Sonic Adventure Recompiled

<p align="center"> <img src="assets/branding/sonic-adventure-recompiled-logo.png" alt="Sonic Adventure Recompiled" width="512"> </p> <p align="center"> <strong>The Dreamcast adventure, recompiled for PC.</strong><br> Windows &nbsp;·&nbsp; Linux &nbsp;·&nbsp; Steam Deck </p> <p align="center"> <a href="https://github.com/sonicfreak1337/SARecomp/releases/latest">Downloads</a> &nbsp;·&nbsp; <a href="#installation">Installation</a> &nbsp;·&nbsp; <a href="#features">Features</a> &nbsp;·&nbsp; <a href="#known-issues">Known issues</a> &nbsp;·&nbsp; <a href="https://github.com/sonicfreak1337/SARecomp/issues/new/choose">Report a bug</a> </p>

---

Development disclosure: AI tools were used as coding assistants and for documentation during the development of this port. If you are not okay with this - simply don't play it. Thank you for your attention.

24.09.2026 Development is currently slowed down due to RL stuff happening. So Updates may take a little while.

Sonic Adventure Recompiled is an unofficial native PC port of the Dreamcast version of Sonic Adventure, powered by KatanaRecomp. It preserves the original adventure while adding widescreen support, modern camera controls, native PC settings and a choice of rendering and gameplay timing modes.

You must provide your own copy of Sonic Adventure. The installer requires the supported PAL v1.003 (1999) disc image and its accompanying tracks. Original gameplay files are installed from your disc data, not supplied in the player installer. See supported game files.

[!NOTE] Still a work in progress. This is a beta release. The game is fully playable, with all seven stories playable from start to finish. Further work focuses on polish, compatibility and performance.

Installation

Download v0.52.1 for Linux / Steam Deck or v0.52.0 for Windows and follow the on-screen setup. Setup is in English. In-game text and voice languages can be changed in Options.

Platform	Package	Getting started
Windows	Windows installer (.exe)	Run setup, select your .gdi, then launch Sonic Adventure Recompiled.
Linux	Linux AppImage (.AppImage)	Keep it in a permanent folder, make it executable and run it as your normal user. No sudo is needed.
Steam Deck	Steam Deck AppImage (.AppImage)	Run setup in Desktop Mode, add the AppImage to Steam, then play only in Gaming Mode. Do not force Proton.

Platform plans: until the current ports reach 1.0, development is focused exclusively on Windows, Linux and Steam Deck. Additional ports, including macOS, Android and ARM64 handhelds, will only be considered after 1.0. This is not a promise that those ports will be released.

Keep the .gdi and all of its track files together, with the filenames referenced by the descriptor. Extract archives before selecting the game files.

Full installation guide and disc hashes →

Player installers, checksums and installation instructions are on the Releases page. GitHub's source-code ZIPs are not player installers.

Fixed in 0.52.1 (Linux / Steam Deck)

• Fix the crash after Sonic's opening cutscene when entering the Chaos 0 encounter.
• Restore execution-boundary corrections missing from the Linux / Steam Deck build.

New in 0.52

• Fix Linux / Steam Deck startup after the intro and restore native level loading.
• Import standard Flycast VMU .bin saves through Options → Profiles → Import save. Import includes available Story and Chao data, shows a preview and backs up the current profile before replacement.

New in 0.51

• Native AppImage packages for Linux and Steam Deck, replacing the .run installers.
• Broader controller support through SDL gamepad mappings, including controllers beyond the Xbox and PlayStation families.
• Windows setup offers installation-folder selection and an optional portable mode that keeps the game and its user data together.
• Clearer Windows setup failures and more useful opt-in crash diagnostics.

Updates retain Story and Chao progress and your explicit settings. Keep your existing data folders when switching from 0.50; the AppImage uses the same standard Linux storage locations. See saves and reinstalling.

Features

Widescreen and native rendering

• Original 4:3, 16:9 and 21:9, plus the display's actual aspect ratio.
• Wider world rendering with correctly proportioned HUD elements at the screen edges.
• Direct3D 11 or Vulkan on Windows; Vulkan on Linux and Steam Deck.
• Windowed, borderless and fullscreen modes on PC, with Alt+Enter switching.
• Steam Deck handheld preset: 1280 × 800, native 16:10, fullscreen. Docked mode supports compatible external display resolutions and aspect ratios.

Original or Recompiled

Original timing retains the game's scene-dependent cadence. Recompiled timing targets 60 gameplay updates per second at the original intended game speed. VSync controls presentation against the display's refresh rate. Actual performance depends on the scene and hardware.

Original camera keeps the original behavior. The optional Recompiled camera adds right-stick orbit and vertical control, with mouse camera support, separate sensitivities, inversion, deadzones and a configurable return to the original camera. Cutscenes and scripted camera sequences retain their control.

Options that fit the game

A new in-game Options menu follows the original presentation and keeps the original Options music and Sound Test. Navigate with a controller, mouse or keyboard. Settings that need a restart are marked; display changes have a confirmation timeout and automatic rollback.

• Rebind controls and choose Xbox, PlayStation or keyboard button prompts.
• Adjust master, music, voice and effects volumes separately.
• Optionally mute or pause on focus loss, and pause on controller disconnection.
• Select Japanese, English, French, Spanish or German text; Japanese or English voices.
• Manage save profiles, versioned backups, restores and save import/export. Story and Chao data are backed up together, with confirmation before replacement.
• At the title screen, press B / Circle / Escape to open the quit confirmation.

System requirements

Platform	Current requirements
Windows	x64 PC with a Direct3D 11-capable GPU, or a Vulkan 1.3-capable GPU and driver for Vulkan.
Linux	64-bit Linux with a Vulkan 1.3-capable GPU and driver. See compatibility notes below.
Steam Deck	SteamOS; use the Steam Deck package and install in Desktop Mode.

Linux compatibility: the Linux installer is intended for Linux Mint (including Cinnamon), Ubuntu and other compatible 64-bit distributions. No particular desktop environment is required. The technical minimum is x86-64, glibc 2.31+ and X11 or XWayland. Installer checks currently use our Linux VM; Mint has not yet been tested separately.

CPU, memory and storage recommendations for a final release are still being measured. Setup checks the required installation space. Allow additional room for the source disc files, temporary extraction and update backups.

Known issues

• Linux startup (#3): a reported crash at the SEGA splash screen with failure code 4 remains under investigation.

• Steam Deck launch mode: starting the game in Desktop Mode can freeze the Steam Deck. Install in Desktop Mode, but always launch the game through Steam Gaming Mode.

• Steam Deck performance: for the best current experience, set Game timing → Original and VSync → Off in Options. Demanding stages, bosses and cutscenes can still slow down. Further performance improvements are planned; stable 60 FPS across the whole game is not yet established.

• Widescreen cutscenes: some scenes and effects can expose framing issues outside the original 4:3 area. This is confirmed in Tails' first cutscene. Original 4:3 remains available as a workaround, but the game will still work, it just looks a bit wonky.

• Egg Carrier (#11): Sonic can crash when changing the ship's shape in the Main Cabin after defeating Gamma. This is not fixed in 0.51; fresh crash reports from the current version will help track it down.

• Scripted movement (#15): some demos and automated stage sequences can miss their intended path in both timing modes. This remains under investigation.

• Windows setup (#14): startup failures reported on some Windows systems remain unresolved.

• Stability: bugs and isolated crashes may still occur. Please report reproducible problems so they can be investigated.

Check existing reports before opening a bug report. Include the version, platform, character, stage and steps to reproduce. If reporting performance, distinguish the game's SIM FPS from an external display FPS overlay. Diagnostic reports are optional; do not attach original game files or personal saves.

FAQ

Can I use Sonic Adventure DX or another Dreamcast release?<br> No. The current installer supports the specific PAL Dreamcast release listed in the installation guide.

Does the game run through an emulator or Proton?<br> The port uses native compiled code and native rendering. Linux and Steam Deck builds run directly; leave Steam's forced compatibility-tool setting disabled.

Will reinstalling remove my progress?<br> Reinstalling preserves saves and settings. Close the game before running setup. Save backups can also be created from Options → Profiles.

How do I build or contribute?<br> See development setup and contributing. The code guide maps feature ownership and source modding entry points. Playing a release build does not require building the project.

Credits

Original game created by SEGA, 1998, 1999.<br> Port created by SoNiCFReaK, 2026.<br> Powered by KatanaRecomp.

Additional software and license notices are documented under third-party dependencies and included with the packages.

This is an independent, non-profit fan project. Sonic Adventure and its original characters, game content and trademarks belong to SEGA. This project is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by SEGA.