MiSTer Physical CD Support improves with version 1.1

Main MiSTer Physical Disc version 1.1 has arrived, and it tackles a problem that could quickly spoil an otherwise impressive setup: save files. The previous release made it practical to run original CDs through a compatible optical drive on MiSTer FPGA. Version 1.1 doesn’t chase another long list of systems or headline performance claims. Instead, it fixes the way physical-disc games create and identify their saves. That might sound like routine housekeeping. It isn’t. Until now, different games could end up sharing the same generic save file when the software couldn’t identify the disc correctly. At best, that created confusion. At worst, launching one game could interfere with progress stored by another. The new update gives every disc a far more reliable identity.

Every physical disc now gets its own save file

The main change is per-game save-file naming across all supported systems. Rather than treating physical CDs as interchangeable media, the updated MiSTer Main build now reads identifying information from each disc. It then uses that information to create a consistent filename for memory cards, backup RAM or other save data.

Insert the same disc again and MiSTer should recognise it as the same game. Swap to another title and it should create or load a different save. That’s exactly how the system needed to work.

The supported platforms remain PlayStation, Mega CD, TurboGrafx-16 CD and PC Engine CD, Sega Saturn, Philips CD-i, Neo Geo CD and 3DO. Each format stores disc information differently, so version 1.1 doesn’t apply one naming method to everything. Instead, it uses the most suitable identifier available for each machine.

PlayStation keeps its game ID system

PlayStation games continue to use their detected game IDs for memory card naming. These IDs provide a useful way to separate titles, including games with similar names or multiple regional editions. Sega Saturn now uses the product number stored on the disc when that information is available. Mega CD follows a similar approach, using its disc product code.

For TurboGrafx-16 CD, PC Engine CD, Neo Geo CD, 3DO and Philips CD-i, the software uses the disc label when possible. The result should feel invisible during normal use. You launch a game, play it and save. MiSTer handles the filename in the background. That’s the point. A save system shouldn’t demand attention. It should simply place the correct data under the correct game and find it again the next time you play.

A fallback system covers difficult discs

Not every disc provides a useful game ID, product code or volume label. Some contain incomplete data, while others may expose information that’s too generic to create a safe filename. The update handles those cases with a table-of-contents-based UUID.

In practical terms, MiSTer examines the structure of the disc and generates a stable identifier from it. The same physical CD should produce the same fallback UUID every time, giving it a repeatable save filename even when the usual metadata is missing.

This is a smarter solution than falling back to one generic physical-disc save. It also keeps the process automatic. Users don’t need to rename files manually, create separate folders or remember which save belongs to which game. The update does the sorting itself.

Philips CD-i gains physical-disc NVRAM mounting

Philips CD-i receives another useful change. Version 1.1 adds NVRAM save mounting for physical discs, allowing compatible software to access persistent save storage while running directly from an optical drive. CD-i still sits outside the most straightforward part of the package. It requires the included experimental core because the stable version doesn’t work correctly with physical discs.

The new NVRAM support doesn’t change that requirement, but it makes the physical-disc setup more complete. For games and applications that expect writable system memory, that’s a necessary improvement rather than a minor extra.

Version 1.1 is a targeted update

Performance remains largely where version 1.0 left it. PlayStation users who encounter video stuttering can still set the disc speed to the original 1x mode through the on-screen menu. The existing 3DO warnings also remain. Its BIOS may restart once or twice before a game boots, and the core can still produce compatibility or stability issues. Jaguar CD and Amiga CD32 support are being investigated, but neither system is included in version 1.1.

This update is narrower than its predecessor. That works in its favour. Version 1.0 proved that MiSTer FPGA could run physical CDs across a useful selection of systems. Version 1.1 deals with what happens after you’ve started playing. By separating saves properly, adding a dependable fallback identifier and mounting CD-i NVRAM, it removes a risk that could make regular use frustrating. It’s not a flashy update. It’s a necessary one.

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