Last updated: September 2026
Setting up RetroArch and getting a black screen? Chances are you’re missing a BIOS file. Some cores flat-out refuse to run without the correct BIOS, and even when they’re “optional,” having them usually means better compatibility.
This guide covers every BIOS file RetroArch commonly needs, where to put them, how to verify them, and how to dump them legally from hardware you own. No fluff, just the reference sheet you’ll actually bookmark.
What Are BIOS Files and Why Do Some Cores Need Them?
BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System. On real hardware, it’s the low-level firmware that initializes the console before a game loads. Think of it as the console’s boot sequence — the thing that plays the PlayStation startup chime or the Game Boy Advance splash screen.
Some RetroArch cores emulate hardware at a level where they need that original firmware to function correctly. Without it, the core either can’t boot games at all (PS1, Saturn) or runs them with reduced accuracy (GBA, DS).
The legal reality: BIOS files are copyrighted firmware. The preservation-correct way to obtain them is to dump the BIOS from consoles you physically own. We won’t link to BIOS downloads anywhere in this guide — and you should be skeptical of any site that does without context.
RetroArch BIOS Pack — Master Reference Table
Here’s the complete list of BIOS files RetroArch cores commonly need. Use the MD5 hashes to verify your dumps are correct.
PlayStation 1 (Beetle PSX / PCSX ReARMed)
| BIOS File | Region | Required? | MD5 Hash |
|---|---|---|---|
scph5500.bin | Japan | Yes | 8dd7d5296a650fac7319bce665a6a53c |
scph5501.bin | North America | Yes | 490f666e1afb15b7362b406ed1cea246 |
scph5502.bin | Europe | Yes | 32736f17079d0b2b7024407c39bd3050 |
You need the BIOS matching your game’s region. Most people grab all three to cover everything.
Full guides: PS1 BIOS files for every emulator and DuckStation BIOS setup.
PlayStation 2 (PCSX2 / Play!)
| BIOS File | Region | Required? | MD5 Hash |
|---|---|---|---|
SCPH-70012_BIOS_V12_USA_200.bin (example; name varies by console) | North America | Yes | Varies by dump; the file is always 4,194,304 bytes |
SCPH-70004_BIOS_V12_EUR_200.bin (example) | Europe | Yes | Varies by dump |
SCPH-70000_BIOS_V12_JAP_200.bin (example) | Japan | Yes | Varies by dump |
PS2 BIOS files are strictly required. The standalone PCSX2 emulator has the same requirement — there’s no HLE alternative here. Any region and any version works; do not rename the dump, the emulator reads the version from inside the file.
Full guide: PS2 BIOS for PCSX2 and NetherSX2, including the biosdrain dumping walkthrough.
Sega Saturn (Beetle Saturn / Kronos / Yabause)
| BIOS File | Region | Required? | MD5 Hash |
|---|---|---|---|
sega_101.bin | Japan (v1.01) | Yes (Beetle, Mednafen) | 85ec9ca47d8f6807718151cbcca8b964 |
mpr-17933.bin | North America / Europe (v1.01a) | Yes (Beetle, Mednafen) | 3240872c70984b6cbfda1586cab68dbe |
saturn_bios.bin | Japan (v1.00) | Yes (Kronos), optional (Yabause) | af5828fdff51384f99b3c4926be27762 |
Beetle Saturn won’t run without BIOS and picks the file by disc region, so keep both of its files. Kronos wants saturn_bios.bin in a kronos/ subfolder and does not fall back to HLE. Yabause can technically boot some games without it, but compatibility drops hard.
Full guide: Sega Saturn BIOS files.
Sega Dreamcast (Flycast)
| BIOS File | Required? | MD5 Hash |
|---|---|---|
dc_boot.bin | Optional (Flycast has an HLE BIOS) | e10c53c2f8b90bab96ead2d368858623 |
dc_flash.bin | Optional (Flycast generates one) | 0a93f7940c455905bea6e392dfde92a4 (USA) |
Both go in a dc/ subfolder of the system directory, not the root. Flycast boots most games on its HLE BIOS, but the real boot BIOS is still recommended for full compatibility and the real boot menu. Redream never asks for one.
Full guide: Dreamcast BIOS files for Flycast and Redream.
Game Boy Advance (mGBA / VBA-M)
| BIOS File | Required? | MD5 Hash |
|---|---|---|
gba_bios.bin | Optional | a860e8c0b6d573d191e4ec7db1b1e4f6 |
mGBA ships with a built-in open-source BIOS replacement. The real BIOS improves accuracy for a handful of games that check the boot logo, but 99% of your library will run fine without it. gpSP, the core most budget Linux handhelds use for GBA, is the exception: its developers recommend the real file.
Full guide: GBA BIOS and the Game Boy boot files.
Nintendo DS (DeSmuME / melonDS)
| BIOS File | Required? | MD5 Hash |
|---|---|---|
bios7.bin | Depends on core | df692a80a5b1bc90728bc3dfc76cd948 |
bios9.bin | Depends on core | a392174eb3e572fed6447e956bde4b25 |
firmware.bin | Depends on core | Varies |
melonDS required all three until version 0.9.4; current builds run on a replacement BIOS and generated firmware, and the real files bring back firmware boot and your profile. DeSmuME can run without them using internal HLE. DSi mode needs four more files and has no replacement.
Full guide: DS BIOS and firmware for melonDS.
Atari Lynx (Handy / Beetle Lynx)
| BIOS File | Required? | MD5 Hash |
|---|---|---|
lynxboot.img | Yes | fcd403db69f54290b51035d82f835e7b |
No way around this one. Both Lynx cores require the boot BIOS.
TurboGrafx-CD / PC Engine CD (Beetle PCE)
| BIOS File | Required? | MD5 Hash |
|---|---|---|
syscard3.pce | Yes (CD games) | ff1a674273fe3540ccef576376f95c52 |
Only needed for CD-based games. HuCard games run without any BIOS.
Sega CD / Mega CD (Genesis Plus GX / PicoDrive)
| BIOS File | Region | Required? | MD5 Hash |
|---|---|---|---|
bios_CD_U.bin | North America (Model 1) | Yes | 2efd74e3232ff260e371b99f84024f7f |
bios_CD_U.bin | North America (Model 2) | Yes | 854b9150240a198070150e4566ae1290 |
bios_CD_E.bin | Europe | Yes | e66fa1dc5820d254611fdcdba0662372 |
bios_CD_J.bin | Japan | Yes | 278a9397d192149e84e820ac621a8edd |
Two US hashes are real: PicoDrive’s docs list the Model 1 dump, Genesis Plus GX’s list the Model 2, and both cores boot either. Cartridge games need no BIOS at all.
Full guide: Sega CD BIOS files.
Neo Geo (FinalBurn Neo / MAME)
| BIOS File | Required? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
neogeo.zip | Yes | A zip of system BIOS and support files, not a single file; its contents must match the emulator build |
It goes next to the game files (FinalBurn Neo also checks system/fbneo/ and the system root). The same filename works in one emulator and fails in another because each build validates the zip against its own list, so rebuild it from the DAT for the build you run.
Full guide: Neo Geo BIOS and the neogeo.zip version trap.
3DO (Opera)
| BIOS File | Required? | MD5 Hash |
|---|---|---|
panafz10.bin | Yes (any one of Opera’s list) | 51f2f43ae2f3508a14d9f56597e2d3ce |
panafz1.bin | Alternative | f47264dd47fe30f73ab3c010015c155b |
Opera lists every recognised BIOS it finds in the system root under its BIOS core option; any consumer image runs the retail library.
Full guide: 3DO BIOS files for Opera.
RetroArch BIOS Location — Where to Place Your Files
Every BIOS file goes in RetroArch’s system directory. Here’s where that is by default:
| Platform | Default Path |
|---|---|
| Windows | RetroArch\system\ |
| Linux | ~/.config/retroarch/system/ |
| macOS | ~/Library/Application Support/RetroArch/system/ |
| Android | /storage/emulated/0/RetroArch/system/ |
| Steam Deck | ~/.var/app/org.libretro.RetroArch/config/retroarch/system/ |
To verify or change your system directory: Open RetroArch, go to Settings > Directory > System/BIOS, and check the path listed there. You can point it wherever you want.
Drop the BIOS files directly into this folder — no subfolders needed for most cores. Some cores (like PCSX2) may expect a subfolder; check the core’s documentation if something isn’t loading.
How to Dump BIOS From Your Own Consoles
Dumping BIOS is the legal way to get these files. Here’s a brief rundown per system:
- PS1: Use a modded console or a FreePSXBoot memory card exploit to run a BIOS dumper homebrew. Copies the BIOS to a memory card or USB device.
- PS2: Use a FreeMcBoot memory card (softmod) to run a BIOS dumper. Outputs files to USB.
- Saturn: Run the Save Game Copier homebrew, which dumps the BIOS region of memory to an ODE, a SAROO cart or a save device. A stock Saturn needs an Action Replay or Pseudo Saturn Kai cartridge to boot the burned homebrew disc; the cart itself does not dump the BIOS.
- Dreamcast: Boot dcload from a burned disc and read the boot BIOS and flash over a Coders Cable (dcload-serial) or a Broadband Adapter (dcload-ip) with
dc-toolon the PC side. - GBA: Use a flashcart running a BIOS dumper homebrew, or dump via a GBA link cable and a PC adapter.
- DS: Use a flashcart running a homebrew BIOS extractor. Writes files to the SD card.
- Lynx: Requires a custom cartridge reader or Lynx-specific dumping hardware.
- Sega CD: A Mega Everdrive copies the attached unit’s BIOS to its SD card the first time you use Run CD; the open-source mcdBiosDumper does the same over a serial adapter.
The process varies by system, but the pattern is the same: run homebrew on the real hardware, extract the firmware, copy it to your PC.
How to Verify Your BIOS Files (MD5 Hash Check)
Wrong BIOS file = black screen. Always verify your dumps against known-good MD5 hashes.
Windows (PowerShell):
Get-FileHash .\scph5501.bin -Algorithm MD5
Linux / macOS:
md5sum scph5501.bin
Compare the output to the hashes in the table above. If they don’t match, your dump is either corrupted, the wrong version, or from a different revision of the hardware.
Cores That Don’t Need BIOS (and the Tradeoff)
Some cores use High-Level Emulation (HLE) to simulate the BIOS in software. This means no BIOS file required — but it’s not free lunch:
| Core | System | BIOS Needed? | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| mGBA | GBA | No | Built-in open-source BIOS. Near-perfect. |
| Snes9x | SNES | No | SNES has no BIOS to worry about. |
| Gambatte | Game Boy/Color | No | No BIOS required for GB/GBC. |
| Mupen64Plus | N64 | No | N64 doesn’t use a traditional BIOS. |
| PPSSPP | PSP | No | PSP emulation handles firmware internally. |
| DeSmuME | DS | No (optional) | HLE works for most games; some features missing. |
| PCSX ReARMed | PS1 | Yes | HLE mode exists but compatibility is poor — use real BIOS. |
The general rule: if a core says BIOS is optional, you’ll get better results with the real thing. If it says required, don’t bother trying without it.
FAQ
What is a RetroArch BIOS pack?
A BIOS pack is a collection of firmware files for multiple systems bundled together. While the term is common in emulation communities, remember that each BIOS file is copyrighted firmware — you should only use BIOS files dumped from consoles you personally own.
Where does RetroArch look for BIOS files?
RetroArch checks the system directory by default. You can find or change this path in Settings > Directory > System/BIOS. See the table above for default paths per platform.
What BIOS does RetroArch need?
It depends entirely on which cores (emulators) you’re using. PS1, Saturn, Dreamcast, and Lynx cores require BIOS files. GBA and DS cores work without them but benefit from having them. SNES, N64, and PSP cores don’t need any BIOS at all.
My BIOS file isn’t working — what do I check?
Three things: (1) Verify the filename is exactly correct, including case sensitivity on Linux. (2) Check the MD5 hash matches known-good values. (3) Confirm the file is in the right directory — RetroArch’s system folder, not a subfolder.
Is downloading BIOS files illegal?
Distributing copyrighted firmware is a legal gray area in most jurisdictions. The preservation-correct approach is to dump BIOS files from hardware you own. This guide doesn’t link to downloads for that reason.
This article is part of our RetroArch setup series. Last verified against RetroArch 1.19.x stable — March 2026.
Last verified: September 2026