New PS1 Memory Card Coming Out

[Ziggy]

8bitmods is making a new memory card for the PS1. Here's the details from their website...

The wait is over! No more piles of tiny memory cards for the PlayStation 1 with a mere 15 blocks on each card.
Did you know that there are games that use a whole standard Memory Card for just 1 save?

The MemCard PRO was designed and assembled by 8BitMods, and it's a brand new offering for the PlayStation 1 that solves the problem of storing your game's saves forever.

High Tech

Using the latest components and powered with FPGA technology, the MemCard PRO offers an almost infinite amount of blocks for your PlayStation 1, from a single slot! An ESP32 module provides an incredible amount of power, with a dual-core processor running at 240MHz.

Endless Storage

MemCard PRO can store "virtual memory cards" on a standard microSD card of any size. Everything from 1GB to 1TB works!
Each gigabyte of storage on your microSD card equals to a whopping 8192 memory cards! Yes you've read that right! A 1GB microSD can store 122,880 blocks of PlayStation 1 game saves!

But it doesn't stop there! This little device is packed with features!

A Memory Card with WiFi!?

MemCard PRO can also connect to your WiFi network, to provide extra cool features! At this moment you can browse and control the Memory Cards on your microSD card, through an intuitive Web User Interface. It can also update its firmware over the internet, or through the microSD card slot.

Did we mention there is a super-bright OLED display on MemCard PRO? The display can show you the mounted memory card, along with more information like read and write access indicators. It can also show the card's name, which you can set through the WebUI.

Last but not Least...

If you have a modern PlayStation 1 Optical Disc Emulator, it's about to get even more exciting.

MemCard PRO can seamlessly communicate with an ODE and automatically mount the memory card specifically for that game! If it's the first time you're running the game, it will automatically create 8 virtual memory cards for that specific game, and even show the game's name on the display!

We really plan to add more features to MemCard PRO, and everything will be addeed for free, through a firmware update.

Launch Features:

OLED display that shows the mounted memory card, read/write access indicators and network information
Supports any microSD card, from 1GB to 1TB. Every GB of storage has enough space for approximately 8000 cards
WiFi connectivity and remote features through a WebUI
Switch the active channel through a game pad combination or with the card's physical buttons
Easy wireless network setup from a wireless device's web browser, by connecting to its access point
Supports ODE commands for automatic loading, game info and remote control
High quality manufacturing with an injection molded shell and hard gold plated fingers

Planned Features:*

Load the stored memory cards remotely through the WebUI and manage individual blocks
Local and Cloud backup functionality through file rotation
Share saves with your friends
Download saves and memory cards directly to your MemCard PRO from a URL
... more surprises!

IMPORTANT NOTE ON PLAYSTATION 2 AND PLAYSTATION 3 ADAPTER COMPATIBILITY:

While the memory card works on PlayStation 2 as a normal PlayStation 1 card does (i.e. to save when playing PlayStation 1 games), later Slim models of PlayStation 2, and the PlayStation 3 adapter are not compatible, without modifying the PS2 or the PS3 Adapter.

*Planned are based on the capabilities of the MemCard PRO hardware, and may not be implemented.

https://8bitmods.com/memcard-pro-for-playstation-1/

It sounds awesome, but I'm a little confused how it works. So if you're using an ODE, it'll automatically select the correct virtual memory card for you. But what if you're not using an ODE? Does that mean you have to manually select the correct virtual memory card? Do you have to use the buttons on the memory card to cycle through to pick the right one? If so, that would be annoying if you have a lot of virtual memory cards on there.

Also, it says that every game has it's own virtual memory card. Is there no possibility to have multiple games use a VMC? So for example, if I want to put all of my Konami games on a single VMC so Psycho Mantis can tell me which games I've played.

It sounds awesome, but a little too pricey for me personally. I think this would be totally worth it for anyone that does a lot of PS1 gaming.

[Nemoide]

In my eyes, there's one really cool possibility with this card: sharing RPG Maker games! It will finally be a simple matter for folks to transfer their games to the internet and to download the games of others without needing an antiquated DexDrive.

I have no idea where one might go to find PS1 RPG Maker games or how many games people ACTUALLY made on their PS1s, but it seems easier to share games than ever before! It kind of makes me want to make something myself. But I'm not preordering one of those things; they're too expensive and I'm not sure I actually have a real need for one.

[Note]

This is an interesting device for sure, but I'm also a bit confused on how certain features work. I don't think I've been doing enough PS1 gaming the past year or two to justify pre-ordering one, but it's an accessory I'd like to keep tabs on and will be checking reviews of it when it's released. I've had issues with PS1 memory cards in the past, so a device that gives the user an opportunity to save to an SD card and even back up their saves is always welcomed.

Also, Nemoide's point about users sharing their RPG Maker creations is awesome! That's not something I initially thought of when I saw this memory card listed.

[Anapan]

That's pretty cool. If I didn't already have the ability to move PS1 games around with my Memor32 USB memory card, I'd definitely pick one of these up.

[Ziggy]

We've long been able to backup saves using a PS2 with FMCB. I always welcome newer and easier ways to do that, but that's not the part that interests me. Having virtually unlimited space would be my main interest. I don't game all that much on a PS1, and even I run into space issues. Those cards just don't hold a lot of saves, and it's annoying to remember which saves are on which cards.

[Note]

We've long been able to backup saves using a PS2 with FMCB. I always welcome newer and easier ways to do that, but that's not the part that interests me. Having virtually unlimited space would be my main interest. I don't game all that much on a PS1, and even I run into space issues. Those cards just don't hold a lot of saves, and it's annoying to remember which saves are on which cards.

Totally agree about the space issues on cards. I like to keep an extra save file or two when I play certain games, like a Resident Evil, in case I screw something up and need to backtrack. The idea of having unlimited space is pretty tempting.

It looks like the first batch is already sold out on 8bitmods and CastleMania, but I might change my mind and go for it when the next batch is available for pre-order.

[Jagosaurus]

Like this idea a lot. Also curious on how virtual mgmt will play out both in game and mgmt-wise.

In our POPS PS2 mod thread I helped someone convert PS1 USB virtual saves to a real memory card on PC... forgot how to do it... forgot completely LOL... and asked for help some time later... same person (ziggy or nightrnr?) directed me to my own prior post .... happy to see an easier solution coming out than all the 3rd party stuff now. Historically took some leg work.

I love the AR Carts for Saturn for this reason. I had a ton of saves on there although never messed with the serial to PC stuff or programs MLiG showcased in an episode.