YabaSanshiro 2 Pro

Review by eFreeware

If you still own Sega Saturn discs and want to play them on a phone, tablet, handheld or Android TV device, YabaSanshiro 2 Pro is built for exactly that job. It is a paid emulator from devMiyax that runs your own game images, renders them at higher resolutions than the original console managed, and treats save data as something worth keeping rather than something you delete to make room.

The app has been on Google Play since October 2020 and sits at a 4.4 average from 2,253 ratings, with more than 50,000 installs. Those numbers suggest a settled, known quantity rather than an experiment, which matters when you are paying $4.99 up front for something that depends on your own files and your own hardware.

What appeals to me most is the combination of three things that usually get split across different apps: sharper visuals, room to keep saves, and a way to move those saves between devices. If you have a Saturn library and no working console under the television, that is a fairly specific itch this scratches.

What you need before the first game boots

This is an emulator, not a bundle. No BIOS files and no games come with it, and the developer is explicit that you supply game images made from discs you legally own. You create a supported image from your disc, copy it to the Android device, open the app, tap Add, and point it at a file or a folder. From there, tapping a game icon starts it.

On Android 10 and later the app reaches your game files through Android's Storage Access Framework, and files can be picked from the Load Game menu rather than living in one mandated folder. That is a small convenience, but it removes a common annoyance for anyone who keeps a library spread across internal storage and a memory card.

The legal framing is straightforward and worth repeating once: the software is not affiliated with or endorsed by SEGA, and Sega Saturn is a SEGA trademark. The app is built on the open-source Yabause project and distributed under the GPL, with source code published by the developer.

Compatibility is the other thing to understand going in. The Saturn's hardware is complicated, and the developer acknowledges that some games do not yet run perfectly. A compatibility list is published online, and you can send reports back through the in-game menu, which tells you the emulator is being worked on rather than frozen.

How a session actually goes

Once a game is loaded, the headline feature is the rendering. The app draws 3D polygons at resolutions beyond what the original Saturn output, using OpenGL ES 3.1 and Vulkan, so the blocky edges that defined the era's look can be smoothed out on a modern screen. The developer pitches the emulation as fast and lightweight across a wide range of Android phones, tablets, handheld gaming devices and Android TV hardware.

Save states let you stop at any point and pick up from the same spot later, which suits the way people actually play on a phone: in short stretches, with interruptions. That is separate from the in-game save systems the games themselves use, and both are covered by the backup tools described below.

Controls come in two forms. Compatible Bluetooth and USB game controllers are supported, which is how most Saturn software is going to feel right, given how much of the library leans on a d-pad and six face buttons. The app runs on Android TV devices as well, so a controller plus a television is a legitimate setup rather than an afterthought.

The latest release also corrected the startup black screen that affected Street Fighter Zero, Vampire Hunter and several other titles, brought back missing 3D graphics in Daytona USA, and repaired glitches when rotating backgrounds were drawn. On Android, the app can benchmark the device to pick graphics settings for you, and results leave the device only if you agree. For anyone who has fought with per-game settings in an emulator before, that last change sounds like the most welcome one.

Saves that survive a new phone

The original Saturn backup RAM held 32 KB, which in practice meant deciding which saves to keep and which to sacrifice. YabaSanshiro 2 removes that ceiling, so a larger collection of save data can sit on the device without a periodic purge. For anyone who played these games when they were new, that alone is a meaningful quality-of-life change.

Cloud backup sends your saves to your own private cloud storage, and the same system backs up, restores and shares save data between Android, Windows and iOS devices. In practical terms, you can finish a session on a phone and continue on a desktop or an iPad without rebuilding progress. The developer advises cloud backup for anything important, since save data and states stored solely within the app can vanish once it is uninstalled.

That last point deserves emphasis. Treating the app's internal storage as the only home for a long-running save is a risk, and the backup feature exists precisely because of it. Anyone planning to put dozens of hours into a role-playing game or a lengthy strategy title should set up cloud backup early rather than after the fact.

What it costs and what that buys

YabaSanshiro 2 Pro costs $4.99 as a one-time purchase. There are no ads, which is a relief in a category where free emulators often make you watch something before you can play. The app also offers in-app purchases, so the $4.99 is the entry point rather than necessarily the whole spend.

I would treat the price as the cost of the emulator itself, separate from whatever you have already invested in hardware and discs.

Compared with hunting down aging console hardware and a working disc drive, $4.99 is a modest outlay. The trade-off is that you are responsible for your own game files, your own BIOS, and checking that the specific titles you care about are in good shape on the compatibility list before you buy.

Where the experience asks patience

The Saturn is not an easy machine to emulate, and the developer says as much: some games may not work perfectly yet. That is not a reason to dismiss the app, but it does mean your personal wish list should be checked against the published compatibility list first. A title that runs beautifully and one that stutters can sit side by side in the same library.

Setting up also assumes a certain amount of willingness. You need to produce game images from discs you own, move them onto the device, and point the app at them. None of that is difficult, but it is more involved than installing a game and pressing play, and it will filter out anyone hoping for a plug-and-play catalog.

The reliance on cloud backup for long-term safety is another thing to plan around rather than discover later. Because app-only save data can disappear with an uninstall, the sensible routine is to back up as you go. That is a small habit, but it is a habit.

Finally, there is the controller question. A Saturn library built around precise d-pad movement and six-button layouts plays far better with a Bluetooth or USB pad. Budgeting for one, if you do not already own a compatible controller, is part of the real cost.

A focused tool for Saturn owners

YabaSanshiro 2 Pro does one thing and does it with visible care: it runs Sega Saturn software on Android with sharper rendering, generous save capacity and saves that travel between devices. The 4.4 average across 2,253 ratings, on more than 50,000 installs, points to an app that has earned a following rather than coasted on novelty.

It suits the player who already has discs, a way to image them, and a controller, and who wants a library that follows them from phone to tablet to television. It also suits anyone who lost saves to a dead console years ago and would rather not repeat that experience.

It is less suited to someone looking for a curated, ready-to-play collection, since nothing is included and you supply everything. That is the nature of the tool, not a flaw in it.

At $4.99 with no ads, the asking price is easy to justify for a working Saturn library. Check the compatibility list against the games you actually want to play, set up cloud backup on day one, and this is an easy recommendation for the right player.

What's new in version 1.20.46-PRO

- Fixed a black screen right after launch in Street Fighter Zero, Vampire Hunter and other titles - Fixed missing 3D graphics in Daytona USA - Fixed rendering glitches on rotating backgrounds - Graphics settings can now be chosen automatically by benchmarking your device. Results are sent only with your consent (Android)