📰 New article from RetroRGB
Two new FM Towns ODEs hit the market in Japan!
https://retrorgb.com/two-new-fm-towns-odes-hit-the-market-in-japan.html
Remember when “loading times” meant waiting for a CD to spin up? Retro enthusiasts in Japan are finally waving goodbye to that mechanical grind. Two new Optical Drive Emulators (ODEs) have hit the market, offering a cleaner, more reliable way to play FM Towns classics without hunting down fragile, decades-old disc drives.
For years, the Wizard ODE was the only game in town, but it had limited model compatibility and was notoriously hard to find. Enter mcDomDom and Medama. These new devices, released by Japanese engineers just weeks apart, support a wider range of FM Towns models than their predecessors. They essentially replace the bulky CD drive with a compact unit featuring a dial and screen for mounting disc images—think of it as a Gotek for your vintage PC.
Early adopters are reporting high satisfaction, noting that the new hardware is functionally similar and much easier to integrate than older solutions. While Medama units sell out quickly due to smaller production runs, mcDomDom has been consistently in stock, making it the safer bet for immediate needs.
If you’re outside Japan, there’s one catch: shipping. Major proxies like Buyee have recently started blocking bare PCBs, so you’ll need a reliable alternative. BaggageForward is currently recommended for navigating these export hurdles. It’s a great win for the retro scene, proving that even niche hardware can find new life with a little modern engineering.