Retroarch Bios Pack |top| Jun 2026

A BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is essentially the operating system of a console, originally stored on a chip within the physical hardware. In emulation, a BIOS pack provides these files in a digital format so that cores can "boot" into a state identical to the original machine.

RetroArch does not look for BIOS files in the same folder as the emulator executable. It uses a specific folder called retroarch bios pack

Below is a reference chart for the most popular systems, their exact required filenames, and where they belong inside the system directory. Required Filename(s) Notes / Region scph5501.bin scph5500.bin scph5502.bin USA regionJapan regionEurope region PlayStation 2 (LRPS2 / PCSX2) scph39001.bin (and accompanying files) Must be placed inside a subfolder named pcsx2/bios/ Sega Dreamcast (Flycast) dc_boot.bin dc_flash.bin Must be placed inside a subfolder named dc/ Sega CD / Mega CD (Genesis Plus GX) bios_CD_U.bin bios_CD_E.bin bios_CD_J.bin US regionEurope regionJapan region Game Boy Advance (mGBA) gba_bios.bin Optional for some games, mandatory for link-cable features. Nintendo DS (MelonDS) bios7.bin bios9.bin firmware.bin Required for internal layout boot. Sega Saturn (Beetle Saturn) saturn_bios.bin Rename your regional BIOS to this exact string. How to Verify Your BIOS Files inside RetroArch A BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) is essentially the