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Sega - Saturn (Emir)

Background

A port of the Ymir Sega Saturn emulator to libretro. Ymir is a work-in-progress Saturn emulator focused on accuracy and compatibility. It features software rendering, SH2 emulation with optional cache emulation, and a modern codebase. A young but rapidly maturing alternative to Beetle Saturn.

The Emir core has been authored by

  • StrikerX3

The Emir core is licensed under

  • GPLv3

A summary of the licenses behind RetroArch and its cores can be found here.

Extensions

Content that can be loaded by the Emir core have the following file extensions:

  • .cue
  • .chd
  • .mds
  • .ccd
  • .iso
  • .m3u

RetroArch database(s) that are associated with the Emir core:

Features

Frontend-level settings or features that the Emir core respects.

Feature Supported
Saves ✔
States ✔
Rewind ✔
Netplay ✔
Core Options ✔
Memory Monitoring (achievements) ✔
RetroArch Cheats ✔
Controls ✔
Subsystem ✕
Disk Control ✔

Core options

The Emir core has the following option(s) that can be tweaked from the core options menu. The default setting is bolded.

System

System-level emulation settings.

  • Region [ymir_region] (Auto|Japan|North America|Europe)

    Set the Saturn region. 'Auto' detects from the disc.

  • SH-2 Cache [ymir_sh2_cache] (Disabled|Enabled)

    Improves accuracy for specific games at a small performance cost.

  • SH-2 Clock [ymir_sh2_clock] (25%|50%|75%|100% (Recommended)|125%|150%|200%|300%|400%|500%)

    Adjusts the SH-2 CPU clock speed. Lower values improve performance but may cause slowdowns; higher values may reduce lag in CPU-heavy games. Values other than 100% may lower compatibility with some games.

  • RTC [ymir_rtc_mode] (Virtual (Recommended)|Host)

    Virtual: clock advances with emulation (correct for fast-forward/save states). Host: syncs to real time.

  • Cartridge [ymir_cartridge] (Auto (Recommended)|None|1 MB DRAM Expansion|4 MB DRAM Expansion|ROM: King of Fighters '95|ROM: Ultraman)

    Select the cartridge to insert. 'Auto' uses the game database to pick the correct one. DRAM carts are required by many fighting games.

Video

Graphics rendering settings.

  • Threaded VDP1 [ymir_threaded_vdp1] (Enabled|Disabled)

    Run the VDP1 renderer in a dedicated thread for improved performance.

  • Threaded VDP2 [ymir_threaded_vdp2] (Enabled|Disabled)

    Run the VDP2 renderer in a dedicated thread. Highly recommended for performance.

  • Deinterlace [ymir_deinterlace] (Disabled|Enabled)

    Render interlaced high-res modes in progressive mode. May cause artifacts in some games.

  • Threaded Deinterlace [ymir_threaded_deinterlacer] (Enabled|Disabled)

    Run the deinterlacer in a dedicated thread. Requires threaded VDP2 and deinterlace enabled.

  • Transparent Meshes [ymir_transparent_meshes] (Disabled|Enabled)

    Render mesh patterns as semi-transparent instead of checkerboard.

Audio

Audio emulation settings.

  • Interpolation [ymir_audio_interpolation] (Linear (Accurate)|Nearest Neighbor)

    Linear interpolation matches real hardware. Nearest neighbor is harsher.

  • Threaded SCSP [ymir_threaded_scsp] (Disabled|Enabled)

    Run the SCSP and its MC68EC000 sound CPU in a dedicated thread for improved performance.

  • SCSP Granularity [ymir_audio_step_granularity] (0 - Fastest|1|2|3|4|5 - Most Accurate)

    Controls SCSP emulation accuracy. Higher values are more accurate but slower.

CD Drive

CD Block emulation settings.

  • CD Speed [ymir_cd_speed] (2x (Accurate)|4x|8x)

    Higher values reduce loading times.

  • CD Block LLE [ymir_cdblock_lle] (Disabled|Enabled)

    Use low-level CD block emulation for improved accuracy. Requires CD block ROM in system directory.