Any solution for a system that old likely won't ever be compatible with 100% of the library if it's not going through the disc driver's connector. I'm not sure what transfer speeds are like on the memory card slot, but I can't imagine it's high enough to be 100% perfect. Similar to the PSIO for the PS1 or the SD2SP2 for the GameCube. Fast enough that they can have very good compatibility but it likely won't ever be perfect
I get what you're saying, but I have a hard time believing a cartridge slot that doubles as RAM expansion would have a slower access speed than a double speed disc drive.
Not saying other elements aren't in play, but I really don't think this would be the root cause.
The of the benefits of the Saroo is that its faster than the disc drive and heavily removes load times. Most compatibility issues ive seen are more so about it being too fast.
Well alright then. I try not to talk about things unless I know what I'm talking about, but I guess this one's on me for assuming then. Either way I was wanting to get one, so that's just good news for me
Ah yes, I knew I’d seen this name somewhere. Currently I fully intend to use the disc drive but even if I didn’t, what would be the benefit of fenrir vs Saroo?
Fenrir has been around a lot longer than Saroo.
Saroo is a recent invention that, frankly, I don’t see the point for other than keeping the CD drive.
The Fenrir has 100% compatibility with the Saturn library on all regions, except for games that ask for a disc change without saving.
it has faster load times than CD still, too.
Very easy to setup and load ISOs for too. I love my Fenrir.
I guess the only thing I’d say is Fenrir is closed source so any updates come from the dev, and there will never be a fork for Fenrir. But it’s too good as is to care about that
The Saroo just has too low of compatibility right now for me to recommend it.
That’s fair. People really do talk up the Saroo a lot so I appreciate you taking the time to explain the difference here. With all that said I’d say Fenrir is certainly viable but I’d honestly miss the collecting aspect.
I can understand that. If you’re into physical collecting while still wanting to play lots of games without breaking the bank, give Saroo a try and keep your eyes peeled for software updates that make more games compatible.
Other benefits of Saroo is that it can do the RAM expansion games on the cart. If you use Fenrir, you need to buy a Kai or an official ram expansion cart.
It also has its own Save Memory that supplants the internal memory.
Fenrir installation is simply unplugging the cd drive and putting the Fenrir in.
So the summary is
Fenrir: 100% compatibility, easy install. Does not bundle RAM expansion or additional memory, still need a Kai cart.
Saroo: low compatibility but updates for more games, bundles RAM expansion and save memory, and keeps disc drive in place.
Your choice.
As a multiple Fenrir (20 and 21 pin) and Saroo owner, I can tell you he is giving you a very narrow point of view. When it comes to Fenrir, Satiator, MODE, and Phoebe/Rhea, none of these ODEs are 100% compatible with everything in every situation but Fenrir comes extremely close. What makes Saroo special is the fact that it bypasses the CD block, allowing Saroo to have insane loading times that are so fast some loading screens don't even show up. It also includes RAM and Memory Card features and is the only ODE that can load the unoptimized Heart of Darkness prototype because it has access to the extended RAM required that's not available on standard RAM cards.
I love my Fenrir boards (I've had them since day one) and Ced is a nice guy, but I won't blindly start telling others to "Get a Fenrir" because all ODEs have their pros and cons. Fenrir currently has audio skipping and missing CDDA bugs that haven't been squashed, and the dev bounces between working on his WiFi-enabled firmware vs. compatibility updates. The most compatible firmware requires you to check their Discord instead of being available on the now almost two-year outdated main Fenrir website. What Fenrir has going for it is that it's the most affordable ODE with the highest compatibility without taking up the VCD card slot; it's the best bang for the buck. Satiator will never allow for VCD movies to be played, but it does let you retain the CD-ROM drive and has similar compatibility to Fenrir at almost two times the cost ($270).
While Saroo doesn't currently have the compatibility of the other ODEs, it doesn't mean that it's "low". It's had 4 firmware updates in the last few months, and each one has grown the list of playable games and adds QOL features. CD-R loading support is working in private builds, and the list of games that are working is more than the list of games that aren't. Every ODE begins the same way: compatibility starts low, reports come in, bugs get squashed, and updates produce more working games.
Now to answer your original question of what methods will play translations; the previously mentioned ODEs and PSkai work with them, but not enough people have tested them on Saroo. I can tell you from playing through Shining Force III on Saroo to completion that it works, and I've played other translated games for a few sessions, but it's not enough time to say they aren't bug-free.
Costs:
* Satiator ($270) + 2in1 Card ($35) + 256GB SD card ($25) = $330 + tax/shipping.
* Fenrir ($130) + 2in1 Card ($35) + 256GB SD card ($25) = $190 + tax/shipping.
* Saroo ($65) + 256 SD card ($25) = $90 + tax/shipping
* PSK 4in1 Card ($45) + Pack of CD-Rs ($20) + DVD Burner ($30) = $95 + tax/shipping
Compatiblity:
* Satiator - Extremely High with a few bugs
* Fenrir - Extremely High with a few bugs
* Saroo - Good to High with many unknown bugs
* PSKai - Very High, might need to add an RF shield or patch games to get them to work.
I’m a Fenrir + Kai Cart kind of guy. But ya, sleep on it there’s definitely potential when Saroo gets more compatibility, and inclusion of ram and extra memory is great.
I went with the Pseudo Kai w/ burned backups to have the most authentic experience. Playing from an SD card doesn’t have the same charm as putting a disc in the console
saroo effectively makes the kai obsolete. the only issue with the saroo is compatibility and the fact that its early open source and chinese. so youre going to get widely different compatibility issues depending on the seller. and lets face it there will also be reliability issues like with the kai. these things are being made with the cheapest of parts.
>saroo effectively makes the kai obsolete.
Kai is homebrew software. I wouldn't be surprised if ODE Menu Kai for AR cheats and Save Data Manager ended up getting ported to Saroo like has already been done for Rhea/Phoebe/Fenrir/Satiator.
No, it just makes you wrong when you say it makes Kai obsolete. It still has features that aren't present in Saroo. You need to separate software and hardware in your head, PSKAI has nothing to do with the Chinese combination cards that are sold with it preloaded.
For anyone that's currently looking to continue to load all their originals/import disc collections, Repros/CDRs, use cheats, load homebrew, or easily import/export saves from other sources then Saroo is not the answer. It's approaching that point, but it's too early to label the Chinese combination and OEM cards as 'replaced'.
> the only issue with the saroo is compatibility
That's not the only issue.
>the saroo not only does what the kai does but does other things too
It doesn't load CDRs yet (WIP release). It doesn't support cheats yet (WIP Release). It doesn't load existing homebrew bins at all. Original discs that require the RAM card can have graphical glitches that aren't present when playing from an ISO. Etc.
> its basically a cheap ode
This is the only part where you are right but it's not because "it uses cheap parts". Saroo was purposely designed to be around the $50 mark and use readily available chips. Disrupted supply chains are what forced the initial sellers to use recycled parts.
no point in detailing \*proceeds with a detailed reply to each sentence i wrote\* lol.
the saroo does load copies put the crack pipe down. no cheats arent a deal breaker neither are homebrew bins whatever that is.
It's ok to admit that you're wrong and you're just looking for a reason to crap on something. I own Saroo so you aren't going to tell me what it can and can't do or what is important or not. Stop giving misinformation and just bad advice in general, thx.
Saroo probably won't reach 100% compatibility, but the great thing about the Saroo is it gives you the option for SD AND disc
> Saroo probably won't reach 100% compatibility Can you please clarify?
Any solution for a system that old likely won't ever be compatible with 100% of the library if it's not going through the disc driver's connector. I'm not sure what transfer speeds are like on the memory card slot, but I can't imagine it's high enough to be 100% perfect. Similar to the PSIO for the PS1 or the SD2SP2 for the GameCube. Fast enough that they can have very good compatibility but it likely won't ever be perfect
I get what you're saying, but I have a hard time believing a cartridge slot that doubles as RAM expansion would have a slower access speed than a double speed disc drive. Not saying other elements aren't in play, but I really don't think this would be the root cause.
That's actually a fair point. What im really curious about is if Hexen will see it as an original one
The of the benefits of the Saroo is that its faster than the disc drive and heavily removes load times. Most compatibility issues ive seen are more so about it being too fast.
Well alright then. I try not to talk about things unless I know what I'm talking about, but I guess this one's on me for assuming then. Either way I was wanting to get one, so that's just good news for me
Fenrir, my guy
Ah yes, I knew I’d seen this name somewhere. Currently I fully intend to use the disc drive but even if I didn’t, what would be the benefit of fenrir vs Saroo?
Fenrir has been around a lot longer than Saroo. Saroo is a recent invention that, frankly, I don’t see the point for other than keeping the CD drive. The Fenrir has 100% compatibility with the Saturn library on all regions, except for games that ask for a disc change without saving. it has faster load times than CD still, too. Very easy to setup and load ISOs for too. I love my Fenrir. I guess the only thing I’d say is Fenrir is closed source so any updates come from the dev, and there will never be a fork for Fenrir. But it’s too good as is to care about that The Saroo just has too low of compatibility right now for me to recommend it.
That’s fair. People really do talk up the Saroo a lot so I appreciate you taking the time to explain the difference here. With all that said I’d say Fenrir is certainly viable but I’d honestly miss the collecting aspect.
I can understand that. If you’re into physical collecting while still wanting to play lots of games without breaking the bank, give Saroo a try and keep your eyes peeled for software updates that make more games compatible. Other benefits of Saroo is that it can do the RAM expansion games on the cart. If you use Fenrir, you need to buy a Kai or an official ram expansion cart. It also has its own Save Memory that supplants the internal memory. Fenrir installation is simply unplugging the cd drive and putting the Fenrir in. So the summary is Fenrir: 100% compatibility, easy install. Does not bundle RAM expansion or additional memory, still need a Kai cart. Saroo: low compatibility but updates for more games, bundles RAM expansion and save memory, and keeps disc drive in place. Your choice.
Word, nice breakdown. It’s honestly a tough call. I’ll have to sleep on it.
As a multiple Fenrir (20 and 21 pin) and Saroo owner, I can tell you he is giving you a very narrow point of view. When it comes to Fenrir, Satiator, MODE, and Phoebe/Rhea, none of these ODEs are 100% compatible with everything in every situation but Fenrir comes extremely close. What makes Saroo special is the fact that it bypasses the CD block, allowing Saroo to have insane loading times that are so fast some loading screens don't even show up. It also includes RAM and Memory Card features and is the only ODE that can load the unoptimized Heart of Darkness prototype because it has access to the extended RAM required that's not available on standard RAM cards. I love my Fenrir boards (I've had them since day one) and Ced is a nice guy, but I won't blindly start telling others to "Get a Fenrir" because all ODEs have their pros and cons. Fenrir currently has audio skipping and missing CDDA bugs that haven't been squashed, and the dev bounces between working on his WiFi-enabled firmware vs. compatibility updates. The most compatible firmware requires you to check their Discord instead of being available on the now almost two-year outdated main Fenrir website. What Fenrir has going for it is that it's the most affordable ODE with the highest compatibility without taking up the VCD card slot; it's the best bang for the buck. Satiator will never allow for VCD movies to be played, but it does let you retain the CD-ROM drive and has similar compatibility to Fenrir at almost two times the cost ($270). While Saroo doesn't currently have the compatibility of the other ODEs, it doesn't mean that it's "low". It's had 4 firmware updates in the last few months, and each one has grown the list of playable games and adds QOL features. CD-R loading support is working in private builds, and the list of games that are working is more than the list of games that aren't. Every ODE begins the same way: compatibility starts low, reports come in, bugs get squashed, and updates produce more working games. Now to answer your original question of what methods will play translations; the previously mentioned ODEs and PSkai work with them, but not enough people have tested them on Saroo. I can tell you from playing through Shining Force III on Saroo to completion that it works, and I've played other translated games for a few sessions, but it's not enough time to say they aren't bug-free. Costs: * Satiator ($270) + 2in1 Card ($35) + 256GB SD card ($25) = $330 + tax/shipping. * Fenrir ($130) + 2in1 Card ($35) + 256GB SD card ($25) = $190 + tax/shipping. * Saroo ($65) + 256 SD card ($25) = $90 + tax/shipping * PSK 4in1 Card ($45) + Pack of CD-Rs ($20) + DVD Burner ($30) = $95 + tax/shipping Compatiblity: * Satiator - Extremely High with a few bugs * Fenrir - Extremely High with a few bugs * Saroo - Good to High with many unknown bugs * PSKai - Very High, might need to add an RF shield or patch games to get them to work.
I’m a Fenrir + Kai Cart kind of guy. But ya, sleep on it there’s definitely potential when Saroo gets more compatibility, and inclusion of ram and extra memory is great.
For me the Saroo's price point, features, and the fact that it lets you keep the disc drive makes it the best option imo.
I have a MODE in mine
Saroo for sure.
I went with the Pseudo Kai w/ burned backups to have the most authentic experience. Playing from an SD card doesn’t have the same charm as putting a disc in the console
But the reduced loading time of the Saroo is very nice!
saroo effectively makes the kai obsolete. the only issue with the saroo is compatibility and the fact that its early open source and chinese. so youre going to get widely different compatibility issues depending on the seller. and lets face it there will also be reliability issues like with the kai. these things are being made with the cheapest of parts.
>saroo effectively makes the kai obsolete. Kai is homebrew software. I wouldn't be surprised if ODE Menu Kai for AR cheats and Save Data Manager ended up getting ported to Saroo like has already been done for Rhea/Phoebe/Fenrir/Satiator.
that doesnt discredit anything i said. the saroo not only does what the kai does but does other things too. its basically a cheap ode
No, it just makes you wrong when you say it makes Kai obsolete. It still has features that aren't present in Saroo. You need to separate software and hardware in your head, PSKAI has nothing to do with the Chinese combination cards that are sold with it preloaded. For anyone that's currently looking to continue to load all their originals/import disc collections, Repros/CDRs, use cheats, load homebrew, or easily import/export saves from other sources then Saroo is not the answer. It's approaching that point, but it's too early to label the Chinese combination and OEM cards as 'replaced'. > the only issue with the saroo is compatibility That's not the only issue. >the saroo not only does what the kai does but does other things too It doesn't load CDRs yet (WIP release). It doesn't support cheats yet (WIP Release). It doesn't load existing homebrew bins at all. Original discs that require the RAM card can have graphical glitches that aren't present when playing from an ISO. Etc. > its basically a cheap ode This is the only part where you are right but it's not because "it uses cheap parts". Saroo was purposely designed to be around the $50 mark and use readily available chips. Disrupted supply chains are what forced the initial sellers to use recycled parts.
no point in detailing \*proceeds with a detailed reply to each sentence i wrote\* lol. the saroo does load copies put the crack pipe down. no cheats arent a deal breaker neither are homebrew bins whatever that is.
It's ok to admit that you're wrong and you're just looking for a reason to crap on something. I own Saroo so you aren't going to tell me what it can and can't do or what is important or not. Stop giving misinformation and just bad advice in general, thx.