PS1/2 Emulator WiiStation - Another Fork of WiiSXRX released

[Disorarara]

I have been out of the loop for a while, and I've read about regressions and such, so... Which is considered the best overall release currently?

I personally consider the last release by jokippo a couple of pages back to be the best overall version but wiistation is constantly being updated so sticking to latest also isn't bad, plus it's good to get current bug reports and feedback instead of using an older version and reporting bugs that might have been already fixed.

 

[Ouaz]

Yep, 240p in Jokippo build is crisper than the current 240p implementation in latest Wiistation, which is a bit blurry in comparison (maybe it is related to the new PEOps used, or Jokkipo did some magic voodoo back in the days, I don't know).
The latest build has also a small problem regarding pal games display, but I guess it will be fixed in the next builds.

But latest Wiistation has fixed L/R channels output, improved sound, settings per game, and latest lightrec (games are fast and almost smooth in any circumstances).

 

[Disorarara]

I confirm this. It is slighty less smooth.

There's no framerate drops on my side, the game speed has never been so high (really noticeable on R4) but it seems a bit more jerking than previous builds (maybe the Wii can't handle this speed ?)

It's not that the Wii can't handle it or that it's frame dropping, it's that the refresh rate isn't paced correctly. This is especially noticable on games which use a strobing effect such as Capcom vs SNK on the thailand stage with the sun beam or KOF 99 for various effects such shadows, or in any side scrolling game where the scrolling is jerky despite running at full speed. I suspect this is maybe related to the addition of experimental triple buffering added a while back, as WiiSX also has a similar issue with jerky refresh rates when displaying games that run at 60fps, mostly fighting games and shmups. It works fantastically if the game isn't actually running at 60fps though, as is the case with PAL games and games which run at 30 or 20fps.

Perhaps this could be fixed by making triple buffering a toggle like the other video options?

 

[Maeson]

The version I have from Jokkipo's releases is from October 24, I think. I don't see any link for a newer version, I probably missed it somewhere.

Reading about the frame pace issues on Wiistation is a bit sad, though. Let's hope it gets fixed.

I also missed that not using LZMA for CHD formats could avoid crashes, although I don't know if there's any final saying...

 

[Ouaz]

If the Jokkipo's build has the "Force NTSC" setting, it is the last one he released (he vanished since then ^^).

Random crashes still happen with CHD, whatever is the compression (at least for me).

But, it is now possible to created CHD with Z-standard compression: https://gbatemp.net/threads/wiistat...iisxrx-released.614405/page-121#post-10326169

We occasionally get requests for Zstandard compression support (e.g. issue #7402). It gives far better decompression performance than zlib or particularly LZMA while delivering better compression ratios than zlib. This is important to people using emulators on low-end devices.

Maybe it will be the solution for the Wii to handle CHDs correctly.

 

[ssjkakaroto]

If the Jokkipo's build has the "Force NTSC" setting, it is the last one he released (he vanished since then ^^).

Random crashes still happen with CHD, whatever is the compression (at least for me).

But, it is now possible to created CHD with Z-standard compression: https://gbatemp.net/threads/wiistat...iisxrx-released.614405/page-121#post-10326169



Maybe it will be the solution for the Wii to handle CHDs correctly.

I think it's always important to test games using BIN/CUE to rule out any issues related to the format. The emulator has a lot to improve as you can see by the many issues being reported here, so the format the game is in shouldn't be a high priority for the devs, IMO.

 

[Amuro-san]

I think it's always important to test games using BIN/CUE to rule out any issues related to the format. The emulator has a lot to improve as you can see by the many issues being reported here, so the format the game is in shouldn't be a high priority for the devs, IMO.

I only try it in bin/cue

 

[SaulFabre]

Latest WiiStation build until git https://github.com/xjsxjs197/WiiSXRX_2022/commit/ea87caef8fa0cc709d1703da0de916a71acd9b71 with this commit https://github.com/xjsxjs197/WiiSXRX_2022/pull/186/commits/b490810e000cb96687294daad6ada57f28f7dff5

What's new:

• Update Lightrec as of 04/01/2024 (pcercuei). Through WiiStation doesn't support the 'threaded compiler' yet.
• cdrom: attempt to improve reset (notaz). This fixes the crash after the Infogrames logo in the game Looney Tunes: Sheep Raider (requested by @GustavoReis).
• Adds the missing command cdrIsoMultidiskSelect++ to the Swap CD (Multi-disk) command/logic from upstream PCSX-ReARMed. The SBI detection logics also depends of this command/variable, and moreover, the Libretro fork of PCSX-ReARMed has this command. Possible fix for https://github.com/xjsxjs197/WiiSXRX_2022/issues/96.

About the last commit, the person who created this issue said:

eku said:

There's some strange handling of multi-disc games in the source.

https://github.com/xjsxjs197/WiiSXRX_2022/blob/main/cdriso.c#L1043

WiiStation apparently does not recognise games with multiple CDs as such. Are you planning to correct this?

Should I open an issue for it?

saulfabregwiivc said:

Not necessary.

Anyways, i think i've found the cause of the issue with SBI and multi-disks:



This was taken from PCSX-ReARMed Libretro, but compare it to the actual implementation of Swap CD code on WiiStation, or even in WiiSX.

The cdrIsoMultidiskSelect command is missing here.
Anyways, i'll add it later.

Please test this new build, thanks

 

[Ouaz]

I think it's always important to test games using BIN/CUE to rule out any issues related to the format.

Yes, yes, I know. ^^

All the games I play or test are in BIN/CUE format. I have only one game both in BIN/CUE and CHD (Colin Mc Rae 1), to test the CHD compatibilty (and compare).

 

[_47iscool]

I just use PBP at level 9 compression.

Post automatically merged: Jan 11, 2024

I have to report after switching my Wii back to 4:3 rather than 16:9, the pixel quality is massively improved when turning off bilinear filtering, and games look so much sharper and better! My previous observations about ugly pixel shimmering when bilinear filtering is disabled no longer happen when you have it running at 4:3, which I am aware is the sharpest you can get out of the Wii's image quality. It truly is the last 4:3 console! I am now on the bilinear filtering disabled train, it truly looks amazing to play PSX games with clear image quality, massive visual improvement even if it's still running at less than 480.

EDIT: this doesn't apply to FMVs though, perhaps a pipe dream feature request but I remember on older peops software rendering plugins there was a feature to only use bilinear filtering on FMVs and leave everything else unfiltered, would look amazing to have those filtered since they're otherwise very ugly without some kind of blurring.

The Wii doesn't even support the full 480p resolution of 720x480p either, instead using only 640x480p when using progressive scan.

I realized that early on when after buying my Sewell HDMI adapter.

 

[Disorarara]

Latest WiiStation build until git https://github.com/xjsxjs197/WiiSXRX_2022/commit/ea87caef8fa0cc709d1703da0de916a71acd9b71 with this commit https://github.com/xjsxjs197/WiiSXRX_2022/pull/186/commits/b490810e000cb96687294daad6ada57f28f7dff5

What's new:

• Update Lightrec as of 04/01/2024 (pcercuei). Through WiiStation doesn't support the 'threaded compiler' yet.
• cdrom: attempt to improve reset (notaz). This fixes the crash after the Infogrames logo in the game Looney Tunes: Sheep Raider (requested by @GustavoReis).
• Adds the missing command cdrIsoMultidiskSelect++ to the Swap CD (Multi-disk) command/logic from upstream PCSX-ReARMed. The SBI detection logics also depends of this command/variable, and moreover, the Libretro fork of PCSX-ReARMed has this command. Possible fix for https://github.com/xjsxjs197/WiiSXRX_2022/issues/96.

About the last commit, the person who created this issue said:




Please test this new build, thanks

Fantastic build, I hope eventually the issue with 60hz full speed games is resolved. It's made extremely obvious in samurai spirits amakusa kourin special since the shadows, and the lifebars are a strobing effect which appears incorrect frequently when the framerate jitters.

 

[GustavoReis]

Latest WiiStation build until git https://github.com/xjsxjs197/WiiSXRX_2022/commit/ea87caef8fa0cc709d1703da0de916a71acd9b71 with this commit https://github.com/xjsxjs197/WiiSXRX_2022/pull/186/commits/b490810e000cb96687294daad6ada57f28f7dff5

What's new:

• Update Lightrec as of 04/01/2024 (pcercuei). Through WiiStation doesn't support the 'threaded compiler' yet.
• cdrom: attempt to improve reset (notaz). This fixes the crash after the Infogrames logo in the game Looney Tunes: Sheep Raider (requested by @GustavoReis).
• Adds the missing command cdrIsoMultidiskSelect++ to the Swap CD (Multi-disk) command/logic from upstream PCSX-ReARMed. The SBI detection logics also depends of this command/variable, and moreover, the Libretro fork of PCSX-ReARMed has this command. Possible fix for https://github.com/xjsxjs197/WiiSXRX_2022/issues/96.

About the last commit, the person who created this issue said:




Please test this new build, thanks

Sheep raider works again

 

[ssjkakaroto]

Has anyone fully played FF 7, 8, 9 or Lunar series (US NTSC) on any of these emulators? I'm planning to play them but I don't want to start if there are game-breaking bugs.

 

[joshmonger]

I'm not sure if it is mentioned already in this thread, but my aim is to help others. Recently I had taken my Wii to a buddies house to play some games and I kept crashing with DSI Exception errors. Thankfully I had made some notes on my phone on how I was running it. It is critical to run the emulator from USB and not SD. I keep all of my apps on SD, and the USB drive was just for large games such as PSX, Wii, and Gamecube. So now I keep this one app on the USB drive. Yeah I am just hoping this ends up being searchable for people struggling with that. Or if I am wrong please rightfully correct me!

Post automatically merged: Jan 11, 2024

Oh also I tried out the new dol from page 119 and for some reason tony hawk 1 now has this messed up sound when i pause it. I believe the issue wasn't there on the one I was running previously which was version 11. Lol which version am I on now?

 

[rexus_pl]

So...

+ Sheep Raider works again like most games I've tested, all with Lightrec
+ my problems with Moto Racer 2 were related to CHD format - game works fine using CUE/BIN; when ZStandard will be ready?
- emulator exits when loading ISO for too many times - I can't really reproduce problem, one time it crashes after fourth game, another - after tenth; it doesn't crash after specific games, or only games with separate config (looks totally random)
- Pro Pinball - Timeshock! still too fast
- stragne crackles during viewing map in Peter Pan in Disney's Return to Never Land
- strange beeps during race on Rollcage (this is regression)

Keep going. Effects of your work are great.

 

[pleasehelpme2]

I've been playing a lot of Torneko: The Last Hope recently and the game runs perfectly, except for an occasional hiccup in the intro sequence. Everything else runs better than on the actual console. Only thing I'm wondering regards the savestates. I was playing around with them since I don't really use them in games and I noticed that when you load a state it sometimes causes the music to glitch out or not load for a while. It once also caused the display to distort. Are these normal problems with wiistation's savestates, or do savestates just do this in general?

 

[Ouaz]

when you load a state it sometimes causes the music to glitch out or not load for a while. It once also caused the display to distort. Are these normal problems with wiistation's savestates, or do savestates just do this in general?

It depends.

If the savestate was made on a previous build, there's a possibilty it glitches on a more recent build, if something has changed on how Ram is handled.

It happens to me too: the savestate was working fine except the sound was messed up. Creating a new savestate on the new build fixed the problem.

 

[pleasehelpme2]

It depends.

If the savestate was made on a previous build, there's a possibilty it glitches on a more recent build, if something has changed on how Ram is handled.

It happens to me too: the savestate was working fine except the sound was messed up. Creating a new savestate on the new build fixed the problem.

Ah, the thing is that I've only been creating and loading states on the current version I have, which is the latest release on Jokkio's git. I haven't been loading states from older versions or anything like that. Are savestates a bit messed up in that build? Or does the game I'm playing just not like savestates very much?

 

[SaulFabre]

Ah, the thing is that I've only been creating and loading states on the current version I have, which is the latest release on Jokkio's git. I haven't been loading states from older versions or anything like that. Are savestates a bit messed up in that build? Or does the game I'm playing just not like savestates very much?

Jokippo's builds used old P.E.Op.S. Soft GPU, old DFSound and old CDROM codes.

We're using now more recent code on SoftGPU (based in DFXVideo i think?), upsteam DFSound, CDROM, etc.
I bet your savestate issues it's related to creating/loading old versions of savestates.

 

[marchrius]

Hi, using force NTSC option on PAL games results in image too shifted down and perhaps a bit zoomed in too. First pic is auto option, second one is force NTSC. I tested two games (Bugs bunny & taz time busters and Carmageddon) and the issue is identical. I routinely run NTSC games with this setup (actually I MOSTLY run NTSC games) so I know it's not a TV or cable issue.

For reference:

latest wiistation https://gbatemp.net/threads/wiistation-another-fork-of-wiisxrx-released.614405/post-10330320
CRT 4:3 TV
PAL Wii U set to 480i
RGB scart cable
games are in bin/cue format

I have another Wii U connected to a 4k tv via HDMI, will test it on that one too to see if it happens there as well.