Just how do they do it??

[Deleted User]

How does one go about porting an emulator to other consoles? Like gPSP was ported to 3DS, and I think a PS1 emulator got an unofficial port, too. Any professionals in the room?

 

[CIAwesome526]

How does one go about porting an emulator to other consoles? Like gPSP was ported to 3DS, and I think a PS1 emulator got an unofficial port, too. Any professionals in the room?

They use their skills.

 

[Deleted User]

They use their skills.

 

[Seriel]

My guess is that its written in a programming language thats universal and then compiled to all the different formats.

 

[Deleted User]

My guess is that its written in a programming language thats universal and then compiled to all the different formats.

Is Dolphin written in a universal language? From what I'm seeing in the source, it's written in C++, C, and Header files, along with some other libs like libpng and zlib.

 

[Seriel]

Is Dolphin written in a universal language? From what I'm seeing in the source, it's written in C++, C, and Header files, along with some other libs like libpng and zlib.

If that's true, it should be port-able. It would need adgjusting though.

 

[MichiS97]

Is Dolphin written in a universal language? From what I'm seeing in the source, it's written in C++, C, and Header files, along with some other libs like libpng and zlib.

Don't even think about trying to run Dolphin on a 3DS

 

[zoogie]

They rewrite the platform specific functions like for control input and visual output while leaving the core emulation logic largely untouched. But it depends on if the target system has lower specs. If that is the case, then the core will need some tuning as well.

 

[Deleted User]

Don't even think about trying to run Dolphin on a 3DS

lolno.

I want to try and make a port to the PS Vita (perhaps as rejuvenate homebrew)

 

[daxtsu]

Broadly speaking, you recompile it (meaning you rebuild the source code for the platform/system you're targeting, for example, the 3DS), and then adapt the output of the emulator (sound, graphics) accordingly, so that you can see and hear the game, while also giving the emulator the things it needs (controller inputs, ROM/ISO), so you can actually play the game. How much work that involves depends on the emulator in question, how different the platform you're targeting is from the platform(s) the emulator usually runs on, if there are other emulators on that same platform you can use code from to save reproducing work that's already done, etc.

Looks like @zoogie beat me to the condensed version, but yeah.

 

[mashers]

They rewrite the platform specific functions like for control input and visual output while largely leaving the core emulation logic largely untouched. But it depends on if the target system has lower specs. If that is the case, then the core will need some tuning as well.

Are you sure it's that simple? The emulator core maps hardware functions from the system being emulated to the host platform's hardware or API. So porting an emulator written for one platform (lets say x86) to another (say, ARM) would surely require a rewrite of the emulator core.

 

[Deleted User]

I don't have a team with me, or anything at the moment. However, would people want to actually do it? Are they familiar with the PSP2 SDK? I think the Vita (being a quad-core console) would do a reasonably good job emulating a Wii/GC game, if you get the coding and stability right.

 

[daxtsu]

Are you sure it's that simple? The emulator core maps hardware functions from the system being emulated to the host platform's hardware or API. So porting an emulator written for one platform (lets say x86) to another (say, ARM) would surely require a rewrite of the emulator core.

Not always. If it's written in a neutral language like C and not assembly, as well as refraining from bringing in platform-specific stuff into the core, then it should build just fine. Loading games, handling input/output, etc., should always be abstracted away from the core emulation into front-ends/higher layers.

 

[boomario]

It's not that easy port a emulator to another platform, example: In specific case of dolphin there is many things they use in windows version that in not available in android like DirectX (obviously) and Some OpenGL Features only available in certain devices at android, not to count if he is capable of running at acceptable speeds.
If the emulator is complex, complex will be to port.

 

[Varia]

This is 10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will...





Sorry, topic title demanded this.

 

[mashers]

Not always. If it's written in a neutral language like C and not assembly, as well as refraining from bringing in platform-specific stuff into the core, then it should build just fine. Loading games, handling input/output, etc., should always be abstracted away from the core emulation into front-ends/higher layers.

So do you mean using something like SDL as an intermediary library between the emulator core and the host OS?

 

[keven3477]

How does one go about porting an emulator to other consoles? Like gPSP was ported to 3DS, and I think a PS1 emulator got an unofficial port, too. Any professionals in the room?

Wait, is there a psp emulator that works on 3ds?

 

[night_hawk]

Wait, is there a psp emulator that works on 3ds?

gPSP is a GBA emulator

 

[Deleted User]

Wait, is there a psp emulator that works on 3ds?

No, I think that's a GBA emulator

 

[keven3477]

I just searched, darn it would be nice to have a psp emulator on 3ds though.