A new tool has dropped that lets users rip proprietary optical media for a wide range of retro consoles, including the GameCube, Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360, and more, so you can back up your games without delving into the murky waters of piracy.

OmniDrive is a firmware mod for MediaTek MT1959-based optical disc drives made by Htachi-LG Data Storage, allowing the Blu-ray drive to read and rip discs from the consoles above (via Time Extension). The firmware modification also lets you rip PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Wii U games, but all of these discs are encrypted. Lastly, the mod supports the low-density portion of the Dreamcast's unique GD-ROM.

This means that anyone looking to back up their collection of GameCube, Wii, and Xbox 360 titles can do so without resorting to downloading ROMs or modding their old-school console. This is great news for video game preservation and for anyone that's interested in backing up their retro collection of disc-based games.

OmniDrive only works with specific Blu-ray drives

Make sure your drive is compatible before attempting to install the custom firmware

The Disc Preservation Project Wiki includes a list of compatible optical Blu-ray drive model numbers. There are a lot of internal and external drives on the list, mostly from LG and Asus, but the firmware seems pretty widely supported.

According to TechSpot, MakeMKV, a popular DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K UHD Blu-ray backup app, is the easiest way to figure out if your Blu-ray drive is compatible with the custom firmware, since the app's start screen lists your drive's model number and chipset. If you're looking to install OmniDrive for yourself, YouTuber Archades Games has a detailed guide on their channel (check it out below).

Like a lot of mods like this, make sure you install the correct firmware so you don't end up bricking your drive. It's also worth noting that over the past few years, PC Blu-ray drives have become more expensive. That said, you can still pick one up for roughly $100-$200, which isn't that bad if you plan to back up a big library of retro games.