PCSX2 0.9.6 released

[bigmehdi]

Not sure it is the best section to post such news, but I thought it deserve some attention.

Little reminder: pscx2 is actually the only current ps2 emulator that allows to play some ps2 games and at enjoyable speed like FFX.

After nearly 16 months, here comes a new Pcsx2 version. Pcsx2 0.9.6

[...]

What's new in 0.9.6?

- Huge rewrite, mainly from the new members of the Playground branch! Too many speedups, optimizations and other fixes to write here! Many famous games will now work.

- Dropped VM build replaced by the all new Vtlb, meaning no more 'Cannot allocate memory' errors at start up, more accurate emulation, slightly lower speeds but with many optimizations to come

- Full memcard support, working in all games

- Improved Frameskip/VU-skip

- Special Game Fixes Section

- Advanced Options Section for custom tweaking VU/FPU behavior.

- Rewritten Multithreaded GS (MTGS) mode, with as much as 15% speedup for HT machines (only 3-5% for Dual Core), and fixes many instabilities.

- Improved VU/FPU Flags and Clamping support (helps fix odd behaviors and SPS in some games)

- Improved EE/IOP synchronization (fixes many freeze-ups and vmhacks).

- Improved CDVD support.

The source

[Dotdot]

Doesnt this require a bios?

[biffzinker]

Doesnt this require a bios?

Yes

[Unimatrix Xero]

then its not allowed on Neowin, read the rules

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

The bios is not allowed on Neowin, there is nothing wrong with the emulator.

[t0mbi]

The bios is not allowed on Neowin, there is nothing wrong with the emulator.

+1 he didnt ask for it, or ask where to get it

Does anyone know if this revision of the emulator will run Tekken 4 or 5?

[Lingwo]

Earlier versions played Tekken 4 and 5, so i don't see why this version won't.

[bigmehdi]

Using Pcsx2 is not piracy, since you must own a ps2 in order to use the bios. And of course own original ps2 games.

[bolix]

"Many famous games will now work."

Sweet!

[Astra.Xtreme]

Just tried out Guitar Hero 3, which didn't work beyond the intro screen in 0.9.4, and it works great now.

Now I can verify that my custom GH3 images work before I transfer them to my PS2. Great app!

[Redmak Administrators]

What system specs do you need to run a decent game?

[ToneKnee]

What system specs do you need to run a decent game?

+1

[Blackhearted]

What system specs do you need to run a decent game?

Depends on the game really. Some are more demanding than others.

But here's what the FAQ says for something to go by:

Minimum

* Windows 2000 or newer/Linux OS

* CPU that supports SSE2 (Pentium 4 and up, Athlon64 and up)

* GPU that supports Pixel Shaders 2.0

* 512mb RAM

Recommended

* Windows Vista 32bit/64bit

* CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 3.2ghz or better

* GPU: 8600gt or better

* 1gb RAM (2gb if on Vista)

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

Keen. I have no desire to get my PS2 out, but the games - maybe...

[CPressland]

Well, I've got it setup and working properly now so I'm going to test it and will report back with FPS findings, bugs, etc

Spec:

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 x64

Coolermaster Cosmos Case /w 850W Coolermaster Modular Power Supply

ASUS P5Q Deluxe P45 Socket 775 ATX Motherboard

Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66GHz Socket 775 Processor

Corsair 8GB DDR2-800 (4-4-4-12) RAM

2 x Samsung HD502IJ SpinPoint F1 500GB Hard Drive in a RAID0 Array

ATi Saphire HD 4850 512MB GDDR3

Something tells me some mild overclocking might help.

[bigmehdi]

@Vegetunks

Something tells me some mild overclocking might help.

Yes , the CPU is currently the biggest bottleneck in emulator performance, and an overclock

can sometimes makes a difference. Try to reach at least the 3Ghz.

Concerning your graphic card...

I've heard that pcsx2 works better with Nvidia graphic card, I don't know if has changed.

For better support, you can visit official pcsx2 forum.

[Waylander]

how does the compatability compare to a ps3?

[Elliot B.]

how does the compatability compare to a ps3?

Much higher on a PlayStation 3.

[bigmehdi]

Much higher on a PlayStation 3.

But better graphics on emulator (high resolution).

Plus the advantage of save states , if the game becomes too hard.

[Coldgunner]

Does it apply FSAA, AF and increase screen resolution like emulators for other formats?

[+Audioboxer Subscriber²]

Does it apply FSAA, AF and increase screen resolution like emulators for other formats?

Yeah, it looks great, but my 7600GT can't handle it.

[CPressland]

My system handles like a whole load of games perfectly. FFX runs beautifully and I've capped it back to 50FPS.

[StealMySoda]

Can't wait to try this out again. I'll have to wait till the summer though. All my PS2 games are currently in the USA. Can't wait to play Dark Cloud again now that it's fully playable :D Used to only be the EU version for some reason.

[jonhapimp]

the CPU recommended is killer

[StealMySoda]

Well on the last build I managed to play Dynasty Warriors 4 on a mobile core2duo 1.83 and a 8400m. At around 30 fps. So I wouldn't say its too bad.