Wanting to learn more about emulation...

SKEPTiCK

SKEPTiCK

Member
Okay, so I've played games on emulators for a decade and a half now but I am looking to have a better understanding about the real beef & potato elements of how emulation works, how does one even begin?

Long story short, I would actually like to build an emulator of my own someday. There are many great EMUs out there but I still don't think there's anything like understanding how to create your own. I want to see things move forward, I want to get crappy games running better, I want the performance to be comparable to that of end-line consoles, I want to build something that everybody would be happy to see.

I'd like to see accelerated gameplay be brought to PS1 games on the PS3, similar to that of what PCSX-R can do on your computer... You know, playing a game at a speed of x2 or even x3 or higher? Or the ability to use custom shaders, things like that. As far as I see, the standard ps1emu will never get such a feature.

Another question... how exactly does Cobra work on PS3? Does it use code from PCSX2 or are the two not related in any sort of way? I remember seeing that PCSX2 got a recent update after not seeing one for several years and I wondered if this effects Cobra somehow? I also remember that Soul Calibur 2 and 3 as well as BLACK ran like crap on PCSX2 but I wonder if that's different now? They don't run well on Cobra either if I remember correctly, definitely BLACK but as for the other 2 idk. That's why I figure Cobra uses PCSX2 code/script/data.
 
there's a general rule that a device must be around 10 times more powerful to emulate both hardware and software. I don't know how accurate that is, but you do need a powerful device to do both.
 
SKEPTiCK said:
Okay, so I've played games on emulators for a decade and a half now but I am looking to have a better understanding about the real beef & potato elements of how emulation works, how does one even begin?

Long story short, I would actually like to build an emulator of my own someday. There are many great EMUs out there but I still don't think there's anything like understanding how to create your own. I want to see things move forward, I want to get crappy games running better, I want the performance to be comparable to that of end-line consoles, I want to build something that everybody would be happy to see.

I'd like to see accelerated gameplay be brought to PS1 games on the PS3, similar to that of what PCSX-R can do on your computer... You know, playing a game at a speed of x2 or even x3 or higher? Or the ability to use custom shaders, things like that. As far as I see, the standard ps1emu will never get such a feature.

Another question... how exactly does Cobra work on PS3? Does it use code from PCSX2 or are the two not related in any sort of way? I remember seeing that PCSX2 got a recent update after not seeing one for several years and I wondered if this effects Cobra somehow? I also remember that Soul Calibur 2 and 3 as well as BLACK ran like crap on PCSX2 but I wonder if that's different now? They don't run well on Cobra either if I remember correctly, definitely BLACK but as for the other 2 idk. That's why I figure Cobra uses PCSX2 code/script/data.
Click to expand...

Specifically, Cobra is a type of exploit, or payload, if you will. It isn't an 'emulator' (Well. Not technically but it can emulate a disc in the BD drive).
Emulation of Ps1 and Ps2 titles is actually done by the Ps3 itself and written by Sony.

If you want to get into building your own, then you'll need to learn coding to start with.
And pinky is pretty much right. To emulate the target system, the host has to be much more powerful to run the target system.
 
about ps2 emulation, some games run or run better with config files. those were/are taken from the ps2softemu.self, which is a precursor to the netemu (ps2 classics). you can run it through cobra or fsm, but believe me, it's virtually unplayable in its current state. I've played around with it. most games run, but at like 15fps.
 
Since You wrote a thread in PS3 section, I think You have in mind emulation on this specific console.

So let's face the facts... Sony emulators/virtualisers sucks a lot. ;) I understand that in PS2 and PSP case we wouldn't achieve anything better but PSX is terrible to. Especially in scaling which Sony didn't discovered yet nearest neighbour and lanchos algorithms. ;) Back in the day of 3.55 CFW, ffgriever wrote PS3PSXe but stopped working on it after DeanK adding PSX backups support in multiMAN. What a shame that no one try to make port or another. And RetroArch? It is even more horrible. If You looking emulation platform, PS3 is not the best one, politely saying (and literally waste of energy, because using 180W beast for Mario in 8bit is ridiculous, while we have cheap ARM microcomputers).

Cobra have nothing to do with platforms emulation.
 
Berion said:
Since You wrote a thread in PS3 section, I think You have in mind emulation on this specific console.

So let's face the facts... Sony emulators/virtualisers sucks a lot. ;) I understand that in PS2 and PSP case we wouldn't achieve anything better but PSX is terrible to. Especially in scaling which Sony didn't discovered yet nearest neighbour and lanchos algorithms. ;) Back in the day of 3.55 CFW, ffgriever wrote PS3PSXe but stopped working on it after DeanK adding PSX backups support in multiMAN. What a shame that no one try to make port or another. And RetroArch? It is even more horrible. If You looking emulation platform, PS3 is not the best one, politely saying (and literally waste of energy, because using 180W beast for Mario in 8bit is ridiculous, while we have cheap ARM microcomputers).

Cobra have nothing to do with platforms emulation.
Click to expand...

I remember reading about PS3PSXe way back when my FAT was still working but now I can't even find a remnant topic discussing it... Do you think it would've made for a good "emulator"? Or even better than that of what the PS3 can do natively? (which is 50/50 anyhow)

If I wanted to play 8-Bit or 2D platform games I would get a hyperkin or just play them on my NES / Super Nintendo :topsy turvy:

I am also wondering if DaedalusX64 will ever see a PS3 port. I enjoy playing carts on my N64 with UltraHDMI but I'm also looking forward to anything being possible and wanting to test things for devs or help in any way possible.

One more question though, does RenéRebe's hardware acceleration hold alot of potential in being able to do new things with our PS3s? As well as following up with things that are unfinished / currently imperfect?
 
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