how to play psx (safe guide)

ofernandofilo · Jul 25, 2019

not all games are created equal, some are harder to emulate than others, some are more live streamed, some are more adored. but is it possible to get a secure configuration with bias for the most successful games while using modest hardware?

I initially thought of calling this topic "how to play metal gear solid (MGS1)" or "resident evil 2 (RE2)" or "castlevania - symphony of the night (CV SOTN)" or "front mission 3 (FM3)" as they are the games I see most people asking for help to play and to stream, but as I would like the settings to be the most general and secure, I decided to choose the current name and leave to others the work to guide on how to make games prettier.

the focus here is to ensure that the game runs at 60 fps most of the time, without any glitch, with some basic graphics enhancement if possible even on modest computers and at the same time show options to ensure OBS-Studio capture.

the content has gotten a lot bigger than I would like and so I decide to split it into 6 parts which makes sharing easier.

all the configurations offered here have been tested on my laptop and on some computers of brazilian players that have asked me for help through discord, and the settings work for the vast majority of popular games.

base test: CPU Intel i3 380M (1st gen, 2010, 2 core, 4 threads, 2.53Ghz), iGPU Intel HD Graphics, 8GB RAM, W7 64.
source: https://ark.intel.com/content/www/u...core-i3-380m-processor-3m-cache-2-53-ghz.html

all capture tests were performed with the latest version of OBS-Studio 64-bit (23.2.1).

finally, I will only talk about the 4 emulators that should be recommended: RetroArch, ePSXe, XEBRA and Mednafen.

ofernandofilo · Jul 25, 2019

RetroArch (version: 1.7.7)

HASH

the following settings will not work if low quality roms are used. it is important to check the quality of dump/rip through the redump site. just compare the site's hashes with the hashes produced by the use of programs like HasyMyFiles.

a well-done backup process will often produce numerous multi-bin files and a cue file at the end. this behavior is expected. it is important that you do not change the file names and open the games through the corresponding cue file.

redump site
http://redump.org/discs/system/psx

NirSoft HashMyFiles
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/hash_my_files.html

retroarch uses two cores (beetle psx and beetle psx hw) that are forks of the emulator called mednafen and as the original emulator it needs 3 bios (scph5500.bin, scph5501.bin, scph5502.bin) that must be saved in the folder "RetroArch\system".

Code:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
File..: RetroArch\system\scph5500.bin
CRC32.: FF3EEB8C
MD5...: 8DD7D5296A650FAC7319BCE665A6A53C
SHA1..: B05DEF971D8EC59F346F2D9AC21FB742E3EB6917
SHA256: 9C0421858E217805F4ABE18698AFEA8D5AA36FF0727EB8484944E00EB5E7EADB
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
File..: RetroArch\system\scph5501.bin
CRC32.: 8D8CB7E4
MD5...: 490F666E1AFB15B7362B406ED1CEA246
SHA1..: 0555C6FAE8906F3F09BAF5988F00E55F88E9F30B
SHA256: 11052B6499E466BBF0A709B1F9CB6834A9418E66680387912451E971CF8A1FEF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
File..: RetroArch\system\scph5502.bin
CRC32.: D786F0B9
MD5...: 32736F17079D0B2B7024407C39BD3050
SHA1..: F6BC2D1F5EB6593DE7D089C425AC681D6FFFD3F0
SHA256: 1FAAA18FA820A0225E488D9F086296B8E6C46DF739666093987FF7D8FD352C09
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

beetle psx is cpu-accelerated and therefore the most compatible and more faithful, while the beetle psx hw is gpu-accelerated, and therefore more powerful in features, but only available to users with video cards that support Vulkan or OpenGL3.3 and higher. the core beetle psx hw need to be used with drivers gl, glcore or vulkan.

your games need to be in the formats: .cue, .m3u, .toc, .ccd, .pbp, .chd, .exe. retroarch has recently started to support the use of real cds, but I still recommend converting them to one of the previous formats (multi-bin + cue is quite reliable) and playing them straight from HDD or SSD.

multi-disc games need to be opened by a .m3u file. a m3u file is a plain text file (.txt) with the extension manually overwritten to .m3u, containing in each row in ascending order the full name (with extension) of the .cue, .toc or .ccd disks in the same folder. the discs are changed at runtime after the games are opened by the .m3u file by pressing three options in order: "Menu Command, Disk Options, Disk Eject Toggle", then "Menu Command, Disk Options, Disk Next", finally "Menu Command, Disk Options, Disk Eject Toggle".

your control/joystick should be automatically recognized and configured by the frontend.

it is difficult to make a decision on which interface to use, personally I prefer rgui and glui, however, believing that the vast majority use xmb, it is xmb based that I will recommend the changes. by using others interfaces the options are very similar but tend to change.

I prefer to mitigate problems so I disable mouse usage and disable features I don't use. I will try, however, to separate what is most objective or advantageous or necessary from what seems to me personal taste.

I recommend using the arrows keys, the enter key, the backspace key, the shift key, the space bar and the F1 key when handling this emulator for the first time. I find it much easier and more intuitive.

the settings are saved at: "RetroArc\retroarch.cfg", and if you delete this file, the emulator will open in italian language; the playlists are saved at "RetroArc\playlists", if you delete the files inside of it you will need to re-scan your library; and the cores are saved at "RetroArch\cores", if you delete its files you will need to re-download your emulators.

there is a safe way to override all settings, just follow the steps below. this guide hopes this will be the starting point for those seeking guidance. the tips only make sense for a clean frontend configuration. below two ways to represent the same steps to reset the interface to default, I hope that with this example the following instructions will be clear. lines beginning with a dot are continuations of an immediately incomplete previous line.

Code:

main menu, configuration file, reset to defaults.. : (enter)

Code:

main menu, configuration file,
.reset to defaults................................ : (enter)

step 0: change language

this step is only useful for those who erased retroarch.cfg for any reason.

the user starts at "Menu principale", go right to "Impostazioni", go up twice to "Utente", press enter, go up to "Linguaggio", press enter, choose your language and press enter. press backspace to "Settings", press left to "Main Menu", press up to "Quit RetroArch", and press enter. and gracefully closing is the default way of retroarch saving its settings.

step 1: change settings

[for beetle psx]

Code:

settings, user interface,
.show advanced settings........................... : enable
.don't run in background.......................... : DISABLE
.pause when menu activated........................ : enable
settings, core,
.check for missing firmware before loading........ : enable
settings, video, bilinear filtering............... : enable  [default]
settings, video, vertical sync (vsync)............ : DISABLE [change if tearing]
settings, video, threaded video................... : DISABLE [default]
settings, drivers, video.......................... : d3d10   [secure for Windows]
settings, drivers, audio.......................... : xaudio
settings, drivers, audio resampler................ : sinc
main menu, quit retroarch......................... : (enter)

these settings are safe for Window and Game Capture with OBS-Studio.

[for beetle psx hw: same as beetle psx, just one change]

Code:

settings, drivers, video.......................... : [gl (safer!), glcore (safer!) or vulkan]

this setting is safe for Window Capture with OBS-Studio.

[my personal preferences - non-recommended settings]

Code:

settings, user interface,
.mouse support.................................... : DISABLE
.appearance, menu shader pipeline................. : Ribbon (simplified) [lighter than off]
.views, show image tab............................ : DISABLE
.views, show music tab............................ : DISABLE
.views, show video tab............................ : DISABLE
.views, show help................................. : DISABLE
.views, style of date time........................ : YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM
.views, quick menu, show take screenshot.......... : DISABLE
.views, quick menu, show save/load state.......... : DISABLE
.views, quick menu, show undo save/load state..... : DISABLE
.views, quick menu, show start recording.......... : DISABLE
.views, quick menu, show start streaming.......... : DISABLE
.views, quick menu, show cheats................... : DISABLE
.views, quick menu, show rewind settings.......... : DISABLE
settings, onscreen display,
.onscreen notifications, display framerate........ : enable
settings, network, netplay nat transversal........ : DISABLE
settings, video, gpu screenshot................... : DISABLE
settings, video, integer scale.................... : enable
settings, video, remember window position and size : enable
settings, video, config aspect ratio.............. : 1.33    [hit space key]
settings, video, aspect ratio..................... : 4:3
settings, drivers, menu........................... : glui
settings, drivers, record......................... : null
settings, drivers, midi........................... : null
main menu, quit retroarch......................... : (enter)
[re-open retroarch]
settings, user interface, appearance,
.menu color theme................................. : shield
main menu, quit retroarch......................... : (enter)

step 2: download cores

Code:

main menu, online updater, update core info files. : (enter)
main menu, online updater, core updater,
.sony - playstation (beetle psx).................. : (enter)
.sony - playstation (beetle psx hw)............... : (enter)

the cores behave different according to the driver used. beetle psx is quite tolerant of the drivers chosen, while beetle psx hw is best used exclusively on powerful computers that have driver support for gl, glcore or vulkan.

step 3: start the games

Code:

main menu, load content...
[or at the main menu, hit left, then...]
import content, scan directory...
import content, scan file...

supported formats: .cue, .m3u, .toc, .ccd, .pbp, .chd, .exe.

step 4: change options

these options only appear after a game is chosen and running.

[for beetle psx]

Code:

hit f1, options, internal gpu resolution......... : 1x(native)
hit f1, options, line-to-quad hack............... : DISABLED  [enable if you see glitches]
hit f1, options, widescreen mode hack............ : DISABLED  [safer]
hit f1, options, frame duping (speedup).......... : enable
hit f1, options, cpu frequency scaling (overclock): 100% (native)
hit f1, options, gte overclock....................: DISABLED
hit f1, options, gpu rasterizer overclock.........: 1x(native)
hit f1, options, skip bios....................... : DISABLED  [safer]
hit f1, options, dithering pattern............... : internal resolution [disable for color banding]
hit f1, options, display internal fps............ : DISABLED  [to be healthy]
hit f1, options, increase cd loading speed....... : 2x(native)[default, safer!]

powerful cpus will be able to use internal resolution 2x with beetle psx.

[for beetle psx hw]

Code:

hit f1, options,
.renderer (restart).............................. : hardware
.software framebuffer............................ : enabled   [safer!]
.adaptive smootihg............................... : DISABLED  [vulkan only]
.super sampling (downsample from internal upscale): DISABLED  [vulkan only]
.msaa............................................ : 1x        [vulkan only]
.mdec yuv chroma filter.......................... : DISABLED  [vulkan only]
.internal gpu resolution......................... : 1x(native)[gl, glcore or vulkan]
.internal color depth............................ : 32bpp     [gl, glcore or vulkan]
.wireframe mode.................................. : DISABLED  [gl, glcore, debug only]
.display full vram................................: DISABLED  [gl, glcore, debug only]
.texture filtering............................... : bilinear  [gl, glcore only]
.pgxp operaton mode.............................. : DISABLED  [gl, glcore or vulkan]
.pgxp vertex cache............................... : DISABLED  [safer!]
.pgxp perspective correct texturing.............. : DISABLED  [gl, glcore or vulkan]
.line-to-quad hack............................... : DISABLED  [enable if you see glitches]
.widescreen mode hack............................ : DISABLED  [safer!]
.frame duping (speedup).......................... : enabled
.cpu frequency scaling (overclock)............... : 100% (native)
.gte overclock................................... : DISABLED
.gpu rasterizer overclock........................ : 1x(native)
.skip bios....................................... : DISABLED  [safer!]
.dithering pattern............................... : internal resolution [disable for color banding]
.display internal fps............................ : DISABLED  [to don't get mad]
.increase cd loading speed....................... : 2x(native)[default, safer!]

powerful gpus will be able to use internal resolution 2x or higher, and enable numerous features like PGXP, chroma filter, msaa, shaders, etc, with beetle psx hw.

binary: https://www.retroarch.com/?page=platforms
version: https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/1.7.7/windows/x86_64/RetroArch.7z
online: http://lobby.libretro.com/
source: https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Netplay/
source: https://www.lakka.tv/doc/video-settings/
source: https://docs.libretro.com/library/beetle_psx/
source: https://docs.libretro.com/library/beetle_psx_hw/
source: https://docs.libretro.com/guides/input-and-controls/
source: https://forum.fobby.net/index.php?t=msg&th=1114&start=0&
source: http://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Dummies_Guide:_RetroArch
source: https://forums.libretro.com/t/testing-beetle-psx-hw-new-features/19617

cheers!

ofernandofilo · Jul 25, 2019

ePSXe (version: 2.0.5)

HASH

the following settings will not work if low quality roms are used. it is important to check the quality of dump/rip through the redump site. just compare the site's hashes with the hashes produced by the use of programs like HasyMyFiles.

a well-done backup process will often produce numerous multi-bin files and a cue file at the end. this behavior is expected. it is important that you do not change the file names and open the games through the corresponding cue file.

redump site
http://redump.org/discs/system/psx

NirSoft HashMyFiles
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/hash_my_files.html

epsxe uses only one bios (scph1001.bin or scph7502.bin) that must be saved in the folder "epsxe\bios".

Code:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
File..: epsxe\bios\scph1001.bin
CRC32.: 37157331
MD5...: 924E392ED05558FFDB115408C263DCCF
SHA1..: 10155D8D6E6E832D6EA66DB9BC098321FB5E8EBF
SHA256: 71AF94D1E47A68C11E8FDB9F8368040601514A42A5A399CDA48C7D3BFF1E99D3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
File..: epsxe\bios\scph7502.bin
CRC32.: 318178BF
MD5...: B9D9A0286C33DC6B7237BB13CD46FDEE
SHA1..: 8D5DE56A79954F29E9006929BA3FED9B6A418C1D
SHA256: 5E84A94818CF5282F4217591FEFD88BE36B9B174B3CC7CB0BCD75199BEB450F1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

your games need to be in the formats: .bin, .iso, .img, .cue, .ccd, .mds, .mdf, .pbp, .nrg, .cdi, .ecm, .exe.

your control/joystick should be automatically recognized and to configure it go to menu:
Config, GamePads, Port 1, Pad 1.

suggested safe settings

Code:

emulator.............................................. : ePSXe
version............................................... : 2.0.5
BIOS.................................................. : scph1001.bin
Options, CPU Overclocking............................. : x1
Options, CPU Mode..................................... : Dynarec (Fast)
Options, GTE Hacks, Widescreen........................ : DISABLE
Options, GTE Hacks, Subpixel precission............... : DISABLE
Config, BIOS, Select.................................. : bios\scph1001.bin
Config, BIOS, Enable HLE BIOS......................... : UNCHECK
Config, Memory Cards, 1, Enable....................... : check
Config, Memory Cards, 2, Enable....................... : check
Config, Memory Cards, Use individual memcards by game. : check
Config, Plugins, Sound, Select........................ : ePSXe SPU core 2.0.0.
Config, Plugins, Sound, Sound enabled................. : check
Config, Plugins, Sound, Configure, Sound Latency...... : 5: Low Latency
Config, Plugins, Sound, Configure, Sound Effecs....... : 2: Full Sound Effects
Config, Plugins, Video, Select........................ : ePSXe GPU core 2.0.0.
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Color Depth........ : 32 Bit [use 16 Bit to enable dithering]
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Window mode........ : check
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Window size........ : 896 x 672
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Internal Resolution : 1: Normal Resolution
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Brightness Profile. : 0: Original
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Stretching Mode.... : 0: Strech
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Blit mode.......... : 1: OpenGLv1 [try 2 to use shaders]
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Threading mode..... : 0: 1-Thread (accurate)
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Show FPS display... : check
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Use FPS limit...... : check
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Set Custom FPS..... : 0
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Screen Filtering... : check
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Filter for 2D games : 0: None
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Shader effects..... : 0: none
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Scanlines.......... : UNCHECK
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Remove Top/Bottom.. : UNCHECK
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Overscan........... : UNCHECK
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, VSync.............. : UNCHECK [try enable if tearing]

you should already be able to play most games.

if you change the suggested default settings to:

Code:

Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Blit mode.......... :  2: OpenGLv2
Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Filter for 2D games : 99: Custom

and click at the "..." button and type: "shaders\4xGLSoft Lite"¹, if the shader has already been downloaded and unzipped in the epsxe\shaders folder, you will have a nice video result with low performance impact.

¹guest.r - 4xGLSoft Lite
https://www.ngemu.com/threads/epsxe-gpu-core-2-0-custom-shaders.191049/page-2#post-2680905

for some newer and more powerful machines, in addition to the last two minor changes, you can even increase to 2x the internal resolution for most 3D games:

Code:

Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Internal Resolution :  2: Resolution x2

and for some newer and more powerful machines, in addition to the two initial minor changes, you can even add 2xSai for most 2D games:

Code:

Config, Plugins, Video, Configure, Filter for 2D games : 1: 2xSai

done! the emulator is completely configured for safe emulation.

as I offered no explanation, if you want to delve into epsxe, read:

"ePSXe Basic Setup Guide (Windows)"
https://www.ngemu.com/threads/epsxe-basic-setup-guide-windows.204673/

"ePSXe Plugin Guide (Windows)"
https://www.ngemu.com/threads/epsxe-plugin-guide-windows.206072/

"ePSXe Basic Setup Guide (Ubuntu Linux)"
https://www.ngemu.com/threads/epsxe-basic-setup-guide-ubuntu-linux.206104/

"ePSXe Configuration & Trobleshooting (Android)"
https://epsxe.com/android/config.html

"Remove ePSXe/PCSXR Settings" (if you need to clear/reset the settings)
https://www.ngemu.com/threads/remove-epsxe-pcsxr-settings.197337/

"check-n-bkp-psx-emulators.cmd" (if you need to backup/move your settings)
https://www.ngemu.com/threads/epsx2...settings-prefereces-file.206535/#post-2726556

binary: http://epsxe.com/download.php
version: http://www.epsxe.com/files/ePSXe205.zip
source: http://www.epsxe.com/android/features.html

segment intended for live streaming only. the next recommendations should be ignored by offline players.

these settings should be safe for window capture in OBS-Studio.

however, OBS-Studio doesn't capture ePSXe in some machines. if so, there are malignant workarounds that can only be used at your own risk. the two possible workaround will freeze the choices to the default setting without any possibility of using shaders. both are the use of wrappers. yep, They Live, But enought talk..., Have at you!

(1) the first one is through GLDirect, and what it does is convert OpenGL1.x instructions to DirectX9 instructions and thus allow capture by OBS-Studio, at the cost of just using "Blit Mode: 1: OpenGLv1" and thus not being able to use any shader, plus not being able to use almost any other plugin, but at the same time with very low performance impact if any. please note: if you use other video plugins you will be presented with error screens.

to use it, just unzip and save it to the same folder as the epsxe.exe executable and name it as: opengl32.dll

it does not need any configuration and just needs to be deleted to be removed. important: under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should it be copied to system folders.

binary: https://sourceforge.net/projects/gldirect/
version: https://sourceforge.net/projects/gldirect/files/GLDirect Releases/GLDirect Initial Release/gldirect5_opensource.zip/download

(2) the second one is through Mesa3D, and what it does is the convertion of any OpenGL gpu instructions from version 1 up to version 4.3 to cpu instructions and thus allowing capture by OBS-Studio, at the cost of an increase in CPU usage, although the impact on the recommended setting is minimal. it's an interesting case for test takers like me, and for anyone who for some reason has an extremely more powerful CPU than their GPU or still if the gpu has a bad official driver, which is rare but I suspect this is the case with some people I helped, so I'm introducing it.

out of curiosity I can play Tekken 3, Gran Turismo 1 and the introduction of Metal Gear Solid 1 at 60 fps using it with the recommend settings. please note: some plugins may have problems with it, but it is usually safe with the settings presented.

to use it, just unzip and move it to the same folder as the epsxe.exe file and keep its original name: opengl32.dll

it does not need any configuration but allows changes and just needs to be deleted to be removed. important: under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should it be copied to system folders.

an example script for using it and changing its default setting.

"open-epsxe-with-mesa.cmd"

Code:

set MESA_LOG_FILE=mesa.log
REM set LIBGL_ALWAYS_SOFTWARE=true
REM set LIBGL_ALWAYS_INDIRECT=false
set GALLIUM_HUD=fps
set GALLIUM_DRIVER=llvmpipe
REM set GALLIUM_DRIVER=softpipe
REM set GALLIUM_DRIVER=swr
set LP_NUM_THREADS=6
REM set GALLIUM_PRINT_OPTIONS=0
REM set VAAPI_MPEG4_ENABLED=true
REM 2.0 2.1 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6
REM 110 120 130 140 150 330 400 410 420 430 440 450 460
REM set MESA_GL_VERSION_OVERRIDE=4.4COMPAT
REM set MESA_GL_VERSION_OVERRIDE=3.3FC
set MESA_GL_VERSION_OVERRIDE=4.4COMPAT
set MESA_GLSL_VERSION_OVERRIDE=440
start "" epsxe.exe

binary: https://fdossena.com/?p=mesa/index.frag
binary: https://github.com/pal1000/mesa-dist-win/releases
binary: http://downloads.fdossena.com/Projects/Mesa3D/Builds/
version: http://downloads.fdossena.com/Projects/Mesa3D/Builds/MesaForWindows-19.1.3.7z
source: https://www.mesa3d.org/

cheers!

ofernandofilo · Jul 25, 2019

XEBRA (version: 2019-06-25)

HASH

the following settings will not work if low quality roms are used. it is important to check the quality of dump/rip through the redump site. just compare the site's hashes with the hashes produced by the use of programs like HasyMyFiles.

a well-done backup process will often produce numerous multi-bin files and a cue file at the end. this behavior is expected. it is important that you do not change the file names.

redump site
http://redump.org/discs/system/psx

NirSoft HashMyFiles
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/hash_my_files.html

xebra apparently doesn't need any bios.

in the latest versions of this emulator I haven't found any games needed one yet. however, the documentation recommends to use one, without discriminating against any version, and you can do so by copying a bios (XEBRA and Sony documentation call the software in question "Operating System") to the same folder of the emulator and renaming the file to "OSROM", no space, no quotes and no extension.

your games need to be in the formats: .img, .bin, .iso.

this is the only emulator that does NOT use .cue files even when the game is multi-bin. in these cases, open the games from track 1. this is the only emulator, also, that have two steps to open a game and have to press close twice to finish the emulator. File, Open, "CD-ROM Image..." to choose the file, and then Run, Power(1) or Run, Power(2) to start the game! (the difference between the two options I can't explain. Power(2) in theory is insignificantly faster)

your control/joystick should be automatically recognized and configure it as in the picture. go to menu View, then click on "Controller...":

Text Diagram Technical drawing Line Parallel

original link: image

Code:

View, Use OpenGL........ : check
View, Draw with OpenGL.. : UNCHECK
View, Use VIDEO.DLL..... : UNCHECK
View, Strech with GDI... : UNCHECK
View, Whole Frame Buffer : UNCHECK
View, Nearest........... : UNCHECK
View, Progressive....... : check
View, Drawing Skip...... : 0
View, Display Skip...... : 0
View, Width............. : 800   [just click]
View, Height............ : 16:12 [just click]

these settings are usually safe for window capture in OBS-Studio, and in the vast majority of computers these settings are secure without any compromise on quality.

with the help of the GLDirect wrapper it is possible to reduce cpu usage by 50% using this recommended settings, at the expense of the emulator window being slightly confusing and translucent when no game is running. but if you open the emulator through batch scripts or program launchers, this kind of problem is not even noticeable.

the monitoring of cpu usage was done using process hacker.
binary: https://wj32.org/processhacker/nightly.php

GLDirect is able to convert OpenGL1.x instructions to DirectX9 instructions and thus allow game capture by OBS-Studio, at the cost of a slightly bugged interface and at the same time the profit of a very lower cpu usage.

to use it, just unzip it, save it to the same folder as the xebra.exe executable and name it as: opengl32.dll

it does not need any configuration and just needs to be deleted to be removed. under NO CIRCUMSTANCES should it be copied to system folders.

binary: https://sourceforge.net/projects/gldirect/
version: https://sourceforge.net/projects/gldirect/files/GLDirect Releases/GLDirect Initial Release/gldirect5_opensource.zip/download

as a curiosity it is also possible to use the SSE2 video plugin present in the development versions of PCSX2 and configure it to run 3D games at 2x of internal resolution as Dino Crisis, Front Mission 3, Gran Turismo 1 and 2, Hydro Thunder, Klonoa - Door to Phatomile, Metal Gear Solid, Mega Man Legends 1 and 2, Misadventures of Tron Bonne, Resident Evil 1, 2 and 3, Silent Bomber, Spider-Man, Tekken 3 and Vanguar Bandits. unfortunately the plugin crashes with Colin McRae Rally 2.0.

to do this (a) copy the GSdx32-SSE2.dll present in the "PCSX2\pluins" folder and move it to the xebra.exe folder, (b) rename the file to VIDEO.DLL, (c) create a folder called "inis", such as "XEBRA\inis", (d) inside it create a plain text file called GSdx.txt and rename it to GSdx.ini, such as "XEBRA\inis\GSdx.ini", (e) open the file with notepad and paste the content below, (f) finally change the emulator settings to make use of the external plugin and you are ready to play some games with improved quality and low performance impact.

as already said the amount of titles supported at 2x resolution with this plugin is quite low despite the presence of important titles. by using this plugin at 1x resolution, the list of supported titles is greatly increased as even 2D games can be played without glitches, and as a main advantage the processing requirements are lower than the native options as well as allowing game and window capture through OBS-Studio.

"XEBRA\inis\GSdx.ini"

Code:

[Settings]
Adapter=default
filter=0
scale_x=1
scale_y=1
windowed=1
Renderer=1
dithering=1
AspectRatio=1
extrathreads=0
aa1=1
Fxaa=0
linear_present=1
ShadeBoost=0
ShadeBoost_Contrast=50
ShadeBoost_Brightness=60
ShadeBoost_Saturation=50
shaderfx=0
shaderfx_glsl=shaders/GSdx.fx
shaderfx_conf=shaders/GSdx_FX_Settings.ini
TVShader=0
resx=1280
resy=960

modify the lines below to lower internal resolution, gain performance and run 2D games without graphic glitches.

Code:

scale_x=0
scale_y=0

finally, change these options in the emulator configuration to allow the use of the external plugin:

Code:

View, Use OpenGL........ : UNCHECK
View, Use VIDEO.DLL..... : check

binary: https://buildbot.orphis.net/pcsx2/
version: https://buildbot.orphis.net/pcsx2/index.php?m=dl&rev=v1.5.0-dev-3211-g902b88ac1&platform=windows-x86

GLDirect and GSdx are not recommended methods of using the emulator as they increase the complexity of the installation, create difficulty and confusion for those less experienced in emulation, but are possible methods, workarounds. if the recommend settings doesn't work and you feel like a brave adventurer, then you can make use of the forbidden knowledges already described.

binary: http://drhell.web.fc2.com/ps1/
version: http://drhell.web.fc2.com/ps1/xebra190625.zip
source: http://drhell.web.fc2.com/ps1/xebra/index2.html
source: http://drhell.web.fc2.com/ps1/xebra/index.html

cheers!

ofernandofilo · Jul 25, 2019

Mednafen (version: 1.22.2)

HASH

the following settings will not work if low quality roms are used. it is important to check the quality of dump/rip through the redump site. just compare the site's hashes with the hashes produced by the use of programs like HasyMyFiles.

a well-done backup process will often produce numerous multi-bin files and a cue file at the end. this behavior is expected. it is important that you do not change the file names and open the games through the corresponding cue file.

redump site
http://redump.org/discs/system/psx

NirSoft HashMyFiles
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/hash_my_files.html

mednafen uses 3 bios (scph5500.bin, scph5501.bin, scph5502.bin) that must be saved in the folder "Mednafen\firmware".

Code:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
File..: Mednafen\firmware\scph5500.bin
CRC32.: FF3EEB8C
MD5...: 8DD7D5296A650FAC7319BCE665A6A53C
SHA1..: B05DEF971D8EC59F346F2D9AC21FB742E3EB6917
SHA256: 9C0421858E217805F4ABE18698AFEA8D5AA36FF0727EB8484944E00EB5E7EADB
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
File..: Mednafen\firmware\scph5501.bin
CRC32.: 8D8CB7E4
MD5...: 490F666E1AFB15B7362B406ED1CEA246
SHA1..: 0555C6FAE8906F3F09BAF5988F00E55F88E9F30B
SHA256: 11052B6499E466BBF0A709B1F9CB6834A9418E66680387912451E971CF8A1FEF
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
File..: Mednafen\firmware\scph5502.bin
CRC32.: D786F0B9
MD5...: 32736F17079D0B2B7024407C39BD3050
SHA1..: F6BC2D1F5EB6593DE7D089C425AC681D6FFFD3F0
SHA256: 1FAAA18FA820A0225E488D9F086296B8E6C46DF739666093987FF7D8FD352C09
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

your games need to be in the formats: .cue, .toc, .ccd, m3u.

if you have a single bin or single iso game without cue, you can produce "fake" cue through the script below:

CreateFakeCue.cmd

Code:

@echo off
set "_theisoname="
IF [%1]==[] (
  echo.
  echo.
  echo.     PLEASE, DRAG A GAME OVER THIS SCRIPT
  echo.
  echo.
  goto :thisistheend
)
echo.
echo.
echo.  GAME PROVIDED:
echo.
set "_theisoname=%~n1"
echo.  FILE = %~nx1
echo.  PATH = %~dp1
echo.
echo.FILE "%~nx1" BINARY > %_theisoname%.cue
echo.    TRACK 01 MODE2/2352 >> %_theisoname%.cue
echo.      INDEX 01 00:00:00 >> %_theisoname%.cue
echo. >> %_theisoname%.cue
echo.REM :: see: http://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Cue_sheet_%28.cue%29  >> %_theisoname%.cue
echo.REM :: see: http://redump.org/  >> %_theisoname%.cue
echo.REM :: see: https://ss64.com/nt/syntax-substring.html  >> %_theisoname%.cue
:thisistheend
TIMEOUT /T 10 /NOBREAK
EXIT /B

put the script in the same folder as the game and just move the game over the script. the "fake" .cue file will be created.

multi-disc games need to be opened by a .m3u file. a m3u file is a plain text file (.txt) with the extension manually overwritten to .m3u, containing in each row in ascending order the full name (with extension) of the .cue, .toc or .ccd disks in the same folder. discs can be changed by pressing, in this order, F8, F6, F8, and doing so it is likely to get share memory cards.

if you have any doubt, you can use the script below. just select all cue files and move them over the script as long as you drag with the first file selected by the mouse the script works.

CreateM3UFile.cmd

Code:

@echo off
set "_theisoname="
if [%1]==[] goto showerrormsg
if [%2]==[] goto showerrormsg
echo.
echo.
echo.  GAME PROVIDED:
echo.
for %%f in (.) do set "folder=%%~nf%%~xf"
set "_theisoname=%folder%"
echo.  FLDR = %folder%
echo.  FILE = %~nx1
echo.  FILE = %~nx2
echo.  PATH = %~dp1
echo.
echo.%~nx1> "%_theisoname%.m3u"
echo.%~nx2>> "%_theisoname%.m3u"
if NOT [%3]==[] echo.%~nx3>> "%_theisoname%.m3u"
if NOT [%4]==[] echo.%~nx4>> "%_theisoname%.m3u"
if NOT [%5]==[] echo.%~nx5>> "%_theisoname%.m3u"
::echo.>> "%_theisoname%.m3u"
:thisistheend
TIMEOUT /T 15 /NOBREAK
EXIT /B

:showerrormsg
echo.
echo.
echo.     PLEASE, DRAG CUE FILES OVER THIS SCRIPT
echo.
echo. MOVE FILES IN ORDER, ARREST HOLDING THE FIRST FILE
echo.
goto :thisistheend
exit /B

REM it uses Brian Sidebotham solution!
REM https://superuser.com/questions/160702/get-current-folder-name-by-a-dos-command/160712

your control/joystick should be automatically recognized and configured after opening the game and during its execution, just press the keys ALT + SHFIT + 1 (for control 1) and following the directions on screen.

mednafen does not have a native graphical interface (GUI) and is therefore controlled by written commands (CLI). the recommended settings are implicitly presented on the command line. the instructions must be executed from the command prompt in the same folder as the emulator. If the user navigates through Windows Explorer to the emulator folder, and type "cmd.exe", without quotation marks, in the address bar, the Windows command prompt opens in the appropriate folder.

minimal processing usage: worst audio and video quality, in my laptop it had 28% of max cpu usage.

Code:

start "mednafen abovenormal" /ABOVENORMAL mednafen.exe -video.driver softfb -video.frameskip 1 -video.blit_timesync 1 -force_module psx -psx.region_autodetect 1 -psx.region_default na -psx.spu.resamp_quality 0 -sound.rate 44100 -sound.buffer_time 0 -psx.forcemono 1 -video.deinterlacer blend -psx.special none -psx.videoip 0 -psx.stretch aspect_int -psx.xscale 2.800000 -psx.yscale 2.800000 "..\..\PSX\ROMS\Metal Gear Solid (USA) (Disc 1) (v1.1).cue"

minimal processing using gpu: nice video and worst audio quality, in my laptop it had 34% of max cpu usage.

Code:

start "mednafen abovenormal" /ABOVENORMAL mednafen.exe -video.driver opengl -video.frameskip 1 -video.blit_timesync 1 -video.glvsync 0 -force_module psx -psx.region_autodetect 1 -psx.region_default na -psx.spu.resamp_quality 0 -sound.rate 44100 -sound.buffer_time 0 -psx.forcemono 1 -video.deinterlacer blend -psx.special none -psx.videoip 1 -psx.stretch aspect_int -psx.shader none -psx.xscale 2.800000 -psx.yscale 2.800000 "..\..\PSX\ROMS\Metal Gear Solid (USA) (Disc 1) (v1.1).cue"

best audio and video quality my laptop handle without any loss, 43% of max cpu usage

Code:

mednafen.exe -video.driver opengl -video.frameskip 0 -video.blit_timesync 0 -video.glvsync 1 -force_module psx -psx.region_autodetect 1 -psx.region_default na -psx.spu.resamp_quality 10 -sound.rate 48000 -sound.buffer_time 0 -psx.forcemono 0 -psx.special scale2x -psx.videoip 0 -psx.stretch aspect_int -psx.shader ipsharper -psx.xscale 3.000000 -psx.yscale 3.000000 "..\..\PSX\ROMS\Metal Gear Solid (USA) (Disc 1) (v1.1).cue"

max audio and video quality (it doesn't run in my laptop)

Code:

mednafen.exe -video.driver opengl -video.frameskip 0 -video.blit_timesync 0 -video.glvsync 1 -force_module psx -psx.region_autodetect 1 -psx.region_default na -psx.spu.resamp_quality 10 -sound.rate 48000 -sound.buffer_time 0 -psx.forcemono 0 -video.deinterlacer weave -psx.special hq4x -psx.videoip 0 -psx.stretch aspect_int -psx.shader sabr -psx.xscale 5.000000 -psx.yscale 5.000000 "..\..\PSX\ROMS\Metal Gear Solid (USA) (Disc 1) (v1.1).cue"

just replace the quoted address at the end of the command with the quoted complete address of the .cue or .m3u you want to run. profit!

these settings are usually safe for window capture in OBS-Studio.

the monitoring of cpu usage was done using process hacker.
binary: https://wj32.org/processhacker/nightly.php

curiosity: you can play online (netplay) with this emulator with great ease and high stability as long as you are near a public server.

making a mednafen-server is extremely simple for anyone who has ever raised any service visible to public. these are only three steps: (1) you need to redirect requests from port 4046 from your internet gateway to the server machine, (2) you need to release execution and communication authorization in your firewall and antimalware programs; and (3) you just need to run the mednafen-server program that is already configured within zip.

mednafen-server for linux: https://mednafen.github.io/releases/
mednafen-server for windows: https://forum.fobby.net/index.php?t=msg&goto=3823&

and to play just add some parameters to the commands already presented:

Code:

 -connect -netplay.host SERVER -netplay.port 4046 -netplay.nick NICK -netplay.gamekey PSK

change the words in CAPITAL according to their function, and put these net-commands after the previous commands, but before the game address, which still needs to be quoted.

some examples of servers:

us: mednafen-us.emuparadise.org
us: netplay.fobby.net
br: repog.ddns.net
br: omednafenbr.duckdns.org (mine, online until 2020-07-25)
uk: node.asnitech.co.uk
nl: mednafen-nl.emuparadise.org
it: speedvicio.ddns.net
it: s1.mednafen-it.org
ru: emu-russia.net
ru: gs.emu-land.net

the nickname (NICK) must be changed according to the player; the server (SERVER) and the password (PSK) must be kept according to the players group.

example:

Code:

start "mednafen abovenormal" /ABOVENORMAL mednafen.exe -video.driver softfb -video.frameskip 1 -video.blit_timesync 1 -force_module psx -psx.region_autodetect 1 -psx.region_default na -psx.spu.resamp_quality 0 -sound.rate 44100 -sound.buffer_time 0 -psx.forcemono 1 -video.deinterlacer blend -psx.special none -psx.videoip 0 -psx.stretch aspect_int -psx.xscale 2.800000 -psx.yscale 2.800000 -connect -netplay.host mednafen-us.emuparadise.org -netplay.port 4046 -netplay.nick ngemuplayer -netplay.gamekey whatisaman "..\..\PSX\ROMS\Tekken 3 (USA)\Tekken 3 (USA).cue"

I have the habit of playing nes, sms, md, snes and snes_faust on the brazilian server - kindly provided by República Old Gamer channel (which I am just a follower, without any relation) - and I consider the mednafen netplay - if you choose a server near you - the same quality of FightCade online.

you will probably enjoy using a graphical interface and here are some options:

mednaffe
https://github.com/AmatCoder/mednaffe/releases

MedLaunch
https://medlaunch.info/downloads

MedGui Reborn
https://github.com/Speedvicio/MedGuiReborn/releases

MedGui Reborn & MetroMed
https://sourceforge.net/projects/medguireborn/files/

macetenafen (to play online)
https://github.com/fabricioanciaes/macetenafen

alfacia netplay launcher (in brazilian portuguese, client to play online)
https://ofernandofilo.blogspot.com/2019/07/vps-ddns-e-mednafen-server.html

I'm not interested in GUIs, and I'm not interested in how to use them. I wrote my own batch launcher script, and I think the commands presented here are already sufficient for what the topic proposes.

binary: https://mednafen.github.io/releases/
version: https://mednafen.github.io/releases/files/mednafen-1.22.2-win64.zip
source: https://mednafen.github.io/documentation/
source: https://mednafen.github.io/documentation/psx.html
source: http://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Mednafen
source: https://forum.fobby.net/index.php?t=msg&th=1114&start=0&

cheers!

ofernandofilo · Jul 25, 2019

conclusion

when testing so many emulators you may need to make use of memory card parser, in which case there are at least 2 that need to be recommended: MemcardRex or MCM. they will not be explained here, only presented. I must say that MCM comes in the same zip as the XEBRA emulator.

MemcardRex by Shendo
https://the-eye.eu/public/Random/Randomer/ePSXe1925+MemCardRex19/MemcardRex 1.9.zip
https://www.emutopia.com/index.php/emulators/item/386-memory-card-managment/303-memcardrex
https://shendosoft.blogspot.com/2014/01/memcardrex-18-released.html
https://github.com/ShendoXT/memcardrex

MCM by Dr. Hell
http://drhell.web.fc2.com/ps1/xebra190625.zip
http://drhell.web.fc2.com/ps1/

although I have some feeling of affection towards PCSXR-PGXP, there is simply no secure configuration for this emulator. some games like Front Mission 3 and Mega Man X6 need to have (a) dynarec disabled, which compromises performance in other games; there is (b) no good audio plugin for it; and (c) video plugins need to be replaced or reconfigured according to games. I find it more interesting to the technical and veteran emulation public, and therefore I do not recommend it to lay people, beginners and those who seek to solve their difficulties with agility.

I really like the emulator, and I feel a little ashamed that I can't help programming it. however, I try to reconcile myself by updating a package of the most common plugins for it - a little in the way of a plugin-hell, but still with some historical value and charm!

PCSXR-PGXP + Common Plugins + Common Shaders
https://www.ngemu.com/threads/pcsxr-pgxp.186369/page-46#post-2724895

on gaming computers, especially retro computers, I always install DirectX 9 and all Visual C++ Runtimes packages:

DirectX 9 Redistributable End-User Runtimes (June 2010)
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8109

Visual C++ Redistributable Runtimes All-in-One
https://www.techpowerup.com/download/visual-c-redistributable-runtime-package-all-in-one/

leaving for closure, if any settings have not worked, only ask for help (1) after checking your hashes, (2) after sharing your memory card and (3) after finding out the name and specs of your hardware and operating system. if you don't know the name, some free tools can help you:

CPU-Z
https://www.cpuid.com/softwares/cpu-z.html

GPU-Z
https://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/

SPEECY
https://www.ccleaner.com/speccy

HWiNFO
https://www.hwinfo.com/download/

GPU Caps Viewer
https://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/Video-Tweak/GPU-Caps-Viewer.shtml

and if you want to do live streaming I recommend using OBS-Studio plus some reading:

OBS-Studio
https://github.com/obsproject/obs-studio/releases

OBS-Studio Official Wiki
https://obsproject.com/wiki/

NVIDIA NVENC OBS Guide
https://www.geforce.com/whats-new/guides/broadcasting-guide

Youtube Help - Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2853702?hl=en&ref_topic=6136989

Youtube Help - Live streaming latency
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/7444635?hl=en&ref_topic=6136989

Youtube Help - Streaming tips
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2853856

Youtube Help - Recommended upload encoding settings (for offline videos only!)
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1722171

Twitch - Broadcast Requirements
https://help.twitch.tv/s/article/broadcast-requirements?language=en_US

Twitch - Broadcasting Guidelines
https://stream.twitch.tv/encoding/

Twitch - Joining the Affiliate Program
https://help.twitch.tv/s/article/joining-the-affiliate-program?language=en_US

ReStream - Best Settings
https://support.restream.io/en/articles/73108-best-settings

ReStream - How to Connect OBS Studio to Restream!
https://support.restream.io/en/articles/111656-how-to-connect-obs-studio-to-restream

yep, the topic got bigger and more verbose than I wanted. I just needed a reference list of settings for my own memories and to offer to third parties. I don't know how long I will update it because I consider it to be finished work.

cheers!

Pelucon8 · Jul 29, 2019

Is there a noticeable difference between using "Low latency" or "Normal latency" in the sound options?

The other thing I wanted to know is if the FPS shown in the emulator window are normal:

Suspension part Auto part Brass Shock absorber Metal

As you can see, the FPS are between 59.994, 59.885, 59.295, etc... they never show 60 or something like that. Is this normal?

Greetings

ofernandofilo · Jul 29, 2019

I believe that framerate only appears in the log window when the emulator is having difficulty delivering 60 fps. In lighter games this kind of behavior does not happen. but values so close to 60 I don't believe affect gameplay neither.

about audio, I prefer to copy the original text:

1. Sound quality
In ePSXe, you can set full effects (high quality), partial effects or disable the audio ouput... High quality have more sounds effects (interpolation, reverb, filtering), but more cpu is required, ...
2. Sound Latency
You can use the normal latency mode, avaliable from the first version, the low latency mode (experimental - frecuency is adjusted to emulation speed, but you need 100% fps to get good sound)...

source: https://epsxe.com/android/sound.html

I believe low latency is their attempt to implement some kind of fastfoward / disable framerate limit with default audio plugin.

I also believe that low latency mode is slightly heavier than normal latency because on some computers that have a hard time running games, users tell me that using normal latency the performance seems to be better. it may be a placebo effect, but that's what they usually tell me when I'm with them via remote access. while monitoring performance ... on my laptop, I could never find a difference in using cpu in either mode.

so it is very likely that "0: Normal Latency" + "1: Sound without reverb / filters" is lighter than my recommended setting, but it can generate distortions for those with weak machines that could use "full sound effects" as for powerful machines that could be using having their "fast forwarding" limited by not using "low latency". and so they were chosen.

cheers!

Pelucon8 · Jul 29, 2019

Yes, as far as the FPS is concerned, the scroll is fluid, but I have noticed that every 4 or 5 seconds it gives a little pull. It is most noticeable in horizontal 2D games (megaman, castlevania, etc). But this one is playable, of course.

And as for the audio, thank you very much for the explanation. Very complete!

Greetings and thank you for answering

PD: Excuse my English, I don't speak it very well. I am from Chile, Latin America.

EmulationLover · Sep 9, 2019

32 bit mode in GPU Core enables dithering as well. This is particularly annoying in games that make heavy use of dithering, like Silent Hill. There is shaders for blending dithering like would be happen on original console with composite video?

ofernandofilo · Sep 10, 2019

EmulationLover said:
there is shaders for blending dithering like would be happen on original console with composite video?

there are cbod, crt, gdapt, gtu and mdapt shaders for RetroArch.

and for ePSXe GPU Core there is this topic: "ePSXe GPU Core 2.0 Custom Shaders"
https://www.ngemu.com/threads/epsxe-gpu-core-2-0-custom-shaders.191049/

unfortunately I have no hardware at the moment to make any shader tests or suggestions.

cheers!

how to play psx (safe guide)

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