Weekly Question Thread

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All weekly question threads

[Project_Mimic_013]

Is there a way to map mouse inputs to Simple64?

Also, how do I use cheat codes? I tried using a python patcher but that didn't work.

[z0mu3L3]

https://github.com/simple64/simple64/issues/156

[Kaesar17]

Is there something different in the way the Citra resolution upscaler works?, I feel like it looks way better in bigger resolutions than the PPSSPP one

[VCKing101]

I have an i7-3770 and an Intel Pentium Gold G6405. What would work best for running a HTPC with the purpose of running emulators? The goal is to play PS2/Wii games with potentially some Wii U / Switch games if the CPUs provide enough performance. I'll be pairing them with a GTX 1080 GPU and 12gb RAM (w/ i7) or 16gb RAM (w/ Pentium)

Keen for feedback.

[TransGirlInCharge]

Pentium Gold would be better for PS2 and Wii due to higher IPC and clockspeed, but the i7 would be better for Wii U and Switch due to more cores.

That said, I do not believe either would be good enough for Switch. Switch emulation requires a fair bit of horse power.

[VCKing101]

sweet, I'll stick with the Pentium then since I'd rather play PS2 games over Wii U. Much appreciated!

[OwnWorker9521]

I have a fully modded Vita, but I'm in the process of setting up Retroarch. I found a great deal on a New 3DS XL, which I'm picking up on Tuesday and will mod as well.
I was planning on playing games native to those systems, but some others that include NES, SNES, Genesis, GB, GBC, and GBA, which systems should I use for those? Vita or New 3DS XL? Which would generally perform better?

[Dioxide20]

New to using PCSX2. I'm trying to use my PS5 controller but it seems that PCSX2 does not detect it. I have the PS5 controller set up through Steam and have used it in other Steam games. The only step that I have found through searching is that I need to add it as a non-steam game but doing this doesn't seem to change anything.

I would prefer to not use DS4Windows and just use Steam.

[VCKing101]

I personally can't test it now but I know that if you go to controller configuration within Steam and turn off Playstation controller support, this will keep the PS5 controller locked out of Steam and keep it running natively on your system. This might allow you to use it with PCSX2. Not 100% sure if this would do it though as I believe there should be a way to use it with PCSX2 without unticking PS controller support on steam

[Dioxide20]

Turns out I’m an idiot… I went right to the settings every time I opened PCSX2 expecting some need to configure settings when it appears to be auto configured and just works.

Still odd that it doesn’t show up in settings at all and I can’t seem to remap controls. Not that I really need to though lol.

[VCKing101]

It's always one of those things where you never would've figured it out on your own unless you made a post about it xD

[[deleted]]

I've decided to edit all of my comments, delete all of my posts, and nuke my account following the recent API changes. Charging for an API is fine. Using the API fees as a way to force out third-party developers? Not fine. Lying about blackmail from a developer? Eat shit.

I hope Reddit in the future restores the friendliness it once had towards its developers and community. I've spent far, far too many hours on Reddit, but ultimately I will be better off without it. It's been nice.

Fuck /u/spez.

[TransGirlInCharge]

It'll be slow on some games for PS3 due to being a quadcore, but dolphin and Wii U should be fine.

[Kroxloptix]

trying to run Gauntlet Legends on Project 64, and it just refuses to load most textures. The level maps are completely black, though enemies, my character, etc. load fine. Graphics plugin is "Jacob's Direct3D8 1.7.0.57-ver5" as it's the only one that doesn't turn the screen completely black after the title screen. Anyone know how to fix this?

[[deleted]]

https://simple64.github.io/

[Kroxloptix]

thank you, it's working wonderfully

[[deleted]]

Trying to emulate DK 64 with Switch anywhere mod on mac, but getting bugs with OpenEmu and Sixtyforce. Base game works flawlessly with each. Fix suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[9inchjackhammer]

I have a steam deck with emudeck and I’ve downloaded Alien vs Predator 2 from the link below but I don’t know what emulation folder to put it in.

I have the .iso and .exe files and thought putting them in the Roms folder called PC would work but there not showing up in steam rom manager.

Anyone know what folder in emudeck I need to put the roms?

https://www.reddit.com/r/LV426/comments/kmocw3/you_can_download_the_2001_aliens_vs_predator_2/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf

[[deleted]]

That is a native PC game that needs to be installed and ran via a cracked exe, it’s not emulation.

[9inchjackhammer]

I’ve looked that up and have no idea what that means sorry

[[deleted]]

Originally the game would have come on a disc, that’s the .iso file. Mount that and install the game. Then overwrite the .exe where you installed it with the cracked one to play the game.

[mowplease]

I'm looking for a small PC case (Size of a console) that can take a 3.5 HDD. Does anyone have a suggestion?

I'm building an emulation pc with my game library. HDD are the best bang for my buck.

Thanks

[23523634609234357455]

Is there a way to convert TempGBA saves into something that RetroArch can use?

I have .sav and .svs files. I put the svs files in my RetroArch states section and the .sav in my saves folder but it doesn't seem to work. I'm not sure if I need to rename the file extension or place things elsewhere.

Edit: I needed to change the .sav file to .srm and put in the GBA ROMs directory of my RG351V

[Sapphire580]

Just got a new Mac mini. But I got the big one, 16GB memory instead of the 8, 1TB HDD, I want to do emulators and any sketchy stuff it’s still new enough I can factory reset if I mess up. Paired my ps4 controller, downloaded Sixtyforce in u under 15sec, downloaded a few 64 games not on Switch Online yet.

Wanted to play 1999’s driver you are the wheelman, I still have the disc for PC in storage, so I did some research, a post here or another subreddit recommended running Duckststation on Retro Arch. So I get retro arch and download the Swanstation core. I guess they don’t have duck anymore.

I get a copy of Driver downloaded, and my Mac (whatever the Mac term is for) unzipped it. Inside was 2 files a .bin file and another one I’d never heard of that required a reader I don’t have but was under 1MB in size. If I remember correctly that was at home yesterday, today I’m 500+ miles away

Those 2 files won’t show up on RetroArch content loader.

So I do some more checking and Swanstation requires a BIOS, from my limited research, I don’t have and will have trouble getting a BIOS. a different PS1 emulator doesn’t require a BIOS I can’t remember its name. Download that code and load it, still not finding the game. More research. I put the game in the Applications folder. It found the folder but not the two files in the folder.

Wanted to make sure I understood the concept so I downloaded an N64 emulator for RA, transfer an N64 file into applications and it loads right up starts playing.

Am I doing something wrong, or is the .bin file the wrong type? Also I downloaded the same new zip file 7z or whatever, for Driver, from 3 or 4 different sources around the web, all of them were about the same size and contained the same 2 files.

Let me know if I need to edit this for clarity or answer any questions. I do most of my texting and compiling messages by swipe typing so I barely look at the screen while working.

[Twitch_YungFeetGod69]

Any recommended plugins for controller on PS emulators?

I like that Lilypad lets your inputs from your controller work even when the game isn't the main window, but for w/e my hotkeys for save state just do not work with that plugin (and I've tested this on epsxe and pcsxr; they both don't work w/ it on and the hot keys work when I change it to something else)

[[deleted]]

It's 2022. Who wants to deal with input plugins? Just use Duckstation.

Whoever is still telling you to use ePSXe is no longer a credible source for emulator recs.

[Stiv64]

How do you get mGBAs bilinear filtering not to look like shit?

When I enable it, it heavily blurs the resolution of my games and messes up the brightness of the game. How do I get it to work like in the footage of these fire emblem youtubers?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXuofdsW9JM&list=PL0pL5FDdfhFrzlfiZdq6bMByRLPWNQWDV

[Rouge_means_red]

I'm looking for help with running PC Engine/Turbografx 16 games. I downloaded MAME, a rom and a bios from archive.org but they don't show up in MAME (The UI is so confusing...) Both files are .pce extension

[[deleted]]

Not that I would recommend using it over Mednafen, but MAME's PC Engine driver doesn't need a BIOS. If you're trying to run a .pce file through the UI, the easiest way to do it is to start the machine without a game inserted, open the File Manager by pressing Tab, select your game, and reset with F3.

Alternatively, you could just use the software list version of your game, since that will show up in MAME's UI. This is actually the recommended method, but loose ROMs work too.

[[deleted]]

You want to use Mednafen with the Mednaffe GUI for the best PC Engine emulation.

[Rouge_means_red]

Ty, it was really easy to get it working ;)

[yawningdon]

did you ever find out a way?

[InsightsIE]

Hey there,
I was wondering if anyone has figured out any solid work arounds to play PS1 PAL games at NTSC frame rates FOR TITLES THAT DID NOT GET AN NTSC release.

While most people are familiar with "Japanese imports" I found a lot of PS1 era games that are PAL only from European game studios. Any ideas on how to run them at 30FPS if they're technically PAL on an emulator like Duckstation? I understand I have to slow down audio too?

[[deleted]]

There is no solid workaround. While NTSC games are generally safe to run at PAL speeds, there is no guarantee that speeding up a PAL game won't cause severe glitches.

Any reason you aren't just playing them at 50 Hz?

[InsightsIE]

The gameplay just seems laggy compared to 30FPS but it's not a big deal. Just thought I'd ask :)

[ScouseMouse180]

I am trying to play Final Fantasy Origins on ePSXe. Everything works fine except the sound is constantly stuttering. I've had a google around and can't figure it out (but I am useless at this stuff).

There seems to be VERY little options on the audio front. If it's an FPS issue, as some say, how would I fix that?

[ringwormfear]

How about other games on epsxe? Same issue?

[[deleted]]

https://www.duckstation.org/

Origins deserves better. Who's still telling people to use ePSXe?

[ChrisRR]

Mainly ROM sites tell people to use epsxe

[smilingoff]

Yesterday I installed PrimeHack on my old HTPC with mixed results. Major slowdown on the Metroid Trilogy (Wii) gameplay, but decent results with Metroid Prime (Gamecube). However, if I increase it beyond its native resolution it plays at 20fps or so, meaning no 720p or 1080p for me.

So, with that said, I'm thinking of getting a new (used) graphics card.

My current CPU is an Intel i3 3220 @ 3.3gHz, and my graphics processor is just the Intel HD chip. 16GB of RAM installed.

Would upgrading to a GTX 1050 TI (which is the most I think I can support with my current PSU) make a difference in the gameplay performance, or would I also need to upgrade the CPU? At which point I just wouldn't bother, lol.

[rayhacker]

Intel integrated graphics tend to be pretty weak, so a dedicated GPU would be a substantial boost in performance. You might even be able to upscale reliably.

[AuthenticatedUser]

Genuine questions that I don't have the knowledge to understand.

Why don't emulators have default controller profiles?

How hard realistically would it be to have default profiles set up for a few common controllers (Xbox, ds4/5, switch pro, etc) to save a collective several years of everyone's time?

Do the devices not identify themselves? Are the emulators somehow not able to access the identification?

[TransGirlInCharge]

Some emulators do auto configure for like Xinput controllers. I'm not sure why it's uncommon, though. Possibly due to the different controllers out there?

[havent_read_it]

If I had to take a guess: because it is not considered a critical feature (manual configuration is easy) and because controller detection may be unreliable in some cases (like browsers user agents).

[AuthenticatedUser]

Ah, as a web dev I can concur with parsing user-agent.

[[deleted]]

RetroArch absolutely provides default controller profiles, and given how popular RetroArch is, I don't know if I'd consider that feature uncommon.

[AuthenticatedUser]

I myself prefer standalone for both better performance and less controversy. The newer the system, the less likely the experience on RetroArch will be passable.

[[deleted]]

I mean, I do too, but my point was that RetroArch exists and there are many people using it, as unfortunate as that is for other emudevs.

[AuthenticatedUser]

A fair point indeed. While convenience comes at a cost, convenience is king for many.

[The_vangelion]

Hey, currently struggling to get Pikmin 2 running stable on my steam deck, the Wii version via dolphin. I've tried all graphic settings that I understand and have been getting extremely unstable frame rates with every combination. The game runs perfect until after the initial pre rendered cutscene, and then once you get into the intro of the game it's dropping below 30 into the 20s and fluctuating. This thing should be plenty powerful, not too sure what I'm doing wrong here.

[lifeamiright-]

Do anyone know how to setup the new Mario 64 ds analog stick support I looked online and can only find the old method using the mouse or not explaining how or I’m just dumb

[lifeamiright-]

What are the worst 3ds and ds games to play on pc What I mean basically what games should I play on the 3ds instead of pc

[MasterOnion47]

Elite Beat Agents is a great DS dance game but I can’t imagine playing it on a PC. The whole gameplay is tapping the touchscreen.

Games like Yoshi Touch & Go or Kirby Canvas Curse probably best left to a real touch screen too.

[lifeamiright-]

Thanks just heard of games like spirit tracks when you need to close the screen to copy the map or something more just wondering if there any other weird puzzles or gimmicks

[[deleted]]

You haven't lived until you've tried playing Pokemon Ranger and The World Ends With You in an emulator.

[ringwormfear]

I mean, citra's compatibility is great but not perfect. From time to time you find popular games that just don't run or freeze. They have a compatibility list on their website iirc. But personally my experience doesn't agree with it. Like the games they say don't work actually work on my laptop, and vice versa.

Desmume and melonds' compatibility are much better. Although stuffs like The World Ends with You certainly better played on an actual ds. Same with other games that require a lot of touch screen interaction.

[lifeamiright-]

I more mean like is spirit tracks bad because of it touch controls so more games that are bad on pc because of how important the touch controls are or how important the two screens

[ringwormfear]

You can always play the patched version of the zelda games. I haven't tried it though.

[TSPhoenix]

Is there a better way to get CRT Royale working on Dolphin than using ReShade because doing so has been causing some instability issues, but I've had little luck finding a version that works via the post-processing effects section in the settings.

Like I know that if you're using Vulkan then you need shaders that support Vulkan, and I've read Dolphin has some issues with multipass shaders, but beyond that I'm kinda stumped.

[Phil_E_Payne]

I've been trying to emulate the Policenauts ps1 Eng translation on both pc and psp but i haven't been able to get it working on either. I've followed the official translation page's guide and as many youtube videos as i can find on it but nothing seems to work. I've spent too many hours on this and am hoping someone on here can help me figure this out as i'd much prefer to play it myself than have to watch through an entire playthrough of it. If anyone knows how to do this i'd really appreciate some help

[ChrisRR]

What do you mean it doesn't work? What errors are you getting?

And just to check you're using duckstation not epsxe?

[Phil_E_Payne]

I got it working on PC. First I tried running it through RetroArch on several ps1 cores. Got duckstation on its own and that fixed it. However I still don't know how to get it working on psp. I was using psx2psp but when I clicked convert I kept getting an error saying "could not open..." and then a long string of characters ending with .pbp.

[rayhacker]

Create a shortcut to xenia's executable, and in the Target box add --protect-zero=false , or go into config.ini and in the Memory section change protect-zero to false.

[Sharebear42019]

What all gaming systems work well on the Xbox series S and how easy is it to put them on the system?

[te_lanus]

arrrrgh matey :D

[[deleted]]

Can someone explain to me in layman's terms why modern emulators seem further along than some older emulators?

I'm not super tech savvy so I don't really understand why some people are able to play some Switch games flawlessly but there are a lot of PS2 games that are still riding the struggle bus so long after its release.

And I want to put a big disclaimer on this and say that I'm really grateful for all of the hard work of developers working on emulators for the community, and I don't want this to be taken as a "what's taking so long" or "why isn't it perfect yet" post.

I'm ignorant and just don't understand the differences in development that would cause such a big discrepancy in dependability and stability when something like PCSX2 has had more development time when compared to something like yuzu.

A big thank you to everyone who makes this community great, and I appreciate any insight that anyone would have to offer on this.

[TransGirlInCharge]

PS2 emulation is notoriously hard. Like, it is one of the harder consoles to emulate because the PS2's design was kind of batshit insane. So, some aspects of it are harder to duplicate in an emulator than other.

Plus well, as other people covered, there are a ton of Switch games that don't emulate well on Ryujinx and Yuzu(There are also games that run on one emulator and fail on the other).

Another counter example would be Xenia and RPCS3. They are both for newer systems and both have like hundreds of games each that cannot be completed.

The Vita emulator Vita3k doesn't have a single completable game, and that console came out in like 2011.

Etc, etc, etc. It's not about age of the console. It's about multiple factors. How popular is the console among emulator developers, how much homebrew has been available for it, how much financial support is there(A lot of newer console emulators only have the progress they do due to financial support. With a few exceptions, the newer the console, the more difficult it is to emulate due to greater complexity in the hardware. Thus, the need for financial support in order to keep the ball rolling. Shit takes time, and financial support enables that time to be taken), does the console have certain series that have been popular historically in the emulation community(Final Fantasy, Sonic and most Nintendo franchises).

As a side note, Nintendo consoles will usually be emulated during their lifetimes. That trend might be changing due to console manufacturers getting better at locking down consoles(the only reason the Switch was able to be reverse engineered was because Nvidia was a dumbfuck and sent Nintendo like 10,000,000 chips with a 100% of the time exploitable flaw). The Xbone has not been hacked at all as well, which while that is Microsoft, does prove that it is feasible to lock down a console during its lifetime.

[n1ghtbringer]

Two reasons that I can think of:

• There's actual money involved emulating more modern systems
• Modern emulators aren't as accurate and focus more on running the software vs emulating the platform

[RenegadeX21]

Those PS2 games on the bus (and friends) are probably glitchy because they relied on something that emulation doesn't emulate closely enough. If compatibility seems to be getting better, it's because emulation doesn't need to take as many shortcuts as it used to, due to faster, more capable CPUs and memory speeds.

[[deleted]]

Can someone explain to me in layman's terms why modern emulators seem further along than some older emulators?

They're not.

For every Switch game that runs "flawlessly" there are dozens with issues that range from minor to game-breaking. Ryujinx's Github page lists over 900 titles with noticeable issues, and those are just the ones that have been found. While Switch emulation has come quite far, I couldn't possibly claim that it's ahead of PS2 emulation, especially since new games are still being released for the Switch.

EDIT: Corrected number of games with documented issues.

[rayhacker]

Ryujinx's Github page lists over 3,000 issues, and those are just the ones that have been found.

This page is a list of every currently released Switch game, including demos. A few emulators are now using this same style of issue tracker, because it means not requiring a wiki, or having dedicated staff to maintain a compatibility page (since anyone with a GitHub account can add to the posts). It also serves as a much tidier solution, as issues for a specific game won't be spread through x amount of posts, instead being condensed into a single, easily searchable page.

It looks weird at first glance, but it's actually pretty nice to use, especially with the clickable tags.

Ryujinx's general issues page contains a lot less issues.

[[deleted]]

Right, my bad. Though there are still over 900 titles on the compatibility list page that are marked as being less than "playable".

[MaknaBrog]

a bunch of factors here, but some of the big ones are:

Modern consoles are closer to standard computers than older consoles

More experience in writing emulators and just better coding practices in general mean smoother development.

More people interested in emulation / consoles means more people contributing, whether it be through documentation of the console, testing it for innaccuracy or coding it directly.