---
title: "Which emulators need BIOS files — and exactly where to put them (legal guide)"
canonical_url: https://emudesk.com/issues/emulator-bios-files-needed-where-they-go
content_locale: en
source_locale: en
entity_type: issue
index_status: index
published_at: 2026-08-31T18:22:23.000Z
updated_at: 2026-09-01T00:45:02.644Z
freshness_status: fresh
---

# Which emulators need BIOS files — and exactly where to put them (legal guide)

A black screen or "BIOS not found" error usually means the emulator needs the original console's BIOS (system files) and can't find it at the expected path — the ROM itself is normally fine. Some systems need no BIOS at all; the ones that do require a correctly-named, legally-obtained copy in the right folder. This guide covers which systems need one and exactly where each file goes.

You set up an emulator, load a game, and instead of the title screen you get a black screen, a hang, or an error like BIOS not found, Could not load SCPH... ROM, or Required system file is missing. The same game might run fine for someone else, so it feels like a bad download — but the ROM is usually fine. What's missing is the console's BIOS (sometimes called firmware or system files).

Cause: a BIOS is the small piece of software that lived on the original console's chip and booted its games. Some systems are fully emulated in software and need no BIOS at all; others legally and technically require the real BIOS because emulating it accurately would mean copying copyrighted code. When a core needs a BIOS and can't find one — or finds the wrong filename or a corrupt copy — the game can't boot.

This is not a broken install. Once the correct file, with the correct name and checksum, sits in the folder the emulator looks in, the same setup boots instantly. Below: which systems need a BIOS, where each file goes, and how to obtain them legally.