One of the most popular emulators, SNES9x, has received a new update. Now at version 1.56, a massive amount of minor things have been changed and added to the emulator's features, such as graphical error fixes, emulation improvements, and more.

The full changelog can be seen below.

- Increased the speed of SA1 emulation to match hardware (BearOso)
more closely.
- Fixed negative SA1 division (BearOso, Jonas Quinn)
- Changed the location where we poll input to potentially (Brunnis, BearOso)
reduce lag.
- Fixed the interlace fields being swapped after skipping (BearOso)
frames.
- More updates for BS-X support. (LuigiBlood)
- Updated xBRZ to version 1.6. (zenju, OV2)
- Added a DMA timing hack for rpgone's Koryu no Mimi (OV2)
translation.
- Updated HDMA to not update indirect addresses until after (BearOso)
transfers are completed.
- Improved cheats support. This stores cheats in a human- (BearOso, OV2)
readable and editable format as gamename.cht. Cheats are
converted from the old format on load. They can be added
in many different formats, but they will convert to the
simple address=condition?byte format.
Also, now included is mightymo's cheat database, and the
ability to match a game and automatically load cheats
from it.
- Don't reset a pending NMI on vblank end. Fixes Super (furrykef)
Punch-Out.
- Redo NMI timing. Fixes Secret of Evermore (PAL). (BearOso)
- Test for transparency before dithering on SuperFX. This (RedGuy(yyy))
fixes some graphical artifacts in Star Fox.
- Change some of the SDD1 guesswork mapping. Fixes a Tales (BearOso)
of Phantasia hack.
- Return PPU1 MDR for reads of $2137 instead of CPU MDR. (BearOso)
Fixes Mario's Time Machine graphical glitch.
- Memset less memory for sprite calculations. (Nebuleon)
- Don't spuriously update register 14 when running SuperFX. (BearOso)
Fixes graphical glitches in Doom.
- Added a SuperFX clock modifier variable. (BearOso)
- Write CPU MDR during some DMA and HDMA transfers. Fixes (BearOso)
Speedy Gonzales and Funaki Masakatsu Hybrid Wrestler.
- Calculate next IRQ time in advance instead of continously (BearOso, OV2)
checking for it.
- Added some IRQ timing quirks. Fixes at least Marko's (BearOso, OV2)
Magic Football.
- Fixed wrong tile selection in offset-per-tile mode. (BearOso)
- Advance the VRAM pointer even if VRAM writes at the time (kps501)
are invalid.
- Return 0x80 instead of 0xff in DSP1 simulation. Fixes (kps501)
Powerfest '94 Mario Kart.
- Initialize controllers on reset. Fixes Looney Tunes (kps501)
B-Ball multitap.
- Attached APU instruction tracer and made some additions (BearOso)
to debugging output.
- Fix line doubling in interlaced mode. (kps501)
- Added support for M.A.C.S. rifle peripheral. (kps501)
- Fixed a bug where the MSU1 channels were reversed. (qwertymodo)
- Win32: Added dynamic rate control support for XAudio2 (OV2)
- Win32: Added different volume level configuration for (OV2)
regular and turbo speed.
- Win32: Added option to disable EPX scaling for messages (OV2)
- Win32: Improve multi-rom loading. (OV2)
- Win32: Add libpng and zlib dependencies as submodules for (qwertymodo, OV2)
easier compiling from source.
- Win32: Fixed icon registration. (OV2)
- Win32: Better support for running while unfocused. (OV2)
- Win32: Changed icon. (BearOso)
- Win32: Report hidpi support. (BearOso)
- Win32: Added mute hotkey and hotkeys for saving/loading (OV2)
from file.
- Win32: Disabled hotplugging in favor of a menu option to (OV2)
reconfigure joysticks.
- Win32: Added a reduce input lag option. (BearOso)
- Win32: Added ability to use GLSLP shaders with OpenGL, (OV2)
including a dialog to tweak custom parameters.
- GTK+: Added dynamic rate control support for audio to (BearOso)
reduce buffer overflows and underflows.
- GTK+: Increased SDL requirement to version 2.0. This (BearOso)
improves joystick compatibility.
- GTK+: Improved GTK+ 3.0 support and made it the default. (BearOso)
- GTK+: Added ability to start from a snapshot on the (julien2512)
command line.
- GTK+: Added automatic input rate handling. (BearOso)
- GTK+: Use 16-bit 5-6-5 pixel format for better colors. (BearOso)
- GTK+: Now disables the compositor in fullscreen mode. (BearOso)
- GTK+: Changed icon. (BearOso)
- GTK+: Require libepoxy for OpenGL support. (BearOso)
- GTK+: Add full compatibility with GLSLP shaders, with a (BearOso)
parameters dialog to configure them.
- Unix: Add xinerama support and window position hints.

Source

 

[the_randomizer]

I see. I thought it was updated to 1.54/1.55 already.

I don't know, I haven't touched Wii emulators (Wii U is the only one to play Snes9x full speed without speed hacks) in years, sorry.

 

[nl255]

Partly because I fail to understand the mentality behind using obsolete software when there are alternatives that from every technical aspect are significantly superior, that also solves a specific problem he had encountered. It's like the grandad that wont use one of these new fangled PC things, because back in my day we...

How about because changing everything over to RetroArch is a royal pain in the ass, especially if you have older games for older systems that have password saves or even no saves at all. Hell, there are plenty of NES games that I have just stopped playing because I don't feel like restarting them from scratch and my standalone NES savestates were incompatible with Retroarch. Not to mention having to mess around with Cheat Engine which needs to be redone ever time there is a core updated because Retroarch doesn't have any kind of memory search/compare function.

 

[the_randomizer]

How about because changing everything over to RetroArch is a royal pain in the ass, especially if you have older games for older systems that have password saves or even no saves at all. Hell, there are plenty of NES games that I have just stopped playing because I don't feel like restarting them from scratch and my standalone NES savestates were incompatible with Retroarch. Not to mention having to mess around with Cheat Engine which needs to be redone ever time there is a core updated because Retroarch doesn't have any kind of memory search/compare function.

We've already moved on from that discussion, please don't bring it up again. This is about Snes9x and we aim to keep it that way.

 

[nl255]

We've already moved on from that discussion, please don't bring it up again. This is about Snes9x and we aim to keep it that way.

Sorry, I guess I am still kind of sore/POed about losing a bunch of progress on several games due to having to switch everything over to retroarch to use Genesis Plus.

 

[Jayro]

I can't help but wonder why SNES9X development is so painfully slow...

 

[spectral]

I can't help but wonder why SNES9X development is so painfully slow...

Probably because its the devs hobby rather than their job. There's also no urgency to it as while the changes are welcome, it already plays most things almost perfectly, or close enough you wouldn't notice without analysing frames.

 

[erazin]

Does this mean we can use this on our nintendo switch with sx pro?

 

[spectral]

Does this mean we can use this on our nintendo switch with sx pro?

If someone ports it to the switch.

 

[Mark McDonut]

I fuckin love me some better BS-X support, thanks devs!

 

[cyb0rg]

Hopefully the retroarch core will follow closely behind.

I don't know if it was up when you posted, but it's there now:

snes9x-1.56-libretro-win.zip

I put both cores in X:\RetroArch\cores\

Renamed them to:

snes9x_v1.56_libretro.dll
snes9x_v1.56_x64_libretro.dll

And everything seems to be working fine.

https://github.com/snes9xgit/snes9x/releases/tag/1.56

 

[the_randomizer]

I can't help but wonder why SNES9X development is so painfully slow...

It's almost as developers aren't getting paid for this and have lives of their own or something.

 

[bahamut920]

WHOOOOOO XBRZ 1.6 YES! Now only if they add net play, we will be going places.

Why are we excited about a shitty upscaling filter that by and large makes everything look worse?

 

[the_randomizer]

Why are we excited about a shitty upscaling filter that by and large makes everything look worse?

Let people enjoy what they enjoy, no one's making you use it

I don't know if it was up when you posted, but it's there now:

snes9x-1.56-libretro-win.zip

I put both cores in X:\RetroArch\cores\

Renamed them to:

snes9x_v1.56_libretro.dll
snes9x_v1.56_x64_libretro.dll

And everything seems to be working fine.

https://github.com/snes9xgit/snes9x/releases/tag/1.56

Hopefully Wii U version will be updated with 1.56 soon.

 

[bahamut920]

Let people enjoy what they enjoy, no one's making you use it

I'll admit that post probably comes across as a lot more antagonistic than I intended it, but I am genuinely curious. To my eyes at least, every one of the examples I've seen of it look far worse than the basic Nearest Neighbor filter applied when you upscale the emulator window normally. Are there certain games it looks better on? Does it look better than default at window sizes not even multiples of 100% of the game's native resolution? Is this just a case of my aesthetic sense just plain not lining up with someone else's?

 

[VinsCool]

I can't help but wonder why SNES9X development is so painfully slow...

Slow but steady progress, I would say.
No need to get rushed but broken updates.

 

[LuigiXHero]

Back to being off topic for a sec, but you can actually build genesis gx plus to be standalone, the repo has a option for that. It just has no gui at all.

 

[the_randomizer]

Back to being off topic for a sec, but you can actually build genesis gx plus to be standalone, the repo has a option for that. It just has no gui at all.

Yeah, it's not worth it doing it that way, best to use it through another emulator frontend. Snes9x 1.56 is also on RetroArch now, and it runs amazingly.

I'll admit that post probably comes across as a lot more antagonistic than I intended it, but I am genuinely curious. To my eyes at least, every one of the examples I've seen of it look far worse than the basic Nearest Neighbor filter applied when you upscale the emulator window normally. Are there certain games it looks better on? Does it look better than default at window sizes not even multiples of 100% of the game's native resolution? Is this just a case of my aesthetic sense just plain not lining up with someone else's?

I don't even use more than Blargg's filters in all honesty.

 

[DarkWork0]

Slow but steady progress, I would say.
No need to get rushed but broken updates.

Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection. - Mark Twain

 

[the_randomizer]

Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection. - Mark Twain

It wasn't that long between 1.55 and 1.56, some people are just impatient for emulator releases

 

[AsPika2219]

Thanks for updates!!! Anyway, version 1.56.1 was updated with some bugs fixes!!!

- Automatic input rate now only works for close multiples (BearOso)
of 60Hz.
- Win32: Cheats are now shown in the correct order in the (BearOso)
list view.
- GTK+: Check for version greater than 3.22 when using GTK+ (BearOso)
3.
- GTK+: Don't resize code and description field in GTK+ 2. (BearOso)

Download it here! https://github.com/snes9xgit/snes9x/releases