The upgraded VMU Pro turns the Dreamcast’s memory card into a handheld emulator

The VMU Pro tin play retro games connected its tiny colour screen, but it’s constricted to older 8-bit titles. | Image: 8BitMods

The Sega Dreamcast wasn’t the archetypal location console to store crippled saves connected a portable representation card, but its virtual representation portion (VMU) stood retired with a built-in screen, controls, and playable mini games. 8BitMod’s upcoming VMU Pro offers the aforesaid functionality arsenic Sega’s original, but it’s rebuilt from the crushed up with upgrades that see a full-color surface and capable processing powerfulness to usage it arsenic a handheld emulator for retro games.

Pricing for the VMU Pro hasn’t been revealed yet, but 8BitMods shared a teaser video connected X implicit the play confirming that preorders volition unfastened connected May 15th astatine 1PM ET through its online store.

For years modders person been turning the Sega VMU into a much functional handheld gaming device by wholly swapping retired its electronics with much susceptible hardware, but astatine the outgo of it inactive functioning arsenic a representation paper for the Dreamcast. That’s what makes the VMU Pro unique. Although it’s been upgraded with a 16-bit IPS TFT colour surface and capable powerfulness to emulate NES, Sega Master System, and adjacent Game Boy Color titles, it tin inactive beryllium inserted into an archetypal Dreamcast controller and utilized to store prevention crippled data.

Other upgrades see a rechargeable artillery (the archetypal Dreamcast VMU was notorious for going done CR2032 coin compartment batteries erstwhile utilized connected its own), MP3 playback for those surviving without a smartphone, the quality to transcript and backup prevention crippled information straight from an archetypal VMU, Wi-Fi, and unlimited retention done microSD representation cards.

The retro emulation connected a full-color surface is simply a amusive feature, but if that’s the lone crushed you’re considering the VMU Pro, the Anbernic RG Nano offers acold superior emulation (including 3D consoles similar the N64 and PS1) connected a similarly-sized handheld. The VMU Pro volition entreaty much to those who inactive person a Sega Dreamcast successful regular play rotation but are looking for a much reliable and easier mode to store and swap crippled saves.

That’s assuming the VMU Pro isn’t going to beryllium prohibitively expensive. In 2022, Dreamware Enterprises launched its ain upgraded VMU called the VM2 with a backlit but monochromatic and pixelated surface for $114. It was a pricey upgrade for a console that Sega nary longer supports, truthful hopefully 3 years of electronics improvement volition effect successful a cheaper terms tag for the VMU Pro.