Sega Saturn/Boot ROM

From Sega Retro

Back to: Sega Saturn.
The original Japanese Sega Saturn boot ROM, version 1.00.

All variants of the Sega Saturn come pre-installed with a boot ROM - an interface which appears when the console is given power. CD-ROMs require verification and loading, which depending on the quality of the disc or drive, can take several seconds, so in addition to driving the CD-ROM, the Saturn's boot ROM informs the user that console is working. It fulfils the same function as seen with the Sega Mega-CD's boot ROM, though unlike that console the boot ROM is always seen, as there is no fall-back to the cartridge-based Sega Mega Drive.

Usually, if the console detects and verifies a disc, the Saturn boot ROM is limited to an introduction and jingle, followed by a brief Sega licensing screen and finally, the game. Should a compatible Saturn disc not be detected (detection also requires the console's lid to be closed, as the disc will not spin otherwise), the user is taken to a menu. If the console's lid has been left open when powering on the console, the logo animation is skipped.

Menu

English menu with no disc inserted.

Compared to the Mega-CD (and indeed most of its console contemporaries and even the Sega Dreamcast), the Saturn boot ROM menu is far more elaborate. It is also largely consistent across regions, with the core feature set being shared across all consoles manufactured across the decade.

Like the Mega-CD, the Saturn is compatible with music CDs and CD+G discs, and so the Saturn menu offers controls for these features. It also has built-in memory for save data which can be managed through the boot ROM. New to the Saturn is a global system language stting and a real-time clock to set. If the console has failed to keep time (because for example, the battery has died) the user will also be prompted to set the time when the console boots.

The Saturn's capabilities as a CD player is perhaps higher than it ever needed to be. In addition to playing compact discs normally (and being able to repeat either the whole disc or selected tracks), it can perform real-time pitch shifting of the audio, mute the vocals (assuming said vocals are mixed so that they're in the "middle" of a stereo recording rather than panned to the left or right), adjust the "surround", shuffle tracks and repeat specific parts of tracks. The left and right sound channels are also visualised by two spinning, colour-changing cubes.

In addition to this, the menu sits on top of a rotating background with 3D starfield. The user can hide the menu to reveal a 3D spaceship which moves around and spins.

Screenshots

Technical information

ROM dump status

System Hash Size Build Date Source Comments
Sega Saturn
CRC32 2aba43c2
MD5 af5828fdff51384f99b3c4926be27762
SHA-1 2b8cb4f87580683eb4d760e4ed210813d667f0a2
512kB 1994-09-21 (from BIOS file) Saturn (JP) (1.00) sega_100.bin Download.svg (424 kB) (info)
Sega Saturn
CRC32 e9ec22a9
MD5 108399749dbc38d669e030322b6d0062
SHA-1 32054a8632d67edd6d3094984215accb3a28fd2c
512kB 2013-11-03 Saturn (JP) (1.00) (Region Free) sega_100.bin Download.svg (424 kB) (info) Page
Sega Saturn
CRC32 f90f0089
MD5 f273555d7d91e8a5a6bfd9bcf066331c
SHA-1 3bb41feb82838ab9a35601ac666de5aacfd17a58
512kB 1994-10-12 (from BIOS file) Development Kit (JP) (1.003) sega1003.bin Download.svg (416 kB) (info)
Sega Saturn
CRC32 b3c63c25
MD5 74570fed4d44b2682b560c8cd44b8b6a
SHA-1 7b23b53d62de0f29a23e423d0fe751dfb469c2fa
512kB 1994-11-15 (from BIOS file) Saturn (US/EU) (1.00a) sega_100a.bin Download.svg (422 kB) (info)
Sega Saturn
CRC32 e9fb012d
MD5 bde8d6225194b1be7d7127f9f5a7bb29
SHA-1 8bbe4c3368a453ebfe5c771d262b07aeccdf0a38
512kB 2011-08-30 Saturn (US/EU) (1.00a) (Region Free) sega_100a.bin Download.svg (423 kB) (info) Page
Sega Saturn
CRC32 224b752c
MD5 85ec9ca47d8f6807718151cbcca8b964
SHA-1 df94c5b4d47eb3cc404d88b33a8fda237eaf4720
512kB 1994-12-28 (from BIOS file) Saturn (JP) (1.01) sega_101.bin Download.svg (418 kB) (info)
Sega Saturn
CRC32 814c84fb
MD5 cb37ed680c55ed4a0cb3c7eb41497d4a
SHA-1 52d06f72aa979d67a2a96c6b860ba47d0c2dd444
512kB 2011-05-13 Saturn (JP) (1.01) (Region Free) sega_101.bin Download.svg (418 kB) (info) Page
Sega Saturn
CRC32 721e1b60
MD5 3ea3202e2634cb47cb90f3a05c015010
SHA-1 49d8493008fa715ca0c94d99817a5439d6f2c796
512kB 1995-01-30 (from BIOS file) HiSaturn (1.01) hisaturn.bin Download.svg (414 kB) (info)
Sega Saturn
CRC32 d119eab7
MD5 c40a362faf8b01337063311e05560834
SHA-1 edcc3947c481325567d3a049d7f23b396b4d06dd
512kB 2012-09-04 HiSaturn (1.01) (Region Free) hisaturn.bin Download.svg (414 kB) (info) Page
Sega Saturn
CRC32 4afcf0fa
MD5 3240872c70984b6cbfda1586cab68dbe
SHA-1 faa8ea183a6d7bbe5d4e03bb1332519800d3fbc3
512kB 1994-11-15 (from BIOS file) Saturn (US/EU) (1.01a) mpr-17933.bin Download.svg (422 kB) (info)
Sega Saturn
CRC32 e9fb012d
MD5 bde8d6225194b1be7d7127f9f5a7bb29
SHA-1 8bbe4c3368a453ebfe5c771d262b07aeccdf0a38
512kB 2012-09-04 Saturn (US/EU) (1.01a) (Region Free) mpr-17933.bin Download.svg (423 kB) (info) Page
Sega Saturn
CRC32 3408dbf4
MD5 cb2cebc1b6e573b7c44523d037edcd45
SHA-1 8a22710e09ce75f39625894366cafe503ed1942d
512kB 1995-05-19 (from BIOS file) HiSaturn (1.02) mpr-18100.bin Download.svg (414 kB) (info)
Sega Saturn
CRC32 a06c7c00
MD5 7ae047df81cd8e2eb86063164a93621c
SHA-1 735494ba1b8b9be4930c1c3d62dcc93fb52c71ae
512kB 2014-02-07 HiSaturn (1.02) (Region Free) mpr-18100.bin Download.svg (415 kB) (info) Page
Sega Saturn
CRC32 e4d61811
MD5 ac4e4b6522e200c0d23d371a8cecbfd3
SHA-1 4154e11959f3d5639b11d7902b3a393a99fb5776
512kB 1995-07-03 (from BIOS file) V-Saturn (1.01) vsaturn.bin Download.svg (418 kB) (info)
Sega Saturn
CRC32 47d1e9c6
MD5 a50889262b8dfca5f6e200eecd554df6
SHA-1 c53dec838676db59b851301211a8b700590910bd
512kB 2006-06-06 V-Saturn (1.01) (Region Free) vsaturn.bin Download.svg (419 kB) (info) Page
Sega Saturn
CRC32 aa2a3f38
MD5 231f71a5e42c1da30cdde479b27a7850
SHA-1 a2e1c166dc56f9f7081cac69c25088c21d7a598e
512kB 1994-11-15 (from BIOS file) Samsung Saturn (1.02a) samsung.bin Download.svg (422 kB) (info)
Sega Saturn
CRC32 092dceef
MD5 a1be0f8a3d5b8f917cb249d13d210e33
SHA-1 86ef261b2021a75a4aba04a64edaa16a52bb79c1
512kB 2014-01-27 Samsung Saturn (1.02a) (Region Free) samsung.bin Download.svg (422 kB) (info) Page
Sega Saturn
CRC32 6abfefea
MD5 0306c0e408d6682dd2d86324bd4ac661
SHA-1 8c031bf9908fd0142fdd10a9cdd79389f8a3f2fc
512kB 1995-07-20 (from BIOS file) GameNavi HiSaturn (1.03) gamenavi.bin Download.svg (414 kB) (info)
Sega Saturn
CRC32 c9b81e3d
MD5 7d5db9c27ea815003881df189f28382e
SHA-1 fb15bbea4a4a2542499352b292e7e0d96def40ec
512kB 2014-02-03 GameNavi HiSaturn (1.03) (Region Free) gamenavi.bin Download.svg (414 kB) (info) Page

References


Sega Saturn
Topics Technical Specifications (Hardware Comparison) | History (Development | Release | Decline and legacy) | List of games (A-M) | List of games (N-Z) | Magazine articles | Promotional material | Merchandise
Hardware Japan | North America | Western Europe | Eastern Europe | South America | Asia | South Korea | Australasia | Africa

HiSaturn Navi | SunSeibu SGX | Sega Titan Video

Add-ons Backup Memory (third-party) | Sega PriFun | Video CD Card (third-party) | Extended RAM Cartridge (third-party) | Twin Advanced ROM System
Controllers Control Pad | Control Pad (Australia) | 3D Control Pad | Arcade Racer | Infrared Control Pad | Mission Stick | Shuttle Mouse | Twin Stick | Virtua Gun | Virtua Stick | Virtua Stick Pro
Online Services/Add-ons NetLink Internet Modem (NetLink Keyboard | NetLink Keyboard Adapter | NetLink Mouse) | Saturn Modem (Floppy Drive | Keyboard)
Connector Cables 21 Pin RGB Cable | Monaural AV Cable | RF Unit | Stereo AV Cable | S-Video Cable | Taisen Cable
Development Hardware Programming Box | Sound Box | E7000 | CartDev | SNASM2 | Address Checker | PSY-Q Development System | MIRAGE Universal CD Emulator
Misc. Hardware 6Player | SBom Multitap‎ | Saturn region converter cartridges | Action Replay | Pro Action Replay | Action Replay Plus | X-Terminator (Version 3) | S-S Promoter | Other cartridges