diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/CoreFileProvider.cs b/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/CoreFileProvider.cs
index 876009950a..96baf54009 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/CoreFileProvider.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Client.Common/CoreFileProvider.cs
@@ -34,59 +34,41 @@ namespace BizHawk.Client.Common
 		public string GetRetroSystemPath(IGameInfo game)
 			=> _pathEntries.RetroSystemAbsolutePath(game);
 
-		private void FirmwareWarn(FirmwareID id, bool required, string msg = null)
+		private (byte[] FW, string Path)? GetFirmwareWithPath(FirmwareID id)
 		{
-			if (required)
-			{
-				var fullMsg = $"Couldn't find required firmware {id}.  This is fatal{(msg != null ? $": {msg}" : ".")}";
-				throw new MissingFirmwareException(fullMsg);
-			}
-
-			if (msg != null)
-			{
-				var fullMsg = $"Couldn't find firmware {id}.  Will attempt to continue: {msg}";
-				_dialogParent.ModalMessageBox(fullMsg, "Warning", EMsgBoxIcon.Warning);
-			}
-		}
-
-		private byte[] GetFirmwareWithPath(FirmwareID id, bool required, string msg, out string path)
-		{
-			var firmwarePath = _firmwareManager.Request(_pathEntries, _firmwareUserSpecifications, id);
-
-			if (firmwarePath == null || !File.Exists(firmwarePath))
-			{
-				path = null;
-				FirmwareWarn(id, required, msg);
-				return null;
-			}
-
+			var path = _firmwareManager.Request(_pathEntries, _firmwareUserSpecifications, id);
 			try
 			{
-				var ret = File.ReadAllBytes(firmwarePath);
-				path = firmwarePath;
-				return ret;
+				if (path is not null && File.Exists(path)) return (File.ReadAllBytes(path), path);
+				// else fall through
 			}
 			catch (IOException)
 			{
-				path = null;
-				FirmwareWarn(id, required, msg);
-				return null;
+				// fall through
 			}
+			return null;
 		}
 
-		/// <exception cref="MissingFirmwareException">not found and <paramref name="required"/> is true</exception>
-		public byte[] GetFirmware(FirmwareID id, bool required, string msg = null)
-			=> GetFirmwareWithPath(id, required, msg, out _);
+		private (byte[] FW, string Path) GetFirmwareWithPathOrThrow(FirmwareID id, string msg)
+			=> GetFirmwareWithPath(id) ?? throw new MissingFirmwareException($"Couldn't find required firmware {id}.  This is fatal{(msg is null ? "." : $": {msg}")}");
 
-		/// <exception cref="MissingFirmwareException">not found and <paramref name="required"/> is true</exception>
-		public byte[] GetFirmwareWithGameInfo(FirmwareID id, bool required, out GameInfo gi, string msg = null)
+		public byte[] GetFirmware(FirmwareID id, string msg = null)
 		{
-			var ret = GetFirmwareWithPath(id, required, msg, out var path);
-			gi = ret != null && path != null
-				? Database.GetGameInfo(ret, path)
-				: null;
+			var tuple = GetFirmwareWithPath(id);
+			if (tuple is null && msg is not null)
+			{
+				_dialogParent.ModalMessageBox($"Couldn't find firmware {id}.  Will attempt to continue: {msg}", "Warning", EMsgBoxIcon.Warning);
+			}
+			return tuple?.FW;
+		}
 
-			return ret;
+		public byte[] GetFirmwareOrThrow(FirmwareID id, string msg = null)
+			=> GetFirmwareWithPathOrThrow(id, msg).FW;
+
+		public (byte[] FW, GameInfo Game) GetFirmwareWithGameInfoOrThrow(FirmwareID id, string msg = null)
+		{
+			var (fw, path) = GetFirmwareWithPathOrThrow(id, msg);
+			return (fw, Database.GetGameInfo(fw, path));
 		}
 	}
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Common/Extensions.cs b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Common/Extensions.cs
index 059021a0f4..cdf90098dd 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Common/Extensions.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Common/Extensions.cs
@@ -480,18 +480,13 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Common
 
 		public static AxisSpec With(this in AxisSpec spec, Range<int> range, int neutral) => new AxisSpec(range, neutral, spec.IsReversed, spec.Constraint);
 
-		/// <summary>Get a firmware as a byte array</summary>
-		/// <param name="sysId">the core systemID</param>
-		/// <param name="firmwareId">the firmware id</param>
-		/// <param name="required">if true, result is guaranteed to be valid; else null is possible if not found</param>
-		/// <param name="msg">message to show if fail to get</param>
-		/// <remarks>TODO inline (only change is wrapping strings in <see cref="FirmwareID"/> ctor, these IDs should probably be consts in each core's class)</remarks>
-		public static byte[] GetFirmware(this ICoreFileProvider cfp, string sysId, string firmwareId, bool required, string msg = null)
-			=> cfp.GetFirmware(new(system: sysId, firmware: firmwareId), required: required, msg: msg);
-
-		/// <remarks>TODO inline (only change is wrapping strings in <see cref="FirmwareID"/> ctor, these IDs should probably be consts in each core's class)</remarks>
-		public static byte[] GetFirmwareWithGameInfo(this ICoreFileProvider cfp, string sysId, string firmwareId, bool required, out GameInfo gi, string msg = null)
-			=> cfp.GetFirmwareWithGameInfo(new(system: sysId, firmware: firmwareId), required: required, out gi, msg: msg);
+		/// <param name="msg">message to show on failure, either in an exception iff <paramref name="required"/>, or in a warning dialog otherwise</param>
+		/// <exception cref="MissingFirmwareException">if not found and <paramref name="required"/> is <see langword="true"/></exception>
+		/// <remarks>TODO inline</remarks>
+		public static byte[] GetFirmware(this ICoreFileProvider cfp, string sysID, string firmwareID, bool required, string msg = null)
+			=> required
+				? cfp.GetFirmwareOrThrow(new(sysID, firmwareID), msg)
+				: cfp.GetFirmware(new(sysID, firmwareID), msg);
 
 		public static string SystemIDToDisplayName(string sysID)
 			=> SystemIDDisplayNames.TryGetValue(sysID, out var dispName) ? dispName : string.Empty;
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Common/Interfaces/ICoreFileProvider.cs b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Common/Interfaces/ICoreFileProvider.cs
index 6fbfbe4e8d..2c6263af88 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Common/Interfaces/ICoreFileProvider.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Common/Interfaces/ICoreFileProvider.cs
@@ -20,14 +20,17 @@
 		/// </summary>
 		string GetRetroSystemPath(IGameInfo game);
 
-		/// <summary>
-		/// Get a firmware as a byte array
-		/// </summary>
-		/// <param name="id">the firmware id</param>
-		/// <param name="required">if true, result is guaranteed to be valid; else null is possible if not found</param>
-		/// <param name="msg">message to show if fail to get</param>
-		byte[] GetFirmware(FirmwareID id, bool required, string msg = null);
+		/// <param name="msg">warning message to show on failure</param>
+		/// <returns><see langword="null"/> iff failed</returns>
+		byte[] GetFirmware(FirmwareID id, string msg = null);
 
-		byte[] GetFirmwareWithGameInfo(FirmwareID id, bool required, out GameInfo gi, string msg = null);
+		/// <param name="msg">exception message to show on failure</param>
+		/// <exception cref="MissingFirmwareException">if not found</exception>
+		byte[] GetFirmwareOrThrow(FirmwareID id, string msg = null);
+
+		/// <param name="msg">exception message to show on failure</param>
+		/// <exception cref="MissingFirmwareException">if not found</exception>
+		/// <remarks>only used in PCEHawk</remarks>
+		(byte[] FW, GameInfo Game) GetFirmwareWithGameInfoOrThrow(FirmwareID id, string msg = null);
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/PC Engine/PCEngine.cs b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/PC Engine/PCEngine.cs
index 8c0e1c24b1..cb689b6d40 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/PC Engine/PCEngine.cs	
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Consoles/PC Engine/PCEngine.cs	
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.PCEngine
 				Settings = (PCESettings)lp.Settings ?? new PCESettings();
 				_syncSettings = (PCESyncSettings)lp.SyncSettings ?? new PCESyncSettings();
 
-				byte[] rom = lp.Comm.CoreFileProvider.GetFirmwareWithGameInfo("PCECD", "Bios", true, out var biosInfo,
+				var (rom, biosInfo) = lp.Comm.CoreFileProvider.GetFirmwareWithGameInfoOrThrow(
+					new("PCECD", "Bios"),
 					"PCE-CD System Card not found. Please check the BIOS settings in Config->Firmwares.");
 
 				if (biosInfo.Status == RomStatus.BadDump)
diff --git a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Waterbox/NymaCore.cs b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Waterbox/NymaCore.cs
index 86ae60f23e..e14a221880 100644
--- a/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Waterbox/NymaCore.cs
+++ b/src/BizHawk.Emulation.Cores/Waterbox/NymaCore.cs
@@ -58,13 +58,9 @@ namespace BizHawk.Emulation.Cores.Waterbox
 			{
 				if (firmwares != null && firmwares.TryGetValue(name, out var id))
 				{
-					var data = CoreComm.CoreFileProvider.GetFirmware(id, true,
-						"Firmware files are usually required and may stop your game from loading");
-					if (data != null)
-					{
-						_exe.AddReadonlyFile(data, name);
-						filesToRemove.Add(name);
-					}
+					var data = CoreComm.CoreFileProvider.GetFirmwareOrThrow(id, "Firmware files are usually required and may stop your game from loading");
+					_exe.AddReadonlyFile(data, name);
+					filesToRemove.Add(name);
 				}
 				else
 				{