PCX4ALL WIP: First Steps

[chui]

This weekend, we are very happy for good progress of PCX4ALL: Playstation1 emulator for Dreamcast, GP2X, Zaurus, Zodiac, GNU/Linux and Windows.

I just have been able to adapt PCSX (http://www.pcsx.net) CPU recompiler for SH4 by Mark Grilenkov and Dreamcast gets 14fps using our GPU software render for a lot of games. I hope get fullspeed (frameskip0) when we will write a new GPU using PVR hardware aceleration.

DCiberia (http://www.dciberia.net) comments and shows a set of screenshots and a video running PCX4ALL under Dreamcast (register is need it).




http://chui.dcemu.co.uk/screenshots/psx4all1009.jpg

[YZB]

ＧＲＥＡＴ！！！
＾－＾

[chui]

Zottd talking about PSX4ALL project:



Hi everyone,
Unai, Chui, and I had a talk about GP2PSX. We're aiming for a GP2X release within 7 days. This means the Zaurus port (which is very fast now btw), will be ready in the same time period.

Chui has made great progress on the Dreamcast version of emulator's codebase. There's even a video of it floating around. It uses a dynamic recompiler

Compatibility is up, but there's one bug I want to get fixed. It seems Tekken and Einhander crash after running a bit. This bug was fixed at one point and has returned, anyone remember at what point this bug was fixed? If so, I can figure out how to get compatibility up further, much quicker.

The switch from the interpreter to the recompiler for the SH4 cpu gave us an indication of what to expect in terms of a performance increase. The CPU emulation currently is profiled as taking about 50% of the total runtime. With the recompiler we can expect around 3x the performance over the interpreter. Maybe even more as ARM has a very powerful instruction set.

Unai is making great progress on the GPU. He has a few bug's to work out, and it's going through a major reworking. Hopefully it can be in a good state within our release time frame.

I made some improvements to the interpreter (CPU emulation), and got another frame per second added to the slowest of games.
I also improved the ISO loading process and emulator's cdrom handling

Unai and I estimate most 3D games such as Wipeout, will run at lowest, around 20 FPS without frameskip. At this speed games should be playable with frameskip.

Currently Wipeout 1 runs at it's slowest, 7 FPS in-game. With frameskip it's still too slow to play. Though it is impressive to watch. Were hoping the dynarec and new GPU core will solve the performance issue.

Tinnus is working on the dynarec, and is making progress.

So, news is, we're aiming for a release within a week. Not sure if it's going to be the release everyone wants, but we're trying our hardest. Those with Sharp Zaurus' will be pleasantly suprised.

Oh, one more thing. We've named the codebase that GP2PSX runs on as...PSX4ALL. We have the domain, www.psx4all.net and we have hosting for an official site. Depending on how hard it is to maintain the website, we might need a webmaster to design the site to make it easy to update and interactive enough for people to get information they need on the ports.

That's all for now...

[Cap'n 1time]

!!!

[Cid Highwind]

Great news :D

I can't wait to hear more about this project, keep up the good work!

[arqueiro]

wonderfull ! very good jog chui ! i can't wait to test this out !

[Pavlik]

Great work chui !!!!!! So it is real to get my hands full speed psx emu (with save?) Yuppie !!!! I cant wait to test alpha version :) I have a lot psx games for my old psx :D

ps Try to configure standard dc pad (L2 R2 and SELECT).

[GagaMan]

Woah, nice one!

[wraggster]

very very interesting :)

[Dull Blade]

onece again the impossible has been proven possible. bravo chui

[Imerion]

I am constantly amazed by how fast you all work! This is incredible and it was only a little while ago it was announced.

[sixtyten]

You deserve a standing ovation. Incredible news. Like was said earlier, L2 R2 Select should be done somehow. Maybe combining start with L or R would make R2, and Select would be holding Start and hitting another A or something of the likes? That would make play complicated in some instances...but..it's an idea.

[gxb]

To support keyboard.
That's a good way to solve the joypad problem.

[V3N0M]

So will this be ported or for the psp?

[Pavlik]

To support keyboard.
That's a good way to solve the joypad problem.
Nope, maybe 10% of dc users have (sometimes even PC) keyboard.

Some games req all buttons some not (or in small part of game) so best solution will be internal configuration menu for all buttons.

[Sonic-NKT]

just awesome...
this is a great project and im glad to have a dreamcast and a gp2x ;)

[kevho]

woooooowwwwww nice one!!!!!

[Cast128dreams]

Sometimes i feel very proud for owing a Sega Dreamcast just from your great work around the homebrew stuff....
Keep up and will support you 4 ever!!!!....

[vettacossx]

tell me more!!!!

[vettacossx]

psp!!!

[Kairo Hayime]

I have an idea for the Pad, Hello Chui it's me again, dejame felicitarte por tu trabajo mas bien como dicen en DCiberia a el triangulo que han formado, well the idea is implement a R2 L2 and Select in a Digital PAD, for example Left = L2, Down = Select, UP = Start, Right = R2 , and you maybe have a question, and Start Button? of the DC controller? START button maybe can work for changing into Digital PAD or Analog PAD, It's a old idea for Chui, te lo dije para el Snes4ALL, if you be much happy to play with a digital pad, all comands for digital PAD, R1,R2,Start,Select, can be changed to Analog Stick, well in this form not loose buttons, well tell me your commentary for this

[wolfpack]

Porting this to the PSP would be a great idea speaking how most of the buttons are there except for 2 but im sure that can be fixed. Keep up the good work!

[turnerl]

Unreal Chui, theres no stopping you!

[JeffTweedyIsGod]

This has been stated a zillion times by now, but I'm just gonna go right ahead and say it again:

You guys are freckin' amazing!

[toxie]

Unbelievable! Especially as the rendering still is done using the CPU!
Do you guys ever sleep, btw.? ;)

[SSaxdude]

Will this be ported to PSP also, that would be awesome.

[аlex]

I can not believe that at last for so much years there will be good emulator PSX where it will be possible to be kept :)

Не могу поверить что наконец за столько лет выйдет хороший эмулятор PSX где можно будет сохраняться :)

[Sakuragi]

Very Good work Chui ^^
Maybe Wipeout in full speed, filtering and 60 hz soon Dreamcast. Thanks for all your work, you make some dreams come true.



I want to ask you something, did you have take a look at the Model 2 systems ?
I m a hudge fan of the games on it and i m sad that the emulation of this systems are not very advanced. I think that it s impossible to do on the Dreamcast but do you think it s very difficult to emulate on a Pc ?

Sega Rally, Daytona, Manx TT, Motor Raid ... argh ^^

[Lodis]

This is good news but I am not expecting too much. Although it is not impossible and the coders are talented I think it is unrealistic when I see people talking about full speed or even playable speeds of psx emulation. Also many projects were started and never finished, for example the Psx emulator on the Psp by Pacmanfan who stated how he saw it as history in the making and something of a legacy. I have seen so many projects started of fresh and confident only to dissapear so I am no longer very positive. I won't hold my breath but I hope the GP2x won't turn out like the unfinished projects on the Psp I see so often.

[RedKing14CA]

Every system but the PSP?

[chui]

I havent a PSP and i am not interesting at PSP.

But, dont worry, we are working a openGL GPU, i am sure that another people will port it like others 4ALLs.

[Twimfy]

This is good news but I am not expecting too much. Although it is not impossible and the coders are talented I think it is unrealistic when I see people talking about full speed or even playable speeds of psx emulation. Also many projects were started and never finished, for example the Psx emulator on the Psp by Pacmanfan who stated how he saw it as history in the making and something of a legacy. I have seen so many projects started of fresh and confident only to dissapear so I am no longer very positive. I won't hold my breath but I hope the GP2x won't turn out like the unfinished projects on the Psp I see so often.

Bleemcast did it, why can't they? Especially if they are planning to use the PVR as the graphics renderer, there's nothing to suggest they can't convert the DC to act like native hardware.

[Mr_Biggs]

this is good stuff.

[аlex]

How work above Emulator PCX4ALL moves ahead?
When approximately there will be a first Release?

Как продвигается работа над эмулятором PCX4ALL?
Когда примерно будет первый Релиз?