync.
Emulator and version
Launch azahar.exe -f "Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (USA) (En,Fr,Es).3ds"
Cartridge image (decrypted dump) Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (USA) (En,Fr,Es).3ds
Emulator
Emulator Azahar
Launch azahar.exe -f <the cartridge image> (fullscreen)
qt-config.ini, the values that decide the picture
graphics_api 1
resolution_factor 9
texture_filter 0
use_hw_shader true
async_shader_compilation true
use_disk_shader_cache true
use_vsync_new false (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
layout_option 0
swap_screen false
upright_screen false
screen_gap 0
custom_layout false
is_new_3ds true
cpu_clock_percentage 100
region_value -1
render_3d 0
factor_3d 0
filter_mode true
pp_shader_name None (builtin)
anaglyph_shader_name Dubois (builtin)
Read directly from Azahar's qt-config.ini.
No HDR from this emulator (later retrofit item). Nothing filtered or post-processed; the 3D effect is off (a flat screen).
Set up, not yet played
Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (Wii)
The Wii disc on Dolphin at 6x internal resolution (about 4K) with the emulator's own HDR output, native 16:9.
Emulator and version
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e "Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,Es).rvz"
Disc image Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,Es).rvz
Emulator
Emulator Dolphin
Graphics backend D3D12
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e <the disc image>
Graphics: settings (GFX.ini)
InternalResolution 6
AspectRatio 0
MSAA 1
SSAA False
wideScreenHack False
Crop False
ShaderCompilationMode 0
WaitForShadersBeforeStarting True
BackendMultithreading True
VSync False
ShowFPS False
Graphics: enhancements and HDR (GFX.ini)
MaxAnisotropy 4
PostProcessingShader AutoHDR
HDROutput True
ForceTrueColor True
DisableCopyFilter True
ArbitraryMipmapDetection True
HDRPaperWhiteNits 200
Graphics: hacks (GFX.ini)
EFBAccessEnable True
EFBToTextureEnable True
ImmediateXFBEnable False
SkipDuplicateXFBs True
DeferEFBCopies True
General (Dolphin.ini)
Fullscreen True
RenderToMain False
SkipIPL True
EnableCheats False
SyncGPU False
OverclockEnable False
MMU False
ConfirmStop True
Controller (WiimoteNew.ini, emulated Wii Remote 1 on the gamepad)
Device XInput gamepad
Extension Nunchuk
A / B A button / right trigger
1 / 2 X / Y
- / + / Home Back / Start / right stick click
D-Pad the pad
Pointer (IR) right stick
Wii Remote shake right shoulder
Tilt right stick, with the left stick click as modifier
Nunchuk stick left stick
Nunchuk C / Z left shoulder / left trigger
Nunchuk shake left shoulder
Emulated GameCube controller still on the same gamepad; the games that accept a GameCube controller (Unleashed, Colors, Riders: Zero Gravity) can use it from their own options
Read directly from Dolphin's GFX.ini and Dolphin.ini. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch.
Nothing layered on the emulator. The widescreen hack stays off: Wii games are 16:9 on their own and the GameCube ones that offer 16:9 do it in their own options; a hack would push menus off screen. The Wii Remote is emulated on the gamepad with the Nunchuk attached (a base mapping; the motion games are tuned one by one at first play).
Set up, not yet played
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Nintendo DS)
The DS cartridge on melonDS with its OpenGL renderer at 8x (2048x1536 per screen), both screens stacked at their native shape, no filtering, direct boot.
Emulator and version
Launch melonDS.exe -f "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (USA) (En,Fr,De,Es,It).nds"
Game file Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (USA) (En,Fr,De,Es,It).nds
Emulator
Emulator melonDS 1.1
Launch melonDS.exe -f <the game file> (fullscreen)
melonDS.toml, the values that decide the picture
3D.Renderer 1
3D.GL.ScaleFactor 8
3D.GL.BetterPolygons true
3D.GL.HiresCoordinates true
Screen.UseGL true
Screen.VSync false (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
Instance0.Window0.ScreenFilter false
Instance0.Window0.IntegerScaling false
Instance0.Window0.ScreenLayout 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenSizing 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenGap 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenAspectTop 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenAspectBot 0
Emu.ConsoleType 0
Emu.DirectBoot true
Emu.ExternalBIOSEnable false
LimitFPS true
AudioSync false
Read directly from melonDS.toml.
No console BIOS or firmware dump is used: the emulator's replacement BIOS with direct boot. No HDR from this emulator; a later retrofit item, as for the arcade entries. The picture is not filtered.
Set up, not yet played
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (Wii)
The Wii disc on Dolphin at 6x internal resolution (about 4K) with the emulator's own HDR output, native 16:9.
Emulator and version
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (USA) (En,Fr,Es).rvz"
Disc image Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (USA) (En,Fr,Es).rvz
Emulator
Emulator Dolphin
Graphics backend D3D12
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e <the disc image>
Graphics: settings (GFX.ini)
InternalResolution 6
AspectRatio 0
MSAA 1
SSAA False
wideScreenHack False
Crop False
ShaderCompilationMode 0
WaitForShadersBeforeStarting True
BackendMultithreading True
VSync False
ShowFPS False
Graphics: enhancements and HDR (GFX.ini)
MaxAnisotropy 4
PostProcessingShader AutoHDR
HDROutput True
ForceTrueColor True
DisableCopyFilter True
ArbitraryMipmapDetection True
HDRPaperWhiteNits 200
Graphics: hacks (GFX.ini)
EFBAccessEnable True
EFBToTextureEnable True
ImmediateXFBEnable False
SkipDuplicateXFBs True
DeferEFBCopies True
General (Dolphin.ini)
Fullscreen True
RenderToMain False
SkipIPL True
EnableCheats False
SyncGPU False
OverclockEnable False
MMU False
ConfirmStop True
Controller (WiimoteNew.ini, emulated Wii Remote 1 on the gamepad)
Device XInput gamepad
Extension Nunchuk
A / B A button / right trigger
1 / 2 X / Y
- / + / Home Back / Start / right stick click
D-Pad the pad
Pointer (IR) right stick
Wii Remote shake right shoulder
Tilt right stick, with the left stick click as modifier
Nunchuk stick left stick
Nunchuk C / Z left shoulder / left trigger
Nunchuk shake left shoulder
Emulated GameCube controller still on the same gamepad; the games that accept a GameCube controller (Unleashed, Colors, Riders: Zero Gravity) can use it from their own options
Read directly from Dolphin's GFX.ini and Dolphin.ini. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch.
Nothing layered on the emulator. The widescreen hack stays off: Wii games are 16:9 on their own and the GameCube ones that offer 16:9 do it in their own options; a hack would push menus off screen. The Wii Remote is emulated on the gamepad with the Nunchuk attached (a base mapping; the motion games are tuned one by one at first play).
Set up, not yet played
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 (Switch)
The Switch title on Eden (Vulkan) in docked mode at 2x, which is 2160p on this display, 16x anisotropic filtering, SMAA, vsync, fullscreen; its 1.0.1 update installed.
Emulator and version
Launch eden.exe -f -g "<the title's NSP>"
Base NSP (US). Update v1.0.1 (v65536) installed into the emulator's user NAND from the update NSP (title keys already held) The base game NSP, US region (its title id is a 16-digit number the site gate reads as a phone number, so it stays out of the page)
Emulator (qt-config.ini)
backend Vulkan
resolution_setup 2x (docked 1080p rendered at 2160p, the display's own 4K)
use_vsync 0 (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
scaling_filter bilinear (no-op at an exact 4K output)
aspect_ratio 0
anti_aliasing SMAA (edge-only, no texture blur)
fullscreen_mode borderless
gpu_accuracy high
max_anisotropy 16x
use_disk_shader_cache true
use_asynchronous_shaders false
language_index English (American)
region_index USA
use_docked_mode docked
fullscreen true
enable_discord_presence false
confirmStop never ask on stop
pauseWhenInBackground false
hideInactiveMouse true
check_for_updates false
Read from the emulator's qt-config.ini after the run.
No HDR from this emulator (later retrofit item). No mods, cheats or speed hacks.
Set up, not yet played
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Nintendo DS)
The DS cartridge on melonDS with its OpenGL renderer at 8x (2048x1536 per screen), both screens stacked at their native shape, no filtering, direct boot.
Emulator and version
Launch melonDS.exe -f "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (USA) (En,Fr,Es).nds"
Game file Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (USA) (En,Fr,Es).nds
Emulator
Emulator melonDS 1.1
Launch melonDS.exe -f <the game file> (fullscreen)
melonDS.toml, the values that decide the picture
3D.Renderer 1
3D.GL.ScaleFactor 8
3D.GL.BetterPolygons true
3D.GL.HiresCoordinates true
Screen.UseGL true
Screen.VSync false (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
Instance0.Window0.ScreenFilter false
Instance0.Window0.IntegerScaling false
Instance0.Window0.ScreenLayout 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenSizing 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenGap 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenAspectTop 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenAspectBot 0
Emu.ConsoleType 0
Emu.DirectBoot true
Emu.ExternalBIOSEnable false
LimitFPS true
AudioSync false
Read directly from melonDS.toml.
No console BIOS or firmware dump is used: the emulator's replacement BIOS with direct boot. No HDR from this emulator; a later retrofit item, as for the arcade entries. The picture is not filtered.
Set up, not yet played
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (Wii)
The Wii disc on Dolphin at 6x internal resolution (about 4K) with the emulator's own HDR output, native 16:9.
Emulator and version
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e "Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,Es).rvz"
Disc image Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,Es).rvz
Emulator
Emulator Dolphin
Graphics backend D3D12
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e <the disc image>
Graphics: settings (GFX.ini)
InternalResolution 6
AspectRatio 0
MSAA 1
SSAA False
wideScreenHack False
Crop False
ShaderCompilationMode 0
WaitForShadersBeforeStarting True
BackendMultithreading True
VSync False
ShowFPS False
Graphics: enhancements and HDR (GFX.ini)
MaxAnisotropy 4
PostProcessingShader AutoHDR
HDROutput True
ForceTrueColor True
DisableCopyFilter True
ArbitraryMipmapDetection True
HDRPaperWhiteNits 200
Graphics: hacks (GFX.ini)
EFBAccessEnable True
EFBToTextureEnable True
ImmediateXFBEnable False
SkipDuplicateXFBs True
DeferEFBCopies True
General (Dolphin.ini)
Fullscreen True
RenderToMain False
SkipIPL True
EnableCheats False
SyncGPU False
OverclockEnable False
MMU False
ConfirmStop True
Controller (WiimoteNew.ini, emulated Wii Remote 1 on the gamepad)
Device XInput gamepad
Extension Nunchuk
A / B A button / right trigger
1 / 2 X / Y
- / + / Home Back / Start / right stick click
D-Pad the pad
Pointer (IR) right stick
Wii Remote shake right shoulder
Tilt right stick, with the left stick click as modifier
Nunchuk stick left stick
Nunchuk C / Z left shoulder / left trigger
Nunchuk shake left shoulder
Emulated GameCube controller still on the same gamepad; the games that accept a GameCube controller (Unleashed, Colors, Riders: Zero Gravity) can use it from their own options
Read directly from Dolphin's GFX.ini and Dolphin.ini. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch.
Nothing layered on the emulator. The widescreen hack stays off: Wii games are 16:9 on their own and the GameCube ones that offer 16:9 do it in their own options; a hack would push menus off screen. The Wii Remote is emulated on the gamepad with the Nunchuk attached (a base mapping; the motion games are tuned one by one at first play).
Set up, not yet played
Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U)
The Wii U title on Cemu (Vulkan) with the community graphic pack's 3840x2160 preset and 16x anisotropic filtering, fullscreen, vsync.
Emulator and version
Launch Cemu.exe -g "<the title's rpx>" -f
Title folder dump (code/content/meta), with its Update installed into the emulator's title store unison.rpx
Emulator (settings.xml)
Emulator Cemu
Graphics API Vulkan
Fullscreen true
VSync 0 (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
Upscale filter bicubic
Async shader compile true
Accurate barriers true
Graphic packs enabled for this title
TV resolution (graphic pack) 3840x2160
Anisotropic filtering (graphic pack) 16x
Read from Cemu's settings.xml and the enabled graphic pack presets.
No HDR from this emulator (later retrofit item). Graphic packs are used only for resolution, filtering and emulator-accuracy workarounds; no mod, cheat or FPS pack is enabled.
Set up, not yet played
Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (Wii U)
The Wii U title on Cemu (Vulkan) with the community graphic pack's 3840x2160 preset and 16x anisotropic filtering, fullscreen, vsync.
Emulator and version
Launch Cemu.exe -g "<the title's rpx>" -f
Title folder dump (code/content/meta), with its Update installed into the emulator's title store urals.rpx
Emulator (settings.xml)
Emulator Cemu
Graphics API Vulkan
Fullscreen true
VSync 0 (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
Upscale filter bicubic
Async shader compile true
Accurate barriers true
Graphic packs enabled for this title
TV resolution (graphic pack) 3840x2160
Anisotropic filtering (graphic pack) 16x
Read from Cemu's settings.xml and the enabled graphic pack presets.
No HDR from this emulator (later retrofit item). Graphic packs are used only for resolution, filtering and emulator-accuracy workarounds; no mod, cheat or FPS pack is enabled.
Played on stream (2 sessions, last 5 Jul 2026)
Resident Evil Requiem
Maxed-out path-traced 4K with a clean, grain-free image tuned for streaming. Every single setting from the game's own config is listed below so you can replicate it 1:1 - display, ray tracing, image quality, HDR sliders, the engine/render block, the exact DLSS versions I swapped in, and the driver profile. Film grain, motion blur, bloom, and lens distortion are off so the picture stays sharp on the encode.
Display & window
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Window mode Borderless
Display device my monitor
Refresh rate 60 Hz
Frame rate Variable (uncapped)
V-Sync On
Color space Rec. 2020
Display gamma 10
Display safe area 10
Button icon type Xbox Series (XBS)
Image quality rate 5
HDR & brightness (in-game HDR - read the notes below)
HDR On (mode: Auto)
Max Brightness Slide fully RIGHT to the max stop (= +20)
Min Brightness Slide fully LEFT to the min stop (= -20)
Brightness HDR Leave the slider centered / middle - the default (= 0, ~300 nits)
Upscaling & frame generation
Upscaling algorithm DLSS
DLSS quality Max Quality
Frame generation DLSS 4x
Reflex low latency (DLSS) On
Upscaling sharpness 0 (off)
FSR1 upscaling quality (fallback) Quality
Ray tracing & lighting
Ray tracing On - Path Tracing (Standard)
Screen-space reflections (SSR) On
Contact shadows On
Dynamic shadows On
Shadow quality Highest
Shadow cache On
Ambient occlusion (AO) quality High
Volumetric fog quality Highest
Particle lighting On
Image quality
Overall draw-quality preset Custom
Visual quality level High
Texture quality High
Texture filtering Anisotropic 16x
Transparent buffer quality Standard
Mesh quality High
Effect quality High
Subsurface scattering (SSS) quality High
Lens flare quality High
Hair / strands On
Anti-aliasing TAA
Depth of field On
Turned off for a cleaner stream image
Film grain Off
Motion blur Off
Bloom Off
Lens distortion Off
Engine / render (advanced - the game's render block)
Graphics API DirectX 12
Mesh shaders Allowed (force off)
Parallel command-list build On (8 worker threads)
Compute queue pairing On
Independent render worker On
Tight-fit shader cache On
Eco shader cache On
Render worker thread priority above normal Off
Why my HDR sliders look like that (and why yours might differ)
Resident Evil Requiem uses IN-GAME HDR - you calibrate it inside the game, not just in Windows. The catch: the in-game calibration image is misleading. The sliders show no numbers, and the picture you adjust against doesn't reflect what the game actually outputs, so it nudges you toward the wrong values on a bright display.
My monitor is an OLED that peaks around 1000 nits in HDR. Analysis of the game's actual output shows the Max Brightness slider reaches roughly 950 nits when pushed fully right (+20), while the default center (0) only puts out around 700 nits. So on a ~1000-nit screen I slide Max Brightness all the way right to use the full range my panel can show - the calibration image makes that look 'too bright,' but the real output is right where it should be.
Min Brightness goes fully left (-20) to hold a true black point. On an OLED, black pixels are genuinely off, so keeping the floor down preserves real inky blacks instead of lifting shadows into grey.
Brightness HDR I leave dead center at the default (0, about 300 nits). That's the mid/paper-white balance for the tone-map - the cleanest, easiest-on-the-eyes middle ground; pushing it just crushes or washes the mid-tones.
Important: these are tuned to MY 1000-nit OLED. If your monitor peaks lower (say 400-600 nits) you should NOT slam Max Brightness fully right - match it to your own panel's peak. Treat my numbers as the reference for a 1000-nit OLED, not a universal preset.
driver control panel settings
These are my actual driver control panel settings, read straight off my screen - not defaults. I do most of the tuning at the global level so every game inherits it, and Resident Evil Requiem reads from that same global profile (no separate per-game overrides). Driver: GeForce Game Ready 610.62. The headline ones: Power Management on Prefer maximum performance, Texture Filtering on High quality, V-Sync On with G-SYNC, a 237 FPS frame cap, and the DLSS model-preset override below.
DLSS version swap (via DLSS Swapper)
I updated all of Requiem's DLSS DLLs to the latest version using the DLSS Swapper app - upscaling, Ray Reconstruction, and Frame Generation - then set DLSS to Max Quality and Frame Generation to DLSS 4x in-game. The game shipped with the 310.3 DLLs; these are what I run now:
DLSS Super Resolution (nvngx_dlss.dll) v310.7 (game shipped with v310.3)
DLSS Ray Reconstruction (nvngx_dlssd.dll) v310.7 (game shipped with v310.3)
DLSS Frame Generation (nvngx_dlssg.dll) v310.7 (game shipped with v310.3)
In-game DLSS preset Max Quality
In-game Frame Generation DLSS 4x
Every setting above is read directly from the game's own config (config.ini, GameOption + render blocks), the NVIDIA driver profile database, and the DLSS Swapper database - so it matches exactly what runs on stream. Resident Evil Requiem keeps its audio levels, language, and subtitle settings inside the encrypted Steam Cloud save rather than the readable config file, so those few aren't listed here. Audio for the stream is handled on the mixer side (SM7B + RODECaster), not in-game.
Mods
REFramework The modding framework for RE Engine games - required to load the script mods below. Installed here as dinput8.dll in the game folder.
No Film Grain (REFramework script) Disables the film-grain filter at runtime for a clean, sharp picture on stream - on top of the in-game film grain already being off.
Requiem FOV (REFramework script) Adds the field-of-view control the game ships without. Set wide but not fish-eye: 100 degrees horizontal for both Leon and Grace; aim-down-sights left at stock so it still zooms in. Per-character Leon/Grace profiles, and the interaction prompts and item markers stay anchored across the camera change.
Single-player, offline only. Every one of these is a PRESENTATION or capture adjustment - film grain, motion blur, lens distortion, vignette, field of view - never content, art, enemies, or difficulty. Same principle as running the game sharper than the hardware of its day could: the game the developers built is untouched; only how it reaches the camera changes. Installed with Vortex plus hand-placed REFramework scripts.
Now playing
Returnal
4K with native HDR and every image-smearing effect disabled through engine overrides rather than by lowering quality. Texture streaming is switched off because it was the actual cause of textures failing to load in long sessions.
Display & window
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Window mode Exclusive fullscreen
Display device my monitor
In-game V-Sync False
Frame rate limit 0.000000 (uncapped in-game; the driver owns the cap)
Dynamic resolution False
HDR
HDR output True
HDR peak brightness 1000 nits
Note Native HDR is good here, so nothing is layered on top of it.
DLSS
Mode DLSS_Quality
Sharpness 0.000000
Frame generation True
DLL preset Preset K, updated with DLSS Swapper
Effects disabled by engine override (Engine.ini)
Depth of field (default feature) 0 - off
Lens flare (default feature) 0 - off
Motion blur (default feature) 0 - off
Depth of field 0 - off
Lens flare 0 - off
Motion blur (max) 0 - off
Motion blur 0 - off
Chromatic aberration (max) 0 - off
Chromatic aberration 0 - off
Tonemapper extras (grain, vignette) 0 - off
Launch options
-notexturestreaming Texture streaming off. This is a FIX, not a quality change: with streaming on, textures stopped loading correctly after several hours of play.
Read directly from the game's GameUserSettings.ini and the [SystemSettings] block of its Engine.ini.
Mods
DLSS Swapper Used to keep the DLSS libraries current and to pin the preset.
Process Lasso A CPU set pins the game to the cache-heavy core cluster, and its automatic priority balancing is excluded for this game.
Nothing here reduces visual quality. The disabled effects are the ones that blur or dirty the image - motion blur, depth of field, lens flare, chromatic aberration and grain - and everything else stays maxed.
Set up, not yet played
SegaSonic Cosmo Fighter Galaxy Patrol (Arcade)
The 1993 ride board, world set (it carries English), emulated fullscreen with integer scaling and no filtering.
Emulator
Emulator MAME 0.289
Romset (the name the emulator launches) sonicfgt
Romset check romset sonicfgt is good
Launch mame.exe sonicfgt
The values I changed from the defaults (mame.ini)
video auto
window 0
keepaspect 1
unevenstretch 0
filter 0
prescale 4
skip_gameinfo 1
trackball_device mouse
Video output (as the emulator reports it)
video auto
numscreens 1
window 0
maximize 1
waitvsync 0
syncrefresh 0
monitorprovider auto
Scaling and filtering
filter 0
prescale 4
Render (aspect and stretching)
keepaspect 1
unevenstretch 0
unevenstretchx 0
unevenstretchy 0
autostretchxy 0
intoverscan 0
intscalex 0
intscaley 0
Rotation
rotate 1
ror 0
rol 0
autoror 0
autorol 0
flipx 0
flipy 0
Screen (brightness, contrast, gamma, effect overlay)
brightness 1.0
contrast 1.0
gamma 1.0
pause_brightness 0.65
effect none
Artwork
artwork_crop 0
fallback_artwork (empty)
override_artwork (empty)
artwork_font default
Performance and throttling
autoframeskip 0
frameskip 0
seconds_to_run 0
throttle 1
sleep 1
speed 1.0
refreshspeed 0
lowlatency 0
Sound
samplerate 48000
samples 1
volume 0
Per-window video
screen auto
aspect auto
resolution auto
view auto
The changed values are read from mame.ini; everything else is the emulator's own report of its effective configuration (mame -showconfig). The romset check line is the emulator's own verdict (mame -verifyroms).
The emulator has no HDR output of its own, so this one runs in SDR for now; an HDR retrofit is the open item. No filter, no overlay, integer scaling with a small letterbox rather than uneven pixels. The emulator opens this board on its own notice about imperfectly emulated graphics; press any key and the board boots (about 30 seconds of black before the attract mode is normal).
Set up, not yet played
SegaSonic Popcorn Shop (Arcade)
The 1993 popcorn-vending cabinet's game board, emulated fullscreen with integer scaling and no filtering.
Emulator
Emulator MAME 0.289
Romset (the name the emulator launches) sonicpop
Romset check romset sonicpop is good
Launch mame.exe sonicpop
The values I changed from the defaults (mame.ini)
video auto
window 0
keepaspect 1
unevenstretch 0
filter 0
prescale 4
skip_gameinfo 1
trackball_device mouse
Video output (as the emulator reports it)
video auto
numscreens 1
window 0
maximize 1
waitvsync 0
syncrefresh 0
monitorprovider auto
Scaling and filtering
filter 0
prescale 4
Render (aspect and stretching)
keepaspect 1
unevenstretch 0
unevenstretchx 0
unevenstretchy 0
autostretchxy 0
intoverscan 0
intscalex 0
intscaley 0
Rotation
rotate 1
ror 0
rol 0
autoror 0
autorol 0
flipx 0
flipy 0
Screen (brightness, contrast, gamma, effect overlay)
brightness 1.0
contrast 1.0
gamma 1.0
pause_brightness 0.65
effect none
Artwork
artwork_crop 0
fallback_artwork (empty)
override_artwork (empty)
artwork_font default
Performance and throttling
autoframeskip 0
frameskip 0
seconds_to_run 0
throttle 1
sleep 1
speed 1.0
refreshspeed 0
lowlatency 0
Sound
samplerate 48000
samples 1
volume 0
Per-window video
screen auto
aspect auto
resolution auto
view auto
The changed values are read from mame.ini; everything else is the emulator's own report of its effective configuration (mame -showconfig). The romset check line is the emulator's own verdict (mame -verifyroms).
The emulator has no HDR output of its own, so this one runs in SDR for now; an HDR retrofit is the open item. No filter, no overlay, integer scaling with a small letterbox rather than uneven pixels. The emulator opens this board on its own notice about imperfectly emulated graphics; press any key and the board boots (about 30 seconds of black before the attract mode is normal).
Set up, not yet played
SegaSonic the Hedgehog (Arcade)
The 1993 trackball arcade game, emulated fullscreen with integer scaling and no filtering. The cabinet's trackball is the control to map; that mapping is recorded once it has been played.
Emulator
Emulator MAME 0.289
Romset (the name the emulator launches) sonic
Romset check romset sonic is good
Launch mame.exe sonic
The values I changed from the defaults (mame.ini)
video auto
window 0
keepaspect 1
unevenstretch 0
filter 0
prescale 4
skip_gameinfo 1
trackball_device mouse
Video output (as the emulator reports it)
video auto
numscreens 1
window 0
maximize 1
waitvsync 0
syncrefresh 0
monitorprovider auto
Scaling and filtering
filter 0
prescale 4
Render (aspect and stretching)
keepaspect 1
unevenstretch 0
unevenstretchx 0
unevenstretchy 0
autostretchxy 0
intoverscan 0
intscalex 0
intscaley 0
Rotation
rotate 1
ror 0
rol 0
autoror 0
autorol 0
flipx 0
flipy 0
Screen (brightness, contrast, gamma, effect overlay)
brightness 1.0
contrast 1.0
gamma 1.0
pause_brightness 0.65
effect none
Artwork
artwork_crop 0
fallback_artwork (empty)
override_artwork (empty)
artwork_font default
Performance and throttling
autoframeskip 0
frameskip 0
seconds_to_run 0
throttle 1
sleep 1
speed 1.0
refreshspeed 0
lowlatency 0
Sound
samplerate 48000
samples 1
volume 0
Per-window video
screen auto
aspect auto
resolution auto
view auto
The changed values are read from mame.ini; everything else is the emulator's own report of its effective configuration (mame -showconfig). The romset check line is the emulator's own verdict (mame -verifyroms).
The emulator has no HDR output of its own, so this one runs in SDR for now; an HDR retrofit is the open item. No filter, no overlay, integer scaling with a small letterbox rather than uneven pixels. The emulator opens this board on its own notice about imperfectly emulated graphics; press any key and the board boots (about 30 seconds of black before the attract mode is normal).
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam (Original Xbox)
The Xbox version, which contains both campaigns plus content that exists nowhere else, patched for real anamorphic 16:9.
Emulation
Emulator xemu
Renderer Vulkan
Internal resolution scale 8x
Aspect ratio 16:9
Disc image Converted to the format the emulator reads directly
Read directly from the emulator's own config.
Mods
Widescreen patch Applied to the game executable inside the disc image, in place. This renders a genuinely wider view rather than stretching a 4:3 image - verified by measuring a circular HUD element and confirming it is still round.
This version is not a straight port. It adds a weapon and an item that the PC versions do not have, and a lives system, but has fewer enemies on screen and smaller levels.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam (Palm OS)
The handheld version, emulated. Its screen is square, not widescreen or 4:3.
Emulation
Emulator RetroArch, Mu core
Emulated device Palm m515/Palm OS 4.1
Graffiti input area enabled - hiding it leaves a true 1:1 square image
CPU speed 1.0
Joystick as mouse enabled
Window mode Exclusive fullscreen
Read directly from the emulator core's option file.
Because the image is square rather than 4:3, it leaves a wide empty band on each side of a 16:9 screen. That is filled on the stream side with a dark, blurred extension of the game's own edge colours, so nothing is stretched or cropped.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam 2
4K with a derived 16:9 field of view and Float16 scRGB HDR through dgVoodoo2. Its config file is deliberately read-only, because the engine deletes any line it does not recognise the moment it saves.
Display & window
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Display device my monitor
Graphics API 2
Engine HDR rendering On
Image quality
Texture quality 0 (highest)
Lightmap quality 0 (highest)
Dynamic shadow quality 3
Lens flare quality 3
View
Field of view 96.4183 (derived for 16:9)
Weapon FOV fix On
Menu safe zone 544 x 408
dgVoodoo2 (D3D9 to D3D11 wrapper)
Output API d3d11_fl11_0
Colour space argb16161616_hdr (Float16 HDR output)
Presentation model flip_discard
Emulated VRAM 2GB) MB
Filtering appdriven
Read directly from Sam2.ini and dgVoodoo.conf. Field of view is derived, never copied between games: hfov(16:9) = 2*atan(tan(hfov(4:3)/2) * 3/4 * 16/9). Every engine has a different 4:3 default, so the same number is a different view in a different game.
Mods
dgVoodoo2 D3D9.dll in the Bin folder, outputting Float16 scRGB HDR.
Large Address Aware patch Same 2 GB address-space fix as the HD games.
One quirk worth knowing: because a wrapper changes the reported graphics device, the game shows a 'your graphic card has been changed' notice on every launch unless the stored device name in its config is updated to match.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam 3: BFE
4K with every post-processing effect that smears the image switched off, and a derived 16:9 field of view. HDR is added by the graphics driver, since the game has none.
Display
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Platform PC
Display device my monitor
Tuned settings (from the game's own user.cfg)
gfx_bFullScreen 1 - exclusive fullscreen - lowest latency
gfx_pixResWidth 3840 - 4K is the floor
gfx_pixResHeight 2160
gfx_iWaitVSyncs 0 - in-game VSync OFF - the driver owns it
gfx_iMaxFPSActive 10000 - cap unlimited - driver owns the 237 cap
ren_fMax3DRenderingMPix 8.3 - QL5 caps 3D at 2.0 MPix (~1885x1060); 4K needs 8.2944
tex_iAnisotropy 16 - 16x anisotropic
tex_pixMaxSize 4096 - allow 4096 textures
efx_bMotionBlur 0 - BANNED
efx_bDepthOfField 0 - BANNED
sha_bAllowZoomBlurring 0 - BANNED - blur
plr_fFOVOverride 106.2602 - derived: base 90 -> 16:9
Read directly from the game's user.cfg. The comments are the actual reasons the value was chosen, not added afterwards. Field of view is derived, never copied between games: hfov(16:9) = 2*atan(tan(hfov(4:3)/2) * 3/4 * 16/9). Every engine has a different 4:3 default, so the same number is a different view in a different game.
Nothing is modded here - these are the engine's own console variables, written to user.cfg so they load after the saved settings and win.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam 4
4K with the game's own native HDR switched on. Worth knowing: the GOG build is a version AHEAD of the Steam one.
Display
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Platform PC (GOG)
Display device my monitor
Tuned settings (from the game's own user.cfg)
gfx_bFullScreen 1 - exclusive fullscreen - lowest latency
gfx_pixResWidth 3840 - 4K is the floor
gfx_pixResHeight 2160
gfx_iWaitVSyncs 0 - in-game VSync OFF - the driver owns it
gfx_iMaxFPSActive 10000 - cap unlimited - driver owns the 237 cap
ren_fMax3DRenderingMPix 8.3 - QL5 caps 3D at 2.0 MPix (~1885x1060); 4K needs 8.2944
tex_iAnisotropy 16 - 16x anisotropic
tex_pixMaxSize 4096 - allow 4096 textures
efx_bMotionBlur 0 - BANNED
efx_bDepthOfField 0 - BANNED
gfx_bHDROutput 1 - NATIVE HDR ON (then RTX HDR must be OFF for this exe)
Read directly from the game's user.cfg. The comments are the actual reasons the value was chosen, not added afterwards. Field of view is derived, never copied between games: hfov(16:9) = 2*atan(tan(hfov(4:3)/2) * 3/4 * 16/9). Every engine has a different 4:3 default, so the same number is a different view in a different game.
Nothing is modded here - these are the engine's own console variables, written to user.cfg so they load after the saved settings and win.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam Advance
The Game Boy Advance entry - an original story, not a port - on a cycle-accurate emulator.
Emulation
Emulator NanoBoyAdvance (cycle-accurate)
Scale 2
Fullscreen true
Filter sharp
Colour correction agb - matches the original handheld screen's colour response
LCD ghosting false
Display device my monitor
Read directly from the emulator's own config file.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam Classics: Revolution
The classic 2001 engine running at native 4K with hardware-accurate EAX reverb restored and real scRGB HDR added on top. Every value below is read from the game's own PersistentSymbols.ini.
Display & window
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Window mode Fullscreen
Display device my monitor
Renderer OpenGL
Colour depth Desktop default
Textures & filtering
Texture filtering Anisotropic, highest quality (21)
Anisotropic filtering 16x
Texture quality Maximum the 32-bit engine allows (3x); 4x is not reachable
Audio
Sound interface DirectSound (wrapped by DSOAL)
Sound format 3
EAX reverb Enabled - confirmed by 'EAX: Enabled' in the game's own log
Input & view
Field of view 106.2602 (derived for 16:9, not copied)
Mouse filtering Off
Horizontal sensitivity 1
Vertical sensitivity 0.75
Invert vertical Off
HDR (added by Special K)
16-bit swap chain true
scRGB luminance 12.5 (= 1000 nits)
scRGB paper white 2.5 (= 200 nits)
How Special K as OpenGL32.dll. On this one it is load-bearing beyond HDR - without it the game renders a black screen under Windows HDR, because it is an OpenGL-only fork with no Direct3D fallback.
Read directly from PersistentSymbols.ini and the Special K profile. Field of view is derived, never copied between games: hfov(16:9) = 2*atan(tan(hfov(4:3)/2) * 3/4 * 16/9). Every engine has a different 4:3 default, so the same number is a different view in a different game.
Mods
Special K Renamed to OpenGL32.dll in the game's Bin folder. Supplies the 16-bit scRGB swap chain.
DSOAL dsound.dll + alsoft.ini. Restores the EAX hardware reverb that Windows Vista removed when it deleted hardware audio mixing. Without it these games are dry.
Both are restoration layers, not enhancements - they put back what modern Windows took away. Nothing about the gameplay is altered.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam Double D (2011 original)
The original 2011 release, which has to be played alongside the later expanded version because that one removed things. It is a 2D game built on an old framework, so the work here was getting real HDR out of it and choosing the best aspect-correct mode it will accept.
Display
Full Screen On
Resolution 1600 x 900, the highest 16:9 mode the game offers
Vsync Enabled
Draw Shaders On, it ships disabled, which quietly drops the game's visual effects
HDR
Output Real scRGB high dynamic range
Swap chain format R16G16B16A16_SFLOAT (16-bit float per channel)
Colour space Extended sRGB linear
How it is reached A translation layer converts the game's old graphics calls to a modern one and upgrades the swap chain to floating point.
Two things about this game are worth knowing, because neither is obvious.
The first is where the graphics layer has to live. Games built on this framework do not load their graphics library from their own folder, the framework pulls it from a shared system location instead, so a file dropped next to the game is simply ignored. The layer therefore has to sit in that shared location. But its configuration file is read from the game's own folder, so a game with the layer available but no configuration beside it gets no high dynamic range at all and gives no warning. That was the entire difference between this version and the expanded one: one file.
The second is the resolution ceiling. The list of resolutions is built into the game itself rather than read from the screen, and it stops at a size that was generous in 2011. The display offers far more, and the game will not show any of it. 1600 x 900 is the largest 16:9 option available, so it is the one that keeps everything the correct shape with nothing stretched, and the graphics card scales it up to fill the screen. The later expanded version has an updated list and does not have this limit.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam Double D XXL
An XNA game in HDR, which took a third approach entirely: DXVK translates Direct3D 9 to Vulkan and upgrades ONLY the swap chain, so the game itself never sees a change.
Display
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Display device my monitor
DXVK (D3D9 to Vulkan, HDR build)
Swap chain upgrade true
Swap chain format rgba16_sfloat
Swap chain colour space scRGB
Window mode enforcement disabled
Why this one needed a different tool
XNA validates its back buffer format strictly. Any HDR method that reformats the buffer makes the .NET runtime throw and the game closes instantly - both 16-bit and 10-bit attempts failed that way. A D3D9-to-D3D11 wrapper failed differently, crashing on a device reset the game cannot handle.
The DXVK HDR build upgrades only the swap chain - the surface actually handed to the display - and leaves the game's own render targets untouched. The game is none the wiser, and the output is Float16 scRGB.
One placement detail: XNA loads its Direct3D from a shared framework folder rather than the game folder, so the wrapper has to live where the framework looks, not next to the executable.
Read directly from dxvk.conf.
Mods
DXVK (HDR build) Translates D3D9 to Vulkan and upgrades the swap chain to Float16 scRGB.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter
A DirectX 9 game with no HDR of its own, running 4K HDR anyway: dgVoodoo2 re-implements D3D9 on top of D3D11 and emits a Float16 scRGB swap chain itself.
Display & window
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Window mode Fullscreen
Display device my monitor
Refresh rate 240 Hz
In-game V-Sync Off
Frame cap 10000 (effectively uncapped in-game)
Image
Post-processing On
Engine HDR rendering On
Gamma 1
Output levels 256
dgVoodoo2 (D3D9 to D3D11 wrapper)
Output API d3d11_fl11_0
Colour space argb16161616_hdr (Float16 HDR output)
Presentation model flip_discard
Forced resolution max, refrate:60
Emulated VRAM 2GB) MB
Filtering appdriven
Anti-aliasing appdriven
Watermark false
How a 2009 DirectX 9 game ends up in HDR
Direct3D 9 has no concept of an HDR swap chain, so there is nothing for an HDR injector to attach to. The trick is to change the API underneath the game: dgVoodoo2 re-implements D3D9 on Direct3D 11, and then emits a Float16 scRGB swap chain of its own.
The important detail is that dgVoodoo does the HDR itself. Layering a second HDR injector on top to override the buffer format is what crashed this engine for weeks - the game cannot survive its back buffer being reformatted under it.
The other half is memory. A 32-bit game only gets 2 GB of address space, and at 4K with a wrapper holding its own resources the engine runs out and reports 'Direct3D: Out of memory' while tens of gigabytes are still free. The executable is patched Large Address Aware to raise that ceiling.
Read directly from the game's own config and from dgVoodoo.conf.
Mods
dgVoodoo2 D3D9.dll beside the executable. Translates the game to Direct3D 11 and outputs Float16 scRGB HDR.
Large Address Aware patch A single header flag on the executable, raising the 32-bit address-space ceiling from 2 GB to 4 GB.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam HD: The Second Encounter
The 2009-era remake of the second campaign, running at native 4K with real high dynamic range and its add-on campaign installed. Every value below is read from the game's own configuration file.
Display & window
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Window mode Fullscreen
Display device my monitor
Refresh rate 240 Hz
In-game V-Sync Off
Frame cap 10000 (effectively uncapped in-game)
Image
Post-processing On
Engine HDR rendering On
Gamma 1
Output levels 256
Tuned settings (from the game's own user.cfg)
gfx_bFullScreen 1 - exclusive fullscreen - lowest latency
gfx_pixResWidth 3840 - 4K is the floor
gfx_pixResHeight 2160
gfx_iWaitVSyncs 0 - in-game VSync OFF - the driver owns it
gfx_iMaxFPSActive 10000 - cap unlimited - driver owns the 237 cap
ren_fMax3DRenderingMPix 8.3 - QL5 caps 3D at 2.0 MPix (~1885x1060); 4K needs 8.2944
tex_iAnisotropy 16 - 16x anisotropic
tex_pixMaxSize 4096 - allow 4096 textures
efx_bMotionBlur 0 - BANNED
efx_bDepthOfField 0 - BANNED
sha_bAllowZoomBlurring 0 - BANNED - blur
inp_bMouseAcceleration 0 - BANNED
inp_bMouseSmoothing 0 - BANNED
plr_fFOVOverride 106.2602 - derived: base 90 -> 16:9
HDR
Output Real scRGB high dynamic range
How it is reached A single compatibility layer beside the game, which upgrades the presentation path, nothing else is needed
Peak luminance 1000 nits
Paper white 200 nits
Measured result Brightest pixel reaches 3.0 where standard range tops out at 1.0, with roughly 1.4% of the picture above standard white
Content
Add-on campaign Installed, three extra levels plus additional versus and survival maps
First Encounter pack Installed, lets the earlier campaign be played inside this game
Verified Both confirmed mounted by the engine at startup, marked as official content
How a 2009 DirectX 9 game ends up in HDR
Direct3D 9 has no concept of an HDR swap chain, so there is nothing for an HDR injector to attach to. The trick is to change the API underneath the game: dgVoodoo2 re-implements D3D9 on Direct3D 11, and then emits a Float16 scRGB swap chain of its own.
The important detail is that dgVoodoo does the HDR itself. Layering a second HDR injector on top to override the buffer format is what crashed this engine for weeks - the game cannot survive its back buffer being reformatted under it.
The other half is memory. A 32-bit game only gets 2 GB of address space, and at 4K with a wrapper holding its own resources the engine runs out and reports 'Direct3D: Out of memory' while tens of gigabytes are still free. The executable is patched Large Address Aware to raise that ceiling.
Getting high dynamic range out of this game took three attempts, and the two that failed are worth recording because they look correct on paper.
The first attempt put a wrapper in front of the game to translate its old graphics calls to a modern interface, and told that wrapper to produce a floating-point output. It ran, and measuring the picture showed the brightest pixel sitting at exactly 1.0, the ceiling of standard range. So the container was high dynamic range while the contents were not. That is the trap: the pipeline reports success and the image is unchanged.
The second attempt kept the wrapper but handed the output stage to a second layer, which did produce genuine high dynamic range. It also crashed, repeatedly and with a divide-by-zero inside the wrapper, which no amount of configuration fixed.
The third attempt removed the wrapper entirely and used the second layer on its own. That is the arrangement in place now: one file beside the game, real floating-point output, and two consecutive clean launches with no crash reports. Fewer moving parts turned out to be both more correct and more stable.
One practical note that is easy to lose an evening to: this game must be started through the store client rather than by running the executable directly. Launched directly it exits immediately with no window and no error, because the engine unpacks part of itself at startup and needs that context. The failure looks exactly like a crash and is not one.
Mods
dgVoodoo2 D3D9.dll beside the executable. Translates the game to Direct3D 11 and outputs Float16 scRGB HDR.
Large Address Aware patch A single header flag on the executable, raising the 32-bit address-space ceiling from 2 GB to 4 GB.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam's Bogus Detour
4K with scRGB HDR. This one ignores any library placed next to it, so the HDR layer has to be injected a different way.
Display
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Display device my monitor
HDR (Special K, global injection)
Swap chain format Float16 (R16G16B16A16_FLOAT)
Colour space scRGB (G10_NONE_P709)
scRGB luminance 12.5 (= 1000 nits)
scRGB paper white 2.5 (= 200 nits)
Confirmed from Special K's own log for this game.
Mods
Special K (global injection) The engine resolves its graphics libraries by absolute system path, so a renamed library in the game folder is never even looked at. A system-wide hook is the only thing that reaches it - armed at launch and removed again when the game exits, so nothing stays resident.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam: Kamikaze Attack!
4K with scRGB HDR retrofitted by Special K onto the existing swap chain.
Display
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Window mode Exclusive fullscreen
Display device my monitor
HDR (Special K)
16-bit swap chain true
scRGB luminance 12.5 (= 1000 nits)
scRGB paper white 2.5 (= 200 nits)
Read directly from the Special K profile beside the game.
Mods
Special K Loaded as dxgi.dll beside the executable.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam: Next Encounter (GameCube)
Emulated at six times the original internal resolution, in its true 4:3 shape.
Emulation
Emulator Dolphin
Graphics backend Direct3D 12
Internal resolution 6x native (about 4K)
Aspect ratio Auto - the game is 4:3 and stays 4:3
Widescreen hack False - it clips the game's own menu, so it is deliberately off
Anisotropic filtering 4x
In-emulator V-Sync False
Safe texture cache 128
System BIOS Not required to play
Read directly from the emulator's own graphics config.
The widescreen hack does render a genuinely wider view rather than stretching, but this game's menus are authored for 4:3 and get pushed off screen, so it is left off. Pillarboxing is handled on the stream side instead.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem
Same engine and the same treatment as Serious Sam 4, with native HDR on.
Display
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Platform PC (GOG)
Display device my monitor
Tuned settings (from the game's own user.cfg)
gfx_bFullScreen 1 - exclusive fullscreen - lowest latency
gfx_pixResWidth 3840 - 4K is the floor
gfx_pixResHeight 2160
gfx_iWaitVSyncs 0 - in-game VSync OFF - the driver owns it
gfx_iMaxFPSActive 10000 - cap unlimited - driver owns the 237 cap
ren_fMax3DRenderingMPix 8.3 - QL5 caps 3D at 2.0 MPix (~1885x1060); 4K needs 8.2944
tex_iAnisotropy 16 - 16x anisotropic
tex_pixMaxSize 4096 - allow 4096 textures
efx_bMotionBlur 0 - BANNED
efx_bDepthOfField 0 - BANNED
gfx_bHDROutput 1 - NATIVE HDR ON (then RTX HDR must be OFF for this exe)
Read directly from the game's user.cfg. The comments are the actual reasons the value was chosen, not added afterwards. Field of view is derived, never copied between games: hfov(16:9) = 2*atan(tan(hfov(4:3)/2) * 3/4 * 16/9). Every engine has a different 4:3 default, so the same number is a different view in a different game.
Nothing is modded here - these are the engine's own console variables, written to user.cfg so they load after the saved settings and win.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam: The First Encounter (Gold)
The classic 2001 engine running at native 4K with hardware-accurate EAX reverb restored and real scRGB HDR added on top. Every value below is read from the game's own PersistentSymbols.ini.
Display & window
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Window mode Fullscreen
Display device my monitor
Renderer OpenGL
Colour depth Desktop default
Textures & filtering
Texture filtering Anisotropic, highest quality (22)
Anisotropic filtering 16x
Texture quality Maximum the 32-bit engine allows (3x); 4x is not reachable
Audio
Sound interface DirectSound (wrapped by DSOAL)
Sound format 3
EAX reverb Enabled - confirmed by 'EAX: Enabled' in the game's own log
Input & view
Field of view 106.2602 (derived for 16:9, not copied)
Mouse filtering Off
HDR (added by Special K)
16-bit swap chain true
scRGB luminance 12.5 (= 1000 nits)
scRGB paper white 2.5 (= 200 nits)
How Special K loaded as OpenGL32.dll, which replaces the presentation path and gives the classic engine a real HDR swap chain.
Read directly from PersistentSymbols.ini and the Special K profile. Field of view is derived, never copied between games: hfov(16:9) = 2*atan(tan(hfov(4:3)/2) * 3/4 * 16/9). Every engine has a different 4:3 default, so the same number is a different view in a different game.
Mods
Special K Renamed to OpenGL32.dll in the game's Bin folder. Supplies the 16-bit scRGB swap chain.
DSOAL dsound.dll + alsoft.ini. Restores the EAX hardware reverb that Windows Vista removed when it deleted hardware audio mixing. Without it these games are dry.
Both are restoration layers, not enhancements - they put back what modern Windows took away. Nothing about the gameplay is altered.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam: The Random Encounter
A pixel-art game that draws through plain Windows GDI - no 3D swap chain at all - running in HDR through a two-stage chain.
Display
Forced resolution max, refrate:60
Display device my monitor
dgVoodoo2 (GDI capture to D3D11)
Output API d3d11_fl11_0
System hook gdi (routes GDI drawing into D3D11)
Filtering pointsampled (keeps the pixel art crisp)
Emulated VRAM 2GB) MB
HDR (Special K)
16-bit swap chain true
scRGB luminance 12.5 (= 1000 nits)
scRGB paper white 2.5 (= 200 nits)
Read directly from dgVoodoo.conf and the Special K profile.
Mods
dgVoodoo2 Hooks GDI drawing and re-presents it through Direct3D 11, which creates the swap chain that did not exist before.
Special K Retrofits Float16 scRGB HDR onto that swap chain.
Point sampling is deliberate. Any smoothing filter would blur pixel art that is meant to stay hard-edged.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam: The Second Encounter (Gold)
The classic 2001 engine running at native 4K with hardware-accurate EAX reverb restored and real scRGB HDR added on top. Every value below is read from the game's own PersistentSymbols.ini.
Display & window
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Window mode Fullscreen
Display device my monitor
Renderer OpenGL
Colour depth Desktop default
Textures & filtering
Texture filtering Anisotropic, highest quality (22)
Anisotropic filtering 16x
Texture quality Maximum the 32-bit engine allows (3x); 4x is not reachable
Audio
Sound interface DirectSound (wrapped by DSOAL)
Sound format 3
EAX reverb Enabled - confirmed by 'EAX: Enabled' in the game's own log
Input & view
Field of view 106.2602 (derived for 16:9, not copied)
Mouse filtering Off
HDR (added by Special K)
16-bit swap chain true
scRGB luminance 12.5 (= 1000 nits)
scRGB paper white 2.5 (= 200 nits)
How Special K loaded as OpenGL32.dll, same as the First Encounter.
Read directly from PersistentSymbols.ini and the Special K profile. Field of view is derived, never copied between games: hfov(16:9) = 2*atan(tan(hfov(4:3)/2) * 3/4 * 16/9). Every engine has a different 4:3 default, so the same number is a different view in a different game.
Mods
Special K Renamed to OpenGL32.dll in the game's Bin folder. Supplies the 16-bit scRGB swap chain.
DSOAL dsound.dll + alsoft.ini. Restores the EAX hardware reverb that Windows Vista removed when it deleted hardware audio mixing. Without it these games are dry.
Both are restoration layers, not enhancements - they put back what modern Windows took away. Nothing about the gameplay is altered.
Set up, not yet played
Serious Sam: Tormental
4K with scRGB HDR retrofitted by Special K onto the existing swap chain.
Display
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (4K)
Window mode Exclusive fullscreen
Display device my monitor
HDR (Special K)
16-bit swap chain true
scRGB luminance 12.5 (= 1000 nits)
scRGB paper white 2.5 (= 200 nits)
Read directly from the Special K profile beside the game.
Mods
Special K Loaded as dxgi.dll beside the executable.
Set up, not yet played
Shadow the Hedgehog (GameCube)
The GameCube disc on Dolphin at 6x internal resolution (about 4K) with the emulator's own HDR output, the game's own aspect (16:9 where the game offers it in its options).
Emulator and version
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e "Shadow the Hedgehog (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).rvz"
Disc image Shadow the Hedgehog (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).rvz
Emulator
Emulator Dolphin
Graphics backend D3D12
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e <the disc image>
Graphics: settings (GFX.ini)
InternalResolution 6
AspectRatio 0
MSAA 1
SSAA False
wideScreenHack False
Crop False
ShaderCompilationMode 0
WaitForShadersBeforeStarting True
BackendMultithreading True
VSync False
ShowFPS False
Graphics: enhancements and HDR (GFX.ini)
MaxAnisotropy 4
PostProcessingShader AutoHDR
HDROutput True
ForceTrueColor True
DisableCopyFilter True
ArbitraryMipmapDetection True
HDRPaperWhiteNits 200
Graphics: hacks (GFX.ini)
EFBAccessEnable True
EFBToTextureEnable True
ImmediateXFBEnable False
SkipDuplicateXFBs True
DeferEFBCopies True
General (Dolphin.ini)
Fullscreen True
RenderToMain False
SkipIPL True
EnableCheats False
SyncGPU False
OverclockEnable False
MMU False
ConfirmStop False
Read directly from Dolphin's GFX.ini and Dolphin.ini. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch.
Nothing layered on the emulator. The widescreen hack stays off: Wii games are 16:9 on their own and the GameCube ones that offer 16:9 do it in their own options; a hack would push menus off screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (PC, Steam)
The Steam release at 3840x2160 full screen with every quality level at its top step, FXAA, ambient occlusion, vsync, motion blur off.
Emulator and version
Launch Steam, app 212480
Build Steam install on C: (app 212480), current public build, owned with its DLC
The game's own settings
Config file Documents\SART\settings.xml
Resolution 3840 x 2160, 60 Hz, fullscreen 1
Quality graphics, water, texture, model and shadow levels all 2 (the top step)
Ambient occlusion on
Anti-aliasing on (FXAA, the only kind offered)
Motion blur OFF (his rule)
Screen splash (water on the camera) left on: the game's look, not blur
V-Sync on
Anisotropic filtering not offered by the game; a driver-level item for the HDR/driver pass
Read from the game's own settings store and menus after the run.
No HDR from this release (later retrofit item).
Set up, not yet played
Sonic & Knuckles (Mega Drive)
The cartridge with the pass-through slot. The standalone game and its three lock-on combinations (Sonic 3 & Knuckles, Knuckles in Sonic 2, Blue Sphere) each get their own shortcut, from pre-combined dumps, at 4K in HDR with no filtering. A second, native way to play it is set up too: Sonic 3 & Knuckles rebuilt around the original cartridge data: native widescreen and 60 fps, fullscreen at 4K, no filtering.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Genesis Plus GX
Game file (standalone cartridge; the archive holds both the cartridge and its lock-on chip data, so the cartridge image is extracted beside it) Sonic & Knuckles (World).md
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Sonic & Knuckles (World).md"
Also set up from this entry (own desktop shortcuts)
Lock-on: Sonic 3 & Knuckles Sonic & Knuckles + Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (USA) (Lock-on Combination).zip
Lock-on: Knuckles in Sonic 2 Sonic & Knuckles + Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (World) (Rev A) (Lock-on Combination).zip
Lock-on: Blue Sphere (with Sonic 1) Sonic & Knuckles + Sonic The Hedgehog (USA, Europe) (Lock-on Combination).zip
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true (core override; the global file says false)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop true (core override; the global file says false)
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Genesis Plus GX)
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm preamp 100
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border left border
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit disabled
Overclock 100
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Console boot ROMs (the core's boot ROM option is on, so each console starts with its own start-up screen, as the hardware did)
Mega Drive boot ROM (its licence screen) bios_MD.bin, 2,048 bytes
Master System boot ROM (USA) bios_U.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Europe) bios_E.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Japan) bios_J.sms, 8,192 bytes
Game Gear boot ROM bios.gg, 1,024 bytes
Sonic 3 & Knuckles (Angel Island Revisited, native port): program and version
Launch Sonic3AIR.exe
Game data The Sonic 3 + Sonic & Knuckles lock-on cartridge dump, read by the A.I.R. program (26.03.28)
Sonic 3 & Knuckles (Angel Island Revisited, native port): the port's own settings file
Fullscreen 1 (borderless fullscreen)
FrameSync 1 (V-Sync On)
Upscaling 0 (aspect fit, no stretch)
Filtering 0 (sharp pixels, no smoothing)
Scanlines 0 (off)
RenderMethod auto
SimulationFrequency 60
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen, vrr_runloop_enable. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting. The zip's first member is the 256 KB lock-on chip dump, which the core loaded as the game (black screen); the 2 MB cartridge image is extracted next to it and is what the shortcut launches. Wide-core test: the game only draws the original 320 px and the extra columns show stale tiles while scrolling; native 4:3 kept.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (Nintendo DS)
The DS cartridge on melonDS with its OpenGL renderer at 8x (2048x1536 per screen), both screens stacked at their native shape, no filtering, direct boot.
Emulator and version
Launch melonDS.exe -f "Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing (USA) (En,Fr,Es).nds"
Game file Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing (USA) (En,Fr,Es).nds
Emulator
Emulator melonDS 1.1
Launch melonDS.exe -f <the game file> (fullscreen)
melonDS.toml, the values that decide the picture
3D.Renderer 1
3D.GL.ScaleFactor 8
3D.GL.BetterPolygons true
3D.GL.HiresCoordinates true
Screen.UseGL true
Screen.VSync false (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
Instance0.Window0.ScreenFilter false
Instance0.Window0.IntegerScaling false
Instance0.Window0.ScreenLayout 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenSizing 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenGap 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenAspectTop 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenAspectBot 0
Emu.ConsoleType 0
Emu.DirectBoot true
Emu.ExternalBIOSEnable false
LimitFPS true
AudioSync false
Read directly from melonDS.toml.
No console BIOS or firmware dump is used: the emulator's replacement BIOS with direct boot. No HDR from this emulator; a later retrofit item, as for the arcade entries. The picture is not filtered.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic 3D Blast (Mega Drive)
The Mega Drive cartridge at 4K in HDR with no filtering, in its native 4:3.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Genesis Plus GX
Game file Sonic 3D Blast (USA, Europe, Korea) (En).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Sonic 3D Blast (USA, Europe, Korea) (En).zip"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true (core override; the global file says false)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop true (core override; the global file says false)
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Genesis Plus GX)
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm preamp 100
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border left border
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit disabled
Overclock 100
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Console boot ROMs (the core's boot ROM option is on, so each console starts with its own start-up screen, as the hardware did)
Mega Drive boot ROM (its licence screen) bios_MD.bin, 2,048 bytes
Master System boot ROM (USA) bios_U.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Europe) bios_E.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Japan) bios_J.sms, 8,192 bytes
Game Gear boot ROM bios.gg, 1,024 bytes
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen, vrr_runloop_enable. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic 3D Blast (Saturn)
The Saturn disc (its own special stages and score system) on an accurate core with the console BIOS, at 4K in HDR with no filtering.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Beetle Saturn
Disc image (cue + bin tracks) Sonic 3D Blast (USA).cue
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\beetle_saturn_libretro.dll" "Sonic 3D Blast (USA).cue"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen false (core override)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop false
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Beetle Saturn)
Analog stick deadzone 0%
Autortc enabled
Autortc lang english
Cart Auto Detect
Cdimagecache disabled
Crosshair color p1 red
Crosshair color p2 blue
Deinterlacer weave
Horizontal blend disabled
Horizontal overscan 0
Initial scanline 8
Initial scanline pal 16
Last scanline 231
Last scanline pal 271
Mesh transparency disabled
Midsync enabled
Mouse sensitivity 100%
Mpeg card disabled
Multitap port1 disabled
Multitap port2 disabled
Opposite directions disabled
Region Auto Detect
Save method libretro
Shared ext disabled
Shared int disabled
Trigger deadzone 0%
Virtuagun crosshair Cross
Virtuagun input Lightgun
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Advance (Game Boy Advance)
The Game Boy Advance cartridge on the mGBA core with the console's own boot ROM, at 4K in HDR with no filtering, no colour correction and no frame blending, at its native screen shape.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core mGBA
Game file Sonic Advance (USA) (En,Ja).gba
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\mgba_libretro.dll" "Sonic Advance (USA) (En,Ja).gba"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen false (core override)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop false
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (mGBA)
Allow opposing directions no
Audio low pass filter disabled
Audio low pass range 60
Color correction OFF
Force gbp OFF
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip interval 0
Frameskip threshold 33
Gb colors Grayscale
Gb colors preset 0
Gb model Autodetect
Idle optimization Remove Known
Interframe blending OFF
Sgb borders ON
Skip bios OFF
Solar sensor level 0
Use bios ON
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Advance 2 (Game Boy Advance)
The Game Boy Advance cartridge on the mGBA core with the console's own boot ROM, at 4K in HDR with no filtering, no colour correction and no frame blending, at its native screen shape.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core mGBA
Game file Sonic Advance 2 (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).gba
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\mgba_libretro.dll" "Sonic Advance 2 (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).gba"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen false (core override)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop false
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (mGBA)
Allow opposing directions no
Audio low pass filter disabled
Audio low pass range 60
Color correction OFF
Force gbp OFF
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip interval 0
Frameskip threshold 33
Gb colors Grayscale
Gb colors preset 0
Gb model Autodetect
Idle optimization Remove Known
Interframe blending OFF
Sgb borders ON
Skip bios OFF
Solar sensor level 0
Use bios ON
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Advance 3 (Game Boy Advance)
The Game Boy Advance cartridge on the mGBA core with the console's own boot ROM, at 4K in HDR with no filtering, no colour correction and no frame blending, at its native screen shape.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core mGBA
Game file Sonic Advance 3 (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).gba
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\mgba_libretro.dll" "Sonic Advance 3 (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).gba"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen false (core override)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop false
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (mGBA)
Allow opposing directions no
Audio low pass filter disabled
Audio low pass range 60
Color correction OFF
Force gbp OFF
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip interval 0
Frameskip threshold 33
Gb colors Grayscale
Gb colors preset 0
Gb model Autodetect
Idle optimization Remove Known
Interframe blending OFF
Sgb borders ON
Skip bios OFF
Solar sensor level 0
Use bios ON
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Adventure (Dreamcast)
The Dreamcast disc (the International build, which finished what the first Japanese release shipped unfinished) on the Flycast core at 4K in HDR.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Flycast
Disc image: Sonic Adventure International, the refined worldwide build (the original Japanese disc is filed beside it) Sonic Adventure International (Japan) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es).cue
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\reicast_libretro.dll" "Sonic Adventure International (Japan) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es).cue"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen false (core override)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop false
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Flycast)
Allow service buttons disabled
Alpha sorting per-triangle (normal)
Analog stick deadzone 15%
Anisotropic filtering 16
Auto skip frame disabled
Boot to bios disabled
Broadcast NTSC
Cable type TV (Composite)
Coin limit 0
Custom textures disabled
Dc 32mb mod disabled
Dcnet enabled
Delay frame swapping disabled
Detect vsync swap interval disabled
Device port1 slot1 VMU
Device port1 slot2 Purupuru
Device port2 slot1 VMU
Device port2 slot2 Purupuru
Device port3 slot1 VMU
Device port3 slot2 Purupuru
Device port4 slot1 VMU
Device port4 slot2 Purupuru
Digital triggers disabled
Dump replaced textures disabled
Dump textures disabled
Emulate bba disabled
Emulate framebuffer disabled
Enable dsp enabled
Enable rttb disabled
Fix upscale bleeding edge enabled
Fog enabled
Force freeplay enabled
Frame skipping disabled
Gdrom fast loading disabled
Hle bios disabled
Internal resolution 3840x2880
Language Default
Lightgun1 crosshair disabled
Lightgun2 crosshair disabled
Lightgun3 crosshair disabled
Lightgun4 crosshair disabled
Lightgun crosshair size scaling 100%
Linked vmu storage disabled
Mipmapping enabled
Native depth interpolation disabled
Network output disabled
Oit abuffer size 512MB
Oit layers 32
Per content vmus disabled
Preload custom textures disabled
Pvr2 filtering disabled
Region Default
Render to texture upscaling 4x
Screen rotation horizontal
Sh4clock 200
Show lightgun settings disabled
Show vmu screen settings disabled
Synchronous rendering enabled
Texture filtering 0
Texupscale 1
Texupscale max filtered texture size 256
Threaded rendering enabled
Trigger deadzone 0%
Upnp enabled
Vmu1 pixel off color DEFAULT_OFF 01
Vmu1 pixel on color DEFAULT_ON 00
Vmu1 screen display disabled
Vmu1 screen opacity 100%
Vmu1 screen position Upper Left
Vmu1 screen size mult 1x
Vmu2 pixel off color DEFAULT_OFF 01
Vmu2 pixel on color DEFAULT_ON 00
Vmu2 screen display disabled
Vmu2 screen opacity 100%
Vmu2 screen position Upper Right
Vmu2 screen size mult 1x
Vmu3 pixel off color DEFAULT_OFF 01
Vmu3 pixel on color DEFAULT_ON 00
Vmu3 screen display disabled
Vmu3 screen opacity 100%
Vmu3 screen position Lower Left
Vmu3 screen size mult 1x
Vmu4 pixel off color DEFAULT_OFF 01
Vmu4 pixel on color DEFAULT_ON 00
Vmu4 screen display disabled
Vmu4 screen opacity 100%
Vmu4 screen position Lower Right
Vmu4 screen size mult 1x
Vmu sound disabled
Volume modifier enable enabled
Widescreen cheats enabled
Widescreen hack enabled
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Adventure 2 (Dreamcast)
The Dreamcast disc on the Flycast core at 4K in HDR.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Flycast
Disc image Sonic Adventure 2 (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es).cue
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\reicast_libretro.dll" "Sonic Adventure 2 (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es).cue"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen false (core override)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop false
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Flycast)
Allow service buttons disabled
Alpha sorting per-triangle (normal)
Analog stick deadzone 15%
Anisotropic filtering 16
Auto skip frame disabled
Boot to bios disabled
Broadcast NTSC
Cable type TV (Composite)
Coin limit 0
Custom textures disabled
Dc 32mb mod disabled
Dcnet enabled
Delay frame swapping disabled
Detect vsync swap interval disabled
Device port1 slot1 VMU
Device port1 slot2 Purupuru
Device port2 slot1 VMU
Device port2 slot2 Purupuru
Device port3 slot1 VMU
Device port3 slot2 Purupuru
Device port4 slot1 VMU
Device port4 slot2 Purupuru
Digital triggers disabled
Dump replaced textures disabled
Dump textures disabled
Emulate bba disabled
Emulate framebuffer disabled
Enable dsp enabled
Enable rttb disabled
Fix upscale bleeding edge enabled
Fog enabled
Force freeplay enabled
Frame skipping disabled
Gdrom fast loading disabled
Hle bios disabled
Internal resolution 3840x2880
Language Default
Lightgun1 crosshair disabled
Lightgun2 crosshair disabled
Lightgun3 crosshair disabled
Lightgun4 crosshair disabled
Lightgun crosshair size scaling 100%
Linked vmu storage disabled
Mipmapping enabled
Native depth interpolation disabled
Network output disabled
Oit abuffer size 512MB
Oit layers 32
Per content vmus disabled
Preload custom textures disabled
Pvr2 filtering disabled
Region Default
Render to texture upscaling 4x
Screen rotation horizontal
Sh4clock 200
Show lightgun settings disabled
Show vmu screen settings disabled
Synchronous rendering enabled
Texture filtering 0
Texupscale 1
Texupscale max filtered texture size 256
Threaded rendering enabled
Trigger deadzone 0%
Upnp enabled
Vmu1 pixel off color DEFAULT_OFF 01
Vmu1 pixel on color DEFAULT_ON 00
Vmu1 screen display disabled
Vmu1 screen opacity 100%
Vmu1 screen position Upper Left
Vmu1 screen size mult 1x
Vmu2 pixel off color DEFAULT_OFF 01
Vmu2 pixel on color DEFAULT_ON 00
Vmu2 screen display disabled
Vmu2 screen opacity 100%
Vmu2 screen position Upper Right
Vmu2 screen size mult 1x
Vmu3 pixel off color DEFAULT_OFF 01
Vmu3 pixel on color DEFAULT_ON 00
Vmu3 screen display disabled
Vmu3 screen opacity 100%
Vmu3 screen position Lower Left
Vmu3 screen size mult 1x
Vmu4 pixel off color DEFAULT_OFF 01
Vmu4 pixel on color DEFAULT_ON 00
Vmu4 screen display disabled
Vmu4 screen opacity 100%
Vmu4 screen position Lower Right
Vmu4 screen size mult 1x
Vmu sound disabled
Volume modifier enable enabled
Widescreen cheats enabled
Widescreen hack enabled
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Adventure DX: Director's Cut (GameCube)
The GameCube disc on Dolphin at 6x internal resolution (about 4K) with the emulator's own HDR output, the game's own aspect (16:9 where the game offers it in its options).
Emulator and version
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e "Sonic Adventure DX - Director's Cut (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es).rvz"
Disc image Sonic Adventure DX - Director's Cut (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es).rvz
Emulator
Emulator Dolphin
Graphics backend D3D12
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e <the disc image>
Graphics: settings (GFX.ini)
InternalResolution 6
AspectRatio 0
MSAA 1
SSAA False
wideScreenHack False
Crop False
ShaderCompilationMode 0
WaitForShadersBeforeStarting True
BackendMultithreading True
VSync False
ShowFPS False
Graphics: enhancements and HDR (GFX.ini)
MaxAnisotropy 4
PostProcessingShader AutoHDR
HDROutput True
ForceTrueColor True
DisableCopyFilter True
ArbitraryMipmapDetection True
HDRPaperWhiteNits 200
Graphics: hacks (GFX.ini)
EFBAccessEnable True
EFBToTextureEnable True
ImmediateXFBEnable False
SkipDuplicateXFBs True
DeferEFBCopies True
General (Dolphin.ini)
Fullscreen True
RenderToMain False
SkipIPL True
EnableCheats False
SyncGPU False
OverclockEnable False
MMU False
ConfirmStop True
Read directly from Dolphin's GFX.ini and Dolphin.ini. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch.
Nothing layered on the emulator. The widescreen hack stays off: Wii games are 16:9 on their own and the GameCube ones that offer 16:9 do it in their own options; a hack would push menus off screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic and the Black Knight (Wii)
The Wii disc on Dolphin at 6x internal resolution (about 4K) with the emulator's own HDR output, native 16:9.
Emulator and version
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e "Sonic and the Black Knight (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).rvz"
Disc image Sonic and the Black Knight (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).rvz
Emulator
Emulator Dolphin
Graphics backend D3D12
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e <the disc image>
Graphics: settings (GFX.ini)
InternalResolution 6
AspectRatio 0
MSAA 1
SSAA False
wideScreenHack False
Crop False
ShaderCompilationMode 0
WaitForShadersBeforeStarting True
BackendMultithreading True
VSync False
ShowFPS False
Graphics: enhancements and HDR (GFX.ini)
MaxAnisotropy 4
PostProcessingShader AutoHDR
HDROutput True
ForceTrueColor True
DisableCopyFilter True
ArbitraryMipmapDetection True
HDRPaperWhiteNits 200
Graphics: hacks (GFX.ini)
EFBAccessEnable True
EFBToTextureEnable True
ImmediateXFBEnable False
SkipDuplicateXFBs True
DeferEFBCopies True
General (Dolphin.ini)
Fullscreen True
RenderToMain False
SkipIPL True
EnableCheats False
SyncGPU False
OverclockEnable False
MMU False
ConfirmStop True
Controller (WiimoteNew.ini, emulated Wii Remote 1 on the gamepad)
Device XInput gamepad
Extension Nunchuk
A / B A button / right trigger
1 / 2 X / Y
- / + / Home Back / Start / right stick click
D-Pad the pad
Pointer (IR) right stick
Wii Remote shake right shoulder
Tilt right stick, with the left stick click as modifier
Nunchuk stick left stick
Nunchuk C / Z left shoulder / left trigger
Nunchuk shake left shoulder
Emulated GameCube controller still on the same gamepad; the games that accept a GameCube controller (Unleashed, Colors, Riders: Zero Gravity) can use it from their own options
Read directly from Dolphin's GFX.ini and Dolphin.ini. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch.
Nothing layered on the emulator. The widescreen hack stays off: Wii games are 16:9 on their own and the GameCube ones that offer 16:9 do it in their own options; a hack would push menus off screen. The Wii Remote is emulated on the gamepad with the Nunchuk attached (a base mapping; the motion games are tuned one by one at first play).
Set up, not yet played
Sonic and the Secret Rings (Wii)
The Wii disc on Dolphin at 6x internal resolution (about 4K) with the emulator's own HDR output, native 16:9.
Emulator and version
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e "Sonic and the Secret Rings (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).rvz"
Disc image Sonic and the Secret Rings (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).rvz
Emulator
Emulator Dolphin
Graphics backend D3D12
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e <the disc image>
Graphics: settings (GFX.ini)
InternalResolution 6
AspectRatio 0
MSAA 1
SSAA False
wideScreenHack False
Crop False
ShaderCompilationMode 0
WaitForShadersBeforeStarting True
BackendMultithreading True
VSync False
ShowFPS False
Graphics: enhancements and HDR (GFX.ini)
MaxAnisotropy 4
PostProcessingShader AutoHDR
HDROutput True
ForceTrueColor True
DisableCopyFilter True
ArbitraryMipmapDetection True
HDRPaperWhiteNits 200
Graphics: hacks (GFX.ini)
EFBAccessEnable True
EFBToTextureEnable True
ImmediateXFBEnable False
SkipDuplicateXFBs True
DeferEFBCopies True
General (Dolphin.ini)
Fullscreen True
RenderToMain False
SkipIPL True
EnableCheats False
SyncGPU False
OverclockEnable False
MMU False
ConfirmStop True
Controller (WiimoteNew.ini, emulated Wii Remote 1 on the gamepad)
Device XInput gamepad
Extension Nunchuk
A / B A button / right trigger
1 / 2 X / Y
- / + / Home Back / Start / right stick click
D-Pad the pad
Pointer (IR) right stick
Wii Remote shake right shoulder
Tilt right stick, with the left stick click as modifier
Nunchuk stick left stick
Nunchuk C / Z left shoulder / left trigger
Nunchuk shake left shoulder
Emulated GameCube controller still on the same gamepad; the games that accept a GameCube controller (Unleashed, Colors, Riders: Zero Gravity) can use it from their own options
Read directly from Dolphin's GFX.ini and Dolphin.ini. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch.
Nothing layered on the emulator. The widescreen hack stays off: Wii games are 16:9 on their own and the GameCube ones that offer 16:9 do it in their own options; a hack would push menus off screen. The Wii Remote is emulated on the gamepad with the Nunchuk attached (a base mapping; the motion games are tuned one by one at first play).
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Battle (Game Boy Advance)
The Game Boy Advance cartridge on the mGBA core with the console's own boot ROM, at 4K in HDR with no filtering, no colour correction and no frame blending, at its native screen shape.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core mGBA
Game file Sonic Battle (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).gba
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\mgba_libretro.dll" "Sonic Battle (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).gba"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen false (core override)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop false
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (mGBA)
Allow opposing directions no
Audio low pass filter disabled
Audio low pass range 60
Color correction OFF
Force gbp OFF
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip interval 0
Frameskip threshold 33
Gb colors Grayscale
Gb colors preset 0
Gb model Autodetect
Idle optimization Remove Known
Interframe blending OFF
Sgb borders ON
Skip bios OFF
Solar sensor level 0
Use bios ON
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Blast (Game Gear)
The Game Gear cartridge at 4K in HDR with no filtering at its native screen size.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Genesis Plus GX
Game file Sonic Blast (World).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Sonic Blast (World).zip"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true (core override; the global file says false)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop true (core override; the global file says false)
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Genesis Plus GX)
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm preamp 100
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border left border
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit disabled
Overclock 100
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Console boot ROMs (the core's boot ROM option is on, so each console starts with its own start-up screen, as the hardware did)
Mega Drive boot ROM (its licence screen) bios_MD.bin, 2,048 bytes
Master System boot ROM (USA) bios_U.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Europe) bios_E.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Japan) bios_J.sms, 8,192 bytes
Game Gear boot ROM bios.gg, 1,024 bytes
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen, vrr_runloop_enable. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice (Nintendo 3DS)
The 3DS cartridge on Azahar at 9x (an exact 4K fit for the top screen), both screens in their native stacked layout, no texture filter, vsync.
Emulator and version
Launch azahar.exe -f "Sonic Boom - Fire & Ice (USA) (En,Fr,Es).3ds"
Cartridge image (decrypted dump) Sonic Boom - Fire & Ice (USA) (En,Fr,Es).3ds
Emulator
Emulator Azahar
Launch azahar.exe -f <the cartridge image> (fullscreen)
qt-config.ini, the values that decide the picture
graphics_api 1
resolution_factor 9
texture_filter 0
use_hw_shader true
async_shader_compilation true
use_disk_shader_cache true
use_vsync_new false (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
layout_option 0
swap_screen false
upright_screen false
screen_gap 0
custom_layout false
is_new_3ds true
cpu_clock_percentage 100
region_value -1
render_3d 0
factor_3d 0
filter_mode true
pp_shader_name None (builtin)
anaglyph_shader_name Dubois (builtin)
Read directly from Azahar's qt-config.ini.
No HDR from this emulator (later retrofit item). Nothing filtered or post-processed; the 3D effect is off (a flat screen).
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric (Wii U)
The Wii U title on Cemu (Vulkan) with the community graphic pack's 3840x2160 preset and 16x anisotropic filtering, fullscreen, vsync.
Emulator and version
Launch Cemu.exe -g "<the title's rpx>" -f
Title folder dump (code/content/meta), with its Update and DLC installed into the emulator's title store WiiULauncher.rpx
Emulator (settings.xml)
Emulator Cemu
Graphics API Vulkan
Fullscreen true
VSync 0 (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
Upscale filter bicubic
Async shader compile true
Accurate barriers true
Graphic packs enabled for this title
TV resolution (graphic pack) 3840x2160
Anisotropic filtering (graphic pack) 16x
Read from Cemu's settings.xml and the enabled graphic pack presets.
No HDR from this emulator (later retrofit item). Graphic packs are used only for resolution, filtering and emulator-accuracy workarounds; no mod, cheat or FPS pack is enabled.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal (Nintendo 3DS)
The 3DS cartridge on Azahar at 9x (an exact 4K fit for the top screen), both screens in their native stacked layout, no texture filter, vsync. The eShop CIA filed beside the cartridge is encrypted (not installable without the console's keys); the cartridge dump runs.
Emulator and version
Launch azahar.exe -f "Sonic Boom - Shattered Crystal (USA).3ds"
Cartridge image (decrypted dump) Sonic Boom - Shattered Crystal (USA).3ds
Emulator
Emulator Azahar
Launch azahar.exe -f <the cartridge image> (fullscreen)
qt-config.ini, the values that decide the picture
graphics_api 1
resolution_factor 9
texture_filter 0
use_hw_shader true
async_shader_compilation true
use_disk_shader_cache true
use_vsync_new false (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
layout_option 0
swap_screen false
upright_screen false
screen_gap 0
custom_layout false
is_new_3ds true
cpu_clock_percentage 100
region_value -1
render_3d 0
factor_3d 0
filter_mode true
pp_shader_name None (builtin)
anaglyph_shader_name Dubois (builtin)
Read directly from Azahar's qt-config.ini.
No HDR from this emulator (later retrofit item). Nothing filtered or post-processed; the 3D effect is off (a flat screen).
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Chaos (Master System / Game Gear)
Both 8-bit versions of Sonic Chaos, each from its own cartridge dump, on the same core at 4K in HDR with no filtering.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Genesis Plus GX
Master System game file Sonic Chaos (Europe, Brazil) (En).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Sonic Chaos (Europe, Brazil) (En).zip"
Game Gear game file Sonic Chaos (USA, Europe, Brazil) (En).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Sonic Chaos (USA, Europe, Brazil) (En).zip"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true (core override; the global file says false)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop true (core override; the global file says false)
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Genesis Plus GX)
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm preamp 100
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border left border
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit disabled
Overclock 100
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Console boot ROMs (the core's boot ROM option is on, so each console starts with its own start-up screen, as the hardware did)
Mega Drive boot ROM (its licence screen) bios_MD.bin, 2,048 bytes
Master System boot ROM (USA) bios_U.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Europe) bios_E.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Japan) bios_J.sms, 8,192 bytes
Game Gear boot ROM bios.gg, 1,024 bytes
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen, vrr_runloop_enable. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (Nintendo DS)
The DS cartridge on melonDS with its OpenGL renderer at 8x (2048x1536 per screen), both screens stacked at their native shape, no filtering, direct boot.
Emulator and version
Launch melonDS.exe -f "Sonic Chronicles - The Dark Brotherhood (USA) (En,Fr,De,Es,It).nds"
Game file Sonic Chronicles - The Dark Brotherhood (USA) (En,Fr,De,Es,It).nds
Emulator
Emulator melonDS 1.1
Launch melonDS.exe -f <the game file> (fullscreen)
melonDS.toml, the values that decide the picture
3D.Renderer 1
3D.GL.ScaleFactor 8
3D.GL.BetterPolygons true
3D.GL.HiresCoordinates true
Screen.UseGL true
Screen.VSync false (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
Instance0.Window0.ScreenFilter false
Instance0.Window0.IntegerScaling false
Instance0.Window0.ScreenLayout 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenSizing 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenGap 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenAspectTop 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenAspectBot 0
Emu.ConsoleType 0
Emu.DirectBoot true
Emu.ExternalBIOSEnable false
LimitFPS true
AudioSync false
Read directly from melonDS.toml.
No console BIOS or firmware dump is used: the emulator's replacement BIOS with direct boot. No HDR from this emulator; a later retrofit item, as for the arcade entries. The picture is not filtered.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Colors (Nintendo DS)
The DS cartridge on melonDS with its OpenGL renderer at 8x (2048x1536 per screen), both screens stacked at their native shape, no filtering, direct boot.
Emulator and version
Launch melonDS.exe -f "Sonic Colors (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).nds"
Game file Sonic Colors (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).nds
Emulator
Emulator melonDS 1.1
Launch melonDS.exe -f <the game file> (fullscreen)
melonDS.toml, the values that decide the picture
3D.Renderer 1
3D.GL.ScaleFactor 8
3D.GL.BetterPolygons true
3D.GL.HiresCoordinates true
Screen.UseGL true
Screen.VSync false (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
Instance0.Window0.ScreenFilter false
Instance0.Window0.IntegerScaling false
Instance0.Window0.ScreenLayout 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenSizing 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenGap 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenAspectTop 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenAspectBot 0
Emu.ConsoleType 0
Emu.DirectBoot true
Emu.ExternalBIOSEnable false
LimitFPS true
AudioSync false
Read directly from melonDS.toml.
No console BIOS or firmware dump is used: the emulator's replacement BIOS with direct boot. No HDR from this emulator; a later retrofit item, as for the arcade entries. The picture is not filtered.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Colors (Wii)
The Wii disc on Dolphin at 6x internal resolution (about 4K) with the emulator's own HDR output, native 16:9.
Emulator and version
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e "Sonic Colors (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).rvz"
Disc image Sonic Colors (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).rvz
Emulator
Emulator Dolphin
Graphics backend D3D12
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e <the disc image>
Graphics: settings (GFX.ini)
InternalResolution 6
AspectRatio 0
MSAA 1
SSAA False
wideScreenHack False
Crop False
ShaderCompilationMode 0
WaitForShadersBeforeStarting True
BackendMultithreading True
VSync False
ShowFPS False
Graphics: enhancements and HDR (GFX.ini)
MaxAnisotropy 4
PostProcessingShader AutoHDR
HDROutput True
ForceTrueColor True
DisableCopyFilter True
ArbitraryMipmapDetection True
HDRPaperWhiteNits 200
Graphics: hacks (GFX.ini)
EFBAccessEnable True
EFBToTextureEnable True
ImmediateXFBEnable False
SkipDuplicateXFBs True
DeferEFBCopies True
General (Dolphin.ini)
Fullscreen True
RenderToMain False
SkipIPL True
EnableCheats False
SyncGPU False
OverclockEnable False
MMU False
ConfirmStop True
Controller (WiimoteNew.ini, emulated Wii Remote 1 on the gamepad)
Device XInput gamepad
Extension Nunchuk
A / B A button / right trigger
1 / 2 X / Y
- / + / Home Back / Start / right stick click
D-Pad the pad
Pointer (IR) right stick
Wii Remote shake right shoulder
Tilt right stick, with the left stick click as modifier
Nunchuk stick left stick
Nunchuk C / Z left shoulder / left trigger
Nunchuk shake left shoulder
Emulated GameCube controller still on the same gamepad; the games that accept a GameCube controller (Unleashed, Colors, Riders: Zero Gravity) can use it from their own options
Read directly from Dolphin's GFX.ini and Dolphin.ini. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch.
Nothing layered on the emulator. The widescreen hack stays off: Wii games are 16:9 on their own and the GameCube ones that offer 16:9 do it in their own options; a hack would push menus off screen. The Wii Remote is emulated on the gamepad with the Nunchuk attached (a base mapping; the motion games are tuned one by one at first play).
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Drift (Game Gear)
The Japanese Game Gear cartridge, the only release, at 4K in HDR with no filtering at its native screen size.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Genesis Plus GX
Game file (Japan; the only release, English inside) Sonic Drift (Japan) (En).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Sonic Drift (Japan) (En).zip"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true (core override; the global file says false)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop true (core override; the global file says false)
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Genesis Plus GX)
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm preamp 100
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border left border
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit disabled
Overclock 100
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Console boot ROMs (the core's boot ROM option is on, so each console starts with its own start-up screen, as the hardware did)
Mega Drive boot ROM (its licence screen) bios_MD.bin, 2,048 bytes
Master System boot ROM (USA) bios_U.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Europe) bios_E.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Japan) bios_J.sms, 8,192 bytes
Game Gear boot ROM bios.gg, 1,024 bytes
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen, vrr_runloop_enable. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Drift 2 (Game Gear)
The Game Gear cartridge at 4K in HDR with no filtering at its native screen size.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Genesis Plus GX
Game file Sonic Drift 2 (World).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Sonic Drift 2 (World).zip"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true (core override; the global file says false)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop true (core override; the global file says false)
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Genesis Plus GX)
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm preamp 100
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border left border
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit disabled
Overclock 100
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Console boot ROMs (the core's boot ROM option is on, so each console starts with its own start-up screen, as the hardware did)
Mega Drive boot ROM (its licence screen) bios_MD.bin, 2,048 bytes
Master System boot ROM (USA) bios_U.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Europe) bios_E.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Japan) bios_J.sms, 8,192 bytes
Game Gear boot ROM bios.gg, 1,024 bytes
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen, vrr_runloop_enable. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Eraser (Mega Drive)
The 1991 download-only puzzle game, emulated from its dump at 4K in HDR with no filtering.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Genesis Plus GX
Game file Sonic Eraser (Japan) (SegaNet).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Sonic Eraser (Japan) (SegaNet).zip"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true (core override; the global file says false)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop true (core override; the global file says false)
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Genesis Plus GX)
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm preamp 100
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border left border
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit disabled
Overclock 100
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Console boot ROMs (the core's boot ROM option is on, so each console starts with its own start-up screen, as the hardware did)
Mega Drive boot ROM (its licence screen) bios_MD.bin, 2,048 bytes
Master System boot ROM (USA) bios_U.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Europe) bios_E.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Japan) bios_J.sms, 8,192 bytes
Game Gear boot ROM bios.gg, 1,024 bytes
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen, vrr_runloop_enable. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Forces (PC)
The PC game at 3840x2160 full screen, vsync, the game's own 60 fps cap (its stage events break above it), anti-aliasing at its highest step, 16x anisotropic filtering, bloom at its highest step, 4096 shadow maps, light scattering on; motion blur and depth of field OFF.
Emulator and version
Launch Sonic Forces.exe
Build Final PC build (Steam public branch 2344591, 13 Dec 2017, never updated since) with all six DLC archives present (wars_dlc01-06.cpk, Episode Shadow included)
The game's own configuration file
vsync 1 (on)
resolutionwidth 3840
resolutionheight 2160
maxfps 60 (the game's own cap; higher breaks stage events)
screenmode 1 (the full-screen mode the game itself selects; a 3840x2160 window)
selectedmonitor 0
qualitypreset 3 (custom: the values below)
aaquality 2 (highest step)
afquality 16x
bloomquality 2 (highest step)
enableblur 0 (motion blur off)
enabledof 0 (depth of field off)
dofquality 1
brightness 0
shadowmapsize 4096 (accepted and kept by the game)
lightscatteringenabled 1 (on)
Read from savedata\GraphicsConfig.txt after the run. The file must be tab-separated or the game discards it.
No HDR (the game has none; later retrofit item). Motion blur and depth of field are switched off in the game's own config.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Free Riders (Xbox 360, Kinect)
A Kinect-only game: it cannot be played without the camera, which no emulator provides. Filed, not set up; open until a Kinect route exists.
Emulator and version
Launch xenia_canary.exe <the disc image>
Disc image (archived) Sonic Free Riders (USA, Europe) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).zip
Status
Playable No: Kinect body tracking is the only control scheme and Xenia does not emulate the sensor
What would change it a Kinect on the PC with a driver Xenia can read, or a control patch; neither exists today
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Frontiers (PC, Steam)
The Steam release at 3840x2160 full screen, 60 fps (the game's cap), TAA, every quality setting at High, blur effect off. Settings live in the game's Options menu (Space reaches the tab row, arrows switch tabs); the display file screen_setting.xml confirms 3840x2160.
Emulator and version
Launch Steam, app 1237320
Build Steam install on C: (app 1237320), current public build, owned with its DLC
The game's own settings
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (set in Options > Graphics; the game had defaulted to 1280 x 720)
Screen mode Fullscreen
Frame rate limit 60 (the game's own top setting)
Anti-aliasing TAA
Graphics quality High
Shadow quality High
Ambient occlusion on
Local reflection on
Bloom High
Volumetric lighting High
Rendering scale 100%
Blur effect OFF (his no-blur rule)
Center cursor display off (as shipped)
Subtitle display on
Read from the game's own settings store and menus after the run.
No HDR from this release (later retrofit item).
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Gems Collection (PlayStation 2, Japan)
The Japanese PS2 disc (the audit's pick: the Western release cut content), converted losslessly to CHD, on PCSX2 at 6x internal resolution with the Japanese console BIOS, progressive output, no widescreen patch (the collection is 4:3).
Emulator and version
Launch pcsx2-qt.exe -batch -fullscreen "Sonic Gems Collection (Japan) (En,Ja).chd"
Disc image (CHD, lossless, verified) Sonic Gems Collection (Japan) (En,Ja).chd
Emulator
Emulator PCSX2 (portable install)
Console BIOS ps2-0230j-20080220.bin
Launch pcsx2-qt.exe -batch -fullscreen <the disc image>
Graphics (PCSX2.ini, EmuCore/GS)
Renderer 15
upscale_multiplier 6
AspectRatio Auto 4:3/3:2
FMVAspectRatioSwitch Off
filter 2
MaxAnisotropy 16
VsyncEnable 0 (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
FrameLimitEnable true
accurate_blending_unit 1
hw_mipmap true
TriFilter 0
linear_present_mode 0
Emulation (PCSX2.ini, EmuCore)
EnableWideScreenPatches false
EnableNoInterlacingPatches true
EnablePatches true
EnableCheats false
Read directly from PCSX2.ini; the disc image is a CHD made losslessly from the dump and verified against its own checksum.
No HDR from this emulator (later retrofit item). No widescreen patch: the collection is a 4:3 game. The no-interlacing patch gives a stable progressive picture.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Generations (Nintendo 3DS)
The 3DS cartridge on Azahar at 9x (an exact 4K fit for the top screen), both screens in their native stacked layout, no texture filter, vsync. OPEN: the eShop update (title version 1) is filed as a CIA but it is encrypted and the emulator cannot install it without the console's keys, so the cartridge's version 0 is what runs until a decrypted update or the keys exist.
Emulator and version
Launch azahar.exe -f "Sonic Generations (USA) (En,Fr,Es) (Rev 1).3ds"
Cartridge image (decrypted dump) Sonic Generations (USA) (En,Fr,Es) (Rev 1).3ds
Emulator
Emulator Azahar
Launch azahar.exe -f <the cartridge image> (fullscreen)
qt-config.ini, the values that decide the picture
graphics_api 1
resolution_factor 9
texture_filter 0
use_hw_shader true
async_shader_compilation true
use_disk_shader_cache true
use_vsync_new false (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
layout_option 0
swap_screen false
upright_screen false
screen_gap 0
custom_layout false
is_new_3ds true
cpu_clock_percentage 100
region_value -1
render_3d 0
factor_3d 0
filter_mode true
pp_shader_name None (builtin)
anaglyph_shader_name Dubois (builtin)
Read directly from Azahar's qt-config.ini.
No HDR from this emulator (later retrofit item). Nothing filtered or post-processed; the 3D effect is off (a flat screen).
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Heroes (GameCube)
The GameCube disc on Dolphin at 6x internal resolution (about 4K) with the emulator's own HDR output, the game's own aspect (16:9 where the game offers it in its options).
Emulator and version
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e "Sonic Heroes.iso"
Disc image Sonic Heroes.iso
Emulator
Emulator Dolphin
Graphics backend D3D12
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e <the disc image>
Graphics: settings (GFX.ini)
InternalResolution 6
AspectRatio 0
MSAA 1
SSAA False
wideScreenHack False
Crop False
ShaderCompilationMode 0
WaitForShadersBeforeStarting True
BackendMultithreading True
VSync False
ShowFPS False
Graphics: enhancements and HDR (GFX.ini)
MaxAnisotropy 4
PostProcessingShader AutoHDR
HDROutput True
ForceTrueColor True
DisableCopyFilter True
ArbitraryMipmapDetection True
HDRPaperWhiteNits 200
Graphics: hacks (GFX.ini)
EFBAccessEnable True
EFBToTextureEnable True
ImmediateXFBEnable False
SkipDuplicateXFBs True
DeferEFBCopies True
General (Dolphin.ini)
Fullscreen True
RenderToMain False
SkipIPL True
EnableCheats False
SyncGPU False
OverclockEnable False
MMU False
ConfirmStop True
Read directly from Dolphin's GFX.ini and Dolphin.ini. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch.
Nothing layered on the emulator. The widescreen hack stays off: Wii games are 16:9 on their own and the GameCube ones that offer 16:9 do it in their own options; a hack would push menus off screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Jam (Saturn)
The Saturn compilation (the four Mega Drive games with their extra modes, plus the 3D Sonic World) on an accurate core with the console BIOS, at 4K in HDR with no filtering.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Beetle Saturn
Disc image (cue + bin tracks) Sonic Jam (USA).cue
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\beetle_saturn_libretro.dll" "Sonic Jam (USA).cue"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen false (core override)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop false
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Beetle Saturn)
Analog stick deadzone 0%
Autortc enabled
Autortc lang english
Cart Auto Detect
Cdimagecache disabled
Crosshair color p1 red
Crosshair color p2 blue
Deinterlacer weave
Horizontal blend disabled
Horizontal overscan 0
Initial scanline 8
Initial scanline pal 16
Last scanline 231
Last scanline pal 271
Mesh transparency disabled
Midsync enabled
Mouse sensitivity 100%
Mpeg card disabled
Multitap port1 disabled
Multitap port2 disabled
Opposite directions disabled
Region Auto Detect
Save method libretro
Shared ext disabled
Shared int disabled
Trigger deadzone 0%
Virtuagun crosshair Cross
Virtuagun input Lightgun
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Jam (Tiger Game.com)
The Tiger Game.com handheld emulated in MAME with its system ROM: the shortcut boots the handheld with the cartridge inserted; pick CARTRIDGE on its menu to start the game. Fullscreen, integer scaled, no filtering.
Emulator and version
Launch mame.exe gamecom -cart1 <the cartridge file> -rompath <MAME's roms folder; the entry's folder>
Cartridge dump (plus the handheld's system ROM, gamecom.zip, beside it) Sonic Jam (USA).zip
Emulator
Emulator MAME 0.289 (driver gamecom, cartridge slot 1)
System ROM gamecom.zip, verified good
Cartridge Sonic Jam (USA).zip
The values I changed from the defaults (mame.ini)
video auto
window 0
keepaspect 1
unevenstretch 0
filter 0
prescale 4
skip_gameinfo 1
The changed values are read from mame.ini; the driver and slot names are MAME's own (mame -listmedia gamecom).
The handheld's own menu comes first (cartridge, phone book, calendar...): choose CARTRIDGE. No HDR from the emulator; integer scaling with black borders, no filter.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Labyrinth (Game Gear)
The Game Gear cartridge at 4K in HDR with no filtering at its native screen size.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Genesis Plus GX
Game file Sonic Labyrinth (World).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Sonic Labyrinth (World).zip"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true (core override; the global file says false)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop true (core override; the global file says false)
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Genesis Plus GX)
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm preamp 100
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border left border
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit disabled
Overclock 100
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Console boot ROMs (the core's boot ROM option is on, so each console starts with its own start-up screen, as the hardware did)
Mega Drive boot ROM (its licence screen) bios_MD.bin, 2,048 bytes
Master System boot ROM (USA) bios_U.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Europe) bios_E.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Japan) bios_J.sms, 8,192 bytes
Game Gear boot ROM bios.gg, 1,024 bytes
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen, vrr_runloop_enable. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Lost World (Wii U)
The Wii U title on Cemu (Vulkan) with the community graphic pack's 3840x2160 preset and 16x anisotropic filtering, fullscreen, vsync, plus the emulator workaround packs the game needs (Darkness, DisableLightScattering).
Emulator and version
Launch Cemu.exe -g "<the title's rpx>" -f
Title folder dump (code/content/meta), with its Update and DLC installed into the emulator's title store sonic2013.rpx
Emulator (settings.xml)
Emulator Cemu
Graphics API Vulkan
Fullscreen true
VSync 0 (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
Upscale filter bicubic
Async shader compile true
Accurate barriers true
Graphic packs enabled for this title
TV resolution (graphic pack) 3840x2160
Anisotropic filtering (graphic pack) 16x
Workaround pack Darkness (an emulator-accuracy fix, not a game change)
Workaround pack DisableLightScattering (an emulator-accuracy fix, not a game change)
Read from Cemu's settings.xml and the enabled graphic pack presets.
No HDR from this emulator (later retrofit item). Graphic packs are used only for resolution, filtering and emulator-accuracy workarounds; no mod, cheat or FPS pack is enabled.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Mania Plus (native port)
The game rebuilt as a native PC program from the Steam data file (Plus/Encore owned), with the decompiled engine and game library compiled from source so the Plus content is enabled (the prebuilt release deliberately disables it): borderless fullscreen at the desktop's 4K, vsync, no screen shader, the game's own 424-px widescreen.
Emulator and version
Launch RSDKv5U.exe
Game data Data.rsdk from the Steam install (Mania Plus, Encore DLC owned); engine and game library compiled from the decompilation source on 2026-09-17 with Plus enabled (RSDKv5U revision 3, DX9), because the prebuilt release deliberately disables Plus
The port's own settings file
Game.language 0
Video.windowed n
Video.border n
Video.exclusiveFS n
Video.vsync n (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
Video.tripleBuffering n
Video.winWidth 424
Video.winHeight 240
Video.refreshRate 60
Video.shaderSupport y
Video.screenShader 0
Video.maxPixWidth 424
Audio.streamsEnabled y
Audio.streamVolume 1.000000
Audio.sfxVolume 1.000000
Read directly from the port's own configuration file.
No HDR from these ports (later retrofit item). No filter, no scanlines, no shader.
Sonic the Hedgehog part finished 30 Sep 2026
Sonic Origins Plus (PC, Steam)
The Steam release at 3840x2160 from C:, HDR added by Special K (999-nit peak, 200-nit paper white) and frame generation to 240 fps. Its Sonic the Hedgehog part is played as an extra to the Mega Drive game.
Emulator and version
Launch Steam, app 1794960
Build Steam install on C: (app 1794960), current public build, owned with its DLC
Played
Sonic the Hedgehog part Finished 30 September 2026, as an extra to the Mega Drive game (entry 01): every mission at rank S, the three routes this version adds, Special Stage 7, Super Sonic, the 50-ring tube route and the two animated films
Play time 20 h 49 min in the last two weeks by Steam's own count (59 h 58 min in total), all of Origins Plus on that account
Saves kept 135 versions of the save, every one different, downloadable below
The game's own settings
Anti-aliasing OFF (this is the game's image smoothing: off keeps the pixels sharp)
Anti-aliasing (Game Gear) OFF
Screen mode Fullscreen
Resolution 3840x2160
VSync OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30)
Box art option North America
Where Museum island, Options, Graphics, read off the game's own screen on 2026-09-30 (the options file is a checksummed binary)
HDR (Special K retrofit, measured on the live screen)
Injection Special K v26.9.17 beside SonicOrigins.exe as dxgi.dll (the game renders with Direct3D 11 and has no HDR of its own)
Swapchain 16-bit scRGB (Use16BitSwapChain=true): the game's R8G8B8A8_UNORM swapchain overridden to R16G16B16A16_FLOAT, per Special K's own log
Peak scalar 3.75, measured 999.4 nits at peak on the main menu; the nominal 12.5 over-signalled to 3,331 nits
Paper white scalar 2.5 (200-nit reference)
Content EOTF 2.2
Colour saturation 1.0, gamut expansion 0.0, colour boost 0.0, overbright tone mapping false, adaptive tone map false: nothing added to the colours as authored
Frame limiter OFF (Special K's automatic 222.9 fps limit set to 0; the NVIDIA app is the only limiter)
Frame generation (240 fps)
Tool Lossless Scaling 3.2.2, a separate program that captures the game's window; the game itself runs its own 60 fps (its speed is tied to 60, and no mod raises it)
Frame generation LSFG2, x4 (60 in, 240 out)
Capture WGC
Flow scale 50 %
Switches on by itself, 8 s after the game window is in front
Max frame latency 1
HDR support true
Measured 239.1 fps shown on screen (1% low 212) with HDR at 999 nits, 2026-09-30
Read from the game's own settings store and menus after the run.
Special K adds HDR and nothing else: the colours are left as authored, and the peak was set by measuring the live screen, not by the nominal value.
The game's own save files (Steam, PC). They hold the progress of all four games in Origins Plus, not only Sonic the Hedgehog.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Pinball Party (Game Boy Advance)
The Game Boy Advance cartridge on the mGBA core with the console's own boot ROM, at 4K in HDR with no filtering, no colour correction and no frame blending, at its native screen shape.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core mGBA
Game file Sonic Pinball Party (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).gba
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\mgba_libretro.dll" "Sonic Pinball Party (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).gba"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen false (core override)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop false
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (mGBA)
Allow opposing directions no
Audio low pass filter disabled
Audio low pass range 60
Color correction OFF
Force gbp OFF
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip interval 0
Frameskip threshold 33
Gb colors Grayscale
Gb colors preset 0
Gb model Autodetect
Idle optimization Remove Known
Interframe blending OFF
Sgb borders ON
Skip bios OFF
Solar sensor level 0
Use bios ON
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic R (Saturn)
The Saturn disc on an accurate core with the console BIOS, at 4K in HDR with no filtering.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Beetle Saturn
Disc image (cue + bin tracks) Sonic R (USA, Brazil).cue
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\beetle_saturn_libretro.dll" "Sonic R (USA, Brazil).cue"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen false (core override)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop false
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Beetle Saturn)
Analog stick deadzone 0%
Autortc enabled
Autortc lang english
Cart Auto Detect
Cdimagecache disabled
Crosshair color p1 red
Crosshair color p2 blue
Deinterlacer weave
Horizontal blend disabled
Horizontal overscan 0
Initial scanline 8
Initial scanline pal 16
Last scanline 231
Last scanline pal 271
Mesh transparency disabled
Midsync enabled
Mouse sensitivity 100%
Mpeg card disabled
Multitap port1 disabled
Multitap port2 disabled
Opposite directions disabled
Region Auto Detect
Save method libretro
Shared ext disabled
Shared int disabled
Trigger deadzone 0%
Virtuagun crosshair Cross
Virtuagun input Lightgun
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds (PC, Steam)
The Steam release at 3840x2160 full screen, 60 fps, on the account you logged in for it.
Emulator and version
Launch Steam, app 2486820
Build Steam install on C: (app 2486820), current public build, owned with its DLC
The game's own settings
Display 3840 x 2160 full screen, 60 fps (the game's options: 30 or 60), as the game set itself on this display
In-game options checklist at first play: Options > Graphics, anything blur-like off, quality presets at their top step
Read from the game's own settings store and menus after the run.
No HDR from this release (later retrofit item).
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Riders (GameCube)
The GameCube disc on Dolphin at 6x internal resolution (about 4K) with the emulator's own HDR output, the game's own aspect (16:9 where the game offers it in its options).
Emulator and version
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e "Sonic Riders.iso"
Disc image Sonic Riders.iso
Emulator
Emulator Dolphin
Graphics backend D3D12
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e <the disc image>
Graphics: settings (GFX.ini)
InternalResolution 6
AspectRatio 0
MSAA 1
SSAA False
wideScreenHack False
Crop False
ShaderCompilationMode 0
WaitForShadersBeforeStarting True
BackendMultithreading True
VSync False
ShowFPS False
Graphics: enhancements and HDR (GFX.ini)
MaxAnisotropy 4
PostProcessingShader AutoHDR
HDROutput True
ForceTrueColor True
DisableCopyFilter True
ArbitraryMipmapDetection True
HDRPaperWhiteNits 200
Graphics: hacks (GFX.ini)
EFBAccessEnable True
EFBToTextureEnable True
ImmediateXFBEnable False
SkipDuplicateXFBs True
DeferEFBCopies True
General (Dolphin.ini)
Fullscreen True
RenderToMain False
SkipIPL True
EnableCheats False
SyncGPU False
OverclockEnable False
MMU False
ConfirmStop True
Read directly from Dolphin's GFX.ini and Dolphin.ini. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch.
Nothing layered on the emulator. The widescreen hack stays off: Wii games are 16:9 on their own and the GameCube ones that offer 16:9 do it in their own options; a hack would push menus off screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Riders: Zero Gravity (Wii)
The Wii disc on Dolphin at 6x internal resolution (about 4K) with the emulator's own HDR output, native 16:9.
Emulator and version
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e "Sonic Riders - Zero Gravity (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).rvz"
Disc image Sonic Riders - Zero Gravity (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).rvz
Emulator
Emulator Dolphin
Graphics backend D3D12
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e <the disc image>
Graphics: settings (GFX.ini)
InternalResolution 6
AspectRatio 0
MSAA 1
SSAA False
wideScreenHack False
Crop False
ShaderCompilationMode 0
WaitForShadersBeforeStarting True
BackendMultithreading True
VSync False
ShowFPS False
Graphics: enhancements and HDR (GFX.ini)
MaxAnisotropy 4
PostProcessingShader AutoHDR
HDROutput True
ForceTrueColor True
DisableCopyFilter True
ArbitraryMipmapDetection True
HDRPaperWhiteNits 200
Graphics: hacks (GFX.ini)
EFBAccessEnable True
EFBToTextureEnable True
ImmediateXFBEnable False
SkipDuplicateXFBs True
DeferEFBCopies True
General (Dolphin.ini)
Fullscreen True
RenderToMain False
SkipIPL True
EnableCheats False
SyncGPU False
OverclockEnable False
MMU False
ConfirmStop True
Controller (WiimoteNew.ini, emulated Wii Remote 1 on the gamepad)
Device XInput gamepad
Extension Nunchuk
A / B A button / right trigger
1 / 2 X / Y
- / + / Home Back / Start / right stick click
D-Pad the pad
Pointer (IR) right stick
Wii Remote shake right shoulder
Tilt right stick, with the left stick click as modifier
Nunchuk stick left stick
Nunchuk C / Z left shoulder / left trigger
Nunchuk shake left shoulder
Emulated GameCube controller still on the same gamepad; the games that accept a GameCube controller (Unleashed, Colors, Riders: Zero Gravity) can use it from their own options
Read directly from Dolphin's GFX.ini and Dolphin.ini. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch.
Nothing layered on the emulator. The widescreen hack stays off: Wii games are 16:9 on their own and the GameCube ones that offer 16:9 do it in their own options; a hack would push menus off screen. The Wii Remote is emulated on the gamepad with the Nunchuk attached (a base mapping; the motion games are tuned one by one at first play).
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Rivals (PSP)
The PSP disc on PPSSPP at 8x internal resolution (3840x2176), Vulkan, 16x anisotropic, no texture upscaling and no post shaders, at the PSP's own 16:9.
Emulator and version
Launch PPSSPPWindows64.exe --fullscreen "Sonic Rivals (USA).iso"
Disc image Sonic Rivals (USA).iso
Emulator
Emulator PPSSPP (portable install)
Launch PPSSPPWindows64.exe --fullscreen <the disc image>
Graphics (ppsspp.ini)
GraphicsBackend 3 (VULKAN)
InternalResolution 8
AnisotropyLevel 4
TextureFiltering 1
TexScalingLevel 1
TexScalingType 0
VSync False (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
FrameSkip 0
FrameSkipType 0
AutoFrameSkip False
FullScreen True
SmallDisplayZoomType 0
PostShader Off
HardwareTransform True
SoftwareRendering False
MultiSampleLevel 0
TexDeposterize False
BufferFiltering 1
ShowFPSCounter 0
ImmersiveMode True
Read directly from ppsspp.ini.
No HDR from this emulator (later retrofit item). No texture upscaling, no post-processing shader: the game's own art, drawn at 8x.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Rivals 2 (PSP)
The PSP disc on PPSSPP at 8x internal resolution (3840x2176), Vulkan, 16x anisotropic, no texture upscaling and no post shaders, at the PSP's own 16:9.
Emulator and version
Launch PPSSPPWindows64.exe --fullscreen "Sonic Rivals 2 (USA).iso"
Disc image Sonic Rivals 2 (USA).iso
Emulator
Emulator PPSSPP (portable install)
Launch PPSSPPWindows64.exe --fullscreen <the disc image>
Graphics (ppsspp.ini)
GraphicsBackend 3 (VULKAN)
InternalResolution 8
AnisotropyLevel 4
TextureFiltering 1
TexScalingLevel 1
TexScalingType 0
VSync False (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
FrameSkip 0
FrameSkipType 0
AutoFrameSkip False
FullScreen True
SmallDisplayZoomType 0
PostShader Off
HardwareTransform True
SoftwareRendering False
MultiSampleLevel 0
TexDeposterize False
BufferFiltering 1
ShowFPSCounter 0
ImmersiveMode True
iShowStatusFlags 0
DisabledGraphicsBackends
VulkanDevice
D3D11Device
CameraDevice
CameraMirrorHorizontal False
AndroidFramerateMode 1
UseGeometryShader False
SkipBufferEffects False
DisableRangeCulling False
DepthRasterMode 0
SoftwareRenderer False
SoftwareRendererJit True
SoftwareSkinning True
Smart2DTexFiltering False
AndroidHwScale 1
HighQualityDepth 1
StereoRendering False
StereoToMonoShader RedBlue
FrameRate 0
FrameRate2 -1
AnalogFrameRate 240
TextureBackoffCache False
FullScreenMulti False
DisplayCropTo16x9 True
SustainedPerformanceMode False
ReplaceTextures True
SaveNewTextures False
IgnoreTextureFilenames False
ReplacementTextureLoadSpeed 0
TexHardwareScaling False
VerticalSync False (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
LowLatencyPresent False
BloomHack 0
SplineBezierQuality 2
HardwareTessellation False
TextureShader Off
ShaderChainRequires60FPS False
SkipGPUReadbackMode 0
LogFrameDrops False
InflightFrames 3
RenderDuplicateFrames False
MultiThreading True
ShaderCache True
GpuLogProfiler False
UberShaderVertex True
UberShaderFragment True
DisplayRefreshRate 60
Read directly from ppsspp.ini.
No HDR from this emulator (later retrofit item). No texture upscaling, no post-processing shader: the game's own art, drawn at 8x.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Rumble (PC, Steam)
The Steam release of the online party game at 4K; it opens on its account-link screen.
Emulator and version
Launch Steam, app 2951690
Build Steam install on C: (app 2951690), current public build, owned with its DLC
The game's own settings
Install verified by Steam (no missing files) after an access-violation crash at the very first start; the second start ran
Display 3840 x 2160 borderless, uncapped (237 fps at the account screen)
Account an online party game: its own Link Data screen asks for a new or linked player account at first play; that choice is yours
Read from the game's own settings store and menus after the run.
No HDR from this release (later retrofit item).
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Rush (Nintendo DS)
The DS cartridge on melonDS with its OpenGL renderer at 8x (2048x1536 per screen), both screens stacked at their native shape, no filtering, direct boot.
Emulator and version
Launch melonDS.exe -f "Sonic Rush (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).nds"
Game file Sonic Rush (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).nds
Emulator
Emulator melonDS 1.1
Launch melonDS.exe -f <the game file> (fullscreen)
melonDS.toml, the values that decide the picture
3D.Renderer 1
3D.GL.ScaleFactor 8
3D.GL.BetterPolygons true
3D.GL.HiresCoordinates true
Screen.UseGL true
Screen.VSync false (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
Instance0.Window0.ScreenFilter false
Instance0.Window0.IntegerScaling false
Instance0.Window0.ScreenLayout 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenSizing 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenGap 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenAspectTop 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenAspectBot 0
Emu.ConsoleType 0
Emu.DirectBoot true
Emu.ExternalBIOSEnable false
LimitFPS true
AudioSync false
Read directly from melonDS.toml.
No console BIOS or firmware dump is used: the emulator's replacement BIOS with direct boot. No HDR from this emulator; a later retrofit item, as for the arcade entries. The picture is not filtered.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Rush Adventure (Nintendo DS)
The DS cartridge on melonDS with its OpenGL renderer at 8x (2048x1536 per screen), both screens stacked at their native shape, no filtering, direct boot.
Emulator and version
Launch melonDS.exe -f "Sonic Rush Adventure (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).nds"
Game file Sonic Rush Adventure (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).nds
Emulator
Emulator melonDS 1.1
Launch melonDS.exe -f <the game file> (fullscreen)
melonDS.toml, the values that decide the picture
3D.Renderer 1
3D.GL.ScaleFactor 8
3D.GL.BetterPolygons true
3D.GL.HiresCoordinates true
Screen.UseGL true
Screen.VSync false (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
Instance0.Window0.ScreenFilter false
Instance0.Window0.IntegerScaling false
Instance0.Window0.ScreenLayout 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenSizing 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenGap 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenAspectTop 0
Instance0.Window0.ScreenAspectBot 0
Emu.ConsoleType 0
Emu.DirectBoot true
Emu.ExternalBIOSEnable false
LimitFPS true
AudioSync false
Read directly from melonDS.toml.
No console BIOS or firmware dump is used: the emulator's replacement BIOS with direct boot. No HDR from this emulator; a later retrofit item, as for the arcade entries. The picture is not filtered.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Shuffle (Dreamcast)
The Dreamcast disc on the Flycast core at 4K in HDR.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Flycast
Disc image Sonic Shuffle (USA).cue
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\reicast_libretro.dll" "Sonic Shuffle (USA).cue"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen false (core override)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop false
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Flycast)
Allow service buttons disabled
Alpha sorting per-triangle (normal)
Analog stick deadzone 15%
Anisotropic filtering 16
Auto skip frame disabled
Boot to bios disabled
Broadcast NTSC
Cable type TV (Composite)
Coin limit 0
Custom textures disabled
Dc 32mb mod disabled
Dcnet enabled
Delay frame swapping disabled
Detect vsync swap interval disabled
Device port1 slot1 VMU
Device port1 slot2 Purupuru
Device port2 slot1 VMU
Device port2 slot2 Purupuru
Device port3 slot1 VMU
Device port3 slot2 Purupuru
Device port4 slot1 VMU
Device port4 slot2 Purupuru
Digital triggers disabled
Dump replaced textures disabled
Dump textures disabled
Emulate bba disabled
Emulate framebuffer disabled
Enable dsp enabled
Enable rttb disabled
Fix upscale bleeding edge enabled
Fog enabled
Force freeplay enabled
Frame skipping disabled
Gdrom fast loading disabled
Hle bios disabled
Internal resolution 3840x2880
Language Default
Lightgun1 crosshair disabled
Lightgun2 crosshair disabled
Lightgun3 crosshair disabled
Lightgun4 crosshair disabled
Lightgun crosshair size scaling 100%
Linked vmu storage disabled
Mipmapping enabled
Native depth interpolation disabled
Network output disabled
Oit abuffer size 512MB
Oit layers 32
Per content vmus disabled
Preload custom textures disabled
Pvr2 filtering disabled
Region Default
Render to texture upscaling 4x
Screen rotation horizontal
Sh4clock 200
Show lightgun settings disabled
Show vmu screen settings disabled
Synchronous rendering enabled
Texture filtering 0
Texupscale 1
Texupscale max filtered texture size 256
Threaded rendering enabled
Trigger deadzone 0%
Upnp enabled
Vmu1 pixel off color DEFAULT_OFF 01
Vmu1 pixel on color DEFAULT_ON 00
Vmu1 screen display disabled
Vmu1 screen opacity 100%
Vmu1 screen position Upper Left
Vmu1 screen size mult 1x
Vmu2 pixel off color DEFAULT_OFF 01
Vmu2 pixel on color DEFAULT_ON 00
Vmu2 screen display disabled
Vmu2 screen opacity 100%
Vmu2 screen position Upper Right
Vmu2 screen size mult 1x
Vmu3 pixel off color DEFAULT_OFF 01
Vmu3 pixel on color DEFAULT_ON 00
Vmu3 screen display disabled
Vmu3 screen opacity 100%
Vmu3 screen position Lower Left
Vmu3 screen size mult 1x
Vmu4 pixel off color DEFAULT_OFF 01
Vmu4 pixel on color DEFAULT_ON 00
Vmu4 screen display disabled
Vmu4 screen opacity 100%
Vmu4 screen position Lower Right
Vmu4 screen size mult 1x
Vmu sound disabled
Volume modifier enable enabled
Widescreen cheats enabled
Widescreen hack enabled
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Superstars (PC, Steam)
The Steam release from the repaired C: install, 3840x2160 borderless; menus run uncapped (237 fps measured), gameplay at the game's own rate.
Emulator and version
Launch Steam, app 2022670
Build Steam install on C: (app 2022670), current public build, owned with its DLC
The game's own settings
Resolution 3840 x 2160 (Unity registry, HKCU\Software\sega co. ltd\SonicSuperstars)
Fullscreen mode 1 (borderless full-screen window)
Install repaired by Steam's verify (18 Sep 2026) after the E: index corruption; 11 depots mounted incl. the DLC
In-game graphics options checklist at first play: Options > Graphics, confirm 3840x2160 and anything blur-like off
Read from the game's own settings store and menus after the run.
No HDR from this release (later retrofit item).
Set up, not yet played
Sonic the Fighters (Arcade, Model 2)
The Sega Model 2 board, on the dedicated Model 2 emulator: MAME's driver cannot run it yet (a co-processor error at boot), the dedicated emulator boots it in about 40 seconds. Windowed 4:3 for now; the aspect-correct fullscreen and an HDR path are the open items.
Emulator and version
Launch EMULATOR.EXE schamp
Romset (schamp, the world release; sfight, the Japanese set, is filed beside it) schamp.zip
Emulator
Emulator Model 2 Emulator 1.1a
Romset schamp (verified good against MAME 0.289's set definition)
Launch EMULATOR.EXE schamp
Rom directory (emulator.ini Dir1) the entry's own folder
Renderer (emulator.ini, every value)
SoftwareVertexProcessing 0
Wireframe 0
FakeGouraud 0
Bilinear 1
Trilinear 0
FilterTilemaps 0
ForceManaged 0
ForceSync 0
FullScreenWidth 3840
FullScreenHeight 2160
AutoMip 0
MeshTransparency 0
DrawCross 1
GammaR 1.0
GammaG 1.0
GammaB 1.0
WideScreenWindow 0
FSAA 1
FullMode 0
Sound 1
Frameskip -1
AutoFull 0
Filter 1919
Input (emulator.ini)
XInput 0
EnableFF 0
HoldGears 0
UseRawInput 0
Read directly from the emulator's emulator.ini; the romset check is MAME's own verdict on the same set.
MAME 0.289 rates this board preliminary and stops at a co-processor error; the dedicated Model 2 emulator runs it. Its fullscreen mode stretches the 4:3 picture to the chosen resolution and has no HDR, so the game runs windowed at 4:3 for now; a wrapper that keeps the aspect at 4K and an HDR path are the open items for this entry.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic the Hedgehog (2006) (Xbox 360)
The Xbox 360 disc on Xenia (canary) at three times the console's resolution (2160p), D3D12, vsync, with the game's own radial blur removed through the emulator's patch system and everything else as shipped. The seven content packs are filed beside the disc.
Emulator and version
Launch xenia_canary.exe <the disc image>
Disc image (the 360 disc: the only version with every content pack, see the notes) Sonic the Hedgehog (USA, Europe) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).iso
Emulator
Emulator Xenia canary (portable)
Launch xenia_canary.exe <the disc image>
xenia-canary.config.toml, the values that decide the picture
gpu "d3d12"
draw_resolution_scale_x 3
draw_resolution_scale_y 3
fullscreen true
vsync true
license_mask 1
apply_patches true
postprocess_antialiasing ""
postprocess_scaling_and_sharpening ""
postprocess_dither true
render_target_path_d3d12 ""
gpu_allow_invalid_fetch_constants true
texture_cache_memory_limit_hard 768
apu "any"
Game patches (patches folder, the emulator's own patch file for this title)
Disable Radial Blur enabled (the standing rule: no motion or per-object blur)
Disable Bloom / Shadows / MSAA left off: the game as shipped
Read directly from xenia-canary.config.toml and the title's patch file.
No HDR from this emulator (later retrofit item). The radial speed blur is the one thing switched off, by the standing no-blur rule; bloom, shadows and anti-aliasing stay as the game ships them.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic the Hedgehog (Master System / Game Gear)
Both 8-bit versions, each from its own cartridge dump, on the same core at 4K in HDR with no filtering. The Master System and Game Gear games differ in levels and screen size, so both are set up and both get played.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Genesis Plus GX
Master System game file Sonic The Hedgehog (USA, Europe, Brazil) (En).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Sonic The Hedgehog (USA, Europe, Brazil) (En).zip"
Game Gear game file (Rev 1) Sonic The Hedgehog (World) (Rev 1).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Sonic The Hedgehog (World) (Rev 1).zip"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true (core override; the global file says false)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop true (core override; the global file says false)
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in this game's own option file (Sonic The Hedgehog (USA, Europe, Brazil) (En).opt)
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm preamp 100
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border left border
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit enabled
Overclock 150
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Console boot ROMs (the core's boot ROM option is on, so each console starts with its own start-up screen, as the hardware did)
Mega Drive boot ROM (its licence screen) bios_MD.bin, 2,048 bytes
Master System boot ROM (USA) bios_U.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Europe) bios_E.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Japan) bios_J.sms, 8,192 bytes
Game Gear boot ROM bios.gg, 1,024 bytes
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen, vrr_runloop_enable. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting. The Game Gear version keeps its native screen size: the extended border option is off.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the emulated CPU runs at 150% and the sprite limit is off: together they remove the game's own slowdown and sprite flicker (measured on the 8-bit Sonic: 59.5 to 60 of its own frames a second, about 57 at 100%), and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Finished 29 Sep 2026
Sonic the Hedgehog (Mega Drive)
Played to the end on the 1991 cartridge (revision 01) in RetroArch, at 4K in HDR with a 16:9 widescreen patch and frame generation to 240 fps. Everything below is what the finished playthrough used, read from the files archived when it ended; the game itself has been deleted.
Played
Finished 29 September 2026
Play time 14 h 27 min, RetroArch's own count over 32 launches (a few of them were test launches by the AIs setting it up)
Saves kept 71 unique save states (3.0 MB): the final save slots plus every earlier version a slot held, downloadable below
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch 1.22.2
Core Genesis Plus GX Wide
Widescreen (genuine 16:9)
Core Genesis Plus GX Wide, 10 extra tile columns (a true 16:9 view, nothing stretched)
Game file The REV01 cartridge dump with a widescreen patch applied offline (562-byte patch file): the drawing boundaries, object culling, HUD position and checksum bypass; the camera bounds moved 40 px in on both sides; and the special stages' side clipping widened 40 px per side.
A FAULT OF THE PATCH The camera-bounds part stopped some bosses from appearing (their triggers wait for the camera to reach a spot the narrowed bounds never reach; Green Hill 3's was corrected live during play) and put an invisible wall in front of one red spring, because Sonic's walls follow the same bounds. Neither happens in the unpatched game.
Frame generation (240 fps)
Tool Lossless Scaling 3.2.2 (a separate program that captures the game's window and generates the in-between frames; the game itself still runs at its own 60)
Frame generation LSFG2, x4 (60 in, 240 out)
Capture WGC
Flow scale 50 %
Quality BALANCED
HDR support true
Scaling Off
Switches on by itself, 8 s after the game window is in front
Max frame latency 1
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (as played)
Video driver d3d11
Fullscreen true
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000
HDR expand gamut true
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false
Shader false
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync true
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop false
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in this game's own option file
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm enhance off
Fm preamp 100
Fm voice recovery off
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
H40 extra columns 10
H40 extra columns alpha 100
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border disabled
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit enabled
Overclock 150
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
Sound samplerate auto
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp fix dma boundary bug disabled
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Read from the configuration files archived at the end of the playthrough (the game's own launch configuration, the core override, this game's core option file and the frame generation profile).
Mods
Widescreen patch Presentation changes on the cartridge dump (see above). Its camera bounds caused the missing bosses and the invisible wall.
Emulated CPU at 150 % The emulated console's processor runs faster so the game's own slowdown in busy scenes is gone; the PC is not overclocked.
Sprite limit removed Turned off to stop Sonic's sprite splitting at the end of Marble Zone Act 1 in the wide view.
Lossless Scaling frame generation 60 fps in, 240 out. Moving sprites show some warping from the generated frames.
HDR is RetroArch's own output (1,000 nits peak, 200 paper white); no CRT, LCD or scanline filter; the image is scaled with no smoothing.
RetroArch save states for the Genesis Plus GX Wide core and the widescreen-patched REV01 cartridge: they load only with that exact game file and core.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Master System / Game Gear)
Both 8-bit versions of the sequel, each from its own dump, on the same core at 4K in HDR with no filtering.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Genesis Plus GX
Master System game file Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (Europe, Brazil) (En).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (Europe, Brazil) (En).zip"
Game Gear game file Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (World).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (World).zip"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true (core override; the global file says false)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop true (core override; the global file says false)
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Genesis Plus GX)
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm preamp 100
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border left border
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit disabled
Overclock 100
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Console boot ROMs (the core's boot ROM option is on, so each console starts with its own start-up screen, as the hardware did)
Mega Drive boot ROM (its licence screen) bios_MD.bin, 2,048 bytes
Master System boot ROM (USA) bios_U.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Europe) bios_E.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Japan) bios_J.sms, 8,192 bytes
Game Gear boot ROM bios.gg, 1,024 bytes
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen, vrr_runloop_enable. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting. The Game Gear version keeps its native screen size: the extended border option is off.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Mega Drive)
The 1992 cartridge, revision B, emulated at 4K in HDR with a genuine 16:9 view: the wide core draws extra columns at both sides and a small patch on the game file lets the game fill them, draw its objects out to the new edges and keep its camera inside the level.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Genesis Plus GX Wide
Game file (Rev B, widescreen patch applied) Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (Rev B, 16-9 widescreen patch).md
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_wide_libretro.dll" "Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (Rev B, 16-9 widescreen patch).md"
Widescreen (genuine 16:9, nothing stretched)
Core Genesis Plus GX Wide, which renders extra tile columns at both sides instead of stretching
Extra columns in H40 mode 10
Game file The Rev B cartridge dump with a widescreen patch applied offline, 267 bytes: drawing boundaries, object culling distance and no wraparound, the HUD 40 px left, the ring manager's boundaries, the checksum bypass, and the camera bounds moved 40 px in on both sides so the wide view never looks past the level's own edges. No content added or removed.
Level start Clean edge to edge from the first frame, measured on a recording of the first six seconds of Emerald Hill Zone Act 1 (the unpatched dump showed the same left band Sonic 1 had).
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true (core override; the global file says false)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop true (core override; the global file says false)
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in this game's own option file (Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (Rev B, 16-9 widescreen patch).opt)
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm enhance off
Fm preamp 100
Fm voice recovery off
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
H40 extra columns 10
H40 extra columns alpha 100
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border disabled
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit enabled
Overclock 150
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
Sound samplerate auto
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp fix dma boundary bug disabled
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Console boot ROMs (the core's boot ROM option is on, so each console starts with its own start-up screen, as the hardware did)
Mega Drive boot ROM (its licence screen) bios_MD.bin, 2,048 bytes
Master System boot ROM (USA) bios_U.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Europe) bios_E.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Japan) bios_J.sms, 8,192 bytes
Game Gear boot ROM bios.gg, 1,024 bytes
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen, vrr_runloop_enable. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
Mods
Widescreen patch Applied offline to the cartridge dump: 267 bytes, presentation only (drawing boundaries, object culling, HUD position, ring manager bounds, checksum bypass, camera bounds). The game is unchanged, the presentation is corrected.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the emulated CPU runs at 150% and the sprite limit is off: together they remove the game's own slowdown and sprite flicker (measured on the 8-bit Sonic: 59.5 to 60 of its own frames a second, about 57 at 100%), and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Mega Drive)
The 1994 cartridge on its own, emulated at 4K in HDR with no filtering. The lock-on combination with Sonic & Knuckles is a separate entry, because it is a different game. A second, native way to play it is set up too: Sonic 3 & Knuckles rebuilt around the original cartridge data: native widescreen and 60 fps, fullscreen at 4K, no filtering.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Genesis Plus GX
Game file Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (USA).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Sonic The Hedgehog 3 (USA).zip"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true (core override; the global file says false)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop true (core override; the global file says false)
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Genesis Plus GX)
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm preamp 100
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border left border
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit disabled
Overclock 100
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Console boot ROMs (the core's boot ROM option is on, so each console starts with its own start-up screen, as the hardware did)
Mega Drive boot ROM (its licence screen) bios_MD.bin, 2,048 bytes
Master System boot ROM (USA) bios_U.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Europe) bios_E.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Japan) bios_J.sms, 8,192 bytes
Game Gear boot ROM bios.gg, 1,024 bytes
Sonic 3 & Knuckles (Angel Island Revisited, native port): program and version
Launch Sonic3AIR.exe
Game data The Sonic 3 + Sonic & Knuckles lock-on cartridge dump, read by the A.I.R. program (26.03.28)
Sonic 3 & Knuckles (Angel Island Revisited, native port): the port's own settings file
Fullscreen 1 (borderless fullscreen)
FrameSync 1 (V-Sync On)
Upscaling 0 (aspect fit, no stretch)
Filtering 0 (sharp pixels, no smoothing)
Scanlines 0 (off)
RenderMethod auto
SimulationFrequency 60
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen, vrr_runloop_enable. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode I (PC, Steam)
The Steam release through its own launcher at 3840x2160 full screen, 60 fps (the game's design rate).
Emulator and version
Launch Steam, app 202530
Build Steam install on C: (app 202530), current public build, owned with its DLC
The game's own settings
Launcher the game's own launcher (Java): Display 1, Resolution 3840x2160, Full screen ticked, saved
Frame rate 60 (game speed is tied to it; the launcher's fullscreen sets the display to 60 Hz)
Anti-aliasing / filtering none offered by the game
Read from the game's own settings store and menus after the run.
No HDR from this release (later retrofit item).
Set up, not yet played
Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode II (PC, Steam)
The Steam release through its own launcher at 3840x2160 full screen, 60 fps; owning both episodes unlocks Episode Metal inside it.
Emulator and version
Launch Steam, app 203650
Build Steam install on C: (app 203650), current public build, owned with its DLC
The game's own settings
Launcher the game's own launcher: Display 1, 3840 x 2160 @ 60 Hz, Full Screen ticked, saved
Frame rate 60 (game speed is tied to it)
Anti-aliasing / filtering none offered by the game
Read from the game's own settings store and menus after the run.
No HDR from this release (later retrofit item).
Set up, not yet played
Sonic the Hedgehog CD (2011 remaster, native port)
The game's own 2011/2013 remaster engine rebuilt as a native PC program: fullscreen at the desktop's 4K, native 16:9 (424 px wide), vsync, no smoothing.
Emulator and version
Launch RSDKv3.exe
Game data Data.rsdk from the Steam release, read by the rebuilt 2011 engine (RSDKv3)
The port's own settings file
Dev.DevMenu false
Dev.EngineDebugMode false
Dev.TxtScripts false
Dev.StartingCategory 0
Dev.StartingScene 0
Dev.FastForwardSpeed 8
Dev.UseSteamDir false
Dev.UseHQModes true
Dev.DataFile Data.rsdk
Game.Language 0
Game.GameType 0
Game.OriginalControls -1
Game.DisableTouchControls false
Game.DisableFocusPause 0
Game.Platform 0
Window.FullScreen true
Window.Borderless true
Window.VSync true
Window.ScalingMode 0
Window.WindowScale 2
Window.ScreenWidth 424
Window.RefreshRate 60
Window.DimLimit 300
Window.HardwareRenderer false
Audio.BGMVolume 1.000000
Audio.SFXVolume 1.000000
Read directly from the port's own configuration file.
No HDR from these ports (later retrofit item). No filter, no scanlines, no shader.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic the Hedgehog Pocket Adventure (Neo Geo Pocket Color)
The Neo Geo Pocket Color cartridge at 4K in HDR with no filtering at its native screen size.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Beetle NeoPop
Game file Sonic The Hedgehog - Pocket Adventure (World).ngc
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\ngp_libretro.dll" "Sonic The Hedgehog - Pocket Adventure (World).ngc"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen false (core override)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop false
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Beetle NeoPop)
Language english
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic the Hedgehog Spinball (Mega Drive)
The 1993 cartridge, emulated at 4K in HDR with no filtering, in its native 4:3.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Genesis Plus GX
Game file Sonic Spinball (USA).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Sonic Spinball (USA).zip"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true (core override; the global file says false)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop true (core override; the global file says false)
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Genesis Plus GX)
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm preamp 100
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border left border
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit disabled
Overclock 100
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Console boot ROMs (the core's boot ROM option is on, so each console starts with its own start-up screen, as the hardware did)
Mega Drive boot ROM (its licence screen) bios_MD.bin, 2,048 bytes
Master System boot ROM (USA) bios_U.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Europe) bios_E.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Japan) bios_J.sms, 8,192 bytes
Game Gear boot ROM bios.gg, 1,024 bytes
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen, vrr_runloop_enable. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic the Hedgehog's Gameworld (Sega Pico)
The Japanese Pico cartridge (the American one was cut), on a core with real pen input, at 4K in HDR with no filtering.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core PicoDrive
Game file (Japan, Rev A: the complete game; the US release cut six minigames, a floor and Story Mode) Sonic The Hedgehog's Gameworld (Japan) (Rev A).md
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\picodrive_libretro.dll" "Sonic The Hedgehog's Gameworld (Japan) (Rev A).md"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen false (core override)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop false
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (PicoDrive)
Aspect PAR
Audio filter disabled
Drc enabled
Fm filter off
Fmchip ym2612
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Ggghost off
Input1 3 button pad
Input2 3 button pad
Lowpass range 60
Overclk68k disabled
Ramcart disabled
Region Auto
Renderer accurate
Smsfm off
Smsmapper Auto
Smstms SMS
Smstype Auto
Sound rate 44100
Sprlim disabled
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Triple Trouble (Game Gear)
The Game Gear cartridge at 4K in HDR with no filtering at its native screen size.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Genesis Plus GX
Game file Sonic The Hedgehog - Triple Trouble (USA, Europe, Brazil) (En).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Sonic The Hedgehog - Triple Trouble (USA, Europe, Brazil) (En).zip"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true (core override; the global file says false)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop true (core override; the global file says false)
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Genesis Plus GX)
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm preamp 100
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border left border
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit disabled
Overclock 100
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Console boot ROMs (the core's boot ROM option is on, so each console starts with its own start-up screen, as the hardware did)
Mega Drive boot ROM (its licence screen) bios_MD.bin, 2,048 bytes
Master System boot ROM (USA) bios_U.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Europe) bios_E.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Japan) bios_J.sms, 8,192 bytes
Game Gear boot ROM bios.gg, 1,024 bytes
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen, vrr_runloop_enable. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Unleashed (Recompiled from the Xbox 360 build, native port)
The Xbox 360 game recompiled to a native PC program from the owned disc, update and all six DLC packs: fullscreen at 4K (scale 1.0), vsync, 120 fps, 8x MSAA with transparency AA, 16x anisotropic, 8192 shadow maps, bicubic GI filtering, motion blur off.
Emulator and version
Launch UnleashedRecomp.exe
Game data The Xbox 360 disc, its title update and all six DLC packs, converted once by the port's own installer
The port's own settings file
Monitor 0
AspectRatio Auto
ResolutionScale 1
Fullscreen true
VSync false (OFF (the NVIDIA app owns VSync and the 237 fps cap; switched off 2026-09-30))
TripleBuffering Auto
FPS 120
ShowFPS false
MaxFrameLatency 2
Brightness 0.5
AntiAliasing 8x MSAA
TransparencyAntiAliasing true
AnisotropicFiltering 16
ShadowResolution 8192
GITextureFiltering Bicubic
DepthOfFieldQuality Ultra
MotionBlur Off
XboxColorCorrection false
CutsceneAspectRatio Original
UIAlignmentMode Edge
Depth of field quality steps only in this port (Auto/Low/Medium/High/Ultra); it cannot be switched off
FPS note 120 on the 240 Hz display; the port's own default is 60 and it documents 60 as the safest target, so drop to 60 in its Video menu if anything misbehaves
Read directly from the port's own configuration file.
No HDR from these ports (later retrofit item). No filter, no scanlines, no shader.
Set up, not yet played
Sonic Unleashed (Wii)
The Wii disc on Dolphin at 6x internal resolution (about 4K) with the emulator's own HDR output, native 16:9.
Emulator and version
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e "Sonic Unleashed (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).rvz"
Disc image Sonic Unleashed (USA) (En,Ja,Fr,De,Es,It).rvz
Emulator
Emulator Dolphin
Graphics backend D3D12
Launch Dolphin.exe -b -e <the disc image>
Graphics: settings (GFX.ini)
InternalResolution 6
AspectRatio 0
MSAA 1
SSAA False
wideScreenHack False
Crop False
ShaderCompilationMode 0
WaitForShadersBeforeStarting True
BackendMultithreading True
VSync False
ShowFPS False
Graphics: enhancements and HDR (GFX.ini)
MaxAnisotropy 4
PostProcessingShader AutoHDR
HDROutput True
ForceTrueColor True
DisableCopyFilter True
ArbitraryMipmapDetection True
HDRPaperWhiteNits 200
Graphics: hacks (GFX.ini)
EFBAccessEnable True
EFBToTextureEnable True
ImmediateXFBEnable False
SkipDuplicateXFBs True
DeferEFBCopies True
General (Dolphin.ini)
Fullscreen True
RenderToMain False
SkipIPL True
EnableCheats False
SyncGPU False
OverclockEnable False
MMU False
ConfirmStop True
Controller (WiimoteNew.ini, emulated Wii Remote 1 on the gamepad)
Device XInput gamepad
Extension Nunchuk
A / B A button / right trigger
1 / 2 X / Y
- / + / Home Back / Start / right stick click
D-Pad the pad
Pointer (IR) right stick
Wii Remote shake right shoulder
Tilt right stick, with the left stick click as modifier
Nunchuk stick left stick
Nunchuk C / Z left shoulder / left trigger
Nunchuk shake left shoulder
Emulated GameCube controller still on the same gamepad; the games that accept a GameCube controller (Unleashed, Colors, Riders: Zero Gravity) can use it from their own options
Read directly from Dolphin's GFX.ini and Dolphin.ini. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch.
Nothing layered on the emulator. The widescreen hack stays off: Wii games are 16:9 on their own and the GameCube ones that offer 16:9 do it in their own options; a hack would push menus off screen. The Wii Remote is emulated on the gamepad with the Nunchuk attached (a base mapping; the motion games are tuned one by one at first play).
Set up, not yet played
Sonic X Shadow Generations (PC, Steam)
The Steam release at 3840x2160 full screen from C:. Both games in the package (Sonic Generations 2011 remaster and Shadow Generations) load from this one launch. A second, native way to play it is set up too: The 2011 PC release, required beside X Shadow Generations because the 2024 remaster removes the playable Sonic 1 port, the 30-Second Trial mode and a music track. Set through the game's own configuration tool: 3840x2160, FXAA, shadows and reflections High, vsync.
Emulator and version
Launch Steam, app 2513280
Build Steam install on C: (app 2513280), current public build, owned with its DLC
The game's own settings
Resolution 3840 x 2160 full screen (screen_setting.xml, fullscreenStyle 1, vsync 0, off: the NVIDIA app owns VSync)
In-game graphics options checklist at first play: Options > Graphics, motion blur and depth of field off if offered, frame rate to the highest stable setting for the Shadow campaign (up to 120)
Sonic Generations (2011, PC): the original, played beside the remaster: program and version
Launch Steam, app 71340
Build Steam install on C: (app 71340, the delisted 2011 release, installed 18 Sep 2026 from the owning account); the Casino Night DLC package held separately
Sonic Generations (2011, PC): the original, played beside the remaster: the game's own settings (configurationtool)
Configuration tool GraphicsConfig.cfg in the install folder, written by the game's own ConfigurationTool.exe
Resolution 3840 x 2160 @ 240 Hz (display 1)
Anti-aliasing FXAA (the tool's only choice besides None)
Display mode Widescreen
Shadow quality High
Reflection quality High
V-Sync On
Frame rate the game is built for 60 fps; leave it (the 2011 port's frame limiter misbehaves above 60 Hz displays only when uncapped by mods)
Read from the game's own settings store and menus after the run.
No HDR from this release (later retrofit item).
Set up, not yet played
Tails Adventure (Game Gear)
The Game Gear cartridge at 4K in HDR with no filtering at its native screen size.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Genesis Plus GX
Game file Tails Adventure (World) (En,Ja).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Tails Adventure (World) (En,Ja).zip"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true (core override; the global file says false)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop true (core override; the global file says false)
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Genesis Plus GX)
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm preamp 100
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border left border
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit disabled
Overclock 100
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Console boot ROMs (the core's boot ROM option is on, so each console starts with its own start-up screen, as the hardware did)
Mega Drive boot ROM (its licence screen) bios_MD.bin, 2,048 bytes
Master System boot ROM (USA) bios_U.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Europe) bios_E.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Japan) bios_J.sms, 8,192 bytes
Game Gear boot ROM bios.gg, 1,024 bytes
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen, vrr_runloop_enable. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Tails and the Music Maker (Sega Pico)
The Pico cartridge on a core with real pen input, at 4K in HDR with no filtering.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core PicoDrive
Game file Tails and the Music Maker (USA).md
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\picodrive_libretro.dll" "Tails and the Music Maker (USA).md"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen false (core override)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop false
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (PicoDrive)
Aspect PAR
Audio filter disabled
Drc enabled
Fm filter off
Fmchip ym2612
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Ggghost off
Input1 3 button pad
Input2 3 button pad
Lowpass range 60
Overclk68k disabled
Ramcart disabled
Region Auto
Renderer accurate
Smsfm off
Smsmapper Auto
Smstms SMS
Smstype Auto
Sound rate 44100
Sprlim disabled
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Tails' Skypatrol (Game Gear)
The Japanese Game Gear cartridge, the only release, at 4K in HDR with no filtering at its native screen size.
Emulator and version
Emulator RetroArch
Core Genesis Plus GX
Game file (Japan; the only release) Tails' Skypatrol (Japan) (En).zip
Launch retroarch.exe -L "cores\genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll" "Tails' Skypatrol (Japan) (En).zip"
RetroArch video, timing and drivers (retroarch.cfg with the core override applied)
Video driver d3d11 (core override; the global file says glcore)
Fullscreen true (core override)
Borderless (windowed) fullscreen true (core override; the global file says false)
Fullscreen width (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
Fullscreen height (0 = the desktop's, 4K here) 0
HDR true (core override; the global file says false)
HDR peak brightness (nits) 1000.000000 (core override)
HDR paper white (nits) 200.000000 (core override)
HDR expand gamut true (core override)
Aspect ratio index (22 = core provided) 22
Integer scaling false (core override)
Bilinear filtering (smoothing) false (core override)
Shader false (core override)
CPU video filter
Rotation 0
V-Sync false (core override)
Swap interval 1
Adaptive V-Sync false
VRR run loop true (core override; the global file says false)
Refresh rate the core is timed to (Hz) 60.000000
Max swapchain images 3
GPU hard sync false
Frame delay 0
Black frame insertion 0
Run-ahead false
Audio driver wasapi
Audio latency (ms) 64
Input driver dinput
Core options, every value in the core's option file (Genesis Plus GX)
Add on auto
Addr error enabled
Aspect ratio auto
Audio eq high 100
Audio eq low 100
Audio eq mid 100
Audio filter disabled
Bios enabled
Blargg ntsc filter disabled
Cart bram per cart
Cart size 4meg
Cd latency enabled
Cd precache disabled
Cdda volume 100
Enhanced vscroll disabled
Enhanced vscroll limit 8
Fm preamp 100
Force dtack enabled
Frameskip disabled
Frameskip threshold 33
Gg extra disabled
Gun cursor disabled
Gun input lightgun
Invert mouse disabled
Lcd filter disabled
Left border left border
Lock on disabled
Lowpass range 60
Md channel 0 volume 100
Md channel 1 volume 100
Md channel 2 volume 100
Md channel 3 volume 100
Md channel 4 volume 100
Md channel 5 volume 100
No sprite limit disabled
Overclock 100
Overscan disabled
Pcm volume 100
Psg channel 0 volume 100
Psg channel 1 volume 100
Psg channel 2 volume 100
Psg channel 3 volume 100
Psg preamp 150
Region detect auto
Render single field
Show advanced audio settings disabled
Sms fm channel 0 volume 100
Sms fm channel 1 volume 100
Sms fm channel 2 volume 100
Sms fm channel 3 volume 100
Sms fm channel 4 volume 100
Sms fm channel 5 volume 100
Sms fm channel 6 volume 100
Sms fm channel 7 volume 100
Sms fm channel 8 volume 100
Sound output stereo
System bram per bios
System hw auto
Vdp mode auto
Ym2413 auto
Ym2413 core mame
Ym2612 mame (ym2612)
Console boot ROMs (the core's boot ROM option is on, so each console starts with its own start-up screen, as the hardware did)
Mega Drive boot ROM (its licence screen) bios_MD.bin, 2,048 bytes
Master System boot ROM (USA) bios_U.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Europe) bios_E.sms, 8,192 bytes
Master System boot ROM (Japan) bios_J.sms, 8,192 bytes
Game Gear boot ROM bios.gg, 1,024 bytes
Read directly from retroarch.cfg, the core override file and the core option file. The keys marked core override are the ones set for this core only: video_driver, video_fullscreen, video_hdr_enable, video_hdr_expand_gamut, video_hdr_max_nits, video_hdr_paper_white_nits, video_scale_integer, video_shader_enable, video_smooth, video_vsync, video_windowed_fullscreen, vrr_runloop_enable. HDR output was measured on the live screen after launch, not assumed from the setting.
The filters that fake a CRT or an LCD are off, the sprite limit is kept, as the hardware had it, and the image is scaled with no smoothing so the pixel art stays sharp. No frame generation: on 2D pixel art it smears sprites when the camera jumps, so the game runs at its own rate. HDR is the emulator's own HDR output; match the nits to your own screen.
Set up, not yet played
Team Sonic Racing (PC)
The PC game at 3840x2160 borderless, vsync, the high preset with anti-aliasing, texture, model and shadow quality at their highest steps, 16x anisotropic filtering, SSAO on; motion blur OFF. Gameplay ticks at 60 in this port; menus and intros run uncapped.
Emulator and version
Launch GameApp_PcDx11_x64Final.exe
Build Final PC build (Steam public branch 7593058, 4 Nov 2021); the game shipped no DLC
The game's own configuration file
SelectedDisplay 0
SelectedResolutionWidth 3840
SelectedResolutionHeight 2160
SelectedDisplayMode 2 (borderless, no display-mode switch)
SelectedVSync 1 (on)
PresetQuality 2 (high, the top preset)
AntiAliasing 1 (on)
TextureQuality 2 (highest)
TextureFiltering 4 (16x anisotropic, the top step)
ModelQuality 2 (highest)
ShadowQuality 2 (highest)
MotionBlur 0 (off)
SSAO 1 (on)
Read from the game's options.ini after the run.
No HDR (the game has none; later retrofit item). Motion blur is switched off in the game's own options file.
Set up, not yet played
The Murder of Sonic the Hedgehog (PC, Steam)
The Steam release from the repaired C: install, full screen at 4K.
Emulator and version
Launch Steam, app 2324650
Build Steam install on C: (app 2324650), current public build, owned with its DLC
The game's own settings
Install repaired by Steam's verify on the account that holds its licence, 38 MB -> 448 MB (178 files); the E: index corruption had emptied it
Display borderless at the desktop's 4K (the game has no resolution menu of its own)
Frame rate uncapped; 237 fps measured at the title, harmless for a visual novel
Read from the game's own settings store and menus after the run.
No HDR from this release (later retrofit item).
Set up, not yet played
Waku Waku Sonic Patrol Car (Arcade)
The 1991 kiddie-ride board, emulated fullscreen with integer scaling and no filtering.
Emulator
Emulator MAME 0.289
Romset (the name the emulator launches) soniccar
Romset check romset soniccar is good
Launch mame.exe soniccar
The values I changed from the defaults (mame.ini)
video auto
window 0
keepaspect 1
unevenstretch 0
filter 0
prescale 4
skip_gameinfo 1
trackball_device mouse
Video output (as the emulator reports it)
video auto
numscreens 1
window 0
maximize 1
waitvsync 0
syncrefresh 0
monitorprovider auto
Scaling and filtering
filter 0
prescale 4
Render (aspect and stretching)
keepaspect 1
unevenstretch 0
unevenstretchx 0
unevenstretchy 0
autostretchxy 0
intoverscan 0
intscalex 0
intscaley 0
Rotation
rotate 1
ror 0
rol 0
autoror 0
autorol 0
flipx 0
flipy 0
Screen (brightness, contrast, gamma, effect overlay)
brightness 1.0
contrast 1.0
gamma 1.0
pause_brightness 0.65
effect none
Artwork
artwork_crop 0
fallback_artwork (empty)
override_artwork (empty)
artwork_font default
Performance and throttling
autoframeskip 0
frameskip 0
seconds_to_run 0
throttle 1
sleep 1
speed 1.0
refreshspeed 0
lowlatency 0
Sound
samplerate 48000
samples 1
volume 0
Per-window video
screen auto
aspect auto
resolution auto
view auto
The changed values are read from mame.ini; everything else is the emulator's own report of its effective configuration (mame -showconfig). The romset check line is the emulator's own verdict (mame -verifyroms).
The emulator has no HDR output of its own, so this one runs in SDR for now; an HDR retrofit is the open item. No filter, no overlay, integer scaling with a small letterbox rather than uneven pixels. The emulator opens this board on its own notice about imperfectly emulated graphics; press any key and the board boots (about 30 seconds of black before the attract mode is normal).