Setting up Windows version: Difference between revisions

This guide explains how to download, install and properly configure '''PCSX2''' in Windows environment. It will also give some tips on using PCSX2 more efficiently. Keep in mind that the guide was written for PCSX2 '''v1.2.1''' but can still be used for other versions of emulator.

There are also local [[Setting up Linux version]] and [[Setting up Mac version]] versions of this guide (but they are possibly not as detailed as this one).

[[PCSX2]] is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PlayStation_2 Playstation 2] emulator capable of running commercial games. It's an open source project and it runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. Like its predecessor project PCSX (a PlayStation emulator), it is based on a PSEmu Pro spec plug-in architecture, separating several functions from the core emulator. PCSX2 requires a copy of the PS2 BIOS, which is not available for download from the developers, due to the copyright concerns and legal issues associated with it.

You will need the BIOS file from your Playstation 2 console. It is not included with PCSX2 since it is copyrighted by Sony. Since PCSX2 needs this binary file to work, without it you won't be able to use emulator at all. You'll find more information on how to download BIOS from your PS2 machine [[#BIOS|later in this guide]].

Note that Windows XP will no longer be able to run PCSX2 compiled under modern MS Visual Studio.

You can get PCSX2 for Windows [http://pcsx2.net/download/releases/windows/viewcategory/6-windows.html here]. There are 3 versions available for download: standalone installer, web-installer and Windows binaries.

This is the ideal solution if you want to keep the application portable. You will need [http://www.7-zip.org/ 7-Zip] to decompress the files and the [http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/E/6/2E61CFA4-993B-4DD4-91DA-3737CD5CD6E3/vcredist_x86.exe Visual Studio 2013 redistributable package] for this version to work.

Note to AMD users: please do '''NOT''' confuse SSE3 with SSSE3 (1 extra S) and SSE4A with SSE4.1, they are totally different and are '''NOT''' supported on AMD systems before Bulldozer/Bobcat. Please fall back to SSE2 plugin instead in case your system has older CPU.

*''Texture filtering'': Enables linear filtering when rendering textures. '''Checked''' option will ensures filtering in any case and '''grayed''' will only use filtering for 3D textures (this may help with some 2D games that will look weird otherwise).

{{Warning|Use this settings only in case you are absolutely sure they are needed for your game to function.<br />

This plugin will not render anything on screen. Configuration will consist only of ''enable logging'' checkbox useful solely for debugging purposes.

Default PCSX2 installation allows you to select of of three PAD plugins:

*LilyPad supports keyboards, mouse, game pads and XBOX 360 pads. Also it includes some very handy hacks for use with PCSX2 like the ESC hack or the Disable Screensaver option.  

*The downside is that you '''will''' need to configure the plugin fully at least once before playing any game and it may take quite some time if you are not familiar with it.

This plugin is much easier to handle for the new users whilst it still allows for great options flexibility (and some of the options are not implemented in LilyPad) Use ''configure'' button to open Pokopom configuration dialog.<br />

*Pokopom is a relatively new input plugin developed by '''KrossX'''. Some of the unique features include pressure sensitivity support and rumble with a custom curve and more.

*For a very detailed description about what each setting does and how to properly configure the plugin, visit the [http://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-Pokopom-KrossX-s-Pad-Plugin official thread of the plugin] and/or check the small [https://code.google.com/p/magical-tools/wiki/Pokopom Pokopom Wiki].

This plugin is the oldest of the three and does not require much fiddling but somewhat lacks in the option department. There are some very picky games that will still refuse to work with any other plugin but this one (for instance [[Warriors of Might and Magic]]). Use configure button to open SSSPSX configuration dialog.<br />

*The plugin can emulate up to two DualShock2 controllers (use the tabs to switch between them).

:#''Nearest'': SPU2-X will not use any interpolation. This option is the fastest bad the sound may not be that good in quality.

*'''Module''': This will select the method (back-end module) of playing the sound. It should not alter sound quality or speed:

*''WASAPI Exclusive mode'': Check this if you want SPU2-X to work in exclusive mode, blocking all other applications from using your output device.

*''Output Latency'': The lower the latency value the smaller audio delay you will have. You can leave this to ''Use smallest possible'' to let the plugin decide what's best for you, or set a custom value below. Note that setting latency too low '''WILL''' cause clicks and pops in sound, so change the values until you find the lowest one that works with your game without causing issues.

#''TimeStretch'': The default and recommended setting. The options will keep audio and video in sync and it also may help to eliminate clicks and other sound problems. Note that if you cannot achieve 100% speed in game, the sound will also slow down to match your emulation pace.

*''Advanced'': These options are only useful in ''Time Stretch'' mode and let you fine tune some of the stretcher parameters. This may improve a perceived sound quality. Try to increase the values in case your speed is not optimal and decrease the values in case you're playing with speed higher than normal. Pressing ''Reset to Defaults'' will set all values back to their initial numbers.

*''Use a Winamp DSP plugin'': This option will allow you to use winamp DPS plugins to alter the resulting sound. It will require you to set plugin's path in ini-file (see '''[DSP PLUGIN]''' section in ''SPU2-X.ini'' file in ''inis'' sub-folder of your PCSX2 folder). This option is not available in Linux at this time.

This is a less advanced sound plugin which was developed by '''zerofrog'''. The plugin has the following features:

*''Audio/video recording'': This option will let you record sound in ''zerospu2.wav'' each time you go in game.

However, if you want to play a game from the actual DVD disc or to create a dump of an ISO file use '''Plugin''' option in the ''CDVD'' menu. It will let you use one of the PCSX2 CDVD plugins instead of ''ISO loader''.<br />

Default PCSX2 installation allows you to select of of three CDVD plugins:  

*You will need to select your DVD-ROM drive letter and put your PS2 DVD disc in the selected drive. This option will allow you to play directly from your PS2 DVD without having dumped it to an ISO image.

{{Tip|This is the only plugin that at least partially supports disc changing. Some games may wait for the next disk to advance so in this case this plugin is the only choice!}}

*The unique feature of this plugin is that it allows you compressing and using compressed ISO images to save your HDD space. It can also decompress compressed earlier ISO images.

*To compress, decompress or use an already existing ISO image click ''Select ISO'' button. Once you've selected an image you can compress/decompress it by using the corresponding button. The selected image will also be used to boot a game when you start emulator.

*The ''Enable Block Dump=>ISO name.dump'' checkbox is used manly for debugging purposes. When checked, the plugin will create '''''ISO name'''.dump'' file in the PCSX2 folder. This file will contain every sector read during the emulation of the game. You can select this file using ''Select ISO'' button afterwards and run like any other ISO image but if the game will attempt to read any sector was not included in this file, you will experience a hang or the emulator will crash.

By default PCSX2 installation has only one plugin ''Dev9null v0.5.0'', which is another null plugin used as a stub. However there is a newer Dev9 plugin in development by '''Luigi__''' named ''MegaDev9''. The plugin is still in its early development stage at this time but it can partially emulate '''HDD''' already. You can get it from [http://pcsx2.net/download/viewcategory/9-plugins.html here].<br />

Also there is an experimental ethernet plugin from '''gigaherz''' and '''drkIIRaziel''' named ''DEV9giga-razi''. Even with the most of Sony game servers down you can still give it a try. It can be downloaded using this [http://pcsx2.net/download/viewcategory/9-plugins.html link].

As with Dev9 plugins PCSX2 does not currently have an official working plugin to properly emulate USB access. The release package includes only ''USB Null v0.7.0'' which is yet another stub plugin. However  

Obtaining PS2 games can be as easy as buying PS2 DVDs off eBay. However, an original game DVD is not enough to make PCSX2 work. You'll also need the BIOS dumped from your PS2. There is no region locking so if you have a PAL BIOS on your PS2 you can still play NTSC games, and vice versa.

{{Warning|Note that the only '''LEGAL''' way of obtaining a BIOS image is to dump it from your '''own''' Playstation 2 console. Do '''NOT''' attempt to ask where to get the BIOS images on the PCSX2 forums, because it's against the [http://forums.pcsx2.net/Announcement-Global-Forum-Rules forum rules]. The PS2 BIOS is a copyrighted material of Sony Corporation. It is illegal to distribute the copyrighted files without copyright holder consent. PCSX2 team could get in trouble if suspected of illegally supplying people with BIOS files.}}

If your BIOS image does not appear on the BIOS list and you are sure that you have selected the correct folder, you may what to try dumping your BIOS again because the one you have is probably not valid or corrupted.<br />

The dumping of BIOS is a complicated process so pay attention to the instructions you can get [http://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-Official-English-PCSX2-configuration-guide-v0-9-8#Bios from this thread]. You can start dumping by downloading the tool from [http://pcsx2.net/download/releases/tools.html this place] or refer to the official guide [http://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-Guide-to-Dumping-Your-PS2-Bios-over-LAN here]. Also, [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3AVqzYcqSw here] is a youtube tutorial on dumping your BIOS (by '''FullGrownGaming''').  

Apart from the main BIOS file (''SCPH-XXXX.bin'' must be exactly 4Mb of size) your BIOS files collection may include ''rom1.bin'',''rom2.bin'',''erom.bin'' and ''SCPH-XXXXX.nvm'' files (note that ''XXXXX'' is the version of your BIOS, e.g. ''SCPH-34004.nvm'' and ''SCPH-34004.bin''). The last file contains some PS2 common and regional settings and it can also be created by the PCSX2 itself after you configure your BIOS while emulating it (set time zone, language, etc.) but it would still be fine to dump this file directly from your console.  

EE/IOP tab stands for ''Emotion Engine / Input Output Processor'' which are the core components of the Playstation 2. The tab contains 4 settings.

*''IOP'': Enables or disables ''recompiler'' for PS2 ''Input Output processor'' (IOP). This should also be default option outside of debugging affairs.

*''Round mode'': Changes the rounding method for float numbers. Intel/AMD x86 CPUs and PS2 CPUs use somewhat different floating numbers implementations. Recompiled program will run in the native x86 code sometimes resulting in slightly different numbers. As insignificant as it may sound this difference can really break games to the point of crashing and black screens. Unfortunately there is no real way to fully implement PS2 CPUs behavior when it comes to floating point arithmetic so PCSX2 will allow you to use a collection of different approximations known to work better for some games while breaking the others. If your game is freezing, try changing this value. Default and the most compatible setting is ''Chop/Zero''. This default value will be changed automatically when ''Automatic Gamefixes'' mode is enabled (see ''System'' main menu) for some games known to need a different value.

*''Clamping mode'': Changes the implementation for emulation ''INF'' and ''NaN'' numbers. Same as with rounding FP numbers the implementation of INF (infinity) and NaN (not a number -- reserved byte combinations could not be translated in the real FP numbers) in PS2 CPUs is different from x86 CPUs. And same as with FP numbers this obstacle cannot be gracefully overcome. This setting will allow you to choose one of four approximations of PS2 CPUs INF/NaN behavior, each of which is more compatible than the previous one in the cost of emulation speed (as being more compatible in this case will require additional checks and code tricks each time FP number is calculated). These modes go from '''faster''' to '''slower''' from top to bottom. ''None'' is the fastest but the least compatible mode and ''Full'' is the slowest but the most compatible mode. By default the value is ''Normal'' which will work fine for most games without compromising the speed much. This default value will be changed automatically when ''Automatic Gamefixes'' mode is enabled (see ''System'' main menu) for some games known to need a different value.

VUs stand for ''Vector Unit''s which are the Playstation 2 co-processors working in parallel with the EE and IOP CPUs. The Playstation 2 has two VUs called ''VU0'' and ''VU1''.  

* ''Restore Defaults'' button will restore all settings to their default values (which are seen as in bold or green font).  

GS stands for ''Graphics Synthesizer'' Playstation 2 co-processor responsible for rendering the graphics (but is also used by some games for additional calculations and other things). The PCSX2 core will work in conjunction with GS plugin (like for ex. [[#GSdx|GSdx]] plugin) to emulate PS2 graphical co-processor and convert its output into input understood by the PC video cards.

#''Base Framerate Adjust'': This option will allow you to adjust the base framerate for your games by a percentage. The emulator will limit the game frame rate by the base NTSC (59.94 FPS) or PAL (50 FPS) frame rate increased or decreased according to this value. Again, this option will not speed up the slow game it may only limit the frame rate of a game performing faster than needed on your PC.

{{Tip|Pressing '''Tab''' while playing a game will increase a frame rate to a certain point (if your PC allows it) when '''F4''' will disable frame limiter completely. You can also use '''Shift + Tab''' to slow game game down. Pressing the key combination the second time will restore the original frame rate}}

#''NTSC Framerate'' and ''PAL Framerate'': These boxes indicate the base frame rate to limit the speed of NTSC or PAL games. The default values are 59.94 FPS and 50 FPS respectively. These values can be changed only by editing the ''pcsx2_vm.ini'' (in ''inis'' folder of PCSX2, see ''FramerateNTSC'' and ''FrameratePAL'' variables in the mentioned file). It is not recommended to change them because it will break a number of games (but still note that decreasing the values can speed up a few games).

*''Frame Skipping'': Frame skipping is a technique which tells the emulator to refrain from drawing some frames making it possible to increase the perceived game performance when the normal game speed can't be achieved by other means. PS2 internal design (the way GS output and communications are implemented) does not allow for the precise frame skipping. Although this feature may help some slow games to work smoother, it will certainly cause stuttering, flashing or other abnormal behavior in other games, so use it with cation and do not forget to disable it when you're about to switch to another game. Frame skipping can be toggled while in game by pressing ''Shift + F4''. The following frame skipping modes are available:

#''Skip when on Turbo only'': This option will enable the feature automatically in ''Turbo'' mode (see above, use ''Tab'' to toggle the mode while in game)

*For more information regarding widescreen patches, please check [http://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-PCSX2-Widescreen-Game-Patches ''Widescreen Game Patches''] forum post }}

*''Custom window size'': This option lets your define the GS window size in pixels. Note the this does not affect the game's rendered resolution, image quality or speed in any way. Your game sessions will always start with the window size you have selected here.

{{Tip|There is also hidden key combination to stretch GS window while in game only vertically. Use ''Ctrl'' + ''Alt'' and ''numpad +'', ''numpad -'' and ''numpad *'' to increase, decrease or reset vertical stretch. This option may be useful when you need to remove vertical top and bottom black bars but please remember that the image itself will get stretched and will lose original proportions.}}

*''Always hide mouse cursor'': This will disable drawing the mouse cursor anywhere within GS window. This may be helpful if the mouse is used for aiming in game.

If your system is powerful enough to emulate your game in full speed ''you do not need to enable anything here'' because none of these options can improve compatibility.

*''Enable speedhacks'': You can disable all speed hacks in one click by unchecking this option. This may be useful if your game is unstable and you are narrowing down the possible cause of this.

#''Slider Level 3'': Reduces the EE cycle rate by 50%. Big speed increase for some games and moderate compatibility hit. ''This setting can also cause stuttering audio in game videos''.

*''VU Cycle Stealing'': This hack specifies the number of cycles the ''[[#VUs|Vector Units]]'' steal from the ''[[#EE/IOP|Emotion Engine]]''. This option is somewhat resembling the previous although the donated CPU power will go directly to two VUs (not ''[[#GS|GS]]'' emulation or other PCSX2 needs). As ''VUs'' tend to need more power than ''EE'', the hack will exploit this fact by overclocking VUs in the cost of reducing EE clock speed. Please note that it can cause false FPS readings (especially in higher values), screen flashing, slowdowns and possibly more serious bugs for some games! Using the slider control you can select up to four levels of VU stealing starting with level 0 (no VU stealing) to level 3 (severely incompatible option that will cause flickering, slowdowns and graphical bugs for the majority of games). Level 1 is fairly compatible while level 2 is selectively compatible and should be used with a caution.  

**''Enable Wait Loop detection'': PCSX2 will detect some idle cycles with this hack enabled. Some games used those cycles for various reasons (from synchronization to slowing down if the real PS2 speed was too high). If detected the cycle than will execute only once reducing the waiting time and moderately increasing emulation speed in game games. The hack is set by default and is very compatible.

*''microVU Hacks'': These hacks are only applied when microVU is selected as the VUs recompiler. If superVU is selected, these hacks does not apply.

This tab contains some game-specific hacks and fixes. These fixes are disabled by default but enabled automatically if the game in question is detected to be running. The ''Automatic Gamefixes'' option can be also switched off (although it is not recommended) in ''System'' sub-menu of PCSX2 main menu. You should not enable these hacks unless you have a game that somehow was not detected by PCSX2 automatically (it is possible also that some of these fixes are not applied automatically at all).  

Most of these hacks are needed because the PS2 has different float arithmetic than x86 CPUs. Some of these differences do not lead to any problems, others however may cause serious issues to some games. You can read hacks descriptions and hints to get more information.

*''VU Clip Flag Hack'': This hack is only needed when ''superVU'' is selected as [[#VUs|VUs] recompiler. Needed for [[Template:Megami_Tensei_series|Persona]] games.

For those users do not want to spend the time evaluating all the hacks, fixes and speed-ups described above and especially for the new users who wants to start playing games right away the system of options sets or ''presets'' was introduced. This system will restrict you to only 6 slider positions instead of myriad options and PCSX2 will automatically assume using specific options, game fixes and speed-ups according to the ''presets'' level you choose. Check ''Preset'' checkbox on the botton of settings window to enable using presets. This will disable most options on many tabs (as they will now be controlled by PCSX2 automatically). Presets go from the safest (but also the slowest) to the most unsafe (but the fastest one). You should start with level '''1''' or '''2''' if you have a powerful machine. Level '''3''' and '''4''' are for those who do not have a good machine or have a very demanding game to emulate. Level '''5''' or '''6''' are not recommended and should only be used as a last resort (note that some game can even be ''slowed down'' by those levels).

**''Run ELF...'': This item will let you load a single executable ELF-file. Most demos are in ELF-format. It is not suitable to run commercial games.

**''Pause/Resume'': This item will be enabled when you start a game. You can pause and resume the game any time.

**''Save State'': You can same a gamestate in one of the 10 save slots. This item will only be active when you're ingame.

**''Enable Cheats'': This item will enable or disable automatic application of game cheats. Cheats are ''pnach'' files located in PCSX2 ''cheats'' folder. These files have multiple functions form makeing your game playable (if nothing else helps) to circumventing some in game restrictions (adding more money or making your in game character immortal, see [[Game cheats|game cheats]] and [[Memory editing|memory editing]] for further information). You can find the big library of cheats on the forums [http://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-Post-your-PCSX2-patches-here in this thread].

**''Enable Widescreen patches'': This item will enable the additional folder ''cheats_ws'' to load ''pnach'' files from. You should use it to store widescreen patches for your games. See some information about it [[#GS Window|here]]. You can find the big library of cheats on the forums [http://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-PCSX2-Widescreen-Game-Patches in this thread].

**''Enable Host Filesystem'': This item will enable or disable the file system extension the may be used by homebrew developers load the files from your machine. See some [http://code.google.com/p/pcsx2/issues/detail?id=1238 more information] if you're interested.

**''ISO Selector'': This will allow you to select one of the recent ISO images or add new ISO image to the list by using ''browse..'' item. The image you selected here can be booted in ''system menu'' (see description above).

***''Open in Explorer'' will open the selected folder in Windows Explorer (to easily access its contents).

***''Eject'' button is available when you select one of the two ''active'' memcards. ''Ejecting'' memcard will not delete its contents it will only make the card inactive disallow PS2 games to use it in any way. To ''insert'' card in one of two available virtual card slots, select a disabled card, press ''Insert'' button and choose a virtual port to insert your card (any memcard already in this part will be automatically ''ejected'' and disabled).

***''Auto-Eject Memcards when loading save states'' option will momentarily eject and reinsert both selected memcards every time you load savestate while playing. This will avoid such problems as memcard corruptions if the game tightly synchronizing some internal variables with memcard contents. Ejecting it will force the game to re-index the card contents avoiding possible desynchronization. Some games however (ex. [[Guitar Hero]]) do not like this technique. You'll have to uncheck this option in case you encounter savestates loading problems.

**''Multitap 1'' and ''Multitap 2'': These items will allow you to use up to 8 controllers through the multitap support (up to 4 for one PAD port). Prior to enabling these options however you will have to configure multitap in the ''[[#LilyPad|Lilypad]]'' plugin. Multitap support does not work with all games yet, but most games should be fine.