{"id":216,"date":"2012-09-01T22:17:30","date_gmt":"2012-09-02T06:17:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.retrode.com\/?page_id=216"},"modified":"2025-03-09T18:27:38","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T02:27:38","slug":"plug-in-adapters","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.retrode.com\/en\/plug-in-adapters\/","title":{"rendered":"Plug-in Adapters"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/div>\n

Using special adapters that plug into one of the cartridge slots, you can extend the range of games and controllers that your Retrode can access. In close collaboration with users all over the world, we have managed to support a multitude of different cartridge systems. Most of these plug-ins are not available for sale, since they involve connectors that can no longer be obtained. DIYers who want to build a certain plug-in can salvage a broken console to get the connector, and head over to our community website<\/a> to find the pinouts.<\/p>\n

For three major cartridge systems, however, we were fortunate enough to source the matching slots: N64, Master System, and the Game Boys. All plug-ins come in Sega Mega Drive cartridge shells with printed label. Plug-ins cannot be used to play games on other systems than Retrode.<\/p>\n

\n
\"\"<\/a>
Left: February 2012 prototype of N64 plug-in. Right: N64 plug-in circuit board as of July 2012<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

N64 Plug-in<\/h3>\n

This plug-in adapter offers support for N64 cartridges and up to two controllers. Controllers must be connected to Retrode before USB connection is established.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Feature<\/th>\nN64<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Voltage<\/td>\n3.3V<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ROM (game)<\/td>\nSupported<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SRAM (saves)<\/td>\nFirmware support pending 1<\/sup><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Flash\/EEPROM (saves)<\/td>\nFirmware support pending 1<\/sup><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cartridge insertion<\/td>\nAuto-detected<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Game title as filename<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Game size<\/td>\nFrom heuristic 2<\/sup><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Controllers<\/td>\nUp to 2 N64 controllers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Left: February 2012 prototype of GB\/GBC\/GBA plug-in. Right: circuit board as of July 2012.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

GBx Plug-in<\/h3>\n

This plug-in adapter offers support for Game Boy cartridges of all generations (Classic, Color, Advance).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Feature<\/th>\nGB, GBC<\/th>\nGBA<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Voltage<\/td>\n5V<\/td>\n3.3V<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ROM (game)<\/td>\nSupported<\/td>\nSupported<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SRAM (saves)<\/td>\nSupported<\/td>\nFirmware support pending 1<\/sup><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Flash\/EEPROM (saves)<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\nFirmware support pending 1<\/sup><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cartridge insertion<\/td>\nManual reset<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Game title as filename<\/td>\nYes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Game size<\/td>\nFrom header<\/td>\nFrom heuristic 2<\/sup><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Controllers<\/td>\nN\/A<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n
\n
\"\"<\/a>
Left: February 2012 prototype of SMS plug-in. Right: circuit board as of July 2012.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

SMS Plug-in<\/h3>\n

This plug-in adapter offers support for Sega Master System cartridges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Feature<\/th>\nSMS<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
Voltage<\/td>\n5V<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ROM (game)<\/td>\nSupported<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
SRAM (saves)<\/td>\nFirmware support pending 1<\/sup><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cartridge insertion<\/td>\nAuto-detected<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Game title as filename<\/td>\nData missing in cartridge header<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Game size<\/td>\nFrom header<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Controllers<\/td>\nVia Retrode core unit<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Explanations<\/h4>\n

1<\/sup> “Firmware support pending”<\/strong>: The hardware design in principle allows for this feature to be enabled by a future firmware update (though we can’t guarantee that).
\n2<\/sup> “Heuristic”<\/strong>: The cartridge does not contain any information on the size of the ROM. The Retrode attempts to auto-detect it using certain characteristic features in the data.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Using special adapters that plug into one of the cartridge slots, you can extend the range of games and controllers […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":1,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-216","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.retrode.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.retrode.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.retrode.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.retrode.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.retrode.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=216"}],"version-history":[{"count":60,"href":"https:\/\/www.retrode.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/216\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":322,"href":"https:\/\/www.retrode.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/216\/revisions\/322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.retrode.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}