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Odyssey2

Overview

The Magnavox Odyssey² hit shelves in 1978 as Philips/Magnavox’s programmable follow-up to the original Odyssey. That second-generation console introduced cartridge-based logic together with optional peripheral expansions, and REG-Linux keeps the collection under the odyssey2 platform tag so themes/metadata match their counterparts.

Quick reference

  • ROM folder: /userdata/roms/o2em
  • Accepted formats: .bin, .zip, .7z
  • Emulator: libretro: O2EM via RetroArch
  • System group: odyssey2

Technical specifications

  • CPU: Intel 8048 microcontroller clocked at 1.79 MHz with embedded ROM that drives the system logic.
  • Memory: 64 bytes of scratchpad RAM plus cartridge RAM for sprites and extra data.
  • Display: 160×200 fixed resolution with a 16-color palette and hardware sprites defined per character block.
  • Sound: Single-channel tone generator with noise modes and external volume control.

BIOS

Several Odyssey² and Videopac+ sets rely on the proper BIOS binaries. Store the files in /userdata/bios/ using the following filenames so the emulator autodetects which hardware variant to emulate:

MD5 checksum File name Description
562d5ebf9e030a40d6fabfc2f33139fd o2rom.bin Odyssey² / G7000 BIOS
f1071cdb0b6b10dde94d3bc8a6146387 c52.bin Videopac+ French BIOS for G7000 systems
c500ff71236068e0dc0d0603d265ae76 g7400.bin Videopac+ European BIOS for G7400 hardware
279008e4a0db2dc5f1c048853b033828 jopac.bin Videopac+ French BIOS for G7400 hardware

ROMs

  • Odyssey² cartridges go under /userdata/roms/o2em.
  • Videopac+ titles live in /userdata/roms/videopacplus; leave them there so titles load with the expanded BIOS enabled.

Keep archives zipped unless the emulator refuses to start them, and keep each package organized by game name for easy management.

Emulators

RetroArch

RetroArch is the frontend used to launch libretro: O2EM. It shares the usual options (odyssey2.videomode, odyssey2.ratio, odyssey2.smooth, odyssey2.shaders, odyssey2.pixel_perfect, odyssey2.decoration, odyssey2.game_translation) and exposes [HOTKEY] + south face button for the Quick Menu so you can tweak overrides on the fly.

Standard EmulationStation settings let you choose the graphics backend (odyssey2.gfxbackend), raise audio latency (odyssey2.audio_latency), or toggle threaded video rendering (odyssey2.video_threaded).

libretro: O2EM

O2EM is the modern libretro port of the open-source Odyssey² emulator. It offers:

  • global.o2em_bios: pick the matching BIOS file for Odyssey² vs Videopac+ hardware.
  • global.o2em_region: force NTSC/PAL or autodetect.
  • global.o2em_swap_gamepads: remedy titles that read the wrong controller port.
  • global.o2em_crop_overscan: trim the universal border.
  • global.o2em_mix_frames: simulate phosphor ghosting on CRT-like displays.
  • global.o2em_low_pass_range: tame the raw tone generator using a low-pass filter.

Videopac+ G7400

Videopac+ (G7400) is Philips’ enhanced release that boots most Odyssey² cartridges and improves sprites/audio. A few notes:

  • Leave videopacplus ROMs in /userdata/roms/videopacplus so the system can pick the videopacplus metadata set.
  • Flip the MODEL option inside the Advanced System Settings if you have mixed hardware, or keep the cartridges in the default folder and let the BIOS auto-switch.
  • Voice synthesis packs (see below) are shared between Odyssey² and Videopac+ games when running the same core.

Voice samples

REG-Linux added support for the voice samples that O2EM can play. Download the packs from http://o2em.sourceforge.net/ and extract them to /userdata/bios/voice. Use the Sid the Spellbinder archive when playing that specific cartridge, as it needs a custom sample set.

Controls

The system emulates the single-button joystick plus built-in keyboard. The RetroPad maps the joystick axes, primary button, and keyboard letters; see the REG-Linux controller overlay for details. If a game swaps player inputs, flip the player sides in the core options or save a custom remap (/remapping_controls_per_emulator).

Troubleshooting

  • If the wrong region boots, double-check the BIOS file used under global.o2em_bios.
  • When samples do not play, ensure the voice folder mirrors the O2EM download structure.
  • For overall issues, consult the generic support pages.