FAQ

What Is Seedi?

Retro CD Game Console

Insert original CD games and start playing. Seedi makes your old games look great on modern TVs. Use wireless Bluetooth controllers, original system controllers, or almost any USB controller.

Optical Media Player and Burner

Sometimes popping in a DVD or music CD is more convenient and reliable than streaming. Seedi plays your movie and music collection through HDMI. Also use it as a CD/DVD burner for your laptop or tablet!

The Ultimate Emulator

Seedi runs on open-source software that emulates many of your favorite games and systems.

Home Media Center

Stream online video, Navigate photos and videos on your NAS, Control with your phone.

Latest Questions

Does Seedi support XYZ console? Why not?

Here is a list of systems not supported:

• PS2, Xbox, Gamecube
• Sega Dreamcast/GD-ROMs
• PSP/UMDs

Various technical and cost limitations prevent us from supporting these systems.
Perhaps Seedi version 2…

Not supported at this time but potentially in the future:

• SNES
• Sega Saturn
• 3DO
• CD-i
• PC-FX
• Amiga CD32
• Jaguar CD
• FM Towns Marty
• Pippin

Do any of the consoles/emulators require a BIOS file to work?

The short answer is yes – most of the CD based systems will require you to copy a BIOS (.bin) file over to the system initially. This can be done easily through the Wi-Fi connection and we will provide simple instructions on how to do this.

We expect that many of you have done this at some point or another using other emulators in the past. Once this step is done, Seedi just works.

One exception to this is for PlayStation, which does not require a BIOS file – however, we recommend adding one for better compatibility.

So, to repeat:

• PlayStation: BIOS file not required but recommended
• TurboGrafx CD: BIOS file required
• Sega CD: BIOS file required
• Neo Geo CD: BIOS file required
• All other systems (NES, Genesis, Game Boy, Atari, TurboGrafx-16): Ready to go!

Is this just a Raspberry Pi? What’s the point?

Seedi does not use Raspberry Pi – but it does use another great processor board, the Orange Pi! Check out this video for more detail. 
The idea behind Seedi is to be a frustration-free way of playing your old CD and other console games on your TV.
We love Raspberry Pi though!

Here is a breakdown of some of the differences:

Hardware specs?

Initial specs (may change depending on level of funding):

CPU: Quad-core ARM H3 @ 1.2GHz

RAM: 512 MB DDR3

GPU: Mali400

This system is a performer!

Haven’t I seen that controller before…?

During development we knew the controller would be an essential part of the experience. After researching many different options, we decided to go with a 3rd Party version of the DualShock 3. As many of you know, these 3rd Party, or “P3”, controllers are widely available. It turns out there are MANY different suppliers and versions of them and their quality varies considerably. We evaluated a dozen or more different varieties until we found the right one based on feel, responsiveness, and quality of assembly. We are confident that the model we’ve selected will provide a great gaming experience with Seedi. And for those who have a particular controller they love, no problem! Seedi is available sans controller as well.

Can’t I just do this stuff on my computer?

Certainly, if you want to figure that all out and play on your computer – which we do think is a great way to play!

The idea behind Seedi is to be a frustration-free way of playing your old CD and other console games on your TV.

Does this technology have legal issues?

We are not lawyers, but have researched this topic and history has ruled in our favor (Sony v. Bleem, Sony v. Connectix, Sega v. Accolade). There are multiple NES, SNES, Sega, etc. clone consoles on the market, but we’ll be the first CD based system.

As many of these systems are dying/don’t work well with new TVs we just want to provide more options for gamers to enjoy their games!

More FAQs

Is this like the NES Classic or SNES Classic? Or a hypothetical “PS1 Classic”?

A: Kind of. The main difference is that Seedi does not come with any games, and that it can actually play your original CD games with the built-in optical drive.

Does Seedi come with any games?

A: No – bring your own! 🙂

For CD games, do I need to wait for the game to be copied to the system before playing?

A: No! Seedi can read games from the disc on the fly, so they can be played immediately.

Does Seedi work with multi-disc games?

A: Yes!

What controllers can I use?

A: A bunch! Seedi has Bluetooth built in, and we recommend wireless controllers.
The controllers that come with Seedi are similar to PS3 controllers.
However you can hook up your own wired Xbox 360 controllers, etc. with a USB hub.

Can I use a wired PS1 controller?

A: Yes! We have tested out many PSX-USB adapters and they work great.

How many controllers can I connect?

A: You can hook up 8 controllers.

How will keyboard & mouse input work for DOS?

A: You can map the mouse and keys to your gamepad, use our phone app as a keyboard, or even hook up a real mouse and keyboard (wired or Bluetooth!)

How do I copy over ROMs/files?

A: The system has built-in WiFi. Connect Seedi to your home network, and it will appear as a shared drive folder.

Can I play my cartridge games?

A: Yes, with the addition of a Retrode adapter.
You can separately purchase a Retrode adapter device and plug it into Seedi.
The Retrode has 2 slots, Sega Genesis and SNES (SNES is not currently supported by Seedi), and also has ports to plug in Genesis/SNES controllers.
Just insert your Genesis cartridge and Seedi will detect it and start up your game!
There are also additional adapters for Retrode to work with Game Boy and more.
Retrode can be purchased here: https://www.dragonbox.de/en/183-cart-reader

What ports are there for expansion?

A: Seedi has one USB “OTG” port, and it comes with an adapter to plug in normal USB peripherals. To plug in multiple devices you can use a USB hub!

Can I play imported games?

A: Yes!

Can I play DVDs from different regions?

A: Yes!

How well can I expect games to play?

A: Emulation is not always perfect, and we accept that.
Take a look at this breakdown for how we classify compatibility:
Key:
“Fantastic” – 95% of games work without any issues
“Good” – 80% of games work without issues

• PlayStation
  • with BIOS – fantastic
  • without BIOS – good
• Sega CD – fantastic (requires BIOS)
• TurboGrafx CD – fantastic (requires BIOS)
• Neo Geo CD – fantastic (requires BIOS)
• NES – fantastic
• Sega Genesis – fantastic
• Game Boy – fantastic
• Atari 2600 – fantastic
• Neo Geo – fantastic
• TurboGrafx – fantastic
• PC adventure games – see https://www.scummvm.org/compatibility/
• DOS – Games requiring a 386 processor or below should run fine

How does game saving work?

A: Your game progress is saved to the main SD card. You can use traditional built-in saves, or emulator “save anywhere” – your choice.

What setup will be required?

A: You will be up and running in no time.
-Plug the system into TV and power
-Pair the included controller(s) (first time only)
-Connect to WiFi
-Copy over any game files you want to play
*For CD based systems you must also provide a BIOS file (simple instructions included)
-Have fun!

What does the button on Seedi do?

A: The default behavior will be to set the system to sleep, and wake it back up.

What open source projects does this use?

A: Front-end/media player: Kodi
Emulators: Various
OS: Linux
CD emulation: Seedi (will be open source upon launch)

Please read this article for the full list: https://seedisystem.com/about/seedi-open-source-software-information/

Is this an official product by/licensed by Sony/Sega/etc.?

A: No.

Does it support the PS1 multitap?

A: Unfortunately no. If you want to use a bunch of PS1 controllers, what you can do though is use a USB hub with multiple PS1-USB adapters.

Can I use my PS1 memory card?

A: No. Seedi uses a virtual memory card. It is possible though to copy PS1 save files onto the virtual memory card.

How does Seedi make my games look good on my TV?

A: Old TVs and game systems had various analog properties that resulted in a blurred picture, which made them look great, and they were designed for this environment.
When you hook up your classic systems to high-definition TVs they lose a lot of these effects and end up looking weird/bad. Seedi uses a few techniques (enabled by default) to automatically correct these issues so that games look like they were supposed to.

How should I place Seedi in my room?

A: Seedi can sit flat, or you can use the included stand to hold it vertically (either on the left side or right side). Just make sure to give it a little air to ventilate.

Can I also listen to music with Seedi?

A: Sure, just pop in an audio CD or DVD-Audio disc. You can also stream audio files from a NAS or other source.

What output resolutions are supported?

A: 720p, 1080p

How much storage space does Seedi have?

A: There are 32 GBs, so you should have plenty of space to store files locally. You could also use your own SD card instead, or plug in a USB drive.

Is Seedi based on FPGA hardware?

A: No. We have found that good old emulation is just fine 🙂

Is the Seedi hardware locked down (“Tivo-ized”) at all?

A: No! You can repurpose the hardware for anything you want. And you can reinstall the Seedi package as well.

What’s with the name?

A: Phonetically it sounds like “CD” – the medium that changed the game. It also represents the seed that was planted with this wave of games in the 90s.

Who are these guys?

A: Chris is a mechanical engineer who grew up playing NES with his mom.
Bryan is a software engineer who grew up playing DOS games.
Together we have 20 years of industry experience in consumer electronics and design.