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BIOS Firmware and Runtimes
PulseArc's full image includes its emulators and Windows compatibility tools. It intentionally excludes copyrighted console firmware, decryption keys, title keys, commercial games, and private credentials.
- Obtain firmware legally from hardware or media you own.
- Copy files to a USB or SD drive. Subfolders are allowed.
- Insert the drive into PulseArc.
- Open Extras > BIOS Manager.
- Select a missing entry and choose import.
- BIOS Manager scans the media, validates candidates, and places the selected file into PulseArc's private firmware directory.
Do not rename random files to match a BIOS filename. A wrong-size or wrong-region file can prevent a runtime from booting.
| System | Accepted file(s) |
|---|---|
| PlayStation | scph5501.bin |
| PlayStation 2 | scph10000.bin |
| Wii U | keys.txt |
| PlayStation 3 | PS3UPDAT.PUP |
| PS3 disc keys |
.key or .dkey archive/files as supported |
| Dreamcast |
dc_boot.bin, dc_flash.bin
|
| Sega CD (USA) | bios_CD_U.bin |
| Saturn |
sega_101.bin or mpr-17933.bin
|
| PC Engine CD | syscard3.pce |
| Amiga |
kick34005.a500, kick40068.a1200, kick40068.a4000
|
Other regions or emulator versions can require different firmware. BIOS Manager is the authority for what the installed release currently recognizes.
The full image includes RetroArch cores and standalone emulators, including:
- Nintendo: Mesen, Nestopia, Snes9x, mGBA, melonDS, Mupen64Plus-Next, Dolphin, and Cemu.
- Sega: Genesis Plus GX, BlastEm, PicoDrive, Kronos, Beetle Saturn, and Flycast.
- Sony: Beetle PSX HW, DuckStation, PCSX2, PPSSPP, Vita3K, and RPCS3.
- Arcade/computers: FinalBurn Neo, MAME, DOSBox Pure/Staging, ScummVM, VICE, and PUAE.
- Atari: Stella, ProSystem, Handy, and Virtual Jaguar.
- Other standalone options include Azahar and xemu.
- Windows games use Wine-GE with DXVK, VKD3D-Proton, or WineD3D fallback.
PulseArc selects the runtime from the media signature and system. Users normally do not choose an emulator before every launch.
Start at native or modest internal resolution. Increase it only after gameplay is stable. Vulkan is preferred on capable hardware, while OpenGL/X11 fallback keeps the menu and older GPUs usable. A newer emulator is not automatically faster on an older CPU.