Community The Emulation Thread - When That PC Port Just Ain't Happening

EdwardTivrusky

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Dec 8, 2018
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Which graphic packs that doesn't work without CEMUHook?
From memory it was things like "Online Squad Missions available Offline", "Extra Ticket Rewards from Squad Missions", and the Miranium/Resources/Money Increase patches etc. I don't use any of the Fancy Graphics Packs just the one that scales output.
If i remove the three CEMUHook files then the CEMU log shows compiler errors for some of the Graphic Packs but with CEMUHook then there are no errors and the changes are applied.

Edit: Cordelia I just tested it and these are the Patches that fail together with an example of the error they give. It seems to have no declaration of SHORT or BYTE without CEMUHook and the Graphic Packs fail. There may be more but i didn't have them activated.

[18:24:32] Applying patch group 'XCX_CHALLENGE'
[18:24:32] Activate graphic pack: Xenoblade Chronicles X/Mods/Battle/Automatic Soul Challenges
[18:24:32] Syntax error while parsing patch for graphic pack 'E':
[18:24:32] Line 6: Error in assembler: Instruction '.BYTE' is unknown or not supported

[18:24:32] Activate graphic pack: Xenoblade Chronicles X/Mods/BLADE/Gain Reward Tickets from DLC or Time Attack missions
[18:24:32] Activate graphic pack: Xenoblade Chronicles X/Mods/BLADE/More Reward Tickets
[18:24:32] Activate graphic pack: Xenoblade Chronicles X/Mods/BLADE/Offline Squad tasks and missions

[18:24:32] Applying patch group 'XCX_MAXSLOTS_1E'
[18:24:32] Activate graphic pack: Xenoblade Chronicles X/Mods/Equipment/Armors can have 3 augment slots
[18:24:32] Activate graphic pack: Xenoblade Chronicles X/Mods/Experience/Battle Points
[18:24:32] Activate graphic pack: Xenoblade Chronicles X/Mods/Experience/BLADE Points
[18:24:32] Activate graphic pack: Xenoblade Chronicles X/Mods/Experience/Class Exp Points
[18:24:32] Activate graphic pack: Xenoblade Chronicles X/Mods/Experience/Friends Points
[18:24:32] Activate graphic pack: Xenoblade Chronicles X/Mods/Experience/Inner Exp Points
[18:24:32] Activate graphic pack: Xenoblade Chronicles X/Mods/FrontierNav/Miranium income frequency mod
[18:24:32] Activate graphic pack: Xenoblade Chronicles X/Mods/FrontierNav/Miranium income quantity mod
[18:24:32] Activate graphic pack: Xenoblade Chronicles X/Mods/FrontierNav/Money income frequency mod
[18:24:32] Activate graphic pack: Xenoblade Chronicles X/Mods/FrontierNav/Money income quantity mod
[18:24:32] Activate graphic pack: Xenoblade Chronicles X/Mods/FrontierNav/Resources income frequency mod
[18:24:32] Activate graphic pack: Xenoblade Chronicles X/Mods/FrontierNav/Resources income quantity mod

[18:24:32] Applying patch group 'XCX_LOOT_EQUIPMENT_BROKEN'
[18:24:32] Activate graphic pack: Xenoblade Chronicles X/Mods/Loot/Equipment - Ignore broken
 
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EdwardTivrusky

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I've moved back to using 1.17.4 of CEMU because the 1.18.x releases really didn't play nicely with CEMUHook. I had frame drops and audio glitches galore. Good news though, laysan the writer of the Xenoblade Graphic Packs is going to look at updating them to work with 1.18.x and hopefully i'll be able to drop CEMUHook and just go vanilla CEMU 1.18.x from then on.
 
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EdwardTivrusky

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edit/update:
lasyan3 who wrote the XCX Graphics Packs has posted an updated bundle to Reddit that should work with CEMU 1.18.x. I'm just about to try it but so far the mods have loaded without error according to the log file.

Here's the link for anyone interested:

Yeah, the mods work but 1.18.x feels laggy and the audio is very crunchy.
I'll have a play about but for me the sweetspot seems to be with CEMU 1.17.4 & CEMUHook using Odd Cores.
 
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Alextended

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Over a year ago I got a SNES Classic for my brother in law and the other day I finally tried to use the homebrew hacks to add more games. After some searching I settled on Hakchi2 CE and it was pretty simple to get it all up and running with RetroArch (based on 1.8.4 for now which is pretty recent) and the Final Burn Neo core which was my primary aim (over just adding more SNES games or other non-arcade systems which you can do just as easily).

I was pleasanty surprised games like Marvel vs. Capcom and Waku Waku 7 ran perfectly, even the G.I. Joe game by Konami with its super-scaler style visuals. There are cases like Metal Slug (which I chose over the sequels because later Neo Geo games are much larger and there are less than 300MB available by default) where I'm not too sure if the slowdown in hectic sections was because of the SNES Classic or just how it ran on the original hardware and thus by extension the emulation, either way it was perfectly playable. Some games would not work at all or with bad performance (Shinobi even though Shadow Dancer works, Bubble Bobble sequels, Puzzle Bobble sequels beyond 2, Pang sequels and various others) but there are so many that work to choose.

I put 30 or so on there to leave enough room for saves and use a mix of old small games like Ms. Pac-Man and Donkey Kong and newer larger games like The King of Fighters '98 and Street Fighter Alpha 3. Thankfully it has just about enough buttons for any arcade game, even if the layout isn't so ideal without 6 face buttons and the d-pad itself proved to be much more cumbersome than my Fighting Commander for the fighting game inputs. I didn't even have to configure the controls, the Capcom fighters mapped just like the SNES SFII included and all action games mapped jump/attack/whatever sensibly too.

For those into details you can also add covers and stuff so it all looks like officially added games but I just put all the non-original Classic games in a sub folder and left it at that, it's fine and tidy enough for me (plus no wasting precious space on art though you can configure it for use with added external storage if you want). Anyway, I highly recommend it for anyone who would like that sort of fun on their Classic system, it seems safe and it's easy to do.
 
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Li Kao

It’s a strange world. Let’s keep it that way.
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Is it possible to have a Retroarch shortcut per game ? Meaning launching it, it would automatically launch the specific game, while still being the full Retroarch ?
 

Kvik

Crossbell City Councillor
Dec 6, 2018
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Downunder.
Is it possible to have a Retroarch shortcut per game ? Meaning launching it, it would automatically launch the specific game, while still being the full Retroarch ?
Sure you can.

retroarch.exe --verbose --log-file retroarch.log -L cores\np2kai_libretro.dll d:\games\roms\pc-98\falcom\brandish2-patched.hdi

By adding the example shortcut above into Steam, it will fire up RetroArch with Neko Project II Kai core and load Brandish 2 disk image. You'll have to load a different core for different platform, obviously.
 
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Li Kao

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Thanks ! Now to find a fucking Drakengard 1 icon (yeah I tried with pcsx2). This will be a long day.
 
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Li Kao

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Uh, are there no retranslation of Secret of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 2) ? :disapproval-blob:
 

EdwardTivrusky

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After ~260 hours i've just finished the story chapters for Xenoblade Chronicles X and i'm having a break before going back in to mop up the last Normal & Affinity Missions. I'll make a better write up when i've done them together with some handy links and CEMU Config in case it's useful for others. Safe to say i still love this game. The exploration, atmosphere and gameplay are just spot-on for me. I even liked the way it was Story - Bunch of other mission types at your own pace - More Story etc.

I really want XCX2 ... yeah, not happening any time soon.
 
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Big McLargehuge

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Anyone have any controller recommendations for playing retro games? Im looking at the 8Bitdo Sn30 Pro+ right now but wanna see if theres something better
I have the 8Bitdo Sn30 Pro+ and it is an excellent controller for 2D games. It is very good for 3D games as well. I have also used the Wii U Pro controller and I prefer the 8Bitdo for its shape and lower input lag when plugged in via USB.
 
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Alextended

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Anyone have any controller recommendations for playing retro games? Im looking at the 8Bitdo Sn30 Pro+ right now but wanna see if theres something better
I have a Hori Fighting Commander which is pretty great, the PC mode (bottom switch) is xinput so it's plenty capable and compatible alongside the switches that change the mappings of the shoulder buttons (it has 4, not just 2, so the face R1 and R2 are duplicates by default, unless you use the top switch to turn the shoulder buttons into R3, L3, L1, L2 to map it all separately) and the d-pad (which can be mapped as the d-pad or either analog stick). I bought it to replace my broken retrobit Sega Saturn pad and couldn't be happier (even if the d-pad isn't Saturn style). It's perfect for RetroArch, any older system/arcade cores and pretty much anything else I've thrown at it. I even play some Dreamcast games with it, like Code Veronica, that don't need a stick. It's great for any modern fighting game of course, also any 2D-ish game doesn't use twin stick controls or whatever. For new 3D games I use a DS4 with DS4Windows.

I have the PS4 version but there's also a white Xbox One version (it too has a mode switch though, between Xbox One and Xbox360/PC, I'm not sure why that's a thing and why the Xbox One mode wouldn't work universally) if you prefer that but it has some different or potentially missing features & it's not as proven as it's newer. For example, in photos I don't see a switch to enable access to L3/R3 (yet the Turbo function has been replaced with Assign, maybe it can somehow do that though it doesn't seem likely) which could be pretty bad (like, you'd probably end up having to set Saturn emulation L/R on just LB/LT as otherwise RB/RT have to be mapped to Z and C instead as they're duplicated on the front). It would have been better if that (or every) version had RB/LB or RT/LT duplicated so that you would still have a free opposing pair of shoulder buttons to set as L/R or similar regardless. Either way, go for the PS4 style.

I did consider the 8bitdo M30 (though I don't know how closely that d-pad matches Saturn's in feel, it looks spot on) but went for this for its additional shoulder buttons which allow it to be used with a few more systems/games comfortably imo. I also thought the full size buttons are more practical than Sega's. Still, if I had bought the 8bitdo M30 it probably wouldn't have broken like Retrobit's and I'd have been happy to never get the FM. You can still do PS1 emulation on it, just not quite as accurately as some shoulder button functions will be relegated to C and Z, but at least it has spare buttons to use as Select, Retrobit's didn't.
 
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Durante

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I have the 8Bitdo Sn30 Pro+ and it is an excellent controller for 2D games.
I just ordered one of these.

It seems to fit the bill, since on PC I use Steam controllers for everything not D-pad heavy, and the D-pad in these is supposed to be good from everything I've read so it should be a good alternative for such games.

And I also needed a second controller for the Switch for Mario Maker 2, and it also does that.
 
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EdwardTivrusky

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I've just tried CEMU 1.18.2 in a fresh folder and it's great. I have to use Vulkan as OpenGL is just plain broken for me but Vulkan is fine so it's no bother. I'll probably be archiving the game and emu soon as i only have one more side mission to do before i only have Tyrant fights left. Still it's been fantastic to revisit Xenoblade Chronicles X without big load times, my Wii U drive working overtime and at 2560x1440. I still love the game after nearly 280 hours and as it's been my main focus for the last few weeks it's also helped keep me away from new purchases, which is nice.

I did use some CEMU Graphic Packs to increase Jump height, Miranium/Money/Resources returns, Offline Squad Missions, Increased XP/BP/Affinity and Tickets to minimize the grind because in Vanilla XCX it can be a real chore. Hope this helps, now i've got to go and defeat a super-villain! 🦞

I started playing using my DS4 and CEMU was fine but i recently bought an 8bit-do SN30 pro+ and it's great. Very comfortable, robust and i don't have mental lag while i work out which button is which. I need to try it with my Switch so i can compare it to the Nintendo Pro Controllers.

Xenoblade Chronicles X wiki:
Heart-To-Heart:
Normal:
Affinity

GameFAQs Party Build Guides
by Vayu The End:
Very handy, i used it to setup the recruitable characters in my party and there was a noticable upgrade in our performance.

Sizzle's Infinite Overdrive Build guides:

When i was far enough in to the game I played about with Galactic Knight, moved to Astral Crusader and now use a Delta Bliss & OG Javelin build.

Xenoblade Chronicles X - Guide to Everything (WIP, Potential Spoilers) - Google Docs:
Massive, handy but potentially outdated, i'm not hardcore enough to notice though. I think there are several versions out there.
Useful for filtering missions by Chapter so it's easier to keep tabs on things. I used the wiki listed above and a notepad and pen more often though.lol.

Frontier Nav Site - Maps and Items etc:

Xenoprobes - Make a list of what FN Sites and Probes you have and it generates decent layouts for you:

I used this one:
based off of this one:

Overdrive Explained:

"Story of a BLADE" - Xenoblade Chronicles X Short Stories (Translated by Gessenkou):
Very short stories preceeding the events in game and giving a flavour of life in the BLADES.

Gessenkou Translation Portal for Xenoblade X:

NPC - Life or Death Choices spoilers:
 
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Alextended

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Before I update does anybody know how to make sure I keep all my settings, lol. I didn't care previously but now I've customised controls and stuff extensively with core/game overrides to have different pads on port 1 and 2 based on that (so that I have both my pads connected to my PC at all times but use the Fighting Commander as pad 1 for Saturn/Arcade and the DS4 for the rest cores (but also Virtual On/GunGriffon II on Saturn to get the Twin Stick scheme) and different input mappings per game. On Android I just update the app as normally and it's fine (I think, but I only play a few specific non action games on there while in bed anyway, I don't care for inputs much) but on PC I'm not sure if I can just overwrite all the files or whatever and it will be safe yet without leftover unnecessary files (I'm ocd about that and keep my PC tidy, down to the registry entries, lol). And I literally just finished doing the override stuff!

Edit: ah well, screw it, I just installed over it and it seems fine so far (I switched over to the installer instead of the portable version a while back).
 
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Knurek

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Before I update does anybody know how to make sure I keep all my settings, lol. I didn't care previously but now I've customised controls and stuff extensively with core/game overrides to have different pads on port 1 and 2 based on that (so that I have both my pads connected to my PC at all times but use the Fighting Commander as pad 1 for Saturn/Arcade and the DS4 for the rest cores (but also Virtual On/GunGriffon II on Saturn to get the Twin Stick scheme) and different input mappings per game. On Android I just update the app as normally and it's fine (I think, but I only play a few specific non action games on there while in bed anyway, I don't care for inputs much) but on PC I'm not sure if I can just overwrite all the files or whatever and it will be safe yet without leftover unnecessary files (I'm ocd about that and keep my PC tidy, down to the registry entries, lol). And I literally just finished doing the override stuff!

Edit: ah well, screw it, I just installed over it and it seems fine so far.
Just don't overwrite retroarch.cfg and you should be good to go.
 

gabbo

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Before I update does anybody know how to make sure I keep all my settings, lol. I didn't care previously but now I've customised controls and stuff extensively with core/game overrides to have different pads on port 1 and 2 based on that (so that I have both my pads connected to my PC at all times but use the Fighting Commander as pad 1 for Saturn/Arcade and the DS4 for the rest cores (but also Virtual On/GunGriffon II on Saturn to get the Twin Stick scheme) and different input mappings per game. On Android I just update the app as normally and it's fine (I think, but I only play a few specific non action games on there while in bed anyway, I don't care for inputs much) but on PC I'm not sure if I can just overwrite all the files or whatever and it will be safe yet without leftover unnecessary files (I'm ocd about that and keep my PC tidy, down to the registry entries, lol). And I literally just finished doing the override stuff!

Edit: ah well, screw it, I just installed over it and it seems fine so far (I switched over to the installer instead of the portable version a while back).
Does that note list include something about a ps3 emulator core? Did I read that right> (it would seem its early stages, but there to play with)
 

MegaApple

Just another Video Game Enthusiast
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New PCSX2 stable version is out after 4 years!

Funny how like everything except the emulator itself is outdated. They are still using HTML, they haven't updated their videos, and their Wikis use 1.4.0 as base for testing compatibility for most games.
 

Alextended

Segata's Disciple
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I was using the last test version okay but that one I just can't configure the controls. I go through the process, it seems fine, even the vibration test makes the controller vibrate, but when I boot a game or the bios nothing works properly. I think it keeps reverting to using xinput pad 0 instead of 1 from the listed (I have multiple connected on my PC as I discussed above for RetroArch) but I'm not certain. Oh well, I only really wanted to dabble in some Virtua Fighter 4 and MGS2, the latter I can play the PC port fine with afan fix, it runs better as it's one of the games that struggled in certain scenes when emulated (like the part with the tons of marines in the tanker). The shadows in the skate park and some motion blur/dof didn't look right either (dof doesn't look right in the PC port either in my case, it enables a weird trail effect, but I can disable it and still get most of the cinematic look vs using a setting that disables all such post-processing in PCSX2).

By the way if you had bad performance in Citra previously maybe try it again. I don't often start it up but I keep it installed and update, I tried it just now and I can now play Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate full speed with just minor hitches when new stuff are loaded in for the first time (kinda like Dolphin pre-Ubershaders). It's perfectly fine in gameplay the vast majority of the time. Previously I couldn't maintain full speed in that game myself (yet OoT and others were fine).
 
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Tizoc

Retired, but still Enabling
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New PCSX2 stable version is out after 4 years!

Funny how like everything except the emulator itself is outdated. They are still using HTML, they haven't updated their videos, and their Wikis use 1.4.0 as base for testing compatibility for most games.
gonna test out klonoa 2
 
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tet666

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Yuzu is getting Multicore CPU emulation the results are impressive to say the least:
 
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freshVeggie

almost there
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Yuzu is getting Multicore CPU emulation the results are impressive to say the least:

Looks like a major upgrade.
 

Aelphaeis Mangarae

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PCSX2's bigger problem from my perspective is a lack of consideration for the user experience. A good emulator shouldn't expect a user to read a wiki before they play a game. People who know what they're doing should have identified the proper settings before-hand. PCSX2 has a very inconsistent approach to configuration. Stuff like float rounding behavior? Already handled. Hacks-slash-settings required to make videos render properly in Silent Hill games? Oh, well, because reasons that isn't handled by the same cfg files so you'll have to set it up manually. Needless inaccuracy creeps in because a lot of people have absolutely no idea what they're doing and just use the default settings.
 
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Knurek

OG old coot
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PCSX2's bigger problem from my perspective is a lack of consideration for the user experience. A good emulator shouldn't expect a user to read a wiki before they play a game. People who know what they're doing should have identified the proper settings before-hand. PCSX2 has a very inconsistent approach to configuration. Stuff like float rounding behavior? Already handled. Hacks-slash-settings required to make videos render properly in Silent Hill games? Oh, well, because reasons that isn't handled by the same cfg files so you'll have to set it up manually. Needless inaccuracy creeps in because a lot of people have absolutely no idea what they're doing and just use the default settings.
I mean, most of the stuff can be handled just by switching to software mode, with close to no issues.
It's just that people don't want to do that for some reason. :thinking-blob:
 

MegaApple

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PCSX2's bigger problem from my perspective is a lack of consideration for the user experience. A good emulator shouldn't expect a user to read a wiki before they play a game. People who know what they're doing should have identified the proper settings before-hand. PCSX2 has a very inconsistent approach to configuration. Stuff like float rounding behavior? Already handled. Hacks-slash-settings required to make videos render properly in Silent Hill games? Oh, well, because reasons that isn't handled by the same cfg files so you'll have to set it up manually. Needless inaccuracy creeps in because a lot of people have absolutely no idea what they're doing and just use the default settings.
I believe there is a frontend for Pcsx2 that keeps separate config files for each games.

Also, I've heard few plugins work better with certain games. Is that true? Do I have to switch plugins to play those games?
 

gabbo

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I believe there is a frontend for Pcsx2 that keeps separate config files for each games.

Also, I've heard few plugins work better with certain games. Is that true? Do I have to switch plugins to play those games?
which front end is this?
 

NoNoNoByAllMeans

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May 2, 2020
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which front end is this?
I believe he might be referring to this one. I have not tried it myself as I just set up my PSX2 install,, but this might do the trick! 🙂👍

I set it up myself and everything seems to be working, except for the box art scraper. I only tried using the GiantBomb API however, but this seems to be a widespread problem according to the project's Bug Reporting page. You do have the option to add them manually, but if your library is very big I can see that being a deal-breaker.
 
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gabbo

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I believe he might be referring to this one. I have not tried it myself as I just set up my PSX2 install,, but this might do the trick! 🙂👍

I set it up myself and everything seems to be working, except for the box art scraper. I only tried using the GiantBomb API however, but this seems to be a widespread problem according to the project's Bug Reporting page. You do have the option to add them manually, but if your library is very big I can see that being a deal-breaker.
right now, i only emulate one ps2 game, so it's not an issue for me, but I'll keep that in mind
 
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Alextended

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Have to say that N64 has to be among the systems that hold up the worst so far. I'm not some retro 3D snob either, I regularly play Saturn and PS1 games in RA but even the best N64 games are painful in comparison even after configuring the controls so that they play with semi-modern schemes (ie mapping the c keys on the left stick and the analog stick on the right stick and triggers/buttons accordingly so FPS play like a twin stick shooter, I do the same for Dreamcast Outtrigger and such). I don't really get why it just always feels off. Probably the performance but I was ok-ish with OoT and that's like 20fps. I dunno.
 

KainXVIII

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Have to say that N64 has to be among the systems that hold up the worst so far. I'm not some retro 3D snob either
Same, maybe because IQ is just atrocious, you can barely see anything in this blurry soup (if we talking about accurate software rendering of course)
 

Alextended

Segata's Disciple
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Yeah I'm talking accurate. I don't tend to enhance oldies outside deinterlacing, just add crt-esque filters. I only increase resolution for Dreamcast (well, I can go either way for DC) or newer. Although for Rogue Squadron I couldn't stand it in the N64 emulator but the PC port in high-res thanks to dgVoodoo2 is pretty ace.
 
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Alextended

Segata's Disciple
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Arcade games of roughly model 2 complexity and upwards tend to fare well in high resolution (never mind model 3 which also came out in 96). They have higher polygon complexity and less artifacts and glitches than the home systems of the era and look pretty good when sharpened up in that way. Always great to get stuff like last gen's Daytona (which also fixed up draw distance and lod), shame it's once again locked out of current systems. Some earlier games look great in high resolution too, some wireframe or vector graphics. But yeah I was talking native res + crt for N64/Saturn/PS1. N64 doesn't hold up at all imo.
 
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Durante

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Personally, I feel like of its contemporaries, judging from the actual output of the consoles at the time, N64 holds up best. As long as the games are designed with its limitations in mind (that is, the art style can deal with very limited texture memory).

The primary reason for my preference is that the stability and solidity of its 3D rendering is just in an entirely different league compared to something like a PS1. I know there has been somewhat of a nostalgic feeling for PS1-style rendering recently, but to me, fundamentally broken projection and texture mapping with affine swim and extreme aliasing was never anything other than a bug. In comparison, N64 output with its perspective mapping, genuine FP vertex math, and even somewhat decent AA is just far better in comparison -- though fundamentally hampered by the texture mem size.
 
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Aelphaeis Mangarae

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Something that bothers me a little bit is that we've been able to accurately emulate the N64's graphics at reasonable performance and pixel accuracy for a while now. (But the new approach is somewhat faster if you have the API support and GPU.) The sticking point is that N64 core accuracy, particularly timing is really not good. It's terrible, frankly. A lot of people think that N64 emulation is saved, but they've yet to address some very fundamental problems. I'm pretty sure the freezing issues in Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine are still unresolved, for instance. And heaps of games run with wrong timings.
 
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low-G

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Finally checked out Yuzu. It's a little bit less advanced than I was led to believe from all the talk etc, but it's still impressive of course. In time, it'll get to a reasonable state.

And yeah regarding N64 emulation, it seems like you have to throw a lot of timing accuracy into the wind if you want pixel perfect accuracy, but it's still neat to see the graphical artifacts - so grungy and satisfying.