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RetroBIOS

Beetle PCE (Mednafen PCE)

Beetle PCE (Mednafen PCE) emulates NEC PC Engine. It reads 6 files, 1 of them required: without a required file it does not start games.

About this profile
Detail Value
Type libretro
Classification Community fork
Source https://github.com/libretro/beetle-pce-libretro
Upstream https://mednafen.github.io/
Version v1.29.0, stated in libretro.cpp
Revision libretro/beetle-pce-libretro@b96c11e095b6
Profiled 2026-03-24
Profile YAML, JSON
Cores beetle_pce, mednafen_pce, pce, beetle-pce
Systems NEC PC Engine
Checks the file by existence
Install this emulator's files

The installer finds your setup and its BIOS folder, then downloads only the files this emulator reads there and checks each one.

Open the Start menu. Type PowerShell and open it. Paste the line. Press Enter.

PowerShell
&([scriptblock]::Create((irm https://abdess.github.io/retrobios/i.ps1))) --emulator beetle_pce
Technical notes

Libretro port of Mednafen's PCE module (libretro.cpp:30), with SuperGrafx and CD support. The BIOS is loaded from the system directory at CD-ROM load time via PCE_LoadCD() in mednafen/pce/pce.cpp:441-460, so HuCard content runs without it. Core option "pce_cdbios" selects which card image to use (default: System Card 3). DetectGECD() auto-detects Games Express discs and switches to the pce.gecdbios setting, fixed to gexpress.pce. Arcade Card mode (pce_arcadecard option, enabled by default) extends System Card 3 with extra RAM mapping via the SYSCARD_ARCADE enum. No hash or size validation on BIOS load: file_open() then HuC_Load() reads the data directly. DetectSGXCD() reads sector data to decide SGX mode but uses the same BIOS files.

Files

Section titled “Files”

6 files: 1 required, 5 optional.

In this collection: 6 in repo and 0 missing.

Required

Section titled “Required”
FileStatus

syscard3.pce

CD-ROM System Card 3.0 (Japan)

  • Default value for pce_cdbios option.
Source
in repo

Optional

Section titled “Optional”
FileStatus

syscard3u.pce

CD-ROM System Card 3.0 (US / TurboGrafx-CD)

  • pce_cdbios = 'System Card 3 US'
Source
in repo

syscard2.pce

CD-ROM System Card 2.0 (Japan)

  • pce_cdbios = 'System Card 2'
Source
in repo

syscard2u.pce

CD-ROM System Card 2.0 (US / TurboGrafx-CD)

  • pce_cdbios = 'System Card 2 US'
Source
in repo

syscard1.pce

CD-ROM System Card 1.0 (Japan)

  • pce_cdbios = 'System Card 1'
Source
in repo

gexpress.pce

Games Express CD Card

  • pce_cdbios = 'Games Express' or auto-detected via DetectGECD().
Source
in repo

Next steps

Section titled “Next steps”
.

Maintained by Abdess on GitHub. Report a problem.

Packs from release v2026.10.10, .

MIT for the tooling and metadata. BIOS and firmware files are third-party system software, preserved for personal backup, archival and interoperability.