Hacking Emulation RetroArch/Libretro Thread: PS Vita Edition! Nightlies Included

[Zukov]

No. I Installed RetroArch, and I tried to remove a few Cores I would not use. Then I tried running RetroArch, and the Vita System gave a Error.

Delete the config file (don't remember it's name, but it is a .cfg file) on ux0/Data/Retroarch.
Restart and enjoy.

 

[rez78]

I'm looking for latest version of playlist creator. Someone can help me? Thanks

 

[gnatydnac]

No. I Installed RetroArch, and I tried to remove a few Cores I would not use. Then I tried running RetroArch, and the Vita System gave a Error.

hmm...Ive never removed any cores.they're only a few MBs.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

No. I Installed RetroArch, and I tried to remove a few Cores I would not use. Then I tried running RetroArch, and the Vita System gave a Error.

or try removing the *.info in info folder. Ive ever renamed the cores and info for different configs, and it works

 

[jkphage]

Okay, I guess I'm just cursed by the vita gods or something, but I have placed the folder from the data zip under ux0:data to make ux0:data/retroarch, installed the vpk with vitashell and... nothing happens. I don't have a new bubble for it on my livearea and refreshing livearea does nothing to fix the issue. What might I be doing wrong? Do I need to install the VPK first *then* transfer the data zip over? Did I somehow misinterpret the instructions and the *contents* of the folder in the data zip need to be placed in the data folder loose? I'm at an absolute loss because I followed the instructions as they were written and I have nothing at all to show for it.

 

[temper999]

The Data-Zip file has to be extracted into ux0:data. So there will be the folder retroarch in it.
But installing the VPK should create the bubble in the LiveArea with or without the data folder extracted.

You could check the app and appmeta folders on ux0: if there is a RETROVITA folder.
Delete them an install the VPK for new.

Also check the henkaku settings if unsafe Howmbrew is enabled.

 

[jkphage]

The Data-Zip file has to be extracted into ux0:data. So there will be the folder retroarch in it.
But installing the VPK should create the bubble in the LiveArea with or without the data folder extracted.

You could check the app and appmeta folders on ux0: if there is a RETROVITA folder.
Delete them an install the VPK for new.

Also check the henkaku settings if unsafe Howmbrew is enabled.

Yeah to all of that. I'm pretty well-versed in all the various goings-on of vita hacking/homebrew installation, but apparently I'm an idiot otherwise. I found the bubble after I tried to install three times in a row. It apparently created an entirely new screen at the bottom of my scroll despite already having an empty one at the bottom of my screen list in case I want to rearrange stuff, so I just had to swipe up one more time to find the son of a bitch. It literally installed just fine, but I missed it because it populated a new page instead of just plopping itself down in the perfectly empty space available.

 

[SeongGino]

Yeah to all of that. I'm pretty well-versed in all the various goings-on of vita hacking/homebrew installation, but apparently I'm an idiot otherwise. I found the bubble after I tried to install three times in a row. It apparently created an entirely new screen at the bottom of my scroll despite already having an empty one at the bottom of my screen list in case I want to rearrange stuff, so I just had to swipe up one more time to find the son of a bitch. It literally installed just fine, but I missed it because it populated a new page instead of just plopping itself down in the perfectly empty space available.

That's how it always goes, I'm afraid.

 

[Lord M]

Well, now the loadstate on PCSX-R core is almost instantaneous. Save-state is good too, but i suppose can be improved when GPU will be integrated, right?
Anyway @SeongGino : who are that girl of your profile pic?

 

[SeongGino]

Well, now the loadstate on PCSX-R core is almost instantaneous. Save-state is good too, but i suppose can be improved when GPU will be integrated, right?

Eh.
I don't actually remember if PCSX-R is normally software rendered, or has a hardware renderer. If I'm to guess, I doubt it will change at this rate since all the ARM cores would need to support the Vita-specific GL implementation; hell, 3DS hasn't seen a hardware-rendered solution IIRC, and it's been out for longer than the Vita.

Anyway Seong : who are that girl of your profile pic?

>.>
<.<
A 2hu.

 

[Lord M]

Eh.
I don't actually remember if PCSX-R is normally software rendered, or has a hardware renderer. If I'm to guess, I doubt it will change at this rate since all the ARM cores would need to support the Vita-specific GL implementation; hell, 3DS hasn't seen a hardware-rendered solution IIRC, and it's been out for longer than the Vita.


>.>
<.<
A 2hu.

Well, but with GPU implementation, CPU will be not forced to do all the works alone, it doesn't? (sorry for noob explanation LOOL)

 

[SeongGino]

Well, but with GPU implementation, CPU will be not forced to do all the works alone, it doesn't?

If there isn't anything for the GPU to implement in the first place, then the CPU will still be doing the work.
And again, at this point I'm not totally sure how likely it is, seeing how RetroArch is dead-set on using open standards that can be repurposed for multiple platforms at once (ex. Xbox builds switching to generic Direct3D8 implementations instead of D3DX.) It would be a lot of time spent on making a hodgepodge of implementations from other sources for all of the cores just so they can be implemented for one system.
If anyone would like to contribute to the sources and provide help with VitaGL implementation, go ahead; but I doubt the main contributors would go through the effort.

 

[Lord M]

If there isn't anything for the GPU to implement in the first place, then the CPU will still be doing the work.
And again, at this point I'm not totally sure how likely it is, seeing how RetroArch is dead-set on using open standards that can be repurposed for multiple platforms at once (ex. Xbox builds switching to generic Direct3D8 implementations instead of D3DX.) It would be a lot of time spent on making a hodgepodge of implementations from other sources for all of the cores just so they can be implemented for one system.
If anyone would like to contribute to the sources and provide help with VitaGL implementation, go ahead; but I doubt the main contributors would go through the effort.

Rinnegatamante works on GPU hardware acceleration, this cant help to improve cores?

 

[SeongGino]

Rinnegatamante works on GPU hardware acceleration, this cant help to improve cores?

If there isn't anything for the GPU to implement in the first place, then the CPU will still be doing the work.

And to add to this, the only improvement you will see with a baseline Vita HW-acceleration implementation in the UI would be with shaders and filters. The cores will still not be affected by this implementation unless the individual cores are made to take advantage of the Vita HW-acceleration implementation.

 

[rsn8887]

I added two player support to the vice C64 core yesterday. So as of nightly from 03/03/2018, C64 supports two player on Vita TV. The second controller controls the "other" joystick. E.g. if joy2 is activated, controller #2 controls joy1 and vice versa.

Retroarch configuration is so convoluted, it really is no fun at all. For example, Retroarch now has three different screens where buttons can be remapped, and they all mean different things.

So, configuration of this core, like any core is quite a nightmare.
- in quick menu options, set retro joy0 to on and controller0 type to joystick.
leave the mapping here alone. The mapping here is set so you can bring up the (horrible) virtual keyboard with square, the options menu with start, you can press B for C64 run/stop key, etc.

- in quick menu controls, set user 1 and user 2 to retropad. This is where you should re-map buttons, e.g. if you don't like that circle (retropad A) is the C64 fire-button, and cross (retropad B) is C64 run/stop, then remap "user 1 A" to B, and "user 1 B" to A. With this mapping, cross will now be C64 fire, and circle will now be C64 run/stop. As this example shows, if you remap buttons here, you still get all the special key functionality set in the options mapping (virtual keyboard etc.), only mapped to different buttons.

- in games, press square (or whatever you mapped to "user1 Y") to bring up the virtual keyboard. Press select to turn on mouse pointer control with dpad. Select items with X. Exit the virtual keyboard with another press of square.

- in games, press start to bring up an additional options menu, press select to turn on mouse pointer control with dpad. Select items with X. Exit the options menu by clicking resume. This options menu is useful to switch joystick ports, by selecting either joy1 or joy2. Make sure retrojoy is turned on here for controls to work.
Some options on this screen are an exact duplicate of the quick menu - options settings, but this is the only menu I know of that allows swapping joystick ports.

If your .d64 games work without "True Drive Emulation", then turn it off. Having this option off greatly shortens loading times. But some games (like Sam's Journey) require it.

I don't know why but the SID sound on this vice core sounds significantly worse than even the old VIcePSP emulator by Akop. In addition, the resid-engine (which worked fine on PSP), is much too slow in this new version to run even on the Vita. So someone has to go in and improve the sound. One option would be to back-port the faster re-sid engine from the older Vice version from VicePSP into this core.

 

[snoofly]

I added two player support to the vice C64 core yesterday. So as of nightly from 03/03/2018, C64 supports two player on Vita TV. The second controller controls the "other" joystick. E.g. if joy2 is activated, controller #2 controls joy1 and vice versa.

Retroarch configuration is so convoluted, it really is no fun at all. For example, Retroarch now has three different screens where buttons can be remapped, and they all mean different things.

So, configuration of this core, like any core is quite a nightmare.
- in quick menu options, set retro joy0 to on and type to "joystick"
leave the mapping here alone, since it allows you to bring up virtual keyboard with square, options menu with start, etc.

- in quick menu controls, set user 1 and user 2 to retropad. you can re-map buttons here, e.g. if you don't like that circle (retropad A) is fire-button, remap user 1 A to B or something else. If you remap buttons here, you still get the functionality from the options mapping (virtual keyboard etc.), only on different buttons

- in games, press retropad Y (square by default) to bring up the virtual keyboard. Press select to turn on mouse pointer control with dpad. Select items with X (or circle I forgot. Remove virtual keyboard with another press of square.
- in games, press start to bring up an options menu, press select to turn on mouse pointer control with dpad. Select items with X (or circle I forgot). Remove the options menu by clicking resume. This options menu is useful to switch joysticks, by selecting either joy1 or joy2. Make sure retropad is turned on for multiplayer controls to work.
I think this options menu might be an exact duplicate of the quick menu - options settings, but I am not sure that all options are really present in both screens.

If your games work with it turn off "True Drive Emulation" otherwise loading games takes forever.

You're not wrong - Vice C64 controller config is a PITA to setup initially.
Once you get the Vice in-menu screen and Virtual Keyboard set and figure you need to activate the little mouse pointer you're mostly there!
I think there is a key on the virtual keyboard (page 2) that also switches joy ports as well as the Vice menu but not sure.
I find Vice emu to be not too bad now aside from 3 quite annoying issues:
a) Sound is bad at best compared to many other standalone emus out there I've tried for C64
b) I have to remember to restart Retroarch when switching C64 content. Not doing so gives me a core dump.
c) Vice does not support savestates.

 

[rsn8887]

How do you get to the virtual keyboard page 2?

 

[snoofly]

How do you get to the virtual keyboard page 2?

Bottom left of the virtual keyboard is a key labelled PG2.
This takes you to a second screen of virtual keys, one labelled JOY, one labelled PG1.
Pressing JOY this will swap ports, verified by the Vice menu screen.

 

[rsn8887]

Bottom left of the virtual keyboard is a key labelled PG2.
This takes you to a second screen of virtual keys, one labelled JOY, one labelled PG1.
Pressing JOY this will swap ports, verified by the Vice menu screen.

Thanks I will have to try it. It is a pity that Retroarch Vita does not support bluetooth keyboard and mouse. And that Vice menu gui does not support touch.

 

[rez78]

In latest nightly there is a new core "mame 2003 plus",but RetroArch don't recognize this core...why?

 

[lucks]

Any plans on updating vitasdk?
Latest sdk produces slightly faster cores

Can the expanded memory mode help some cores?

Also something is wrong with the input driver because it s laggy (psvita 3.60)