The Sega Dreamcast wasn’t the primary residence console to retailer sport saves on a transportable reminiscence card, however its digital reminiscence unit (VMU) stood out with a built-in display, controls, and playable mini video games. 8BitMod’s upcoming VMU Professional provides the identical performance as Sega’s unique, however it’s rebuilt from the bottom up with upgrades that embody a full-color display and sufficient processing energy to make use of it as a handheld emulator for retro video games.
For years modders have been turning the Sega VMU right into a extra useful handheld gaming system by fully swapping out its electronics with extra succesful {hardware}, however at the price of it nonetheless functioning as a reminiscence card for the Dreamcast. That’s what makes the VMU Professional distinctive. Though it’s been upgraded with a 16-bit IPS TFT coloration display and sufficient energy to emulate NES, Sega Grasp System, and even Recreation Boy Colour titles, it could nonetheless be inserted into an unique Dreamcast controller and used to retailer save sport knowledge.
Different upgrades embody a chargeable battery (the unique Dreamcast VMU was infamous for going by means of CR2032 coin cell batteries when used by itself), MP3 playback for these residing and not using a smartphone, the flexibility to repeat and backup save sport knowledge immediately from an unique VMU, Wi-Fi, and limitless storage by means of microSD reminiscence playing cards.
The retro emulation on a full-color display is a enjoyable function, but when that’s the one cause you’re contemplating the VMU Professional, the Anbernic RG Nano provides far superior emulation (together with 3D consoles just like the N64 and PS1) on a similarly-sized handheld. The VMU Professional will enchantment extra to those that nonetheless have a Sega Dreamcast in common play rotation however are searching for a extra dependable and simpler approach to retailer and swap sport saves.
That’s assuming the VMU Professional isn’t going to be prohibitively costly. In 2022, Dreamware Enterprises launched its personal upgraded VMU referred to as the VM2 with a backlit however monochromatic and pixelated display for $114. It was an expensive improve for a console that Sega not helps, so hopefully three years of electronics evolution will end in a less expensive price ticket for the VMU Professional.
