Redump.org is a digital preservation project and community dedicated to creating an accurate, verified database of every video game ever released on optical media (CD, DVD, Blu-ray, etc.). Core Purpose
Eliminating bad dumps, hacks, and duplicate ROMs to curate clean, official software sets. Retro Computers (Amiga, Commodore 64, Atari ST)
In the world of digital preservation, not all copies are equal. Redump is widely considered the "gold standard" for disc-based systems because: Verification
The process relies on a specific set of high-precision disc drives (often older Plextor models) and custom software (such as DiscImageCreator) that can access raw subchannel data—information hidden from the casual user that contains copy protection flags, track indexes, and even interactive content like CD+G graphics. Each disc must be dumped multiple times, with the resulting checksums (hash values) compared. Only when multiple independent dumps produce identical cryptographic fingerprints is the disc considered “verified.” redump
This is the most contentious question. Redump does not host the files. However, they publish the "hash" needed to identify a file.
Publishers frequently quietly updated games to fix bugs, alter text, or change music copyright licenses between manufacturing runs. Redump catalogs every distinct revision (e.g., v1.0, v1.1) and regional variant (USA, Japan, Europe, Korea) of a game, allowing historians to study how a piece of software evolved. Conclusion
required to verify a game's accuracy and add it to the database. Redump Submission Report Overview Redump is widely considered the "gold standard" for
PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PSP. Sega: Sega CD, Saturn, Dreamcast. Nintendo: GameCube, Wii, Wii U. Microsoft: Xbox, Xbox 360.
The user submits these hashes to the Redump database. If the hashes match an existing entry from another user, the dump is marked as "verified." If the hashes match nothing, but the data passes structural checks, it is listed as an unverified "new dump" until another preservationist replicates the result. Supported Systems
Redump is a disc preservation project and database dedicated to creating precise, uncompromised backups of optical media. Founded in the mid-2000s, Redump does not host or distribute copyrighted game files (ROMs or ISOs). Instead, it functions as a massive, community-driven database of cryptographic hashes and metadata. Redump does not host the files
Redump.org acts as a repository for this data, providing datfiles, guides, and a "miss list" of games still needed for preservation.
Redump operates in a complex legal gray area. On one hand, it does not host or distribute copyrighted game data. Its database contains only descriptive metadata and checksums, which are generally considered non-infringing. The tools it provides are intended for users to create personal backups of discs they legally own, an act which is legal in many jurisdictions.
: The community uses manual verification and cross-referencing of multiple dumps from different users to confirm a game's "correct" digital signature.