¶ Technical data
- Manufacturer: Sega
- Year of release: 2000
- Type: arcade system
- CPU: Hitachi SH-4 128-bit @ 200 MHz
- Video: 2× PowerVR2 (CLX2)
- Geometry: dedicated Elan coprocessors for transform and lighting (hardware T&L)
- Sound chip: Yamaha AICA (ARM7 core), 64 channels
- Media: cartridge (ROM board) and GD-ROM
- Controller: mandatory
¶ Presentation
The NAOMI 2 is the high-end version of Sega's arcade system, released in 2000. It keeps the SH-4 main processor of the NAOMI but doubles the graphics side — two PowerVR2 chips working together — and adds Elan geometry coprocessors handling transform and lighting.
That hardware geometry unit is the real break: where the first-generation NAOMI computed those operations on its main processor, the NAOMI 2 offloads them, freeing enough power to display far denser 3D scenes. The gain is immediately visible in racing games and arena fighters.
Its library, smaller but highly iconic, includes Virtua Fighter 4, the Initial D Arcade Stage series, Beach Spikers, Club Kart, Wild Riders, Soul Surfer and Virtua Striker 2002. Like the NAOMI, the NAOMI 2 accepts ROM cartridges and, through a DIMM board, games distributed on GD-ROM.
¶ Emulators
New in Recalbox 10.1: NAOMI 2 performance is markedly improved thanks to Vulkan being enabled, including on a CRT display. The Initial D series is also fixed on RPi5.
Emulator availability per board:
| Emulator | RPI3/RPI02W | RPI4/400 | RPI5/500 | OGA/OGS/RG351 | PC | RG353 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libretro Flycast-Next | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
The NAOMI 2 is only available on Raspberry Pi 5 and on PC: no compatible emulator is shipped anywhere else.
Flycast-next is the only emulator for this system, and therefore the default one. It offers high compatibility and speed and works on a CRT display. Netplay, softpatching, RetroAchievements and light guns are not supported on this system.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
naomi2.zip |
NAOMI 2 BIOS (mandatory) | 34f9c1acdaf53d6a50dd8de052e506ca | Flycast-Next |
Place your BIOS file like this:
/recalbox/share/bios/dc/
└── naomi2.zip
The NAOMI 2 BIOS does belong in the
dc/folder, shared with the Dreamcast and the other systems emulated by Flycast. Keep the file zipped, and do not rename it.
¶ Roms
Put your games in:
/recalbox/share/roms/naomi2/
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.