MegaSD Compatibility

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This is the MegaSD page


Compatibility: Mega Sg

The MegaSD is compatible with Analogue's Mega Sg console, however there's currently compatibility issues with the Mega Sg and some revisions of the Sega CD, mainly from European and Japanese regions. The majority of these issues should NOT affect the MegaSD when it's used through the cartridge port. If you're using the MSDEXP with the MegaSD on the Mega Sg, it's possible you will encounter some of these compatibility issues.

Also when using the MegaSD in the cartridge slot, there's a known issue with the US release of WWF: Rage in the Cage where the game crashes when trying load specific game modes, e.g. cage matches. To play this game correctly on the Mega Sg you'll need the MSDEXP adapter, and it should work fine there. This is being investigated.

Compatibility: Sega Nomad

The MegaSD is compatible with the Sega Nomad however there's a couple compatibility hurdles to keep in mind here.

  • Sega Master System game support requires a modification to the Nomad allowing them to work.
- Similarly the SG-1000 will NOT work at all on the Sega Nomad, as the Genesis VDP lacks the video modes required to display SG-1000 games correctly.
  • The Sega Nomad cannot output CDDA audio from Sega CD games without a modification.
-The Nomad Triple Bypass from Mobius Strip Technologies is highly recommended to add CD audio support to the Sega Nomad.

Compatibility: Sega 32X + Original Genesis/Mega Drive Hardware

The MegaSD is able to load 32X ROMs, however this requires a real 32X. When using the MegaSD with original Genesis/Mega Drive hardware, there's a couple things to keep in mind here.

  • Make sure the Game load reset type option in the MegaSD is set to Hard.
  • You may or may not need to disable the Auto region fix option for the MegaSD if you have it set to On.
  • If your 32X is a launch version (revision VA0) you MAY (depending on Genesis revision) need to either have the 32X bus terminator (AKA the 32X Extension Unit) attached to the expansion slot of your Genesis attached or have a real (powered) Sega CD attached to your Genesis. You might try it without it and with it to see if there's any issues with games not working.

Compatibility: Sega 32X + Mega Sg

The MegaSD is able to load 32X ROMs, however this requires a real 32X. When using the MegaSD with Analogue's Mega Sg you also need the Analogue DAC and the Analogue DAC to 32X Cable from Retro-Access. Like with original hardware there's a couple things to keep in mind here.

  • You'll need to make sure the Game load reset type option in the MegaSD is set to Hard but it's been observed some games may work better when Soft is being used. May be wise to experiment with this on a game-by-game basis.
  • In the Mega Sg's Settings > Hardware section, the Auto Detect Region needs to be enabled or else it won't work!
  • If you're using the MegaSD + MSDEXP on your Mega Sg you may need to enable the Emulate seek time option to get games to work correctly.
  • If your 32X is a launch version (revision VA0) you WILL need to either have the bus terminator (AKA the 32X Extension Unit) attached to the expansion slot of your Mega Sg attached or have a real (powered) Sega CD attached to your Mega Sg. The 32X Expansion Unit by default won't fit the Mega Sg's expansion port and the only way you can plug it in is to remove the the plastic shell from board inside it (via the two Phillips screws) and it should work fine after that. Be mindful of the orientation of the connector and its PCB. If it's upside down the Mega Sg won't boot at all.

NOTE #1: If your 32X is a revision VA0 and you don't have the bus terminator (32X Expansion Unit) connected to the expansion slot or a Sega CD connected, lots of games won't work correctly. This also occurs with real 32X games with a VA0 32X if you don't have the expansion port populated with the 32X Expansion Unit or a Sega CD unit (that's powered).

NOTE #2: If Spider-Man: Web of Fire doesn't work, upgrade your Mega Sg's firmware to the latest firmware version available, as it should mostly be fixed there though there are still graphical glitches observed in-game. This isn't a MegaSD issue but a Mega Sg issue.

Please refer to Analogue's guide about the Mega Sg + 32X + DAC which can be found here for more information.

Compatibility: Sega 32X CD

The MegaSD is compatible with 32X CD games, however this requires a real 32X. In addition to the 32X hardware, a special adapter is required to use 32X CD games with the MegaSD.

  • MSDEXP is an add-on for your Genesis/Mega Drive Model 1 or Model 2 and Analogue MegaSG.
- The MSDEXP is a limited production item available from Mobius Strip Technologies.
- The MSDEXP plugs in to the expansion port of your console. It adapts the expansion port to allow the MegaSD to connect directly to the expansion bus.
- The MSDEXP will only work with the MegaSD. It will NOT work with other flash carts.
  • The above information about the 32X with original hardware and the Mega Sg may also be applicable when using 32X CD.
  • You may need to enable the Emulate seek time option to get games to work correctly when using the MegaSD + MSDEXP with the Mega Sg.

Compatibility: PAL Games That Require PAL Hardware

There are a handful of games from the PAL region, for example the French version of Beyond Oasis/Story of Thor (Legende de Thor) that requires the use of PAL Mega Drive hardware that contains a PAL VDP chip and won't work correctly on NTSC hardware. These handful of games may boot up with sound but you'll only see a blue screen. These games are PAL-optimized and use the 320x240 extended video mode, which only works with the VDP chip from a PAL region Mega Drive running at 50 Hz. When attempting to run the games in 60 Hz on NTSC Genesis/Mega Drive hardware, it loses vsync and thus the screen may become blue.

Games that use this 320x240 extended video mode and require a PAL VDP include the European releases of...

  • Beyond Oasis / Legende de Thor / Story of Thor
  • Ecco 2 - Tides of Time
  • Ristar
  • Street of Rage 3
  • Super Skidmark

The only workarounds are to either use original PAL Mega Drive hardware with these games, running the NTSC versions of the games when using NTSC Genesis/Mega Drive hardware or using a Mega Sg. This issue also affects other flash carts including the Mega Everdrive X7 and Mega Everdrive Pro along with the original cartridges and isn't a MegaSD issue.

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