NeoGeo CD optical drive replacement - SD card game loader
Games look correct. No scaling issues, no incorrect aspect ratios, and no unnecessary black bars.
Under the and similar laws in other countries, circumventing copy protection on software you do not own is illegal. The ROMs themselves are copyrighted software. Therefore, downloading a ROM for a game you do not own a legitimate copy of is technically an act of copyright infringement.
You save space on your device and can focus on optimizing only the ROMs you actually play. vertical arcade rom pack
By curating your collection, rotating your hardware, and configuring your emulator correctly, you can bring the 80s and 90s arcade experience into your home, standing tall. If you want, I can:
Arcade emulation is unique; ROMs must match the exact version of the emulator core you are using. For example, if you are using MAME 0.250, ensure your vertical pack is sourced from a MAME 0.250 reference set. If they do not match, games may fail to load due to missing audio or graphic dumps. Use Bevels and Overlays for Widescreen Displays Games look correct
If you are interested in exploring how to build your own vertical cabinet, I can help you with: Recommended monitor sizes for bartops How to configure MAME for vertical games Setting up a frontend like Attract-Mode
To build your pack, you need to filter a full arcade set (like MAME or FBNeo) to include only vertical titles. Early 80s legends like , , and Ms. Pac-Man The ROMs themselves are copyrighted software
Standard modern displays use a 16:9 horizontal layout. Running a vertical game on a horizontal screen creates massive black bars on the left and right sides. A dedicated vertical arcade cabinet eliminates these bars, utilizing 100% of the screen real estate for the game itself. Building or converting a cabinet to a vertical layout requires a specialized software setup, which is where a vertical arcade ROM pack becomes essential. What is a Vertical Arcade ROM Pack?
MAME is the backbone of arcade emulation. It features built-in rotation tools. In your mame.ini file, you can set options like ror (rotate right) or rol (rotate left) to match how your physical monitor is mounted. MAME automatically detects vertical games and stretches them to fill the vertical canvas properly.
The Neo CD SD Loader could be called an ODE (Optical Drive Emulator) because the benefits are similar, but technically speaking it isn't really one. It doesn't simulate an optical drive. It provides the console with a direct interface to an SD card and patches the BIOS to load games from it instead. From an user standpoint though, the functionality is the same !
Front-loader |
 |
Top-loader |
|
CD-Z |
 Maybe one day |
Installation requires some soldering, but nothing too hard except one delicate part (see instructions). There's no need to cut the plastic shell of the console.
If ever needed, the whole kit can be cleanly removed and the console restored to its original form.
Yes, just like you could run them by burning CD-Rs. The loader doesn't circumvent any anti-piracy features since the NeoGeo CD doesn't really have any. However, some games implement copy-detection measures that may be triggered. Patched versions of the games do exist.
If you like indie games, please buy them :)
Yes. The original CD drive can be kept operational if needed but you will only be able to use microSD cards, not full-size ones.
No, except if a conversion exists. A few games have been converted by enthusiasts, but not all.
The loader can't automatically split a cartridge game to add in loading screens.
This is a very complex process which can't be done automatically.
No, however the loader's menu itself brings similar features such as cheats, region and DIP-switch settings.
The full NeoGeo CD library fits in a 64GB SD card. Speed (class) isn't important, any will do.
Installs on which the CD drive is kept in place only allow microSD cards.
Only SDSC, SDHC and SDXC cards are supported. WiFi-capable and other weird SDIO cards may work but are NOT tested.
Both can be updated by placing an update file on the SD card. Updates are provided for everyone and for free.
Yes. If you burn it to a CD and it works on an un-modded console, then it will work with the loader.
No guarantees that it'll work perfectly if you only tried it in an emulator. Making it work on the real console is up to you !
The firmware doesn't rely on a list of known games. It will load any CD image as long as its file structure matches the one required by the console's original BIOS. This means existing and future homebrew games can be loaded without having to update the firmware.
Using an ultra-fast luxury SD card won't improve loading times. The speed is limited by the console's memory. Even my oldest and slowest 128MB card currently isn't maxed out.
No. The devices may serve a similar purpose (replacing a storage medium with a more modern one) but the companies and people involved are different. The NeoCD SD Loader only works on CD systems.
No. I only keep an anonymous list of the serial numbers of the kits I built. This is used to keep track of which hardware version is each kit to make customer service easier.
Yes, see https://github.com/furrtek/NeoCDSDLoader. Be sure to read the rules !