Developer Stanislav Parhomovich has just released a new firmware of the Sega Genesis / Mega Drive HDMI mod, called the Megaswitch HD. This update improves the color accuracy and adds lots more manual controls to the output image. Updating the firmware is as simple as connecting a USB-C cable, booting the console with the reset button held down and running a piece of software! More info after the links:
Firmware Update: https://www.megaswitchhd.com/megaswitch-hd/firmware
Original Demo: https://www.retrorgb.com/megaswitch-hd-lag-tested-demod.html
Check the main Megaswitch homepage for ordering details.
It’s important to note that this new firmware seems to default to “Limited Range” HDMI color, which was too bright on my “Full Range” capture card. This is not a problem at all, you’ll just want to double check your display or capture card for the right mode, otherwise you can end up with an image that’s too dark or too bright. It’s a very quick and simple fix that persists after powering off, but you should definitely check that it’s set correctly!
Reset Defaults:
As I was changing the color settings, I hit the wrong button and the MSHD only outputted an all-white screen, even after power cycling. Luckily, you can easily “blind load default”: Power-cycle the console and hold Up + A for a few seconds to “bring up the menu” – You won’t be able to see it, but it’ll be up. Then hit (sequentially): Up, A, Up, Up, A. That’s it! The defaults will be loaded and you’ll just need to reset Limited or Full-Range color.
If you’d like to see the MSHD in action, as well as check out the analog audio module installation, I did a livestream below:
