DESR DVR Reference

PSX DESR DVR ISO support (experimental, hardware gate)

RiptOPL distinguishes standard hdd0: APA/HDLoader games from the DVRP-managed dvr_hdd0: / dvr_pfs0: / dvr_pfs1: filesystems.

Reference implementation

• pcm720/neutrino: bsd-dvr, commit aa8d80a1a0b5323cb407c814c0568c3489597c1c (2026-09-19).
• Uses bsd-dvr.toml, dvrdrv.irx, dvrfile.irx, and dvrfile_fhi.irx.
• The DVR Neutrino performs a PSX-mode transition and IOP reset before loading the game. -qb must NOT be passed; it skips the transition. Preflight also refuses active -bsd= and -bsdfs= overrides in global or per-game Neutrino arguments, including a redundant -bsd=dvr. The loader owns that backend and filesystem path. $- disabled tokens and game arguments after --b in each scope remain allowed. Refusal happens in the menu before companion-file checks or launch teardown.

Current integration boundary

Enable DESR DVR ISOs (experimental) in Game Sources, along with the HDD source. The DVR switch defaults to off and does not bypass hardware detection.

The HDD tab has an experimental read-only scanner for ISO files under the already available DVRP filesystem. It probes dvr_hdd0: and scans the roots, DVD/, and CD/ under dvr_pfs0: and dvr_pfs1:. It mounts the two known DESR data partitions read-only if the DVR namespace exists and they are not already mounted. It does not create, rename, format or delete DVR content.

Hardware validation is still required. RiptOPL checks the DESR DVR capability bit (SPD_CAPS_DVR) and, only on that hardware, loads the SDK DVRP driver modules after the regular DEV9/ATA stack. This follows the established wLaunchELF module initialization order and never flashes firmware. The actual module/partition behavior is not verified on a real DESR yet; ISO discovery and launching may still fail pending DESR testing. Normal PS2 hardware never starts those drivers.

Only the external pcm720 bsd-dvr Neutrino implementation can launch these ISO rows. The regular bundled Neutrino typically does not contain DVR modules. Install the FULL DVR-capable Neutrino directory on an accessible device and select its neutrino.elf using RiptOPL's Neutrino Path setting. A launch emits -bsd=dvr -dvd=dvr_pfsN:/path/file.iso; it never falls back to the embedded OPL HDD core. Existing APA games are unchanged.

The DVR scanner presently limits its complete list to 128 titles, preserves the last valid list after unreadable scans, and rejects truncated paths. Ordinary APA/HDL game cache files are never modified by DVR discovery. PS1 VCD, virtual memory card, and DVR-side write support are not claimed.

Refresh also preserves the last complete list if a directory that was previously readable cannot be reopened. Missing optional directories on the initial scan do not prevent discovery. A successful empty scan may clear the list.

The DVR Neutrino handoff leaves DVRP mounts in place: its load environment opens the ISO and obtains a persistent DVR-side file handle after the IOP reboot. Ordinary cleanup unmounts only DVR filesystems mounted by RiptOPL; a keep-IOP handoff or an abandoned artwork reader retains them. This follows the reference backend's ownership contract, but still requires DESR hardware validation.

Next hardware-dependent steps

1. Confirm DVR capability and SDK DVR driver initialization on actual DESR-5000 and DESR-7000 hardware, including cold boots, repeat boots, and clean exit.
2. Confirm dvr_hdd0: partition labels and read-only dvr_pfsN: mounts for both hardware families. No writes, deletions, format or firmware changes.
3. Verify the external pcm720 bsd-dvr Neutrino handoff and PSX-mode transition.
4. Confirm game-ID extraction from SYSTEM.CNF for non-ID ISO filenames and provide any additional DVR-only settings if hardware demands them.

Firmware modification is not a prerequisite. Do not flash DVRPwned as part of testing this RiptOPL integration.

The GUI's bundled initialization modules come from PS2SDK (dvrdrv.irx and dvrfile.irx) and are independent of pcm720's custom Neutrino modules. Credit: ps2dev / PS2SDK, wLaunchELF DVR support, pcm720's bsd-dvr branch.

Automatic launch from remembered DVR entries remains disabled until the DVRP partition identity survives that path safely. Manually select the game in the HDD tab during experimental testing.

Related guide: PSX DVR.

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Source: docs/DESR-DVR.md @ 02ddafcfa212.