¶ Technical data
- Manufacturer: Sega
- Year of release: 1998
- Type: arcade system
- CPU: Hitachi SH-4 128-bit @ 200 MHz
- Video: NEC/VideoLogic PowerVR2 (CLX2)
- RAM: 32 MB main memory, 16 MB video memory, 8 MB sound memory
- Sound chip: Yamaha AICA (ARM7 core), 64 channels
- Resolution: 640x480
- Media: cartridge (ROM board)
- Controller: mandatory
¶ Presentation
The NAOMI (New Arcade Operation Machine Idea) is an arcade system released by Sega in 1998 as the successor to the Model 3. Its architecture is that of the Dreamcast — Hitachi SH-4 processor, PowerVR2 graphics chip and Yamaha AICA sound — but with far more memory: 32 MB of main RAM and 16 MB of video memory, twice as much as the console.
That hardware kinship was the whole point of the system: converting a game between the cabinet and the Dreamcast was quick and visually lossless, which produced a long series of near-identical ports. Games ship on a ROM cartridge (ROM board) plugged into the motherboard, a rugged format with instant loading, well suited to arcade operation.
The NAOMI was widely licensed to third-party publishers — Capcom, SNK, Tecmo, Sammy, Namco — which explains a library exceptionally rich in fighting games and shooters: Marvel vs. Capcom 2, Capcom vs. SNK, Guilty Gear X, The House of the Dead 2, Power Stone, Crazy Taxi, Virtua Striker 2 and Ferrari F355 Challenge. Its commercial lifespan was remarkable, the platform remaining in service until the mid-2000s.
The system later spawned several variants, all supported by Recalbox: the NAOMI GD-ROM System, the NAOMI 2 and, from Sammy, the Atomiswave.
¶ Emulators
New in Recalbox 10.1: Flycast moves to flycast-next, which becomes the default emulator on RPi5. NAOMI racing games now work with a standard arcade stick, and the GunCon 2 works with NAOMI games (fixed aiming accuracy, 31 kHz support).
Emulator availability per board:
| Emulator | RPI3/RPI02W | RPI4/400 | RPI5/500 | OGA/OGS/RG351 | PC | RG353 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libretro Flycast | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Libretro Flycast-Next | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
Flycast-next is not available on OGA/OGS/RG351 nor on RG353: those boards use Flycast.
Flycast is the default emulator on every board, except on RPi5/500 where flycast-next takes priority. Both cores offer high compatibility and speed and work on a CRT display. Netplay and softpatching are not available on this system; RetroAchievements are supported, as are light guns (recommended).
To play on a real cabinet, Recalbox 10.1 brings Recalbox JVS support (firmware 2.9) — the interface for recent JVS-standard cabinets, presented on its Kickstarter — and automatic arcade stick configuration on every system. For a cabinet with a JAMMA harness, the Recalbox RGB JAMMA 2 kit is what you need.
¶ BIOS
| File name | Description | MD5 | Emulators |
|---|---|---|---|
naomi.zip |
NAOMI BIOS (mandatory) — several revisions accepted | 7300a99a4fc856d1a3c36b4485789897 40ae83a9552df0f340d5eeeadc5436ea 7ed453bda92b25156536ff055b8685b6 a48e7a735b9036be8f150018155370ad e1dcb105789296b93bf58e37b7f38fc6 3c6b0fb04ab3eae5dc6a99f63507dbd4 |
Flycast, Flycast-Next |
airlbios.zip |
Required only for the game Airline Pilots | 06dd41b614a6d6d079ec1ee73e2bf87d 5b7de05fb2dea6fb0408149c9bada27c 987e08b1786a93653281ca8a5b21dc7f |
Flycast, Flycast-Next |
hod2bios.zip |
Required only for the game The House of the Dead 2 | 09b92ad1240fba7954985bdee59d1741 2c08c42cc8c6eb3a4e07bff07db5102f 9e1f4846028b18b5ef8a6bd8efd6c67d fbdf7e1cef86d3ffd23754c0a303a4af 729A623576CB9D8F7FD7C4E44ECE3066 |
Flycast, Flycast-Next |
Place your BIOS files like this:
/recalbox/share/bios/dc/
├── naomi.zip
├── airlbios.zip
└── hod2bios.zip
NAOMI BIOS files do belong in the
dc/folder, shared with the Dreamcast and the other systems emulated by Flycast. Keep the files zipped, and do not rename them.
¶ Roms
Put your games in:
/recalbox/share/roms/naomi/
Supported extensions: .zip .7z
Games are MAME-style romsets: leave them zipped, do not rename or extract them. The romset must match the version of Flycast shipped with Recalbox — a romset that is too old or too recent is the most common cause of a game refusing to start.