ROM Dumping
Danger
An obligatory warning about downloading ROMs:
Emulators are generally legal, as long as they don't include copyrighted software such as a console BIOS. Downloading ROM files that you do not own is piracy which is illegal in many countries.
Info
Dumping.Guide and Emulation General Wiki are some of the best resources for legally creating ROM files from games you own.
Here is a condensed version that isn't guaranteed to be up-to-date.
Generation 1-5 cartridge-based consoles
| Dumpable with special hardware | Open Source Cartridge Reader (Save the Hero Builders) |
INLretro Dumper | Retrode | Other hardware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nintendo - GB, GBC, GBA | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (w/ adapter) | GB Operator |
| Nintendo - NES/Famicom | ✅ (V3 w/ adapter) | ✅ | ❌ | |
| Nintendo - Nintendo 64 | ✅ including controller pak saves (V3 w/ addon for EEPROM saves) | ✅ | ✅ including controller park saves (w/ adapter) | |
| Nintendo - SNES/SFC | ✅ (V3 w/ addon for some) | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Sega - Game Gear | ✅ (w/ Retrode Master System adapter) | ❌ | ✅ (w/ Master System adapter) | |
| Sega - Genesis/MD | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Sega - Master System | ✅ (V3 w/ adapter) | ❌ | ✅ (w/ adapter) |
Generation 6+ and disk-based consoles
| Dumpable with software | Software for native hardware |
|---|---|
| Nintendo - 3DS | GodMode9 |
| Nintendo - DS, DSi | GodMode9 (w/ 3DS), GodMode9i (w/ DSi), wooddumper (w/ DS) |
| Nintendo - Famicom Disk | FDSStick |
| Nintendo - Switch | nxdumptool |
| Sony - PSP | PSP Filer |
| Sony - PlayStation Vita | psvgamesd |
Optical-based consoles
| Optical-based consoles | Media Preservation Frontend (MPF) (w/ PC) | Software for native hardware |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft - Xbox, 360, One | ✅ | |
| Nintendo - Gamecube | ⚠️ with specific drives and workarounds | CleanRip (w/ Wii) |
| Nintendo - Wii | ⚠️ with specific drives and workarounds | CleanRip |
| Nintendo - Wii U | ❌ | wudump |
| Sega - Dreamcast | ⚠️ with specific drives and workarounds | SD Rip |
| Sega - Saturn | ✅ | |
| Sony - PlayStation 1, 2 | ✅ | |
| Sony - PlayStation 3 | ❌ | ManaGunZ, multiMAN |