diff --git a/src/nostalgia/core/gba/media.cpp b/src/nostalgia/core/gba/media.cpp
index e39680e7..0719af06 100644
--- a/src/nostalgia/core/gba/media.cpp
+++ b/src/nostalgia/core/gba/media.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 namespace nostalgia::core {
 
-uint8_t *loadRom(const char*) {
+char *loadRom(const char*) {
 	// put the header in the wrong order to prevent mistaking this code for the
 	// media section
 	constexpr auto headerP2 = "_HEADER_________";
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ uint8_t *loadRom(const char*) {
 	constexpr auto headerP2Len = 16;
 	constexpr auto headerLen = headerP1Len + headerP2Len + 1;
 
-	for (auto current = &MEM_ROM; current < reinterpret_cast<uint8_t*>(0x0a000000); current += headerLen) {
+	for (auto current = &MEM_ROM; current < reinterpret_cast<char*>(0x0a000000); current += headerLen) {
 		if (ox_memcmp(current, headerP1, headerP1Len) == 0 &&
 		    ox_memcmp(current + headerP1Len, headerP2, headerP2Len) == 0) {
 			return current + headerLen;
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ uint8_t *loadRom(const char*) {
 	return nullptr;
 }
 
-void unloadRom(uint8_t*) {
+void unloadRom(char*) {
 }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/nostalgia/core/media.hpp b/src/nostalgia/core/media.hpp
index d1502fbf..06bac96d 100644
--- a/src/nostalgia/core/media.hpp
+++ b/src/nostalgia/core/media.hpp
@@ -12,8 +12,8 @@
 
 namespace nostalgia::core {
 
-uint8_t *loadRom(const char *path = "");
+char *loadRom(const char *path = "");
 
-void unloadRom(uint8_t*);
+void unloadRom(char*);
 
 }
diff --git a/src/nostalgia/core/userland/media.cpp b/src/nostalgia/core/userland/media.cpp
index edd7a03a..888dc65b 100644
--- a/src/nostalgia/core/userland/media.cpp
+++ b/src/nostalgia/core/userland/media.cpp
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@
 
 namespace nostalgia::core {
 
-uint8_t *loadRom(const char *path) {
+char *loadRom(const char *path) {
 	std::ifstream file(path, std::ios::binary | std::ios::ate);
 	if (!file.good()) {
 		oxTrace("nostalgia::core::userland::loadRom") << "Read failed:" << path;
@@ -23,12 +23,12 @@ uint8_t *loadRom(const char *path) {
 
 	const std::size_t size = file.tellg();
 	file.seekg(0, std::ios::beg);
-	auto buff = new uint8_t[size];
-	file.read(reinterpret_cast<char*>(buff), size);
+	auto buff = new char[size];
+	file.read(buff, size);
 	return buff;
 }
 
-void unloadRom(uint8_t *rom) {
+void unloadRom(char *rom) {
 	delete rom;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/nostalgia/player/main.cpp b/src/nostalgia/player/main.cpp
index 474ab923..d5ff48ed 100644
--- a/src/nostalgia/player/main.cpp
+++ b/src/nostalgia/player/main.cpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ ox::Error run(ox::FileSystem *fs) {
 int main(int argc, const char **argv) {
 	if (argc > 1) {
 		ox::FileSystem *fs = nullptr;
-		uint8_t *rom = nullptr;
+		char *rom = nullptr;
 		auto path = argv[1];
 		const auto lastDot = ox_lastIndexOf(path, '.');
 		const auto fsExt = lastDot != -1 ? path + lastDot : "";