MiSTer PSX Core by FPGAZumSpass

This document will be updated frequently with updates and changes


Welcome to the FAQ of the MiSTer PSX core

PSX Core Features

Here is a quick and global overview on what is implemented and what we still can expect:

Implemented

Work In Progress

  • Bug Hunting / Resolve
  • Serial Port
  • MultiTap (Markun) - current solution is a hack

    • Not Planned

    • PGXP (Precision Geometry Transform Pipeline)
    • Pocket Station
    • Scandoubler

    Installing/Updating the MiSTer PSX core

    Update your mister with your preferred update method to make sure you have the latest version:

    These scripts can be found in your ‘Scripts’ section on the MiSTer OSD, if they are not on your MiSTer you can download the files above and manually put them there. See their respective page for instructions.

    The previous script that could be downloaded from this webpage (update_PSX.sh) can only be used to download and test the unstable builds. See 'Help testing' for more information.

    The BIOS files

    To run games we need BIOS files, since the PSX core supports auto region switching the BIOS names should look like this.

    These BIOS are the recommended:
    Bios File NameRegionVersionSHA1
    boot.romUSSCPH-700114df4f6c1e367ce097c11deae21566b4fe5647a9
    boot1.romJPSCPH-700077b10118d21ac7ffa9b35f9c4fd814da240eb3e9
    boot2.romEUSCPH-70028d5de56a79954f29e9006929ba3fed9b6a418c1d

    The BIOS files will have to go into ../games/PSX/ directory (unzipped)

    An optional custom cd_bios.rom in a game directory can still be used to override the region detection auto load. Important: once a cd_bios.rom has been loaded the core needs to be reloaded before auto region switching will activate again

    For an overview of all the different BIOS versions please see the     Wikipedia Page

    Game format and Directory Structures

    Games Image Location

    The base location of the game images is located at the following location: Use all caps for the PSX directory name.

    Supported File Formats

    The PSX core does support 2 formats for game images: Compressed files like ZIP or 7Z are not supported, instead use CHD which contains compressed information for data and loss less compression for audio, it will save quite some storage space when you use this format.

    Example: Structuring Directories

    Here are 3 game directory examples. I will explain in detail what cd_bios.rom and noreset.txt are *GameName and 'GameName Disc' are just randomly picked names you can name it anything you want!

    The directory GameName 1 contains 1 CHD file which means that this CHD will autoboot once the directory is selected.

    The directory GameName 2 contains 4 CHD files which means that the directory is opened and you can pick which game image you want to boot. When using this setup you do not change directories so that means the core will not reboot when loading another game disc, this will come in handy when swapping (noreset.txt is not needed here!). The file cd_bios.rom indicates that a special bios rom has been used and the PSX core will use this bios instead of the boot.rom in the root directory of the games/PSX directory

    The directory ProActionReplay contains 1 CHD file which means this CHD will autoboot once the directory is selected. The file noreset.txt indicates that the core should not reset once another game image is selected in another directory. This will make it easy to run gameshark or proaction replay cheat cds.

    Once a custom bios has been loaded (cd_bios.rom) the only way to get to the auto selector bios is to reload the PSX core

    When switching to an audio disc image the PSX core will not reset itself. This is handy when there is a need to switch to your own audio CD like with Vib Ribbon or any other game/visualizer that can play audio CDs.

    Dualshock Support

    To use the DualShock feature first set your stick(s) to DualShock in the 'Pad' section of the menu. Once this is done and you have a compatible controller you can use rumble support.

    To Change between Analog/Digital use the following buttons: When you change analog/digital controller modes an overlay in the upper left corner should indicate what mode you're currently in. To get the overlay make sure the OSD menu is closed.

    Memory Cards

    Memory cards are auto generated in /media/fat/saves/PSX as .sav files. The memory card in slot1 is automounted with the directory name your game image is in and slot2 can have any memory card file in it that you desire. The 'SAV' memory cards are compatible with MCD files and both formats can be loaded.

    The PSX core has an auto save feature for the memory cards, if it's activated a green green light on the IO board comes as a reminder to open the GUI to write any unsaved changes to the memory card. The reason: The MiSTer only has 1 linux/HPS which must serve both in parallel, so pausing is the only way to make sure the game does not crash when saving the contents of the memory card.

    A good memory card manager can be found here:     https://github.com/ShendoXT/memcardrex check the website for instructions on how to use it.

    Cheats

    When you load a game image the PSX core will automatically detect the Game ID of the image. Every Game Disc has their own unique gameID and thus it's perfectly suited to be used to auto load cheats that can be used. If a disc does not have a Game ID (very rare) you can rename the cheat zip file to the CUE filename and put it in the same location as the BIN/CUE file.

    Downloading a Single Cheat

    Cheats are now natively supported by the PSX core. Cheats Can be downloaded from     GameHacking.org, just make sure you download them as follows:



    Select the following from the 2 drop down like the screenshot:
    Format: MiSter
    FileName: GameID

    Where do I put these zip files? Alternatively you can put cheats in the same Directory as your image with the same name as your cue or chd file.

    Downloading the PSX Cheat Archive

    Download the latest PSX Cheats File from GameHacking Cheat Repository and unzip the contents of this file in /media/fat/cheats/PSX/. Your Directory should look something like this.
    And Finally:

    Help Testing the Core

    If you want to join us and test then make sure you join the discord FPGA server and go to the #psx_core_testing channel.


    The official bug tracker can be found on     https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/PSX_MiSTer/issues. Before opening make sure you check if a ticket with your bug has not been created. In the bug report make sure to:

    Downloading the tester update script: The update script for !!testing only!! (unstable versions) can be found at here (right click and save) A big thank you to TheYpsilon for the nightly builds!

    Error Codes

    External Links

    FAQ:

    Why does interlaced video on my CRT look so bad.

    SYNC 480 FOR HDMI makes interlaced content on the PSX look like donkey on a CRT It should always be off

    Help!! Game [insert game name here] doesn’t work or crashes in game

    Chances are we already know about it – patience is the solution here

    My game doesn't always run at 60/60 or 50/50 speed speed, is there a way to fix this?

    Turn off the FPS counter and enjoy the game - if it really keeps on bugging you check against real hardware to see the same behavior.

    My won't my cheats work?

    2 possible reasons: your data-cache is turned on (which disables the cheats) or the cheat you selected is bad.

    My BIN/CUE file won't start (and just puts me into the BIOS menu)

    Your BIN/CUE file might be corrupted or the game is not supported yet. If you know the program should run then check the cue sheet and correct the name. Click here for a short Youtube guide

    My debug menu doesn't show anymore

    Push L3+R3+Select to make it visible

    Does the core work with a single stick of SDRAM?

    Yes the core is working even for single ram users but it is multiplexed for single RAM for DDR3 Memory. Unless you're a computer you will not be able to detect any differences in performance between single and dual stick.

    What lightgun options are available to use with the core?

    GunCon emulation support has been implemented, so any device identifying itself to MiSTer as an analog joystick can be used. Examples of these are PS4/PS5 controller joysticks, wiimotes and light guns.

    Also, the USB based guncon2 can be used via the following driver: https://github.com/NolanNicholson/GunCon2-MiSTer

    NOTE: This has not yet been merged into the main MiSTer linux kernel, therefore requires a custom MiSTer binary from the above repo to function.

    Actual first generation GunCons cannot be used at this time, possibly until SNAC support is added.

    My controls don’t work correct

    Remap the button for the core - this is different from the initial mapping you did when setting up your controller to work with MiSTer and is on a per core basis

    I get a black screen after I updated my MiSTer but I heard the startup sound of the PSX

    Adjust your filters and shadow mask under the 'video processing' settings

    Analogue out doesn't work for me and the LEDs are off too

    You are using a direct build by FPGAZumspass - he doesn't compile with an analogue IO board as he uses the 2nd slot for an SD-RAM

    What does it mean when CD appears in the upper left corner but the games are running

    CD is shown as an overlay, when the loading is slower than the core/game expected it to be. Turning off 'CD Instant Seek' in the OSD will most likely solve this problem. Also make sure you're not transferring large files over the network while using the core

    Why are my FTP file transfer corrupted?

    Use binary transfer only

    I got a call someone would setup the PSX core in exchange for Google gift cards

    Just hang up the phone




    A big thank you to FPGAZumSpass and to the MiSTer community on the MiSTer FPGA discord for being awesome people