New Arcade Operation Machine or NAOMI for short is a gaming system that was released in 1998 by SEGA. What is good about Naomi is that it runs on the same architecture as the one found in the SEGA Dreamcast.
This is a console that was released by SEGA in 1997 and sold over 9 million units worldwide. It was discontinued due to the commercial success of Sony’s flagship console, the PlayStation One.
While the Dreamcast had its fair share of amazing titles during its launch, it wasn’t able to complete with the PlayStation One’s stellar library of games which included Tekken, Grand Turismo, Crash Bandicoot and more.
Ever since the Dreamcast got discontinued, it is very difficult to find a console for sale these days. Even if you happen to come across one, it will be very expensive since they are now seen as a collector’s item. This is why many people have turned to Naomi emulators because they want to relive some of their favorite games on the platform.
This article will look at some of the very SEGA Naomi emulators you can use to play Dreamcast games. It will start by breaking down the best emulator as well as a few other notable ones that are very popular among gamers.
Best SEGA Naomi Emulators
TOP PICK: DEmul
The best SEGA Naomi emulator one can download is DEmul. Anyone who wants to experience SEGA Dreamcast games on their Windows PC knows just how important a good emulator is and this is the most popular.
Many people that are playing SEGA Dreamcast games on their computers today are running them on this emulator. What’s best about this emulator is its ability to play any Dreamcast ROM you can download plus it can emulate other hardware too.
Anything from Naomi 1, 2, and Atomiswave can all run on this. The video quality on this emulator is fantastic and the audio comes out clean too because it uses what is known as a plug-in module. There is no denying that this wonderful emulator offers gamers a fantastic experience when it comes to playing Dreamcast games.
It also supports a virtual memory card which means that players can save their progress. The only negative of this emulator is there’s no more support for it. Other than that, the emulator is free to download and supports Microsoft Windows CE.
NullDC
The second best emulator on this list is NullDC and it works well on Windows computers. Just like DEmul, this emulator can run every single Dreamcast game flawlessly without any input lag or hiccups.
The sound and graphics on NullDC are incredible according to many hardcore Dreamcast gamers. It is also known to use a plug – in architecture for a variety of things like reading games that have been burned to CD-ROMs, sound, graphics, memory cards, and more.
Support for this emulator has stopped with the last update coming way back in 2011. Even though it is not supported anymore, it runs very well on many Windows PCs and can be yours to own and keep free of charge.
https://github.com/skmp/nulldc
Reicast
When people think of an Android emulator that plays Dreamcast games, Reicast is the one that comes to mind. This is the third-best emulator out there and anyone with Windows 10 will be happy to know that they can run this emulator on their PC without any issues. There will be no input lags or crashes which is something gamers hate as it takes them out of the gameplay experience.
Players who use Reicast on a regular say the gaming experience is pleasant and one thing they like about this emulator is the regular notifications feature it has. Not many emulators have this feature and it doesn’t interfere with the gameplay experience. Gamers also like an emulator that is reliable and Reicast is very reliable.
With regular updates being rolled out all the time, Windows 10 users will always have a great experience when using this to play Dreamcast games. Bugs are not an issue with this emulator and it’s just good old fashion gaming at its finest. Just like the emulators above it is free to download on many websites across the internet. You just download, install it, and run any ROMs in your possession.
Chankast
Chankast is a very underrated emulator and was developed by Baktery, ElSemi, Garrofi and Una-I, this emulator runs smoothly on Windows PCs without players experiencing input lag and bugs.
The sound quality and the graphics on this emulator are its standout features and make this a must have for any Dreamcast enthusiast. It is available free to download on many sites and all players have to do is install it in their system and play some of their favourite games.
http://chanka.emulatronia.com/
Makaron
Last on the list is Makaron and it is a SEGA Naomi emulator that was released in 2010. It can play a large variety of Dreamcast games. One of its stand out features is the user interface.
It is very enjoyable and easy to use which is why many gamers like this emulator as well. For anyone looking to take a trip down memory lane and play some classic Dreamcast games, this is a great emulator to get for free on their PCs
Check out the official website here: https://dknute.livejournal.com/
Other Contenders
Not all Dreamcast Emulators will play Naomi games but a lot of those gameas are available as Dreamcast variants.
The Dreamcast EMulator that I use now is called ReDream and is excellent. It just works out of the box with very little set up required. Unfortunatly, it does not support Naiomi games, jusr dreamcast.
It does upscale incredibly well though and seems to run well on modest hardware making it my top pick for Dreamcast Emulation.
Final thoughts
While the Dreamcast didn’t do well commercially when compared to the Playstation One, it left behind some iconic games like Virtua Tennis, Resident evil: code Veronica, crazy taxi 2, and more. These wonderful games left a huge mark on the gaming industry and based on the list above DEmul is the best sega Naomi emulator one can run today.
It offers great graphics, audio, and a gaming experience that’s unmatched by any other emulator. While the likes of NullDC and Reicast are wonderful at what they do, the quality of DEmul is superior and the best play to play Dreamcast games.
Philip is a life long gamer and enthusiast.
He first started gaming in the 80’s on an Atari 2600 and has never looked back. He has owned just about every major console since then.
His passion for retro gaming and emulation sprung from trying to recapture the excitement of playing light gun games like Time Crisis and Point Blank in the arcades by emulating them on a PC and has grown from there into a love of emulation and Retro Gaming.