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SAROO SS_v20260514

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@martinx72 martinx72 released this 24 May 15:30
SS_v20260514
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SAROO SS_v20260514

This release is based on the newer tpunix SAROO firmware line after Firm v0.8/v0.9, plus MarTinX-specific UI, file browser, cheat code, and browser tool updates.

The previous MarTinX public release, SS_v20250222, was based on tpunix Firm v0.7. This release updates the firmware base and adds several new features.

Important Upgrade Instructions

If your current SAROO firmware is older than SS_v20250222

Please install SS_v20250222 first.

After copying the SS_v20250222 files to your TF/microSD card, boot SAROO and run Update from the main menu.

You may need to reboot and run Update more than once. This is expected because FPGA firmware and MCU bootloader updates may appear as separate update items.

Keep rebooting and running Update until the Update option no longer appears in the SAROO main menu.

After that, copy this SS_v20260514 package to the TF/microSD card and run Update again when prompted.

If your current SAROO firmware is SS_v20250222 or newer

Copy this SS_v20260514 package to your TF/microSD card.

On boot, SAROO may show an Update option in the main menu. Please run it.

You may need to reboot and run Update more than once. This is expected because FPGA firmware and MCU bootloader updates may appear as separate update items.

Keep rebooting and running Update until the Update option no longer appears.

Please confirm that the FPGA firmware has been updated to the 06 series before using the new features in this release.

Base Firmware Updates From tpunix Firm v0.8/v0.9

This release includes firmware changes from the newer tpunix SAROO firmware base, including:

  1. CD+G audio CD support from Firm v0.8.
  2. Support for CUE/BIN/SUB and CUE/BIN/CDG layouts.
  3. 2P controller support in the SAROO menu.
  4. Additional bug fixes and game compatibility fixes from Firm v0.8.
  5. FPGA firmware update requirement for the 06 series from Firm v0.9.
  6. FPGA-side HIRQ fix from Firm v0.9.
  7. 1P/2P controller simultaneous-use fix from Firm v0.9.
  8. Fast-forward and rewind support while playing CD audio.

New Features In This MarTinX Release

File Browser

A new file browser has been added to the SAROO menu.

The file browser provides a simple way to browse files on the TF/microSD card and preview or play supported file types directly from the SAROO interface.

Supported preview/playback features include:

  1. BMP image preview.
  2. GIF image preview.
  3. CD audio track playback from supported BIN/WAV/CUE-related layouts.
  4. Clear on-screen messages for unsupported files.
  5. File-size checks for image preview to avoid MCU RAM or Saturn VRAM overflow.
  6. Folder navigation state restore. Returning from a child folder now restores the previous page and cursor position when possible.

Cheat Code Support

This release adds SAROO .scht cheat code support.

The cheat engine is designed around a PSKai-like runtime flow and supports binary .scht files loaded from the TF/microSD card.

Cheat files are searched in this order:

  1. /SAROO/CHEAT/ID/<GAME_ID>.scht
  2. /SAROO/CHEAT/F/<GAME_FOLDER_NAME>.scht

Example:

/SAROO/CHEAT/ID/GS-9015.scht
/SAROO/CHEAT/F/Panzer Dragoon JP.scht

Important notes:

  1. .scht is a SAROO-specific cheat format used by this MarTinX firmware build.
  2. .cht files from RetroArch or other emulators are not loaded directly by the firmware.
  3. This firmware package does not include a copyrighted cheat database.
  4. Users must create or convert their own .scht files.
  5. Wrong cheat codes or codes for a different game revision may crash the game.
  6. Cheat codes that continuously lock memory values may affect game performance depending on the game and code set.

Cheat Code Menu

When a supported .scht file is found for the selected game, SAROO shows a cheat selection menu before launching the game.

The menu allows the user to enable or disable available cheat options from the .scht file.

Browser-Based Cheat Builder

A browser-based SAROO Cheat Builder is provided through GitHub Pages.

It can help users create .scht files from several input sources:

  1. Manual Action Replay / GameShark-style code input.
  2. Existing .scht file editing.
  3. PSKai source data extraction, when the user provides their own PSKai source files.
  4. RetroArch Saturn .cht file conversion, where supported.
  5. Game ID lookup when the user provides a compatible game ID CSV file.

Tool page:

https://martinx72.github.io/SAROO_Firmware/tools/scht/

SAROO Config Editor

A browser-based saroocfg.txt editor is provided.

Tool page:

https://martinx72.github.io/SAROO_Firmware/tools/cfged/

SAROO Save/Mem Tool

A browser-based save-memory tool is provided for inspecting and exporting entries from SAROO save files.

Supported files include:

/SAROO/SS_SAVE.BIN
/SAROO/SS_MEMS.BIN

Tool page:

https://martinx72.github.io/SAROO_Firmware/tools/memtool/

Bootloader Error Display Improvements

The MCU bootloader now displays clearer error messages when the TF/microSD card or required firmware files are missing.

It can also display basic firmware and FPGA version information on screen.

This is intended to make failed boot/update situations easier to diagnose.

UI And Menu Improvements

This release includes multiple menu and UI refinements:

  1. Added a file browser entry to the SAROO menu.
  2. Added preview/playback status messages for supported file browser actions.
  3. Added a cheat selection menu for .scht files.
  4. Improved text layout and message consistency in several menu screens.
  5. Adjusted menu ordering to keep commonly used entries easier to access.

Compatibility Notes

This release expects the updated FPGA firmware from the 06 series.

If the FPGA firmware is not updated correctly, some new features may not work as expected.

If you are upgrading from a very old SAROO firmware, please do not skip the SS_v20250222 upgrade step.

Cheat Code Compatibility Notes

The .scht cheat code feature is only supported by MarTinX SAROO firmware builds from May 2026 onward.

Older MarTinX firmware builds, tpunix official builds, YZB builds, or other third-party SAROO firmware builds may not support .scht files.

Some of them may not include cheat code support at all.

Usage Notes

  1. If you are concerned about compatibility with your current setup, please back up your existing TF/microSD card contents before upgrading.
  2. Keep backups of SS_SAVE.BIN and SS_MEMS.BIN before using save-related web tools.
  3. Cheat codes for the wrong game version may crash or freeze the game.
  4. Some preview/playback features depend on file layout and size limits.
  5. No copyrighted cheat database is bundled with this release.
  6. The browser-based tools run locally in your browser. User-selected files are processed client-side.

Recommended Folder Layout

/SAROO/
  mcuapp.bin
  ssfirm.bin
  saroocfg.txt
  cover.bin
  /ISO/
  /CHEAT/
    /ID/
    /F/
  /UPDATE/

Cheat file examples:

/SAROO/CHEAT/ID/GS-9015.scht
/SAROO/CHEAT/F/Panzer Dragoon JP.scht

Disclaimer

This firmware package is provided free of charge for SAROO users.

Use it at your own risk. The authors and contributors are not responsible for data loss, save corruption, SD/TF card corruption, hardware damage, console damage, game compatibility
issues, or any other direct or indirect damage caused by using this firmware, the included files, or the related browser-based tools.

Please keep backups of important files before upgrading or using save-management tools.

Credits

This release is based on the SAROO firmware project by tpunix, with additional changes by MarTinX / Retro Game Restore.

Project pages:

https://github.com/tpunix/SAROO
https://github.com/martinx72/SAROO_Firmware
https://martinx72.github.io/SAROO_Firmware/

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