Identify what is being loaded
An original Jaguar cartridge and a Jaguar CD game use different media and boot arrangements. The physical add-on also supports audio-CD use and CD+G functions described in the Atari user's guide. Do not place a PC data disc into the system and expect a console executable to be discovered automatically. A published homebrew disc must have the layout and boot information required by its release.
Keep a known good original game and commercial audio CD for comparison. Test game boot, a later load and audio track navigation independently. Successful audio playback proves a useful subset of drive behavior; it does not prove the game disc layout, boot process or every data read works. Check media condition before loading and retain the game's own manual for any special requirements.
Physical hardware and replacement paths differ
The existing GameDrive CD compatibility list is a starting point for per-title results. RetroHQ's own firmware announcements describe CD improvements and explicitly acknowledge that compatibility remains imperfect. Do not convert a successful test of one game into a claim that the entire library is guaranteed.
The original GameDrive PDF includes an older compatibility statement about the physical Jaguar CD add-on. Its age and purpose matter: cartridge use with an attached physical unit and later CD emulation support are different questions. Follow the instructions and release notes for the exact firmware now installed. A list of recognized cartridge extensions in that PDF is not a complete current CD-image guide.
Retain complete authorized image layouts
For software you created or are authorized to copy, retain every file and the original track description. Do not rename a lone ISO and assume it represents the same content as the creator's disc image. Keep filenames, track order and the original release archive together. If a tool requires conversion, preserve both the input and output plus its version and a log. File extension alone does not establish that the image has the expected session or track layout.
The current Virtual Jaguar libretro repository documents its supported CD behavior and configuration. Use that project's instructions for emulation rather than importing assumptions from another CD-based console. Emulator save states, Memory Track behavior and actual disc swapping each need their own test. Supply only files you have the right to use; this guide does not provide commercial disc or BIOS download collections.
Write a useful compatibility report
Record original disc or image status, title and release, image checksum where relevant, base Jaguar, loading device, firmware, display route and save configuration. Identify the first failing step: boot, menu, a specific scene, audio or saving. Include whether a cold restart reproduces it and whether the same authorized release works on another documented path. Use the repair triage guide if the physical drive is involved. These observations separate media layout errors and emulation limitations from a mechanical or base-console fault.