Who remembers when SEGA first launched the Visible Reminiscence Unit (VMU) for the Dreamcast again in 1999? It’s principally a reminiscence card that doubled as a pocketable gaming machine with a monochrome display and primary controls. Quick-forward to 2025, and 8BitMods has modernized this iconic peripheral with the VMU Professional.
First, the VMU Professional upgrades the unique’s monochrome display to a 16-bit shade IPS TFT show. “It wouldn’t be a VMU if it couldn’t run your Dreamcast mini-games,” 8BitMods notes on their website.Past that, the display helps as much as 5x scaling and customizable shade themes.
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Storage is one other leap ahead. The unique VMU held a mere 128KB, sufficient for a handful of saves however usually forcing gamers to juggle a number of playing cards. The VMU Professional helps microSD playing cards as much as 2TB, which 8BitMods calls “limitless storage for [the] Dreamcast.” This implies you’ll be able to retailer saves for each Dreamcast recreation you personal—after which some. Computerized recreation detection and digital VMU creation streamline the method, assigning devoted storage channels for every title, whether or not you’re utilizing authentic discs or optical drive emulators (ODEs) just like the Terraonion MODE. “We convey computerized recreation detection with GameID to all of your consoles, and shortly to your Dreamcast,” 8BitMods shared.
What elevates the VMU Professional past a reminiscence card is its capacity to double as a standalone retro gaming handheld. It’s not nearly Dreamcast mini-games; the machine packs emulators for 8-bit programs just like the Nintendo Leisure System (NES), Sport Boy, Sport Boy Shade, Sport Gear, and Grasp System. 8BitMods has future-proofed the machine with plans for added emulators and an SDK for user-developed apps, making certain it evolves with the group. The inclusion of Bluetooth LE and Wi-Fi connectivity opens up potentialities like multiplayer pairing for Dreamcast video games or wi-fi information transfers.
Battery life addresses one of many authentic VMU’s greatest flaws: its reliance on coin batteries that drained shortly. The VMU Professional’s 720mAh rechargeable cell, charged through USB-C, affords as much as six hours of emulation or a month of normal reminiscence card use.
Out there now in seven shade choices for $81.23, the VMU Professional balances affordability with premium options. MP3 playback turns the VMU Professional right into a pocket music participant, and its capacity to run DOOM demonstrates its shocking energy.
