The Visual Memory Unit, or VMU for short, was the memory card used for the Dreamcast, although a better description would be "a primordial Arduino".
Marketed as a memory card, it had a display that could be used for in-game features and basic memory management. With the help of extras inside game discs and the Dreamcast's bustling online scene, you could run games and applications on it.
The trouble was that the VMU loved clock batteries, so much so that the Dreamcast wanted to eat the cake and keep it whole. You better have batteries lying arou-BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP
Hidden Credits#
Present at 0x14BE in the BIOS, alongside some build info.
Visual Memory Produced By or Under License From SEGA ENTERPRISES,LTD.
Version 1.004,1998/09/30,315-6208-01,SEGA Visual Memory System BIOS Produced by SueRegional Differences#
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For VMUs released in Japanese regions, the device is called a "Visual Memory" on the title screen. Elsewhere, the title screen is changed to "Visual Memory Unit", which was the name of the device released in North America. Interestingly enough, this change was also used on devices released in Europe and Australia, despite the devices being called a "Visual Memory".
Hardware Revision#
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Newer VMUs have a shorter beep when powered on with a dead battery.