Sega Saturn--Swap trick question

[nd2003grad]

OK, I see all sorts of info about this trick "burning out" the motor for the Saturn. Despite seeing all of that info, I never see anyone saying this has actually happened. That being said...has anyone ACTUALLY seen this happen?

Edited May 7, 2018 by nd2003grad

[derFunkenstein]

I haven't ever killed a Saturn with the swap trick but with things like Pseudo Saturn available, why not just flash an Action Replay, or buy a Saturn Gamer's Cartridge? The Gamer's Cart is awesome since it allows you to save directly to it like a regular save cart. $70 is maybe a little much, but short of an SD system it's the easiest way to play CD-Rs.

[nd2003grad]

I'm still learning the ropes of the whole thing. Compared to, say, a Dreamcast, Saturn has a lot of drama!!!!

[derFunkenstein]

I'm still learning the ropes of the whole thing. Compared to, say, a Dreamcast, Saturn has a lot of drama!!!!

That's true. I just still can't get over the fact that Sega didn't account for CD-Rs for Dreamcast games.

[keepdreamin]

No need to do the swap trick.

 

You have a couple options. Starting with least desirable, descending to most desirable.

 

-Flashed Action Replay Cart with Psuedo Saturn installed. (Or that gamers cart thing.)

 

- region free BIOS and universal mod chip

 

-Replace CD drive with Rhea or Phoebe (depending on Saturn model) SD card loader

Edited May 7, 2018 by keepdreamin

[derFunkenstein]

No need to do the swap trick.

 

You have a couple options. Starting with least desirable, descending to most desirable.

 

-Flashed Action Replay Cart with Psuedo Saturn installed

 

- region free BIOS and universal mod chip

 

-Replace CD drive with Rhea or Phoebe (depending on Saturn model) SD card loader

 

 

I'm personally trying to avoid the last two and waiting for Professor Abrasive to do something with the Satisfier. He hasn't posted any updates in a couple months, but it certainly sounded like he's close.

[Eltigro]

 

 

I'm personally trying to avoid the last two and waiting for Professor Abrasive to do something with the Satisfier. He hasn't posted any updates in a couple months, but it certainly sounded like he's close.

 

Yeah, out of all the options, I like what this is looking like the most...

[keepdreamin]

 

 

I'm personally trying to avoid the last two and waiting for Professor Abrasive to do something with the Satisfier. He hasn't posted any updates in a couple months, but it certainly sounded like he's close.

 

It could be 6 months, could be another 2 years.. . I will say the one advantage the Rhea or Phoebe has is it's quite a mature product at this point. There have been numerous firmware updates improving compatibility and ironing out kinks with certain games.

 

I assume once the Satiator comes to market there will still be an additional period of time until the compatibility is at a nice level.

[derFunkenstein]

It could be 6 months, could be another 2 years.. . I will say the one advantage the Rhea or Phoebe has is it's quite a mature product at this point. There have been numerous firmware updates improving compatibility and ironing out kinks with certain games.

 

I assume once the Satiator comes to market there will still be an additional period of time until the compatibility is at a nice level.

 

 

You're right, it could be a long time. I'm just not comfortable soldering since I have basically 0 experience other than wiring up some guitar pickups.

[keepdreamin]

 

 

You're right, it could be a long time. I'm just not comfortable soldering since I have basically 0 experience other than wiring up some guitar pickups.

 

 

 

The Rhea and Phoebe plug in with the existing cabling for the CD drive. Just plug for power, and the ribbon cable. That's it. The only solder you might do is an option for a 50-60hz switch. being in the states, this is pointless. The Phoebe has configuration solder pads onboard for what type 2 Saturn you got, but this will be set up at order since you specify what Saturn you own.

[nd2003grad]

Due to cost—I almost sold the Saturn— I think I’m limited to the swap trick for now. As I kind of expected I’m not hearing anybody saying they damage their equipment with it, and I like the idea of the cartridge but I don’t understand how you are supposed to save your games if that capability is taken away. It doesn’t help that I’ve never used a cartridge! Now there is somewhere where I actually have heard of people damaging things is with the cartridge slot.

[keepdreamin]

Due to cost—I almost sold the Saturn— I think I’m limited to the swap trick for now. As I kind of expected I’m not hearing anybody saying they damage their equipment with it, and I like the idea of the cartridge but I don’t understand how you are supposed to save your games if that capability is taken away. It doesn’t help that I’ve never used a cartridge! Now there is somewhere where I actually have heard of people damaging things is with the cartridge slot.

 

 

 

The reason you're not hearing anybody damaging their console with it, is because nobody is doing that on a routine basis. The CD mechanism is a tiny motor and plastic cogs, what do you think will happen eventually you keep using your hand as a sudden brake to moving plastic parts? Mod chips have been available for the system for the better part of 20 years now.

 

Seriously, just get a Pseudo Saturn cart. You can save games directly to system memory, and then just back the saves up on an official memory card from the system menu.

 

On second thought, please just sell your Saturn to a responsible party. Saturn emulators are pretty decent now.

Edited May 8, 2018 by keepdreamin

[Austin]

Yes, the Rhea and Phoebe don't require soldering of any kind. The downside is they only come up for sale occasionally and they sell out quickly. I'm personally getting by with a mix of real games and the Pseudo Saturn, and am holding out for the Satiator.

 

The Satiator will probably be ready sooner than a year or two. His latest update was posted on Twitter the other day and he's looking to get beta kits out to Patreon backers for testing (a full update will be coming to Patreon soon). After the testing phase, it's down to manufacturing and selling it. It also sounds like he's going to try to have these readily available in greater numbers so there shouldn't be long waits between batches like you have with the Rhea and Phoebe. Hopefully it works out that way, anyway.

[derFunkenstein]

 

 

 

The Rhea and Phoebe plug in with the existing cabling for the CD drive. Just plug for power, and the ribbon cable. That's it. The only solder you might do is an option for a 50-60hz switch. being in the states, this is pointless. The Phoebe has configuration solder pads onboard for what type 2 Saturn you got, but this will be set up at order since you specify what Saturn you own.

Ok thats cool. I was looking at the install page not the order page since orders are closed. If it comes with the bridges properly set then next time it opens up Ill buy one.

[nd2003grad]

 

 

 

The reason you're not hearing anybody damaging their console with it, is because nobody is doing that on a routine basis. The CD mechanism is a tiny motor and plastic cogs, what do you think will happen eventually you keep using your hand as a sudden brake to moving plastic parts? Mod chips have been available for the system for the better part of 20 years now.

 

Seriously, just get a Pseudo Saturn cart. You can save games directly to system memory, and then just back the saves up on an official memory card from the system menu.

 

On second thought, please just sell your Saturn to a responsible party. Saturn emulators are pretty decent now.

Rather rude way to welcome someone to the Saturn world, don't you think? I can't find modchips for sale any more, which would be my preferred way to do this if it were a reasonable cost. I think it's pretty responsible of me to ask experienced users about their personal trial and error with said console. I'm probably going with the Pseudo-Saturn suggestion most are saying here eventually, Despite talk to the contrary, I haven't seen that Pseudo Saturn allows for saves and based on what I know so far (totally new to this unusual console), it doesn't seem that either relying on the internal memory or swapping carts is a good idea....we'll just see what happens.

[nd2003grad]

Here's another question that factors into my decision...will game saves remain on a system as long as you don't turn the system OFF (e.g., replacing battery with power on)? I'd hate to lose saves all the time!

[keepdreamin]

Did you try a search engine?

 

Psuedo Saturn cart that allows for saves

 

http://ppcenter.webou.net/satcart/

 

Phantom Universal Mod Chip

https://www.r43ds.org/products/Phantom-Universal-Sega-Saturn-Modchip.html

 

I won't link to the region free bios, but if you use Google you'll find services offering to install it.

Edited May 8, 2018 by keepdreamin

[discgolfer72]

working on games for a living the most common failure we come across on the Saturn is broken drive gears and bad power supply

if I were you I would just either buy or make your own pseudo Saturn cart and be done

I love mine

[nd2003grad]

I did not find that on Google; bizarre. I did see the bios. I'm behind a firewall at the moment and can't see that new pseudosaturn, but that's def. the asnwer I'd think. Thank you for the advice here, I appreciate you all.

[keepdreamin]

Rather rude way to welcome someone to the Saturn world, don't you think?

I was being blunt. From the way your posts were worded it sounded more like you had it already in your mind that the swap trick was the way to go, and this was more of an out loud self reassurance thing than a serious inquiry.

 

The Psuedo Saturn is fine, but personally I'd use it as a stop gap while waiting for a SD card loader to be available (I already have the Rhea, so no problem here). Pseudo has some quirks. Possible compatibility issues with games like Panzer Dragoon Saga. That cart MUST be installed to play games. If you've got a ROM cart game like KOF 95, you're SOL. ( That wasn't a typo, ROM cart. Has actual game data on it).

 

If I was gonna go the CD-R route for good it would be with mod chip and region free bios. Use any carts anytime.

 

Mod seen here by the wonderful Voultar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfFM5lTEOMs

 

 

The Saturn is one of the few systems that still has a ton of exclusives that can't be played anywhere else (except by unofficial emulation). Don't sell it.

[cybercylon]

Keep the Saturn. Is there even a decent emulator yet?

 

The problem with Rhea and Phoebe is to be at the right place and time. They sell out very quickly and more are not made for awhile. I am just using a hack Action Replay cart as a stop gap until the Satiator is finish or I get lucky with the SD card options.

[keepdreamin]

Keep the Saturn. Is there even a decent emulator yet?

 

The problem with Rhea and Phoebe is to be at the right place and time. They sell out very quickly and more are not made for awhile. I am just using a hack Action Replay cart as a stop gap until the Satiator is finish or I get lucky with the SD card options.

 

There's been decent emulators for a number of years now. SSF, Yabause, most recent is Mednafen's Saturn core.

 

Getting the Rhea or Phoebe is a complete pain but can be done. I can't begin to tell you how way less painful it is not to burn CDs anymore. It basically boils down to throwing away part of a weekend morning in the wee hours usually and refreshing on the order page every few minutes. Grab some coffee, put on Netflix and just keep a laptop or netbook next to you and hit CTRL+F5 (you want to ensure you're getting a fresh page from the server) until you see those text boxes to enter your info.

Edited May 9, 2018 by keepdreamin

[nd2003grad]

Keepdreamin, I get it. I like how you revised it to don't sell it haha! Anyone like me who is an Astrocade owner pretty much is required to be responsible!

 

I'm ordering the action replay and will flash it myself. After all the research, at this time it seems to be the best solution/cost effective for me! I'm still trying to figure out saves and keeping them intact as I'm an RPG fan. I'm hoping that you can change the battery while it's on and not lose the data, I'll just replace the battery every year that way then and it should be all right.

[keepdreamin]

You can't save directly to the Action Replay from a game in stock form either. You have to transfer what you're trying to save directly from system memory using the Action Replay menu (and back to system memory when you want to load) so losing the save function with a Psuedo flash isn't a huge loss. Just grab another memory card to backup system memory.

 

I'd grab an official Sega card and do the memory management from the systems menu.

 

You can still play 1MB and 4MB RAM games with the flashed card though, so you don't loose that function.

Edited May 9, 2018 by keepdreamin

[nd2003grad]

I've been warned about the port sucking hard...is that something I should really worry about with swapping carts?

You can't save directly to the Action Replay from a game in stock form either. You have to transfer what you're trying to save directly from system memory using the Action Replay menu (and back to system memory when you want to load) so losing the save function with a Psuedo flash isn't a huge loss. Just grab another memory card to backup system memory.

 

I'd grab an official Sega card and do the memory management from the systems menu.

 

You can still play 1MB and 4MB RAM games with the flashed card though, so you don't loose that function.