Playing Dreamcast Online

"You can still play Dreamcast online?!" is a question I hear all the time from people when I mention I play Phantasy Star Online, Quake III Arena, and many other online Dreamcast games on a regular basis. The answer to that question is absolutely! Thanks to the hard work and dedication of hardcore Dreamcast fans who have set up private servers for many online multiplayer Dreamcast games. To this day there is work being done to bring even more games back online; the most recent addition being Planet Ring which is an online mini-game collection that was exclusive to Europe. It's a really cool feeling to be able to play these games with other people all over the world on a console that was abandoned over a decade ago! It's almost like you've gone back in time!

The Dreamcast was way ahead of it's time with it's online capabilities and was the first console to have these abilities out-of-the-box. Sure it was only a 56k modem but you'd be surprised how well it worked! You might also be surprised to hear that the Dreamcast had many of the same features that current-generation consoles have. Not only could you do online multiplayer but several games also had voice chat including Planet Ring, Alien Front Online, and the unreleased Propeller Arena. The Dreamcast was also the first console to have DLC! Several games including The Floigan Bros., Skies of Arcadia, 4x4 Evolution, and Chu Chu Rocket allowed you to download additional content into the game using your modem and unlike most of the DLC today, it was FREE! Late in the Dreamcast's life a broadband adapter was also released which allowed you to play several games over a high speed connection. Just imagine the possibilities if SEGA hadn't discontinued the Dreamcast so soon! In combination with the unreleased Dreamcast Zip Drive you could have had much larger DLC for games, including whole new levels and missions! Heck, we might have even seen SEGA's version of the Xbox Live Marketplace or Playstation Store! It would have been easy enough to create using the Dreamcast's web browser (which was yet another online feature that the console had!). SEGA's last console may have died early but it most certainly made a big impact as the pioneer of online gaming on consoles.

So how can you get your Dreamcast online you ask? Well, there are several methods out there, the easiest (but most expensive) is to simply buy a broadband adapter. The drawback to that (aside from costing $100+ on average) is that it's not supported by every game. Currently you can only play Phantasy Star Online and Quake III Arena using the BBA. The other options involve the Dreamcast's modem. You can simulate a dial-up connection using a PC-DC server, Netopia setup, or simply get yourself some dial-up service if you still have a landline phone. The connection method I use is the "Netopia Method" which, unlike the PC-DC server, doesn't require a PC past the initial setup. I've provided several links below to help you get started if you're interested in getting your offline Dreamcast connected to the world wide web. Hope to see you online soon! Once you're online be sure to check out the Game Scheduling section of the Dreamcast-Talk forums!


Connection Methods

Netopia Method Written Tutorial

Netopia Method Video Tutorial

PC-DC Server for Windows XP, 7, and Vista Tutorial

Free Dial-Up ISPs

Broadband Adapter Configuration Video Tutorial


Game Connection Guide

Phantasy Star Online:

Simply download the Sylverant PSO Patcher, burn it to a blank CD-R, insert it into your Dreamcast, and insert the Phantasy Star Online disc when prompted.

Quake III Arena:

Use Dreamcast-Talk's IP address as your DNS server in the game's connection settings. The current IP address can be found here.

Planet Ring:

Simply download the Sylverant Planet Ring Patcher, burn it to a blank CD-R, insert it into your Dreamcast, and insert the Planet Ring disc when prompted.

4x4 Evolution:

Nothing! The game will connect without any modifications.

Maximum Pool:

Download the latest VMU save file from this forum thread using your Dreamcast's web browser.

Starlancer:

Nothing! The game's official server is still up and running to this day!


Big thanks to these awesome people:

Lawrence Sebald a.k.a. BlueCrab - Creator of the Sylverant private PSO server and Planet Ring Patcher.

The awesome folks over at Dreamcast-Talk - Hosts of multiple Dreamcast private servers.