Greenhorn Questions about Firmware and additional Roms

[10vorne]

I've seen several (long) threads on the forum discussing experimental and beta firmware for the 2600+. I'm also interested in whether there is now a way to play additional ROMs (via USB stick or cartridge) with the 2600+. Is it possible to do a firmware update (relatively) safely at this point? If so, is there a guide to follow? And if there is a solution for additional roms, I'd be happy to hear any recommendations.

[Trebor]

1 hour ago, 10vorne said:

Is it possible to do a firmware update (relatively) safely at this point? If so, is there a guide to follow?

Yes.  Follow this guide:

 

1 hour ago, 10vorne said:

I'm also interested in whether there is now a way to play additional ROMs (via USB stick or cartridge) with the 2600+.  And if there is a solution for additional roms, I'd be happy to hear any recommendations.

No USB Stick option.  There is a special firmware 'developer mode' (Single ROM mode) for the Harmony cart that will play one ROM uploaded to that cartridge device at a time.  Thread with video demonstrating the process:

"Developer mode" - One ROM at a time process for the Harmony Encore is also explained here:

The aforementioned covers compatible 2600 titles. 

For the 7800 library, a similar process is being worked on by the Harmony developer.  No ETA.

[tradyblix]

If you just want to play roms, you're looking at the wrong device, IMO. You should get a gamestation pro or one of any number of chinese made devices that play roms. 

This machine is more for folks interested in collecting carts. 

 

There are some esoteric options that allow you to play roms on multicarts with this thing, but none of them are either currently being produced or are well supported. 

Edited August 7 by tradyblix

[NicodemusLegend]

On 8/7/2024 at 10:51 AM, tradyblix said:

If you just want to play roms, you're looking at the wrong device, IMO. You should get a gamestation pro or one of any number of chinese made devices that play roms. 

This machine is more for folks interested in collecting carts. 

 

There are some esoteric options that allow you to play roms on multicarts with this thing, but none of them are either currently being produced or are well supported. 

While this may be the reality regarding what the 2600+ is currently capable of, it seems a stretch to claim it’s the “wrong device” for roms or that “this machine is more for folks interested in playing carts.”

 

The 2600+ should, IMHO, be capable of anything the original 2600 (and the original 7800) was capable of, and the consistent efforts to improve the system’s firmware and dumper seem to bear this out.

 

We may never reach 100%, but folks trying to do anything the original 2600 could do are by no means wrong to try to do so, nor to ask whether such is possible.

[CapitanClassic]

But, it is the wrong device. If you want to play roms, the GameStation Pro, Atari Flashback 9/X/50th, or Legends Flashback make more sense.

 

It's like saying a pregnancy test is the wrong device to play Doom. Sure, you can do it, but would you want to?

 

 

[John Stamos Mullet]

On 8/7/2024 at 1:51 PM, tradyblix said:

There are some esoteric options that allow you to play roms on multicarts with this thing, but none of them are either currently being produced or are well supported. 

The harmony cart allows you to play 2600 roms one at a time, is still in production, and can be bought right here on this site, and is very well supported. 

Edited August 15 by John Stamos Mullet

[Maztr_0n]

i'll just say this, if anybody knows when updates will be available on Linux Mint, be it like the first experimental beta or whatever, let me know. Because frankly i dont even have a reason to need a firmware update but i feel like i will soon enough...

[tradyblix]

On 8/14/2024 at 10:31 PM, NicodemusLegend said:

While this may be the reality regarding what the 2600+ is currently capable of, it seems a stretch to claim it’s the “wrong device” for roms or that “this machine is more for folks interested in playing carts.”

 

The 2600+ should, IMHO, be capable of anything the original 2600 (and the original 7800) was capable of, and the consistent efforts to improve the system’s firmware and dumper seem to bear this out.

 

We may never reach 100%, but folks trying to do anything the original 2600 could do are by no means wrong to try to do so, nor to ask whether such is possible.

Okay, well, please tell me what device That I can go out and buy right now.That supports all the roms that I want to play for both twenty six hundred and seventy eight hundred games... on the 2600+... I'm waiting.

 

And no I don't want something that has an analog out. It has to go through the normal hdmi.

 

Actually, you know what? don't bother. Because I don't need it. I have a cart collection. And you too can have a cart collection, easily, if you can just let go of having to use roms for everything.

 

Edited August 16 by tradyblix

[NicodemusLegend]

That's a surprising hostile response. I'll counter thusly.

If you want to find ROMs, you can find a large number very easily, and most (admittedly not all) CAN be played on the 2600+, with just a little bit of assistance through a device like the Harmony cart (and not even exclusively that).

By contrast, finding a lot of cartridges is a massive and costly endeavour. For those who wish to do so, I in no way want to discourage or criticise them. Cartridges ARE the main venue through which 2600 games are to be enjoyed, and the 2600+ is very specifically designed to use them.

But that does not mean that those who are looking to use their ROMs should be discouraged from doing so. Pointing out that they may need to overcome certain technical obstacles (simply the truth) is by no means sufficient to say that they should be told that this is the wrong device for them.

Back to my original post. If the original 2600 (and/or the original 7800) wasn't capable of doing something, then no one should expect the 2600+ to do it. But to the extent that the original system was able to do something, folks have been working dilligently to bring the 2600+'s capabilities to that same level as much as possible. This work is not yet completed, but it's getting better all the time.

 

(Obviously, the above response ignores realities of intellectual property. Consider this my disclaimer to say that if a physical cartridge is available at retail, users should support the retail releases. I do not think that the use of ROMs for otherwise-unavailable, decades-old cartridges, does any meaningful harm to the rightsholders. To the extent that this is a debate, I'm assuming that such debate belongs in another forum.)

Edited August 16 by NicodemusLegend
Added disclaimer for intellectual property discussion.

[tradyblix]

It's hardly hostile lol. Just matter of fact ! I didnt even use any bad words. Folks are so sensitive these days.

 

As far as your argument, well... it's an emu device... I appreciate the sentiment but it will never be like real hardware without a ton of work. Maybe we'll be lucky. We got at least several bankswitching schemes to support loading, hardware, etc.

Edited August 16 by tradyblix

[John Stamos Mullet]

3 hours ago, NicodemusLegend said:

That's a surprising hostile response.

 

There's really nothing surprising about it. Every single one of his replies in this board is unnecessarily hostile, and often completely incorrect as well.