BIOS

BIOS

Some platforms need proprietary BIOS files to boot. Argosy syncs BIOS from your RomM server, stores it locally, and copies it into emulators' BIOS folders so games can boot.

How it works

When you sync your library, RomM returns firmware metadata (filename, size, hash) for each platform alongside the game list. Argosy uses that metadata to show which BIOS files are available for your platforms and lets you download them on demand.

Every platform your server holds firmware for is listed, including platforms you have turned game sync off for. Bulk download still covers only the platforms you sync; anything else is offered rather than fetched, so a large library you keep untracked does not pull its BIOS unasked.

Downloading BIOS

Go to Settings > BIOS Files. You'll see:

• A summary card with totals ("N of M BIOS files downloaded") and top-level Download Missing and Distribute actions.
• A per-platform list showing "downloaded / total" counts. Platforms with all files present get a green checkmark; incomplete ones show a memory-chip icon.
• Expanding a platform reveals the individual firmware files -- name, size, and whether each one is downloaded.

Tap Download Missing (global or per-platform) to fetch BIOS from your RomM server. Files are verified against the RomM-reported MD5 hash; a mismatched download is discarded and retried.

Distributing BIOS to emulators

Once downloaded, BIOS has to be placed where each emulator looks for it:

• Built-in emulator -- Argosy copies required BIOS into the built-in libretro system directory every time you launch a game. You don't have to do anything.
• External emulators that scan a BIOS folder (e.g. RetroArch) -- tap Distribute in Settings > BIOS Files. Argosy writes BIOS into each emulator's known folder path; the emulator picks them up the next time it scans. Filename mapping is handled automatically (RetroArch, for example, expects specific names and Argosy maps them by hash).
• External emulators that import BIOS through their own UI (NetherSX2 is the common example -- see NetherSX2 BIOS Troubleshooting) -- Argosy cannot inject files into these apps. You need to point them at the Argosy BIOS folder from inside that emulator's own import flow.

Original Xbox (hakuX)

Original Xbox needs three files, and all three are required before a game will boot:

File	What it is
Complex_4627.bin	Flash ROM / BIOS. Also ships as Complex_4627v1.03.bin
mcpx_1.0.bin	Xbox MCPX boot ROM
xbox_hdd.qcow2	Xbox hard disk image. Any compatible 8GB prebuilt image also works

A retail Xbox BIOS will not boot games here. hakuX inherits xemu's unimplemented DRM handling, which is why the modified Complex 4627 build is the one to use.

They appear in Settings > BIOS Files under the Xbox platform and download from RomM like any other firmware.

Distribute cannot reach hakuX. hakuX imports its system files through its own setup wizard and keeps them in private storage, so Argosy has no folder to place them in and the Distribute button will not reach it.

Copy them out instead: open Settings > Platforms > Xbox, choose Copy to..., and pick a folder you can browse to. Then run hakuX's setup wizard and select each file from that folder in turn. The wizard renames them as it imports, so the names above only matter on the Argosy side.

PS3 (aPS3e)

PS3 needs one file, PS3UPDAT.PUP, the system software update Sony publishes. Commercial games will not run without it.

It appears in Settings > BIOS Files under the PS3 platform and downloads from RomM like any other firmware.

Distribute cannot reach aPS3e either. The emulator unpacks the update into its own storage rather than reading the file where it sits, so it has to be imported from inside aPS3e. Set a BIOS download location you can browse to, then use aPS3e's firmware installer and select the file from there.

Where BIOS is stored

By default, downloaded BIOS lives in Argosy's internal app directory, which is private to Argosy and not visible to other apps. That is fine for the built-in emulator and for emulators that accept a distributed copy.

If you use an emulator that imports BIOS through its own UI, change Settings > BIOS Files > BIOS Directory to a location that emulator can read (typically shared external storage). Argosy migrates existing downloads to the new location and future downloads land there. You can then point the other emulator at that directory from its import flow.

Platforms that need BIOS in the built-in emulator

BIOS is required for cores covering these platforms:

• PlayStation (PS1)
• Nintendo DS
• Game Boy Advance
• Atari 5200, Atari 7800, Atari Lynx
• Intellivision
• 3DO
• Odyssey (Magnavox)
• Amiga, Amiga CD32, CDTV
• Channel F
• Pokemon mini
• PC-FX
• Philips CD-i

CD-i is the one platform whose core does not read the system root: SAME CDi looks for its romsets in same_cdi/bios/ (cdimono1.zip required, cdimono2.zip and cdibios.zip optional). Argosy distributes them there for you.

The per-platform BIOS page in Settings is the authoritative list of exactly which files each platform needs and whether you currently have them.

Obtaining BIOS

BIOS files are proprietary firmware. Argosy does not bundle or redistribute them; obtain them legally (e.g. dumped from hardware you own) and upload them to your RomM server, where Argosy can then sync them to the device.