Library and Roms

Multi-Disc Games

5 min read

This is a feature coming in next tico update (0.5.0)

tico supports multi-disc games for select disc-based consoles. This page covers which consoles are supported, how to name your files correctly, and how to swap discs both from the launcher and mid-game.

Supported Consoles

Multi-disc functionality is automatically enabled for the following consoles:

Console

Folder

PlayStation (PSX)

sdmc:/tico/roms/psx/

Sega CD

sdmc:/tico/roms/sega-cd/

File Naming Convention

For tico to detect a game as multi-disc, all disc files must share the same base name and include a disc number in one of the following formats (case-insensitive):

  • (Disc 1) ... (Disc X)

  • (Disk 1)... (Disk X)

  • (CD 1)... (CD X)

Example — PlayStation:

sdmc:/tico/roms/psx/Final Fantasy VII (Disc 1).chd
sdmc:/tico/roms/psx/Final Fantasy VII (Disc 2).chd
sdmc:/tico/roms/psx/Final Fantasy VII (Disc 3).chd

Example — Sega Saturn:

sdmc:/tico/roms/saturn/Panzer Dragoon Saga (Disc 1).cue
sdmc:/tico/roms/saturn/Panzer Dragoon Saga (Disc 2).cue
sdmc:/tico/roms/saturn/Panzer Dragoon Saga (Disc 3).cue
sdmc:/tico/roms/saturn/Panzer Dragoon Saga (Disc 4).cue

tico scans up to 10 consecutive discs automatically.

Folder Support

tico supports placing multi-disc games inside subfolders, and can locate linked discs even across different folder locations. The system uses a two-step search:

1. Strict Path Replacement (Fast)

If Disc 1 is at psx/RPG/Game (Disc 1).cue, tico first tries replacing the disc number in the same path, checking immediately for psx/RPG/Game (Disc 2).cue. If your discs are neatly co-located, this resolves instantly.

2. Recursive Filename Fallback (Robust)

If the strict replacement fails — for example, Disc 1 is inside its own subfolder but Disc 2 sits in the console root — tico extracts just the filename and recursively scans the entire console folder to find it.

This means all three layouts work automatically:

Layout

Example

Flat

psx/Game (Disc 1).cue → finds psx/Game (Disc 2).cue

Subfolder

psx/MyGame/Game (Disc 1).cue → finds psx/MyGame/Game (Disc 2).cue

Mismatched

psx/Game (Disc 1)/Game (Disc 1).cue → finds Game (Disc 2).cue anywhere in psx/

Cross-Extension Support

The fallback search ignores file extensions, so you can mix disc formats within the same game. Booting Game (Disc 1).chd and swapping to Game (Disc 2).cue or Game (Disc 3).iso works seamlessly.

If multiple matching formats exist in the same folder, tico uses an internal priority ranking to pick the best option:

.m3u > .cue > .chd > .iso > .bin

Launching a Specific Disc

When you select a multi-disc game from either the Home Screen (desktop shortcuts) or the Launcher Screen (game list view), an additional prompt appears in the bottom control helpers bar.

X — Change Disc

Press the X button on your Joy-Con (or its mapped equivalent on PC) to open the Select Disc Modal. This lists all detected discs for that game (e.g., Disc 1, Disc 2, Disc 3). Selecting a disc launches the emulator directly with that disc file.

This is useful if your save file is already on Disc 2 and you want to skip Disc 1 entirely.

Swapping Discs Mid-Game

Many multi-disc games will prompt you to insert a new disc partway through. When this happens, you can hot-swap discs from the Quick Menu without losing your progress.

Note on PSP games: The PSP hardware did not support hot-swapping UMDs mid-game. Multi-disc PSP titles (e.g. Final Fantasy Type-0, Trails in the Sky SC) handle disc changes by prompting you to save at the end of Disc 1. You must then exit the emulator, launch the Disc 2 file from the tico dashboard, and load your save. The Change Disc option in the Quick Menu is intentionally disabled for PSP titles.

How to hot-swap:

  1. Open the Quick Menu — Press + (Plus) on the Joy-Con.

  2. Access Disc Controls — Press X (Switch). The bottom helpers bar will display X Disc.

  3. Select the new disc — Pick the disc requested by the game from the Disc Select Modal.

  4. Resume — tico automatically ejects the virtual tray, swaps the disc image, and closes the tray. The game detects the new disc and continues.

Notes

  • All disc files for a game must be placed in the same console root folder — do not use subfolders.

  • The base filename must be identical across all discs, with only the disc number differing.

  • For multi-file formats (.cue/.bin, .gdi), all associated track files must be present in the same folder alongside the cuesheet.

  • .chd is recommended for disc-based consoles — it combines all tracks into a single file, simplifying multi-disc organization and reducing storage use.

  • Compressed archives (.zip, .7z) are not supported — all disc images must be uncompressed.

  • tico scans up to 10 discs per game. Titles with more than 10 discs are not supported.

All console and brand names mentioned on this page — including PlayStation, PlayStation Portable, Sega, Sega Saturn, Sega CD, and Dreamcast — are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. tico is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any of these companies.

tico does not distribute, provide, or condone the unauthorized reproduction of copyrighted software. To use tico, you must supply your own ROM files created from game cartridges or discs that you legally own. Downloading ROMs from the internet for games you do not own is illegal in most jurisdictions and is not supported or encouraged by tico.

By using tico, you agree to our License and Terms of Use.