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{{for|compressing, compress formats and emulator support|Save disk space for ISOs}}
{{for|compressing, compress formats and emulator support|Save disk space for ISOs}}


While the aim is to retain the original copy protection, making the game believe the original disc is present: the virtual/emulated drive is performing "emulation" of the drive itself to deliver the preserved protection data to the game. If the MDF/MDS image is correctly ripped ''(a near-'perfect' replica)'' with proper settings ''(like enabling subchannel and DPM capture)'' with using capable hardware, and the software that mount the disc image correctly interprets the DPM and subchannel data ''(emulators, hypervisors, or virtual drive software with optical drive hardware emulation capability)'', games should be run without [[#Emulation|emulation of copy protection]] or [[#Bypassing_copy_protection|NoCD/NoDVD executable patches]]. SecuROM may require precise DPM timing, which emulation settings help simulate. Also, SafeDisc may expect specific error codes or sector access patterns, which the virtual drive must emulate. However, success is not guaranteed even in these cases: as the game’s protection code may still expect drive-specific behaviors ''(or by a drive with specific characteristics or firmware)'' that virtual drive solutions ''(emulators, hypervisors, or virtual drive software with optical drive hardware emulation capability)'' does not provide, causing the protection check to fail. If that is the case; mount the image in virtual drive software like Alcohol 120% or Daemon Tools [[#Emulation|with emulation]] settings (e.g., SecuROM, SafeDisc, SCSI/IDE mode) to mimic the behaviour. For instance, [[Windows_NT_5.x_emulators#Hypervisors|VirtualBox’s parser is very strict, it does not recognize the multi-track disc image or FLAGS DCP, so it throws: VERR_NOT_SUPPORTED. VMware on the other hand only supports ISO images]]. Daemon Tools v2 / encrypted [[MDF/MDS]] images are not supported by [[86Box]].[https://86box.readthedocs.io/en/latest/hardware/diskimages.html#cd-rom-dvd-rom-optical-disc-images] [[Ymir]] (v0.2.0 and later) introduces [[High_and_low-level_emulation|low-level]] CD Block emulation, which requires a valid CD Block ROM and enhances accuracy for CD drive operations and game commands.[https://github.com/StrikerX3/Ymir/releases/tag/v0.2.0] [[86Box]] also has a [https://github.com/86Box/86Box/pull/7424 pull request] for adding [[Ripping_games#Disc-based|.aaru disc image format]].
The primary objective of low-level optical drive emulation is to recreate the precise hardware responses of a physical disc drive. While format matrices focus on image files, the internal virtual drive stack must handle advanced hardware communication properties to reliably trick native disc-based [[Copy protection|copy protections]] without needing [[Copy protection#Bypassing_copy_protection|NoCD/NoDVD executable patches]] or broken DRM drivers.


;Niche Cases
==Before diving in==
  - Multi-Session Discs: Some CDs (e.g., mixed-mode or enhanced CDs) use multiple sessions, requiring formats like MDF/MDS or .aaruf to capture session metadata accurately.
=== Drive Properties and Configuration ===
  - Hybrid Discs: Discs with both CDFS/ISO 9660 and UDF partitions need formats like MDF/MDS or .aaruf to preserve both file systems.
Advanced emulators mimicking complete motherboard architectures (such as [[86Box]]) allow users to configure up to eight independent optical drives. The structural behavior of these virtual drives is dictated by several low-level settings:
  - Firmware-Specific Protections: Protections like Tages may require drives with specific firmware to read unique identifiers, complicating ripping.
; Bus : Storage bus to attach the drive to. ATAPI (IDE), SCSI and Panasonic/MKE interfaces are supported.
  - Obsolete Dependencies: Some discs rely on external software (e.g., old DRM drivers) that may conflict with modern systems, requiring emulation or virtualized environments.
; Channel/ID : Where to attach the drive on the selected storage bus. See Adding a new disk for more information.
; Speed : Maximum transfer speed for the drive. Up to 72x is supported.
; Type : Disc drive model to identify as, suitable for the selected bus to choose from if it is provided; various models by name or speed. Some emulated machines have manufacturer restore discs locked to a specific drive model.
; EDC/ECC emulation : Enable checking of CD-ROM error correction data. Can be changed without a hard reset of the emulated machine. Disabling Use EDC/ECC emulation may be required for some copy-protected discs (such as SafeDisc) that deliberately inject damaged sectors into the physical disc layout. A standard drive would return specific read-error block codes, which the emulator must pass upstream instead of auto-correcting.


;Limitations
=== Emulation vs. Copy Protection Handling ===
DPM variability prevents perfect 1:1 copies, and protections like SecuROM 7+ or StarForce 3+ may require online activation, which images cannot replicate. Modern Windows (NT 10) blocks SecuROM/SafeDisc drivers; Microsoft intentionally blocked the secdrv.sys driver used by SafeDisc and SecuROM due to perceived security vulnerabilities, making these older disc-based games unplayable on modern Windows versions without workarounds (like [[#Bypassing_copy_protection|noCD/noDVD executable patches]] or specific [[Compatibility_layers#Shims|shims]] (e.g., [[#Emulation|SafeDiscShim]]), or using older OS environments e.g., [[Windows_NT_5.x_emulators|Windows XP]] in a VM). Even a “perfect” rip does not guarantee usability. The emulator or media player software must still support the relevant disc features. For example, [[Home_media_players#Media_player_software|VLC]] uses libdvdcss, libdvdread and libdvdnav for copy protected DVD Videos. [https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Home_media_players#:~:text=BD%2DVideo%20playback%20support There are workaround methods for BD Video discs as well]. [[DuckStation]] requires an .SBI file for LibCrypt-protected PAL titles even when subchannel data is present.[https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation?tab=readme-ov-file#libcrypt-protection-and-sbi-files][https://gbatemp.net/threads/rip-ps1-games-with-subchannel-to-bin-cue.461960/] Software developers often avoid fully reproducing low-level drive behavior due to legal risk or copyright concerns, and the significant reverse engineering effort involved. Instead, they usually rely on workarounds such as patches, plugins, libraries, decryption methods or sidecar files (e.g., .sub, .sbi, or .m3d) to bypass protections rather than emulate them precisely.
While the aim is to retain the original [[Copy protection|copy protection]], making the game believe the original disc is present: the virtual/emulated drive is performing "emulation" of the drive itself to deliver the preserved protection data to the game. If the MDF/MDS image is correctly ripped ''(a near-'perfect' replica)'' with proper settings ''(like enabling subchannel and DPM capture)'' with using capable hardware, and the software that mount the disc image correctly interprets the DPM and subchannel data ''(emulators, hypervisors, or virtual drive software with optical drive hardware emulation capability)'', games should be run without [[Copy protection#Emulation|emulation of copy protection]] or [[Copy protection#Bypassing_copy_protection|NoCD/NoDVD executable patches]].
 
SecuROM may require precise DPM timing, which emulation settings help simulate. Also, SafeDisc may expect specific error codes or sector access patterns, which the virtual drive must emulate. However, success is not guaranteed even in these cases: as the game’s protection code may still expect drive-specific behaviors ''(or by a drive with specific characteristics or firmware)'' that virtual drive solutions ''(emulators, hypervisors, or virtual drive software with optical drive hardware emulation capability)'' does not provide, causing the protection check to fail. If that is the case; mount the image in virtual drive software like Alcohol 120% or Daemon Tools [[Copy protection#Emulation|with emulation]] settings (e.g., SecuROM, SafeDisc, SCSI/IDE mode) to mimic the behaviour.
 
Even if the disc image supported in some capacity, it still can be highly volatile. For instance, [[Windows_NT_5.x_emulators#Hypervisors|VirtualBox]]'s parser is very strict, it does not recognize the multi-track disc image or [[Cue_sheet_(.cue)#FLAGS|FLAGS DCP]], so it throws: <nowiki>VERR_NOT_SUPPORTED</nowiki>.
 
=== Niche Cases ===
; Multi-Session Discs
: Some CDs (e.g., mixed-mode or enhanced CDs) use multiple sessions, requiring formats like MDF/MDS or .aaruf to capture session metadata accurately.
; Hybrid Discs
: Discs with both CDFS/ISO 9660 and UDF partitions need formats like MDF/MDS or .aaruf to preserve both file systems.
; Firmware-Specific Protections
: Protections like Tages may require drives with specific firmware to read unique identifiers, complicating ripping.
; Obsolete Dependencies
: Some discs rely on external software (e.g., old DRM drivers) that may conflict with modern systems, requiring emulation or virtualized environments.
 
=== Limitations ===
DPM variability prevents perfect 1:1 copies, and protections like SecuROM 7+ or StarForce 3+ may require online activation, which images cannot replicate. Modern Windows (NT 10) blocks SecuROM/SafeDisc drivers; Microsoft intentionally blocked the <nowiki>secdrv.sys</nowiki> driver used by SafeDisc and SecuROM due to perceived security vulnerabilities, making these older disc-based games unplayable on modern Windows versions without workarounds (like [[Copy protection#Bypassing_copy_protection|noCD/noDVD executable patches]] or specific [[Compatibility_layers#Shims|shims]] (e.g., [[Copy protection#Emulation|SafeDiscShim]]), or using older OS environments e.g., [[Windows_NT_5.x_emulators|Windows XP]] in a VM).  
 
Even a “perfect” rip does not guarantee usability. The emulator or media player software must still support the relevant disc features (like supporting sidecar files like .sub, .sbi, or .m3d to bypass protections, or emulate the disc image capabilities precisely). For example:
* [[DuckStation]] requires an .SBI file for LibCrypt-protected PAL titles even when subchannel data is present.[https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation?tab=readme-ov-file#libcrypt-protection-and-sbi-files][https://gbatemp.net/threads/rip-ps1-games-with-subchannel-to-bin-cue.461960/]
* [[Home_media_players#Media_player_software|VLC]] uses libdvdcss, libdvdread and libdvdnav for copy protected DVD Videos. There are workaround methods for BD Video discs as well.
 
Software developers often avoid fully reproducing low-level drive behavior due to legal risk or copyright concerns, and the significant reverse engineering effort involved. Instead, they usually rely on workarounds such as patches, plugins, libraries, and decryption methods.


==Comparison==
==Comparison==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;width:100%"
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;width:100%"
|+ For the low-level archival capabilities of specific disc image formats, see the [[Ripping games#Comparison|Comparison]] section. For compressed or scrubbed disc image formats and emulator compatibility, see [[Save disk space for ISOs]]. For arcade hardware utilizing analog video discs, see [[Arcade_LaserDisc_emulators#Games|Arcade LaserDisc]].<br>If an emulator's virtual disc drive lacks the full structural architecture to handle a format's native [[Copy protection]] mechanisms such as loading the image but ignoring subchannels or skipping physical topology checks (whether due to technical limitations or copyright compliance concerns), mark the capability as <nowiki>{{~}}</nowiki> instead of <nowiki>{{✓}}</nowiki>.
|+ Only emulators that are recommended in the EmuGen Wiki are listed here.<br>For the low-level archival capabilities of specific disc image formats, see the [[Ripping games#Comparison|Ripping comparison]] section.<br>For compressed or scrubbed disc image formats and emulator compatibility, see [[Save disk space for ISOs]].<br>For home media playback capabilities, see the [[Home media players#Emulators that support multimedia capabilities of the system|emulators that support multimedia capabilities of the system]] section.<br>If an emulator's virtual disc drive lacks the full structural architecture to handle a format's native [[Copy protection]] mechanisms such as loading the image but ignoring subchannels or skipping physical topology checks (whether due to technical limitations or copyright compliance concerns), mark the capability as <nowiki>{{~}}</nowiki> instead of <nowiki>{{✓}}</nowiki>.
|-
|-
! rowspan=2 scope="col" style="vertical-align:middle; width:15%;" | Emulator Name
! rowspan=2 scope="col" style="vertical-align:middle; width:15%;" | Emulator Name
! colspan=5 scope="colgroup" | CDs
! colspan=5 scope="colgroup" | [[#CD|CDs]]
! colspan=4 scope="colgroup" | DVDs, UMDs, HD-DVDs and BDs
! colspan=4 scope="colgroup" | [[#DVD|DVDs]], [[#System_Specific|UMDs]], [[Xbox_360_emulators#HD_DVD_Player|HD-DVDs]] and [[#BD|BDs]]
! colspan=6 scope="colgroup" | System-Specific
! colspan=7 scope="colgroup" | [[#System_Specific|System-Specific]]
|-
|-
! scope="col" | CDRWin BIN/CUE
! scope="col" | CDRWin BIN/[[Cue_sheet_(.cue)|CUE]]
! scope="col" | CloneCD CCD/IMG/SUB
! scope="col" | CloneCD [[CloneCD_(.ccd)|CCD]]/IMG/SUB
! scope="col" | Alcohol 120% MDF/MDS
! scope="col" | Alcohol 120% [[Media_Descriptor_File_(MDF)|MDF]]/MDS
! scope="col" | Aaru .aaruf
! scope="col" | Aaru .aaruf
! scope="col" | Disc Passthrough
! scope="col" | Disc Passthrough
! scope="col" | Standard ISO / UDF
! scope="col" | UDF ISO
! scope="col" | Alcohol 120% MDF/MDS
! scope="col" | Alcohol 120% [[Media_Descriptor_File_(MDF)|MDF]]/MDS
! scope="col" | Aaru .aaruf
! scope="col" | Aaru .aaruf
! scope="col" | Disc Passthrough
! scope="col" | Disc Passthrough
Line 39: Line 65:
! scope="col" | .bin or .gdi / .raw
! scope="col" | .bin or .gdi / .raw
! scope="col" | .dmg
! scope="col" | .dmg
! scope="col" | .mmi
! scope="col" | Disc Passthrough
! scope="col" | Disc Passthrough
|-
|-
! scope="row" | [[Dolphin]]
! scope="row" | [[Dolphin]]
| colspan="9" {{✗}}
| colspan="5" {{✗}}
| {{✓}}
| colspan="3" {{✗}}
| {{✓}}
| colspan="6" {{✗}}<ref group=N2 name="Dolphin_Drive">Dolphin supports raw GameCube and Wii disc image dumps. However, standard PC optical drives cannot read these proprietary formats natively, and Dolphin lacks low-level drive passthrough command structures for physical discs or homebrew DVD-Video playback.</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | [[86Box]]
| {{✓}}<ref group=N2 name="86Box_Formats">86Box natively supports .ISO, and BIN/CUE optical disc formats, including full support for digital audio tracks (CDDA). 86Box also supports standard Alcohol 120% MDS/MDF files, but encrypted images generated by newer versions of Daemon Tools v2+ are explicitly unsupported. See their official docs for more information:[https://86box.readthedocs.io/en/latest/settings/floppycdrom.html][https://86box.readthedocs.io/en/latest/hardware/diskimages.html#cd-rom-dvd-rom-optical-disc-images].</ref>
| {{Unknown}}
| {{~}}<ref group=N2 name="86Box_Formats"></ref>
| {{~}}<ref group=N2 name="86Box_Aaru">Support for the Aaru `.aaruf` block format has an open [https://github.com/86Box/86Box/pull/7424 pull request] but is pending final integration into stable upstream releases.</ref>
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}<ref group=N2 name="86Box_Formats"></ref>
| colspan="2" {{Unknown}}
| {{✓}}
| colspan="7" {{✗}}<ref group=N2 name="86Box_Mac">Macintosh .dmg images are not directly supported by 86Box. They must first be converted to a raw hard disk image or to a standard optical disc image (such as ISO, BIN/CUE, or similar), depending on the contents of the DMG, before they can be attached to the emulated hardware.</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | [[DuckStation]]
| colspan="3" {{~}}<ref group=N2 name="DuckStation_LC">DuckStation natively loads BIN/CUE, CloneCD, and MDF/MDS formats. However, its internal virtual disc subsystem lacks the architecture to parse native subchannel sectors for handling LibCrypt protection directly from `.sub` or `.mds` data, explicitly requiring sidecar `.SBI` files alongside the disc image to successfully pass protection checks on PAL titles.</ref>
| {{✗}}
| {{✓}}<ref group=N2 name="DuckStation_PT">Supports direct execution of physical Audio CD and CD-ROM titles via system drive passthrough, though it lacks [[Home_media_players#Emulators|Video CD (VCD) playback]] support of PlayStation SCPH-5903 model.</ref>
| colspan="11" {{✗}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[BigPEmu]]
| {{✓}}
| colspan="15" {{✗}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[Ymir]]
| colspan="3" {{✓}}<ref group=N2 name="Ymir_Formats">Ymir features comprehensive sector-level image support for Sega Saturn architecture, handling standard BIN/CUE, CloneCD (CCD/IMG/SUB), and Alcohol 120% (MDF/MDS) layouts natively. [[Ymir]] ([https://github.com/StrikerX3/Ymir/releases/tag/v0.2.0 v0.2.0] and later) introduces [[High_and_low-level_emulation|low-level]] CD Block emulation, which requires a valid [[Emulator_files#Saturn|CD Block ROM]] and enhances accuracy for CD drive operations and game commands.</ref>
| colspan="13" {{✗}}<ref group=N2 name="Ymir_Passthrough">Ymir does not include drive passthrough command structures for physical PC optical drives. Games must be loaded as digital disc images.</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | [[Xenia Edge]]
| colspan="10" {{✗}}
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
| colspan="5" {{✗}}<ref name="Dolphin_Drive">Dolphin supports raw GameCube and Wii disc image dumps. However, standard PC optical drives cannot read these proprietary formats natively, and Dolphin lacks low-level drive passthrough command structures for physical discs or homebrew DVD-Video playback.</ref>
| colspan="5" {{✗}}
|-
! scope="row" | [[Xemu]]
| colspan="10" {{✗}}<ref group=N2 name="Xemu_CDVD">xemu does not support standard CD images or Audio CDs. There is an open [https://github.com/xemu-project/xemu/issues/435 feature request] to add support for loading Audio CD discs and images. Standard UDF ISO and "Redump" format ISOs are explicitly unsupported because xemu does not yet correctly emulate the full Xbox DVD drive hardware architecture or its unique dual-partition topology (DVD video partition + game partition). See [http://wiki.redump.info/index.php?title=Microsoft_Xbox_and_Xbox_360_Dumping_Guide Redump Dumping Guide]. Redump files must be repacked into a standard game-only format before loading, though there is a [https://github.com/xemu-project/xemu/pull/1659 pull request] aimed at loading un-modified retail Redump images with a retail BIOS.</ref>
| {{✓}}<ref group=N2 name="xemu_XISO">[[Xemu]] strictly relies on game data packed into the proprietary Xbox filesystem structure formatted as a `.xiso` disc image. See [https://xemu.app/docs/disc-images/ xemu: disc images]. Legacy tools like "extract-xiso" can be used to pack standard game files or unpack Redump source images into compatible filesystems.</ref>
| colspan="5" {{✗}}<ref group=N2 name="Xemu_NoPassthrough">Xemu doesn't support low-level hardware command structures for direct disc passthrough of physical Original Xbox game discs or DVD media, even if using compatible PC optical drive hardware and unlocked firmware.</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | [[PCSX2]]
| {{~}}<ref group=N2 name="PCSX2_CD">Mainline PCSX2 historically lacks stable CDRWIN BIN/CUE + Audio CD playback without virtual disc mounters, tracking via an open [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/4880 feature request]. While pull requests like [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/12037 #12037] aim to introduce native `.cue` support, mixed audio data formats previously required mounting images virtually as seen in pull reviews such as [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/12032#pullrequestreview-2458230606 #12032].</ref>
| colspan="3" {{✗}}
| colspan="2" {{✓}}<ref group=N2 name="PCSX2_Passthrough">PCSX2 natively includes direct low-level CD-ROM and DVD-ROM drive passthrough command structures, allowing the execution of valid physical PlayStation 2 game software directly from local PC optical drives.</ref>
| colspan="2" {{✗}}
| {{✓}}<ref group=N2 name="PCSX2_Passthrough" />
| colspan="6" {{✗}}<ref group=N2 name="PCSX2_DVDV">Mainline PCSX2 lacks native DVD-Video playback, [[Home_media_players#Interactive_media|DVDi]], and [[Modding_consoles/flashcarts#PS2|FreeDVDBoot]] macrovision capabilities due to absent MagicGate hardware emulation, tracked via an open [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/1981 DVD-Video compatibility issue]. Complete playback capability, including [[PlayStation_2_emulators#Emulation issues|MechaCon functionality]], requires full 8MB BIOS dumps (via tools like [https://github.com/F0bes/biosdrain biosdrain]) paired with dedicated MagicGate cryptographic key structures (`civ.bin`, `cks.bin`, etc.) utilized in specialized hardware research forks such as [https://github.com/MechaResearch/MechaPwn MechaPwn] or custom multimedia builds like [https://github.com/DiscoStarslayer/pcsx2-reliquary PCSX2-reliquary].</ref>
| {{✓}}<ref group=N2 name="PCSX2_Passthrough" />
|-
|-
! scope="row" | Emulator Name 2
! scope="row" | [[PPSSPP]]
| colspan="15" {{Unknown}}
| colspan="5" {{✗}}
| {{✓}}
| colspan="10" {{✗}}
|-
|-
! scope="row" | Emulator Name 3
! scope="row" | [[RPCS3]]
| colspan="15" {{Unknown}}
| colspan="5" {{✗}}
| {{✓}}<ref group=N2 name="RPCS3_Formats">Following a long-standing discussion (see [https://github.com/RPCS3/rpcs3/issues/4021 issue #4021]), native support for decrypted ISO files was merged into the master branch on January 9, 2026, via [https://github.com/RPCS3/rpcs3/pull/17855 Pull Request #17855]. Prior to this, users relied on extracted "JB folders" or virtual drive mounting (see [https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php?title=Ripping_games&diff=prev&oldid=141248#PlayStation_3 older methods]).
<br /><br />
Thanks to [https://github.com/RPCS3/rpcs3/pull/18498 PR#18498], the emulator now natively handles the following formats and encryption types:
* '''Extracted (JB folders):''' Traditional standard for backups and homebrew.
* '''Decrypted .iso:''' Standard images with encryption already removed.
* '''3k3y (decrypted/encrypted) .iso:''' Legacy hardware images (encrypted variants require an IRD file or key).
* '''Redump (encrypted) .iso:''' Decrypted on the fly if a corresponding `.dkey` or `.key` file is provided.
<br />
Initial work to bring this format support to RPCS3-Android / RPCSX can be tracked via [https://github.com/RPCS3-Android/rpcs3-android/commit/ff2cbea623594a1a2844f89e7e887695f4d1fc4b this commit].</ref>
| colspan="2" {{✗}}
| {{~}}<ref group=N2 name="RPCS3_Passthrough">RPCS3 currently has no native [https://rpcs3.net/faq disc support] or home media playback support, and a [https://github.com/RPCS3/rpcs3/issues/8579 feature request] remains open for adding DVD capabilities. However, a proof-of-concept implementation submitted on April 27, 2026, via [https://github.com/RPCS3/rpcs3/pull/18648 Pull Request #18648] introduced initial support for loading a PS3 game directly from a physical Blu-ray Disc drive. This implementation features raw optical device detection, updates the ISO loader, and decrypts discs on the fly by scanning the `rpcs3/data/redump` folder for matching Redump keys.</ref>
| colspan="6" {{✗}}
| {{~}}<ref group=N2 name="RPCS3_Passthrough" />
|-
|-
! scope="row" | Emulator Name 4
! scope="row" | [[Cemu]]
| colspan="15" {{Unknown}}
| colspan="11" {{✗}}
| {{✓}}
| colspan="4" {{✗}}<ref group=N2 name="Cemu_Drive">Cemu supports uncompressed `.wud` disc images for proper preservation. However, standard PC optical drives are physically incapable of reading the proprietary density and file structure of physical Wii U retail discs. Consequently, Cemu completely lacks low-level drive passthrough command structures for physical Wii U media.</ref>
|-
|-
! scope="row" | Emulator Name 5
! scope="row" | [[Flycast]]
| colspan="15" {{Unknown}}
| {{~}}<ref group=N2 name="Flycast_CUE">Flycast features limited `.cue` sheet parsing. While it can read multi-track configurations, its internal virtual disc parser strictly expects a track layout consisting of one individual file per track. It cannot parse multi-track configurations nested inside a single, unified `.bin` data block (such as standard single-file Redump sets) or native `MODE2/2352` structures tracking across old multi-session IsoBuster layouts, as tracked in [https://github.com/flyinghead/flycast/issues/434 issue #434].</ref>
| colspan="11" {{✗}}
| {{✓}}
| colspan="3" {{✗}}
|-
|-
! scope="row" | Emulator Name 6
! scope="row" | [[Snow]]
| colspan="15" {{Unknown}}
| {{✓}}<ref group=N2 name="Snow_CD_Formats">Snow natively handles digital CD-ROM images to emulate vintage Macintosh SCSI CD-ROM configurations. It supports standard BIN/CUE, alongside legacy Apple `.toast` images, which includes full support for CD digital audio (CD-DA) playback.</ref>
| colspan="15" {{✗}}
|-
|-
! scope="row" | Emulator Name 7
! scope="row" | [[Ares]]
| colspan="15" {{Unknown}}
| {{✓}}<ref group=N2 name="Ares_Formats">[[Ares]] natively supports standard BIN/CUE configurations for its CD-based systems (such as Sega CD, PC-Engine CD and PlayStation). For the [[Pioneer LaserActive]], it relies on its custom `.mmi` (Mixed Media Image) format to aggregate analog audio/video and digital data streams into a single container. For more information, see the [[LaserDisc]] and [[Ripping games#Analog]] sections.</ref>
| colspan="3" {{Unknown}}
| {{✗}}
| colspan="4" {{Unknown}}
| colspan="3" {{✗}}
| {{Unknown}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✓}}<ref group=N2 name="Ares_Formats" />
| {{✗}}
|-
|-
! scope="row" | Emulator Name 8
! scope="row" | Emulator Name
| colspan="15" {{Unknown}}
| colspan="16" {{Unknown}}
|}
|}
<references group=N2/>
=CD=
==TurboGrafx-CD and CD-ROM²==
:''[[Wikipedia:TurboGrafx-16#Add-ons|TurboGrafx-CD/CD-ROM² and Super CD-ROM²]]''
The System Card 1.0 was included with the launch shipments of the CD-ROM² Interface Unit in 1988 (which did not include the actual CD drive, by the way; that had to be bought separately. ''Altered Beast'' requires it as it hangs with the newer BIOS versions, and someone reported an unspecified problem with ''Populous'' as well.
The System Card 2.0 was included in later shipments of the CD-ROM² System sometime in 1989 (around the time they started selling the Interface Unit and CD drive as a set). It served as the basis for the TurboGrafx-CD BIOS, which features a different title screen to go along with the different naming of the platform and its add-on in the US. Unlike HuCards, CD-ROM² discs are all region-free.
The System Card 2.1, released in 1990 exclusively in Japan, was the first System Card that was sold as a standalone, intended to be a replacement for users who had their original System Cards lost or damaged. Its only new feature was its ability to auto-detect disc changes.
The System Card 3.0 was launched in Japan in 1991. It was initially available built-in with the PC Engine Duo, a model of the console with an integrated CD drive, but was quickly offered as an upgrade to owners of the original CD-ROM² System in the form of the Super System Card, and later as an updated model of the add-on itself known as the Super CD-ROM² unit. The later models of the Duo (Duo-R and Duo-RX) also have this BIOS built-in. Version 3.0 increases the amount of buffer RAM from 64KB to 256KB, hence the addition of the word Super. Games that required this BIOS, which are labelled Super CD-ROM² discs, will display an incompatibility notice when loaded on a prior System Card.
This BIOS was released in the US in 1992 and was similarly offered built-in with the Turbo Duo (the US version of the PC Engine Duo) or as an upgrade for the TurboGrafx-16/CD in the form of the Super System Card (which was available primarily as a mail order).
==Sega CD and Sega CD 32X==
:Sega Retro: [https://segaretro.org/Sega_Mega-CD Mega CD], [https://segaretro.org/Sega_32X 32X], [https://segaretro.org/Sega_Mega-CD_32X CD 32X].
The Sega Mega CD and Sega CD 32X were add-ons for the Sega Genesis that expanded its capabilities with Mega CD-ROM playback (It can also play Audio CDs and CD+G discs), enhanced processing power, and a limited library of CD-based games with 32X functionality.
*[https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/1ay6fm1/ares_v136_released/krslaki/ Ares supports CD+G images].
==Philips CD-i Player==
Using CD-i player, you are able to watch movies, concerts and music videos from a Video-CD using the [[CD-i_emulators#Digital Video Cartridge]] extension (DVC), watch your favourite photos on a Photo-CD, listen your best album from an Audio-CD, play and learn using a large list of CD-i titles including games, educational software and multimedia titles. You are also able to sing karaoke songs mostly through CD+Graphics. CD-BGM, CD-i Ready, CD-Text, CD-Midi and CD-i Bridge are some of the other formats supported by the system.[https://www.theworldofcdi.com/what-is-the-cd-i/]
==3DO CD Drive==
The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer features a proprietary double-speed CD-ROM drive capable of reading standard 3DO game discs, audio CDs, and CD+G discs. It also supports Video CDs via an [[3DO_emulators#Home_media_accessories|optional MPEG hardware module]]. Because the system lacks copy protection or regional lockout, it can read CD-Rs, though aging lasers can struggle with burned media.


=== References ===
==Atari Jaguar CD==
<references />
The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atari_Jaguar_CD Atari Jaguar CD] peripheral has a double-speed (2×) drive and built-in VLM (Virtual Light Machine) software by Jeff Minter, using a spectrum analyzer for a sophisticated video light show for audio CDs.
<references group=N2/>
 
*BigPEmu supports both Atari Jaguar CD images and Audio CDs, although for Audio CDs you need to use bios image.
 
==Saturn's CD Player==
Sega Saturn supports CD-ROM discs. Also supports Audio CD, CD+G and Photo CDs. You need [[Sega Saturn emulators#Video CD Card]] for VCDs. On top of that, later revisions of the Video CD Card negate the need for "[https://segaretro.org/Photo_CD_Operating_System Photo CD Operating System]" disc software by giving the Saturn native Photo CD support.
 
==PlayStation's CD Player==
PlayStation CD player supports Audio CD and PlayStation format CD-ROM. However there is only one PlayStation model that can play VCDs, and that is the PlayStation SCPH-5903, released in Asia only, see [https://www.psxdev.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=703 here] and {{YouTubeVideo|y1vo3-uEBRM|here}}. They're hard to find and expensive. Also there is a third-party peripheral called Gamars Movie Card (similar to Dreammovie for Sega Dreamcast) gives you the ability to play Video CDs (VCD) through your PlayStation and it is compatible with all types of PlayStations (PAL and NTSC), this third-party peripheral is very user-friendly as it works by just attaching the unit to the back of the PlayStation. A number of PAL region games use LibCrypt [[Copy protection|protection]], requiring [[Ripping games#Comparison|additional CD subchannel information]] to run properly.
 
* Duckstation has Audio CD and CD-ROM support so you can boot directly your physical discs but there is no VCD support at the moment. Also there is no capability for handling the LibCrypt [[Copy protection|protection]] even if you're using one of the [[PlayStation emulators#Enhancements|capable image format that supported by the emulator]], [https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation?tab=readme-ov-file#libcrypt-protection-and-sbi-files so you need .SBI files alongside the disc image for those PAL games.] [[Cue sheet (.cue)|CDRWin BIN/CUE]] and [[Media Descriptor File (MDF)|MDF/MDS]] supported. Recently, [[CloneCD (.ccd)|CloneCD image]] [https://github.com/stenzek/duckstation/commit/dcb3e3624e32c9c73f249ee370679b85a9ef277e support added.]
* Swanstation libretro core has issues with CD-ROM support at the moment.
* PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 (backwards compatibility) have support for Audio CD and PlayStation format CD-ROM discs but no support for Video CD/VCDs.


=DVD=
=DVD=
==PlayStation 2's DVD player==
[[File:PCSX2_MagicGate_fork_-_DVD-Video_menu_demonstration.jpeg|thumb|298px|PCSX2 MagicGate fork - DVD-Video menu demonstration]]
PS2's DVD player was a versatile and powerful feature for its time, it supports PlayStation2 format DVD-ROM, PlayStation 2 and [https://www.steamgifts.com/discussion/91HAP/what-disc-types-are-compactible-with-ps2 PlayStation 1 format CD-ROM] and offering great playback compatibility for the most common disc formats. While it lacked official support for DVD Audio and VCD, its ability to play DVD Video and Audio CDs, along with additional options like progressive scan and upscaling, made it a compelling choice for entertainment and multimedia playback. Also [[Home_media_players#Interactive_media|Interactive film/movie]] formats like DVDi and DVDPG supported. Lastly, PlayStation 2 supports both DVD5 (single-layer, 4.7 GB) and DVD9 (dual-layer, 8.5 GB) DVD-ROM discs. However, [https://old.reddit.com/r/ps2/comments/xc04yl/can_the_fat_ps2_play_dvd9_discs/ some users report encountering issues with DVD9 discs], particularly on older PS2 FAT models.
<div style="height:18em; width:1080px; overflow:auto; border:2px solid black;">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
|
To begin with, when a disc is inserted the request goes through what's known as a '[[Emulation_issues_and_roadblocks|mechacon]]'. This chip's firmware determines whether or not a disc is valid, or should be ignored. As mentioned above, you can have PS2 CD, PS2 DVD, PSX CD, DVD VIDEO and AUDIO CD. If none of those apply, the mechacon will ignore the request and return an error, which then results in the scary red 'eject the disc'. After it has been identified it then gets sent to the respective routine to process it;
PS2 DVD/CD; PS2LOGO
PSX CD; PSXDRV
DVD VIDEO; DVDDRV
AUDIO CD; Present the browser
Now, you might be asking yourself, what do each of those do? Well, PS2LOGO is the program responsible for decrypting the PS2 LOGO that you see on startup. Any failure will return you to the same red block error screen. PSXDRV is the PS2's native emulation system for PS1 titles. Since It doesn't run through PS2LOGO, there's no encryption, so you can hotswap on the browser and boot the games you own. [https://discord.com/channels/695640472202379425/695640472202379428/1263923569784782850 DVDDRV is the DVD Player, running native on the EE/GS.]
|}
</div></small>
*PCSX2 has CD-ROM and DVD-ROM support so you can boot your game directly from your physical discs ({{YouTubeVideo|DJkl4FrDgLw|demonstration}}), however there are no DVD-Video support at the moment. [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/12032#pullrequestreview-2458230606 Audio CDs only supported when disc images virtually mounted] until [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/12037 .cue support added to the emulator]. See [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/1981 DVD-Video compatibility], [https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/4880 CDRWIN's BIN/CUE format + Audio CD support] feature request pages, [[Emulation_issues_and_roadblocks|MechaCon section in PlayStation 2 emulation issues section]] and [https://github.com/MechaResearch/MechaPwn MechaResearch project] for more information. DVD-Video, [[Home_media_players#Interactive_media|DVDi]], and [[Modding_consoles/flashcarts#PS2|FreeDVDBoot]] are functional in custom PCSX2 builds that support MagicGate emulation:
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width:100%; text-align:left;"
|-
! style="width:25%;" | Custom Build
! style="width:20%;" | Base Version
! Notes & Required Settings
|-
| {{Green}} '''[https://github.com/DiscoStarslayer/pcsx2-reliquary/releases PCSX2-reliquary]'''
| Most Recent
| The most up-to-date fork supporting MagicGate emulation. Includes numerous features absent from mainline PCSX2, such as [https://github.com/DiscoStarslayer/pcsx2-reliquary/issues/6 DVD Video playback support].
|-
| {{Red}} '''[https://github.com/987123879113/pcsx2/issues/13#issuecomment-1752939271 MagicGate branch]<br>of [[#Arcade hardware variants|987123879113 fork]]'''
| Older
| [https://github.com/987123879113/pcsx2/issues/13#issuecomment-2016567467 Has no audio during DVD-Video playback].<ref>[https://github.com/DiscoStarslayer/pcsx2-reliquary/issues/6#issuecomment-4685754616 The issue where MagicGate branch of 987123879113 had no sound for DVD-Video was fixed in PCSX2 master via pull request #12032]. However, the fork repository was archived by the owner in May 2024, so the fix was never backported to the fork.</ref>
|-
| {{Red}} '''[https://archive.org/details/pcsx-2-windows-wx-widgets-x-64-sse-4-sha-9bd-6771-fmcb-dvdplayer.-7z AKuHAK's build]'''
| Very Old
| Comes with FMCB ([[Modding_consoles/flashcarts#PS2|softmod]]) pre-installed to the virtual memory card.<br>'''Required Configuration:'''<br>To use DVD-Video playback, you must use the included FMCB memory card and enable the '''"MTVU" speedhack''', GS '''"software mode"''', and '''"screen offset"''' option.
|-
|colspan=3|[https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/pull/6719 Requires a complete BIOS dump] ('''4MB''' ROM0 + '''4MB''' ROM1 + NVRAM), use [https://github.com/F0bes/biosdrain this dumper tool] for dumping those files from your PlayStation 2. Also requires [[Emulator_files#PlayStation_2|MagicGate key files]] (civ.bin, cks.bin, eks.bin, and kek.bin).
|-
|colspan=3|Keep in mind that If your DVD-Video image has region-locked copy protection, change your BIOS region to match it. For other [[Copy_protection|copy protection and encryption techniques]], you may encounter artifacts when trying to play the disc image, using [[Home_media_players#Media_player_software|VLC media player software]] is recommended for those situations.
|}
*PlayStation 3 has no PlayStation 2 DVD player interface support because: no emulation process needed to handle DVD-Video. PlayStation 3 already features a slot-loading 2× speed Blu-ray Disc drive for BD-ROM, PlayStation2 format DVD-ROM, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 1 format CD-ROM, Blu-ray Disc Video, DVD-Video, and Audio CDs. Having said that there is no support for VCDs for PlayStation 3 just like PlayStation 2.
==Xbox's DVD Drive==
:[https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox:DVDROM consolemods: Xbox DVD Drive and DVD-ROM]
:[https://xboxdevwiki.net/DVD_Drive xboxdevwiki: Xbox DVD Drive]
:[https://xboxdevwiki.net/Xbox_Game_Disc xboxdevwiki: XGD/Xbox Game Disc]
:[https://xboxdevwiki.net/XDVDFS xboxdevwiki XDVDFS (XISO) images]
OG Xbox DVD drive supports Audio CD and XGD discs. Optical disc drives for PCs usually aren't capable to read OG Xbox format DVD-ROM/XGD, [https://xboxdevwiki.net/Xbox_Game_Disc#Dumping you would need very specific drive and firmware] for that. More info in [[Ripping_games|ripping games section]] and [[Emulation_issues_and_roadblocks|reverse engineering section]].
*Neither xemu nor CXBX-Reloaded support OG Xbox DVD-ROM/XGD physical discs even if you got compatible drive and firmware. Doesn't support Redump ISOs, you need to [[Ripping_games|rip your disc and create .xiso disc image]]. See [https://xemu.app/docs/disc-images/ xemu: disc images] and [https://github.com/Cxbx-Reloaded/Cxbx-Reloaded/issues/205 XISO for CXBX-Reloaded] pages for further information. For xemu, there is a [https://github.com/xemu-project/xemu/issues/435 feature request] for adding support for loading Audio CD discs and images, also there is another [https://github.com/xemu-project/xemu/pull/1659 pull request] for loading retail Xbox titles both in '[http://wiki.redump.info/index.php?title=Microsoft_Xbox_and_Xbox_360_Dumping_Guide redump]' format and xiso format '''with an unmodified retail BIOS'''. Xbox game discs also have a special DVD video partition before the real game partition so people can see something if they stick the disc into a [[Home_media_players|DVD player]]. A "redump" is an accurate dump of the disc containing both this DVD video partition and the real game partition that follows it. But because xemu doesn't emulate the DVD drive hardware correctly yet, we need to repack this redump format into a disc image with just the game partition. Game files are stored on game discs in a special filesystem. Packing means to take all the game files and put them in this special filesystem so Xbox (or xemu) can read them. Unpacking does the reverse, giving you the game files. Extracting is synonymous with unpacking. [https://discord.com/channels/680221390359887933/722155756622708744/1399847413543473333 "extract-xiso" is a legacy tool that can do both packing and unpacking.]
*There was a [https://github.com/JayFoxRox/xqemu-espes/pull/23 pull request] for adding Xbox-DVD Drive emulation to xqemu, but it seems discontinued.
*Xbox 360 console (Fusion) supports OG Xbox DVD-ROM/XGD discs.
*Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles (Fission) don't really support OG Xbox DVD-ROM/XGD discs because it only recognizes the disc, after that {{YouTubeVideo|lU9V5Otr9_8|it is downloading/installing the game from Xbox Live not from the DVD-ROM}}.
==GameCube's Game Disc==
==GameCube's Game Disc==
The GameCube Game Disc (DOL-006) is the game medium for the GameCube, created by Matsushita/Panasonic, one of the ten founders of the DVD Forum, and later extended for use in the first Wii model backward compatibility mode. The GameCube is Nintendo's first optical disc console, after mainly ROM cartridge-based platforms. The GameCube Game Disc is a 1.46 GB, 8 cm miniDVD-based technology that reads at a constant angular velocity (CAV). It was chosen by Nintendo to prevent copyright infringement of its games, to reduce manufacturing costs compared to Nintendo 64 Game Paks, and to avoid licensing fees to the DVD Forum. GameCube Game Discs don't use the Content Scramble System found on normal DVD-Video discs, as Nintendo wasn't satisfied with its level of security.
The GameCube Game Disc (DOL-006) is the game medium for the GameCube, created by Matsushita/Panasonic, one of the ten founders of the DVD Forum, and later extended for use in the first Wii model backward compatibility mode. The GameCube is Nintendo's first optical disc console, after mainly ROM cartridge-based platforms. The GameCube Game Disc is a 1.46 GB, 8 cm miniDVD-based technology that reads at a constant angular velocity (CAV). It was chosen by Nintendo to prevent copyright infringement of its games, to reduce manufacturing costs compared to Nintendo 64 Game Paks, and to avoid licensing fees to the DVD Forum. GameCube Game Discs don't use the Content Scramble System found on normal DVD-Video discs, as Nintendo wasn't satisfied with its level of security.
Line 80: Line 274:
*[[Dolphin]] has support for GameCube Game Disc dumps and disc images. Most regular optical drives for PCs are unable to read GameCube & Wii discs. However, you can use some out-of-print models of DVD drives that may read GC and Wii discs but they are rare and primarily used for dumping the game data into an disc image file, and you need a compatible software tool to dump it. There is no passthrough support.
*[[Dolphin]] has support for GameCube Game Disc dumps and disc images. Most regular optical drives for PCs are unable to read GameCube & Wii discs. However, you can use some out-of-print models of DVD drives that may read GC and Wii discs but they are rare and primarily used for dumping the game data into an disc image file, and you need a compatible software tool to dump it. There is no passthrough support.


=== Wii Optical Disc ===
==Wii Optical Disc==
The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_optical_discs#Wii_Optical_Disc Wii Optical Disc (RVL-006)] is the physical game medium for the Wii, created by Panasonic. Nintendo extended its proprietary technology to use a full size 12 cm, 4.7/8.54 GB DVD-based disc, retaining the benefits of the GameCube Game Disc, and adding the standard capacity of a double-layer DVD-ROM. Wii Discs always include a partition with files to update the Wii system software, which are installed before starting the game if needed. This ensures that systems that can't connect to the Internet are still updated. For the same reasons as the GameCube, the Wii can't play DVD-Videos or CDs. However, earlier Wiis (typically those with serial numbers starting with LU64 or lower, or older RVL-CPU-30 boards) have hardware physically capable of reading DVD-ROMs, Nintendo never officially enabled this feature to avoid paying licensing fees. Those ones can play DVD-Video using [[Homebrew and ROM hacks|homebrew]] such as WiiMC.
The [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_optical_discs#Wii_Optical_Disc Wii Optical Disc (RVL-006)] is the physical game medium for the Wii, created by Panasonic. Nintendo extended its proprietary technology to use a full size 12 cm, 4.7/8.54 GB DVD-based disc, retaining the benefits of the GameCube Game Disc, and adding the standard capacity of a double-layer DVD-ROM. Wii Discs always include a partition with files to update the Wii system software, which are installed before starting the game if needed. This ensures that systems that can't connect to the Internet are still updated. For the same reasons as the GameCube, the Wii can't play DVD-Videos or CDs. However, earlier Wiis (typically those with serial numbers starting with LU64 or lower, or older RVL-CPU-30 boards) have hardware physically capable of reading DVD-ROMs, Nintendo never officially enabled this feature to avoid paying licensing fees. Those ones can play DVD-Video using [[Homebrew and ROM hacks|homebrew]] such as WiiMC.


* Dolphin has support for Wii Optical Disc dumps/[[Save disk space for ISOs#GameCube .2F Wii|images]]. Most regular optical drives for PCs are unable to read GameCube & Wii discs. However, you can use some out-of-print models of DVD drives that may read GC and Wii discs but they are rare and primarily used for dumping the game data into an disc image file, and you need a compatible software tool to dump it. There is no passthrough support. See [[Ripping_games]] page for more information. On top of that, there is no support for DVD-Video if you plan to use Dolphin with WiiMC [[Homebrew and ROM hacks|homebrew]] software for DVD-Video.
* Dolphin has support for Wii Optical Disc dumps/[[Save disk space for ISOs#GameCube .2F Wii|images]]. Most regular optical drives for PCs are unable to read GameCube & Wii discs. However, you can use some out-of-print models of DVD drives that may read GC and Wii discs but they are rare and primarily used for dumping the game data into an disc image file, and you need a compatible software tool to dump it. There is no passthrough support. See [[Ripping_games]] page for more information. On top of that, there is no support for DVD-Video if you plan to use Dolphin with WiiMC [[Homebrew and ROM hacks|homebrew]] software for DVD-Video.
* Virtual Wii has support for Wii Optical Disc ({{YouTubeVideo|4iaq_mKn7mE|demonstration}}). It can't play DVD-Videos though, but we don't know if it is possible to play DVD-Videos using Virtual Wii and [[Homebrew and ROM hacks|homebrew]] software (similarly to earlier Wii models as mentioned above). According to some user reports, it is possible with using [https://gbatemp.net/threads/full-dvd-playback-on-wiiu-vwii-wiimc-lg-drive.500189/ external optical drive].
* Virtual Wii has support for Wii Optical Disc ({{YouTubeVideo|4iaq_mKn7mE|demonstration}}). It can't play DVD-Videos though, but we don't know if it is possible to play DVD-Videos using Virtual Wii and [[Homebrew and ROM hacks|homebrew]] software (similarly to earlier Wii models as mentioned above). According to some user reports, it is possible with using [https://gbatemp.net/threads/full-dvd-playback-on-wiiu-vwii-wiimc-lg-drive.500189/ external optical drive].
==Xbox 360's DVD Drive==
:[https://free60.org/Hardware/Console/DVD_Drive/ free60: Xbox 360 DVD Drive]
:[https://consolemods.org/wiki/Xbox_360:XGD3_Games consolemods: XGD3 games]
:[https://wiki.redump.info/index.php?title=Microsoft_Xbox_and_Xbox_360_Dumping_Guide redump: Microsoft Xbox and Xbox 360 Dumping Guide]
The Xbox 360 uses a [[wikipedia:DVD#Transfer_rates|12x DVD drive]] [https://hexus.net/gaming/news/ps3/7715-developer-duplicates-data-due-slow-ps3-load-times/ with transfer speeds at 16MB/second.] Xbox 360 DVD drive supports [https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/xbox-360/console/watch-dvds-movies Audio CD, PhotoCD, DVD-Audio, DVD-Video and XGD3 discs.] Optical disc drives for PCs usually aren't capable to read XGD3 discs. More info in [[Ripping_games|ripping games section]] and [[#Emulation_issues|reverse-engineering section]]. For reading HD-DVD discs you need [[Xbox_360_emulators#HD_DVD_Player|HD-DVD Player]] peripheral/drive.
*Xenia Canary or Xenia Edge has no support for Audio CD, PhotoCD, DVD-Audio, DVD-Video or passthrough support for Xbox 360 format DVD-ROM/XGD3. Only .XISO disc images for XGDs are supported.
*Xbox One and Xbox Series consoles (Fission) have support for [https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/games-apps/apps-help/dvd-blu-ray-setup DVD-Video], but there is no real support for Xbox 360 format DVD-ROM/XGD3, because it is only recognizing the disc, after that {{YouTubeVideoTime|9Mi3jfGTNGw|243|it is downloading/installing the game from Xbox Live not from the disc itself}}.
=BD=
==PlayStation 3's Blu-ray Player==
:[https://rpcs3.net/quickstart#dumping_methods PlayStation 3 Blu-ray compatible PC Blu-ray Drives]
For a long time, the PS3's Blu-ray player was a versatile and powerful feature and considered the best of all time, and many people still use it for this purpose today. Featuring a slot-loading [[wikipedia:Blu-ray_Disc_recordable#Speed|2 × speed]] ([https://hexus.net/gaming/news/ps3/7715-developer-duplicates-data-due-slow-ps3-load-times/ 9 MB/second]) Blu-ray Disc drive for BD-ROM, PlayStation 2 format DVD-ROM, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 1 format CD-ROM, BD-Video, DVD-Video and Audio CDs. Keep in mind that, [[wikipedia:PlayStation_3_models#Original_model|original models]] also supports SACD but this functionality was removed with [[wikipedia:PlayStation_3_models#Slim_model|Slim]] and [[wikipedia:PlayStation_3_models#Super_Slim_model|Superslim models]]. There is no support for VCDs or SVCDs [[PlayStation_2_emulators#DVD_player|just like prior generation]]. DVDi, DVDPG, BDPG and Blu-ray Interactive HD like [[Home_media_players#Interactive_media|interactive film/movie]] formats are supported.
Crucial to remember that disc images are only suitable for disc-based titles. '''PSN digital titles (PKG)''' are '''not compatible''' with disc image mounting, because they try to write data to read-only virtual directories → this will cause errors (see explanation [https://github.com/RPCS3/rpcs3/issues/4021#issuecomment-1904000715 here]). For PSN digital titles, you should:
* Launch them '''directly from their extracted folder''' using [[RPCS3]], or
* Use '''.VHDX virtual dis<u>k</u> images''' instead.
=System-Specific=
==LaserActive's LD Player==
Pioneer LaserActive supports [[Home media players|Audio CD]], [[Home media players|Video CD]], [[Home media players|CD-G]], [[wikipedia:LV-ROM#LD-ROM|LD-ROM²]], [[Wikipedia:LaserDisc#LD-G|LD-G]] and [[Home media players|Laser Videodisc]]. Advanced features like frame-by-frame playback or enhanced karaoke modes (e.g., for CD+G, a related but distinct format) may require inserting a Sega PAC (S-10) or NEC PAC (N-10) for improved functionality during VCD viewing. Without the Sega PAC, the LaserActive can still play the audio portion of a CD+G disc as a standard audio CD, but it won't display the graphical content. The NEC PAC (N-10) doesn't add CD+G support in the same way, as its focus is on TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine compatibility. Unlike most optical-disc standards, LaserDisc is not fully digital, and instead requires the use of analog video signals. Use [[Ripping games#Analog|this section]] for more infomation about LD capture.
*[https://techdocs.exodusemulator.com/Console/PioneerLaserActive/Software.html#emulation LD-ROM² disc image support added to Ares].
==Dreamcast's GD-ROM Drive==
[https://segaretro.org/Sega_Dreamcast/Technical_specifications#Memory All VA0, VA1, VA2 Dreamcasts universally support GD‑ROM, and all VA0, VA1 and some VA2 Dreamcasts (early VA2s, later VA2s had their BIOS having dropped CD support in an effort to combat piracy) support CD‑ROM, Audio CDs and CD‑DA.] [https://www.angelfire.com/games2/dctech/vcds.html However CD+G?, Photo CDs? and Video CDs are not officially supported, though it's compatible with workarounds.]
==PlayStation Portable's UMD Drive==
The physical UMD Drive utilizes a 660nm red laser mechanism to read dual-layer optical discs with a maximum capacity of 1.83 GB and a data transfer rate of up to 11 Mbps (1.375 MB/s). Aside from reading standard game data, the drive's firmware and hardware layers handle region coding and copyright protection, which dictates how the PSP separates game executables from multimedia content layers.
While "UMD Movie" was initially common, "UMD Video" evolved as a broader term for various video content (TV, documentaries), while UMD Music saw limited use. UMD-PG refers to interactive media specific to the PSP.
During the era of the PlayStation Portable (PSP), "UMD Movie" was more common as it represented the main function of the format but as UMD adoption expanded beyond movies and included other types of video content such as TV shows, music videos, and documentaries, "UMD Video" became a more generic term to encompass the full range of applications. While UMD primarily focused on movies and video content, there was also some limited use of the format for UMD Music. However, it wasn't nearly as widespread as movie or other UMD Video content. UMD-PG on the other hand stands for UMD-Players Game, and it was used for a unique type of [[Home_media_players#Interactive_media|interactive media]] released on UMDs for the PlayStation Portable (PSP).
*PPSSPP has no UMD Video or UMD-PG support at the moment: [https://github.com/hrydgard/ppsspp/issues/4902 UMD Movie request] and [https://github.com/hrydgard/ppsspp/issues/11662 UMD Video and UMD-PG request] for PPSSPP. According to hrydgard (PPSSPP dev): "If someone contributes support for UMD Video to PPSSPP, it will be accepted and merged. [https://discord.com/channels/293316141479362560/293316141479362560/1178765683304181909 However, it's unlikely to ever be my personal priority, for example, "I'm focused on the game-playing part. There are better ways to watch video".] See [https://www.ppsspp.org/docs/faq/ PPSSPP FAQ: Can PPSSPP play UMD video discs?] section.
*JPCSP has [https://github.com/jpcsp/jpcsp/issues?q=is%3Aissue%20state%3Aopen%20umd%20video%20 partial UMD Video support] ([https://github.com/jpcsp/jpcsp/issues/388#issuecomment-1300530907 demonstration]). Also see [https://github.com/jpcsp/jpcsp/blob/master/src/jpcsp/GUI/UmdVideoPlayer.java UmdVideoPlayer.java] and [https://github.com/jpcsp/jpcsp/tree/master/src/jpcsp/media src/jpcsp/media] for how it is implemented.
*Adrenaline [https://old.reddit.com/r/VitaPiracy/comments/unb0r1/heres_how_to_watch_your_umd_movies_on_your_vita/ never had UMD Video support].
:See [[Home media players|this dedicated page]] for more information about interactive media and home media playback support for emulation software.
==Wii U Proprietary Optical Disc Drive==
The Wii U Optical Disc (WUP-006) is the retail physical game medium for the Wii U, with a capacity of 25 GB. There is no 50 GB dual layer version. The Wii U system software is backwards compatible with Wii Optical Discs, but not with GameCube game discs. The Wii U Optical Discs differ in appearance from most other optical discs in that they have soft, rounded edges.
Nintendo president Satoru Iwata stated, "Wii U doesn't have DVD or Blu-ray playback capabilities. The reason for that is that we feel that enough people already have devices that are capable of playing DVDs and Blu-ray, such that it didn't warrant the cost involved to build that functionality into the Wii U console because of the patents related to those technologies." Like with the GameCube and Wii optical discs, it was chosen by Nintendo to prevent copyright infringement of games, to reduce cost by avoiding licensing fees to the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), and to reduce loading times. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_optical_discs#Wii_U_Optical_Disc This also prevents the console from being modified into a DVD or Blu-ray movie player.]


[[Category:FAQs]]
[[Category:FAQs]]
[[Category:Preservation]]
[[Category:Preservation]]
[[Category:Various emulation]]
[[Category:Various emulation]]
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