This ultra-rare ’90s LaserDisc game console can finally be emulated on a PC
1 min read
Summary
The release of Ares v146, an emulator, has seen the first use of emulation supporting Mega LD titles designed for the Pioneer LaserActive gaming console.
The LaserActive was a LaserDisc player released in 1994, with swappable hardware modules to allow different gaming capabilities, including Sega Genesis and NEC TurboGrafx-16.
There were also a few games designed specifically for the LaserActive, known as Mega-LD, which combined gaming data with graphics and videos.
These were mostly edutainment titles, branching dungeon crawlers, animated quick-time events, and rail shooters, which overlaid standard gaming graphics on top of video backgrounds.
The LaserActive’s high price and lack of must-have games meant it was a curiosity in the mid-1990s, with total sales estimated at 10,000 units.
However, it has since developed a cult following, with fans tracking down the hard-to-find hardware and games to play them in their original form.
Now that it’s accessible via emulation, the intricacy of the LaserActive can finally be accessible to all.
