Jaguar¶
Overview¶
Atari positioned the Jaguar as a “64-bit” home console when it launched in 1993, pairing custom RISC chips (Tom for graphics, Jerry for audio) with a 68000-derived host CPU. Despite the hardware potential, only about 50 commercial cartridges were released before Atari exited the console market; the platform later became a homebrew favorite once Hasbro opened the patents. REG-Linux treats every Jaguar image under the jaguar system group so metadata scraping and theming stay in sync across cartridges and CD add-ons.
Technical specifications¶
- CPU: Motorola 68000 at 13.295 MHz plus Tom/Jerry RISC chips at 26 MHz
- Memory: 2 MB main RAM, 1 MB ROM space, 512 KB audio/graphics RAM
- Display: Tom GPU outputting 640×480 at 24-bit color (hardware objects)
- Sound: Jerry DSP providing 16-bit stereo audio with DMA CD-quality streaming
- Region: Worldwide (handled per ROM)
Supported ROM extensions¶
.cue, .j64, .jag, .cof, .abs, .cdi, .rom, .zip, .7z
Quick reference¶
- ROM folder:
/userdata/roms/jaguar - Accepted ROM formats:
.cue,.j64,.jag,.cof,.abs,.cdi,.rom,.zip,.7z - Emulators: RetroArch (
libretro: virtualjaguar), BigPEmu (standalone) - System group:
jaguar
BIOS¶
None of the Jaguar emulators bundled with REG-Linux require a BIOS file.
ROMs¶
Store cartridge dumps in /userdata/roms/jaguar. BigPEmu and Virtual Jaguar both read the accepted extensions listed above. Jaguar CD images belong in /userdata/roms/jaguarcd.
Saves¶
Save files are written to /userdata/saves/jaguar. Virtual Jaguar generates both cartridge EEPROM and CD-ROM EEPROM files regardless of the media type.
Emulators¶
RetroArch (libretro: virtualjaguar)¶
Virtual Jaguar is the Jaguar cartridge core under RetroArch. It does not run Jaguar CD content, so follow this flow: use Virtual Jaguar for .j64/.jag cartridges and launch BigPEmu when you need CD support.
libretro: virtualjaguar configuration¶
| ES setting name | REG-Linux.conf_key | Description & values |
|---|---|---|
| FAST BLITTER (LESS COMPATIBLE) | global.usefastblitter |
Enable on weak hardware; some games won’t work when it’s on (disabled, enabled). |
| SHOW BIOS BOOTLOGO | global.bios_vj |
Display Jaguar boot animation when enabled (enabled, disabled). |
| DOOM RES HACK | global.doom_res_hack |
Use Jaguar-specific resolution hack so Doom renders correctly (disabled, enabled). |
BigPEmu¶
BigPEmu, created by Rich Whitehouse, offers the most complete Jaguar coverage and supports both cartridges and Jaguar CD hardware. It ships only on x86_64 REG-Linux builds.
Jaguar Game Drive emulation¶
Some titles require the Jaguar Game Drive (JGD). Within BigPEmu press [Esc], go to System → Settings → Force JGD Emulation and turn it on to mimic that accessory.
Per-game profiles¶
Copy /userdata/saves/bigpemu-bottle/drive_c/users/root/AppData/Roaming/BigPEmu/BigPEmuConfig.bigpcfg, rename it to match your ROM (e.g., Tempest2000.bigpcfg) and place it beside the image so BigPEmu loads custom settings automatically.
Controls¶
Jaguar’s oddball controller (numeric keypad + d-pad) maps to the REG-Linux Retropad overlay. Use overlays or controller tattoos to keep the keypad legend visible for keypad-heavy games.
