Has any one tried the VMU2?

[Amag0k1]

Has any one tried the VMU2?

If you have one, how long have you been using one?
What are your thoughts on it?

Was it worth the money?

Are there alternative solutions to save management on the DC?

 

[Deleted member 386808]

What is that ? A gaming handheld ?

 

[amirfor]

I have original VMU, but wasn't even aware of this. Anyone else got one? Where would you get one?

 

[zakupunk]

Keeping an eye on this thread, I've been curious about these as well but haven't really heard much about them since the project got fully funded.

 

[FTLOTG]

I bought one and I regret it a little. The VMU Pro from 8-bit mods will be better for me. The VM2 is alright but only recently (and with a new gdemu menu) has it become a device that performed in a way which satisfies my use case.

The VM2 is of reasonable construction quality, it doesn't feel as solid as the original VMUs. The screen is nice but the 1-bit display doesn't benefit much and the fact the LCD is a wide screen isn't a benefit. I imagine even a bordered in wide-screen which ignores the left and right cut off would be better. The buttons feel genuinely terrible, getting stuck in the chassis and failing to register presses (nothing new there for VMU users!) which is something the VMU Pro looks to be rectifying with micro switches.

If you don't have one, just wait for the VMU Pro. If you do or have paid for one just make sure you update the firmware ASAP and get used to Open Menu (which is worth it!)

 

[nobitakun]

I never backed the VM2 project simply because they were asking too much for it, the price isn't justified.

The build quality can be ok, but the best way to copy saves to PC is the dreamshell, and it will always be unless they release a VMU without the fanciness and just a microSD slot for 15-20€.

 

[Amag0k1]

What is that ? A gaming handheld ?

Technically both a hand held and a Dreamcast memory card for save data, this user created version supports micro sd, and solves the problems of limited space related tot he original VMU

Post automatically merged: Apr 24, 2025

I bought one and I regret it a little. The VMU Pro from 8-bit mods will be better for me. The VM2 is alright but only recently (and with a new gdemu menu) has it become a device that performed in a way which satisfies my use case.

The VM2 is of reasonable construction quality, it doesn't feel as solid as the original VMUs. The screen is nice but the 1-bit display doesn't benefit much and the fact the LCD is a wide screen isn't a benefit. I imagine even a bordered in wide-screen which ignores the left and right cut off would be better. The buttons feel genuinely terrible, getting stuck in the chassis and failing to register presses (nothing new there for VMU users!) which is something the VMU Pro looks to be rectifying with micro switches.

If you don't have one, just wait for the VMU Pro. If you do or have paid for one just make sure you update the firmware ASAP and get used to Open Menu (which is worth it!)

Thanks for this, very informative! Do you know what the price for the pro will be? Do you have information on it which informed you? If so, please share here for everyone, as this is very useful towards me and others making a decision. Very grateful!

Post automatically merged: Apr 24, 2025

I never backed the VM2 project simply because they were asking too much for it, the price isn't justified.

The build quality can be ok, but the best way to copy saves to PC is the dreamshell, and it will always be unless they release a VMU without the fanciness and just a microSD slot for 15-20€.

I have used dreamshell and the serial to MicroSD card with it, and i get hit or miss results, which is why i was considering the VM2 and now the VMpro. As i can hold more on it and easier to transfer to PC with out booting to another os on the dreamcast.

Regarding Dreamshell, i have this funny situation where some times saves corrupt, and this can be with individual saves and with full back up of the whole card. So i have to copy to one card after back up to make sure it is good as a result.

Another option ii have been using the Brook wingman as a go between, and it gets tiring keeping up.
Link here

Some have stated that using a network card in the DC and then networking it to a RPi server is also an option for saves and game play, but i have not looked in to it much, with the LAN card prices being a bit nasty for me!

Link here to this disgustingly priced LAN card

Some basic information on FTP server poc, which i believe dreamshell can do if you have a network card

For this path i would like to see a home brew network card solution which can work in maple bus.

So the VM2 or pro seems to be the most convenient. But since the build quality of the VM2 is a little questionable for 100 bucks, i may wait, but that could depend on the price of the pro.

 

[PhrawzT]

I was hoping that the price would drop. Cant justify paying over $130 for a VMU replacement, as cool as it seems. I didn't even pay that much for my Dreamcast.

 

[TamagotchiTamaHero24's iconTamagotchiTamaHero24]

I was hoping that the price would drop. Cant justify paying over $130 for a VMU replacement, as cool as it seems. I didn't even pay that much for my Dreamcast.

I paid $80 for my console lol

 

[nobitakun]

I have used dreamshell and the serial to MicroSD card with it, and i get hit or miss results, which is why i was considering the VM2 and now the VMpro. As i can hold more on it and easier to transfer to PC with out booting to another os on the dreamcast.

Regarding Dreamshell, i have this funny situation where some times saves corrupt, and this can be with individual saves and with full back up of the whole card. So i have to copy to one card after back up to make sure it is good as a result.

Ohhh, that's so unfortunate. I remember having a corrupted vms file once because of a specific microsd card I had. It was a Kingston 8GB and I was very surprised, but after changing to a Samsung one I never experienced a single problem ever again. Maybe it was a problem from that card, because I never had any other issues with any other Kingston memories. This experience is based on my V1 device, the one with the blue case ugly as hell lol. Never tried the V2, I don't really know if it has some real improvement or it's just a marketing thing.

 

[Amag0k1]

Ohhh, that's so unfortunate. I remember having a corrupted vms file once because of a specific microsd card I had. It was a Kingston 8GB and I was very surprised, but after changing to a Samsung one I never experienced a single problem ever again. Maybe it was a problem from that card, because I never had any other issues with any other Kingston memories. This experience is based on my V1 device, the one with the blue case ugly as hell lol. Never tried the V2, I don't really know if it has some real improvement or it's just a marketing thing.

That is interesting, i will have to try some other SD cards and let you know. But from my experience it happens randomly. Might even be the SD card reader?

The one i am using is this one:

Not sure if this is the v2?

From my understanding of it, the tech communicates with the SD card at a very base level, which allows serial communication. It cannot use any of the safe guards during file transfer (FCS, or other recovery methods / transfer integrity confirmation), and i am told it is not needed, unless your doing large transfers of over 1gb or so. Are you familiar with this?

 

[FTLOTG]

Thanks for this, very informative! Do you know what the price for the pro will be? Do you have information on it which informed you? If so, please share here for everyone, as this is very useful towards me and others making a decision. Very grateful!

8bitmods hasn't announced any pricing yet but knowing their other products probably around a hundred tops. Fingers crossed on that price. Also I was a bit overeager with the suggestion of micro switches I double checked their page and it looks like it's still using contact pads.

 

[QuestForTori]

I backed the crowdfunding campaign, and got my VM2 a while ago, and overall I'm disappointed. It does the basics that it promises, and those basics are indeed valuable: Backlit screen, rechargeable battery, and functionally-infinite storage. But if you expect any more than that, you will be disappointed.

The interface is a pain in the butt, the PC management software is hard to find and harder to use, I wasn't able to update mine without a factory reset for some reason, the hardware buttons are mushy and inconsistent, and navigating between memory cards is a huge pain with the 1 menu button.

Here's hoping the 8BitMods solution doesn't get cancelled or priced into sticker shock territory due to the new American tariffs, because that VMU looks significantly better.

 

[FTLOTG]

and navigating between memory cards is a huge pain with the 1 menu button.

Are you using Open Menu?

 

[QuestForTori]

Are you using Open Menu?

I have an ODE that supports automatic card creation, but I got my VM2 well before that feature was implemented, so I had to manually manage all my cards. When that update was added, I still had to go through and add every new card by booting each game and then cycle through cards until I manually copied over each one, which didn't even work all the time since some files cannot be copied. I still sometimes need to manually manage things when the auto-detection fails.