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PS2 Emulation with PCSX2 - share your game configs!

KainXVIII

Member
Just tried out Software mode on my new PC that has an i7-7700K and was disappointed that it still can't run games well. Was hoping I would finally be able to pack away my PS2, I'm so out of space in the entertainment center...

Strange, even my i5-3570 can pull of software mode easily (maybe, depends on game?).
And yes, hardware mode still have a LOT of visual glitches =( (Shadow Tower Abyss..)
 

KyleCross

Member
Strange, even my i5-3570 can pull of software mode easily (maybe, depends on game?).
And yes, hardware mode still have a LOT of visual glitches =( (Shadow Tower Abyss..)

Yes, seems you're right. Dragon Quest VIII is at an unplayable framerate, but Haunting Ground plays perfectly in software mode. Shame about DQ8, as it's my favorite game. Also too bad software mode doesn't allow you more anti-aliasing options, to be able to play at native resolution in software mode but without the jaggies would be nice.
 
Yes, seems you're right. Dragon Quest VIII is at an unplayable framerate, but Haunting Ground plays perfectly in software mode. Shame about DQ8, as it's my favorite game. Also too bad software mode doesn't allow you more anti-aliasing options, to be able to play at native resolution in software mode but without the jaggies would be nice.

For hardware (and software) mode be sure to stick with the opengl backend as its way ahead of the others in term of rendering effects that previously only software mode managed.

EDIT: in software go to shader configuration and you can enable FXAA to help reduce the jaggies, still doesnt look too hot though.
 

KyleCross

Member
For hardware (and software) mode be sure to stick with the opengl backend as its way ahead of the others in term of rendering effects that previously only software mode managed.

EDIT: in software go to shader configuration and you can enable FXAA to help reduce the jaggies, still doesnt look too hot though.

Yeah, I hear you can change how software mode looks with the GSdx Shader config. I opened the ini file and turned on the antialiasing in there and didn't notice much of an improvement. Does anyone have settings for the GSdx Shader they can recommend me? There's a lot in there.
 

KyleCross

Member
How's the current state of Ape Escape 2 on pcsx2? Playable?
I have an i5-2500@3.30 and a GTX 970, is it sufficient?

Just tested it out for you with an i7-7700 and GTX 1070 at 6x native resolution on 1.5 (the latest dev build). It runs and looks fantastic, so you're good. Just be sure to enable HW Hacks and check Unscale Point and Line inside there, otherwise cutscenes have a black grid over them.
 

Fou-Lu

Member
Is there any way to fix the text artifacting in Dark Cloud 2? Wiki says to use Wild ARMS offset hack, but that completely breaks the graphics EXCEPT for the text, haha.
 

Awakened

Member
Just tried out Software mode on my new PC that has an i7-7700K and was disappointed that it still can't run games well. Was hoping I would finally be able to pack away my PS2, I'm so out of space in the entertainment center...
Did you set Rendering Threads correctly? That's a big speedup for software. With it set to 4 I can run most games full speed on a 4.4ghz OCed 2500k. I think you'd set it to 8 on your i7.
 

dogen

Member
Did you set Rendering Threads correctly? That's a big speedup for software. With it set to 4 I can run most games full speed on a 4.4ghz OCed 2500k. I think you'd set it to 8 on your i7.

5 or 6 is probably best on an i7. The extra rendering threads are in addition to the main EE and GS threads.
 
Just tested it out for you with an i7-7700 and GTX 1070 at 6x native resolution on 1.5 (the latest dev build). It runs and looks fantastic, so you're good. Just be sure to enable HW Hacks and check Unscale Point and Line inside there, otherwise cutscenes have a black grid over them.

I finally tried it but noticed it has the flickering bug and apparently the only way is via the software mode, but in this case it lags a lot
 

Salty Hippo

Member
I just downloaded the latest stable version (1.4.0). What is the basic stuff I need to change right away in the settings to have the best experience possible in terms of compatibility and IQ? My PC is an i5 4590@3.30Ghz, GTX 970 and 12GB RAM.
 

Psyfer

Member
I just downloaded the latest stable version (1.4.0). What is the basic stuff I need to change right away in the settings to have the best experience possible in terms of compatibility and IQ? My PC is an i5 4590@3.30Ghz, GTX 970 and 12GB RAM.

Depends on the game, I suggest taking a look at the compatibility list for whatever game you want to play.

You can probably go ahead and change some graphics plugin settings though. Got to Config -> Video (GS) -> Plugin Config. There you can change the internal resolution and turn on MSAA (check the box that says "Enable HW Hacks" then click "Configure Hacks" right next to it.)

Also, make sure you're using the best graphics plugin you can, which will probably be avx2 for you. If you're not sure which you're using, go to Config -> Plugin/BIOS Selector. GS is the graphics plugin. The text in brackets at the end is an easy way to tell which you're using, avx2, for example will have "[gsdx32-avx2]" at the end.

That's about as far as I go when it comes to messing with IQ.
 
I just downloaded the latest stable version (1.4.0). What is the basic stuff I need to change right away in the settings to have the best experience possible in terms of compatibility and IQ? My PC is an i5 4590@3.30Ghz, GTX 970 and 12GB RAM.

forget the last stable version, its ancient and tons of performance issues have been ironed out since then. grab a 1.5.0 build from the below.

https://buildbot.orphis.net/pcsx2/

dx11 is the fastest backend but whilst its a bit slower opengl is the most accurate and most worked on, always use it if you can. set blending mode as high as your build will allow when using opengl.

other than that go to the speedhacks and tick the "recommended" boxes as you will get a decent boost with no ill effect on the emulation. i forget the exact sections name but there is an option to switch to software mode when an fmv plays which prevents a lot of potential issues with hardware playback.

lastly if you have per game problems always use the wiki as its an invaluable source of information.
 

KyleCross

Member
5 or 6 is probably best on an i7. The extra rendering threads are in addition to the main EE and GS threads.

Using that many cores is certainly news to me! I remember hearing a long time ago about only a maximum of 3 cores would actually be used despite what you put there.

Have a question for everyone. Now usually "the higher the resolution, the better" is always the answer to games, but PS2 games with their low resolution textures and low polygon count can kinda make that muddy. In your personal opinion, when does the times native resolution start producing diminishing returns? I'm running in 6x native resolution cause it's the closest to 4k, but I hear that 4x native is what many consider the sweet spot, with higher not making that much of a difference with much higher resource drain.
 

KyleCross

Member
Are shadows still bugged for SMT: Nocturne?

Seems like they're not as long as you use OpenGL. A lot of the age old problems games had in PCSX2 with shadows were Direct3D related. OpenGL is the way to go, tho I believe OpenGL doesn't run the best on AMD GPUs.
 

s_mirage

Member
Using that many cores is certainly news to me! I remember hearing a long time ago about only a maximum of 3 cores would actually be used despite what you put there.

Have a question for everyone. Now usually "the higher the resolution, the better" is always the answer to games, but PS2 games with their low resolution textures and low polygon count can kinda make that muddy. In your personal opinion, when does the times native resolution start producing diminishing returns? I'm running in 6x native resolution cause it's the closest to 4k, but I hear that 4x native is what many consider the sweet spot, with higher not making that much of a difference with much higher resource drain.

I tend to use 4x. Past that the difference is hard to see and the GPU load can get pushed quite high depending on the blending mode. It's game dependant though, so 2D games tend to get run at 1x because they look bad upscaled, and some games are faster in software mode (I really wish they would add game specific configs).
 

Sentenza

Gold Member
I just downloaded the latest stable version (1.4.0). What is the basic stuff I need to change right away
The version, for a start.

Never go with the "latest stable" with emulators. That typically brings you a couple of years of development in the past, since these are very rarely updated.

Just go with the latest daily build.
 

dogen

Member
Using that many cores is certainly news to me! I remember hearing a long time ago about only a maximum of 3 cores would actually be used despite what you put there.

Have a question for everyone. Now usually "the higher the resolution, the better" is always the answer to games, but PS2 games with their low resolution textures and low polygon count can kinda make that muddy. In your personal opinion, when does the times native resolution start producing diminishing returns? I'm running in 6x native resolution cause it's the closest to 4k, but I hear that 4x native is what many consider the sweet spot, with higher not making that much of a difference with much higher resource drain.

Diminishing returns start around 2-3x imo. And the only way it'll use that many threads is with the software renderer.
 

Salty Hippo

Member
Depends on the game, I suggest taking a look at the compatibility list for whatever game you want to play.

You can probably go ahead and change some graphics plugin settings though. Got to Config -> Video (GS) -> Plugin Config. There you can change the internal resolution and turn on MSAA (check the box that says "Enable HW Hacks" then click "Configure Hacks" right next to it.)

Also, make sure you're using the best graphics plugin you can, which will probably be avx2 for you. If you're not sure which you're using, go to Config -> Plugin/BIOS Selector. GS is the graphics plugin. The text in brackets at the end is an easy way to tell which you're using, avx2, for example will have "[gsdx32-avx2]" at the end.

That's about as far as I go when it comes to messing with IQ.

forget the last stable version, its ancient and tons of performance issues have been ironed out since then. grab a 1.5.0 build from the below.

https://buildbot.orphis.net/pcsx2/

dx11 is the fastest backend but whilst its a bit slower opengl is the most accurate and most worked on, always use it if you can. set blending mode as high as your build will allow when using opengl.

other than that go to the speedhacks and tick the "recommended" boxes as you will get a decent boost with no ill effect on the emulation. i forget the exact sections name but there is an option to switch to software mode when an fmv plays which prevents a lot of potential issues with hardware playback.

lastly if you have per game problems always use the wiki as its an invaluable source of information.

The version, for a start.

Never go with the "latest stable" with emulators. That typically brings you a couple of years of development in the past, since these are very rarely updated.

Just go with the latest daily build.

Very helpful, thank you guys.
 

SephLuis

Member
I just started playing with PCSX2 and have been replaying Onimusha 4. This time, though, I am playing the Japanese version and there's a weird graphical glitch in it.

Does anyone know any solution for this? I searched and managed to find a patch for the US/EU versions, but not the JP one.
 

Miker

Member
I just started playing with PCSX2 and have been replaying Onimusha 4. This time, though, I am playing the Japanese version and there's a weird graphical glitch in it.

Does anyone know any solution for this? I searched and managed to find a patch for the US/EU versions, but not the JP one.

It would help if you let us know what this glitch is. Also, take a look at the PCSX2 wiki entry for each game before playing it, it may already have info on workarounds.
 

scotcheggz

Member
Is anyone using SCP drivers for windows? Mine used to work flawlessly, plugged it in today and everything works except the X button which appears to do absolutely nothing. Anyone had a similar issue have any ideas? I've tried updating everything but X just doesn't seem to be recognized.

EDIT: I'm using a DS3 controller.
 

evilalien

Member
Is anyone using SCP drivers for windows? Mine used to work flawlessly, plugged it in today and everything works except the X button which appears to do absolutely nothing. Anyone had a similar issue have any ideas? I've tried updating everything but X just doesn't seem to be recognized.

EDIT: I'm using a DS3 controller.

I do and I have no issues with my DS3. Do you have another DS3 to test with? Or maybe test your DS3 with a PS3?
 

knerl

Member
Right now this game is pretty much perfect. Post-processing is working with later dev builds, no blending issues, a 60fps patch allows for 60fps w/o slowdowns where the original and the HD Collection runs in slow motion. Widescreen hack in place and a DS3 in native mode gives pressure sensitive face buttons.

HD Collection is missing several effects and it runs like shit at far too many places to be a worthy HD remaster.

Just to show how sweet it is:
2KXcaKp.png


Software mode confirming post-processing:
Vxh9Sds.png


Now for the config:
PCSX2 v.1.5.0-dev-2175
GSDX that comes with it by default
OpenGL Hardware
Enable hardware hacks ticked
Half pixel offset (normal vertex) this fixes incorrect alignments
Speedhacks on with EE cycle rate at 2 and MTVU enabled
SCPToolKit for pressure sens on the DS3

For 60fps and widescreen:
- Create a file in the "cheats" folder where PCSX2 is installed
- Name it with the game crc code (you get this from the app log when running the game)
For example. In my case the crc code reads 0x053D2239
Copy everything after "0x"
- Set the file ending to ".pnach"
- Add the following to the file
Code:
gametitle=Metal Gear Solid 3 - Subsistence (SLUS_21359)
comment=Widescreen hack by No.47
patch=1,EE,202050AC,word,3F400000
comment=60FPS Patch
patch=1,EE,001D5AD8,extended,00000000
patch=1,EE,001D6DB8,extended,00000001
patch=1,EE,001D6DBC,extended,00000000
- Be sure to tick "Enable cheats" and "Enable widescreen patches" under the "System" menu of PCSX2

That should be it. Also. You might have to restart PCSX2 if you add the cheat file while it's running. Or just restart the game.

EDIT: Had to lower my native res to 4x at chyornyj prud where the framerate dropped to ~55. Although that's still so much faster and better than the real deal and the HD collection.
Now all I need is some adjustments to the size of the rain drops. A bit too small at these resolutions. Still visible though.

EDIT2: To fix the rain the emulator has an option called "unscale point and line" under advanced settings and hacks.

EDIT3: After returning to this and playing for a while I actually cannot play this att full speed at 60fps all the time. Even dropping the native res to 3x still only gets me rougly 75-80% in a few areas. These areas however are rare and all in all it runs much better than the HD Collection. Doesn't matter which speed hacks I use. Sometimes in gameplay I have to use a non-default EE cycle rate of 2 to maintain speed, but with this cutscenes sometimes bog down. Running the same cutscenes with default EE cycle rate instead they do maintain full speed.

All in all it's in a great state, but not perfect. OpenGL is too slow to keep the game at a steady 60fps at all times. Pretty sure it's down to OpenGL since other games that can't maintain full speed using it works flawlessly using DX11. The game gets small visual corruptions only a couple of pixels wide along the edges of the screen and during my fight with the Fear the game completely froze for maybe 2 seconds a couple of times. The widescreen patch floating around for the game works great, but the plane in which the water reflections are rendered are still rendered at 4:3 with this which looks really out of place. Tried to fix this by fiddling around in cheat engine and changing hex values. I did find some addresses that affected it, but not in the way I want.

Fuck I want a new HD port where they fix performance AND fix all effects. Going from scenes that are supposed to be drenched in rain to scenes where there is none is a slap in the face when it comes to preserving a great title.
 
Last edited:

Fukuzatsu

Member
Right now this game is pretty much perfect. Post-processing is working with later dev builds, no blending issues, a 60fps patch allows for 60fps w/o slowdowns where the original and the HD Collection runs in slow motion. Widescreen hack in place and a DS3 in native mode gives pressure sensitive face buttons.

Only problem is now that the HUD looks like hot trash. I wonder if it would be possible to do an HD UI pack sort of like was done for Twin Snakes on Dolphin.
 
So dualcore CPU still a viable option? I wanna do a fun build and make a little emulator box running a dual core Pentium 3.7ghz and have it output to my PVM crt. Wii/ps2 isn't as important to me for this but I figure I can give it the horsepower for it
 

bomblord1

Banned
So dualcore CPU still a viable option? I wanna do a fun build and make a little emulator box running a dual core Pentium 3.7ghz and have it output to my PVM crt. Wii/ps2 isn't as important to me for this but I figure I can give it the horsepower for it

PCSX2 doesn't benefit from additional cores after 2. Per core performance is more important and I don't think a Pentium will cut it.
 
PCSX2 doesn't benefit from additional cores after 2. Per core performance is more important and I don't think a Pentium will cut it.
Oh I see. I don't think there's a faster dualcore out there, the 7th gen I looked up is 3.7ghz and I don't believe it can be overclocked. I guess I need to look at the i3/i5/i7 or just use my main build for ps2 emulation. Thanks!
 

jett

D-Member
I tried out Dragon Quest VIII but it stutters a lot. Not really framedrops, just stuttering. I got a 4670k/280X. Is there anything I can do to fix this?
 

bomblord1

Banned
I tried out Dragon Quest VIII but it stutters a lot. Not really framedrops, just stuttering. I got a 4670k/280X. Is there anything I can do to fix this?

Reduce the internal res it's a pretty demanding on the GPU I used to have the same GPU and 3x was usually the max res I could go before getting into unplayable territory. Usually kept it at 2x.

Also don't use OpenGL if you're using an r9 280x the OpenGL plugin doesn't work right on AMD GPU's.

Might also be worth making sure MTVU is enabled and check out your graphics settings and turn off any unnecessary hacks. Aside from that you are probably just going to just need to play in the area for a bit before it goes away.
 

jett

D-Member
Reduce the internal res it's a pretty demanding on the GPU I used to have the same GPU and 3x was usually the max res I could go before getting into unplayable territory. Usually kept it at 2x.

Also don't use OpenGL if you're using an r9 280x the OpenGL plugin doesn't work right on AMD GPU's.

Might also be worth making sure MTVU is enabled and check out your graphics settings and turn off any unnecessary hacks. Aside from that you are probably just going to just need to play in the area for a bit before it goes away.

Thanks, I think that improved it a bit.

Speed shows it's at 100% but I experience some hiccups anyway. I guess that's just the way it is.
 
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