PS1/2 Questions about OPL devices compatibility and speed

[Windows_10_User]

Is USB more compatible than SMB even if the latter is faster? And between HDD, SMB, USB, MX4SIO, i.LINK and UDPBD, which are more compatible and faster? Can someone sort them all regarding the compatibility and speed from the highest to the lowest?

 

[Ryccardo]

Is USB more compatible than SMB even if the latter is faster?

In theory alone, yes - commercial titles expect 100% control on both CPU and coprocessor (IOP) side, so any additions (like OPL drivers, but could also be standalone GSM, action replay, etc) come with a risk of conflicts, and in particular OPL needs a lot of code in proportion to the 2 MB IOP side memory, but the whole USB stack + FAT16/32 is smaller than expansion port + network adapter + tcp/ip + SMB

Speed usually doesn't matter for making or breaking something as (decent) disc software is OK with slowdowns (dirty/scratched discs)

Can someone sort them all regarding the compatibility and speed from the highest to the lowest?

That's much harder, in great part because there's nothing close to a complete compatibility list (implementations evolve, for better and worse, with OPL updates so individual lines in lists get outdated) and, secondarily, because all sorts of individual interfaces/servers can be used in a single category

I think, but am not sure, that firewire and SD adapters are both BDM implementations?

 

[Windows_10_User]

In theory alone, yes - commercial titles expect 100% control on both CPU and coprocessor (IOP) side, so any additions (like OPL drivers, but could also be standalone GSM, action replay, etc) come with a risk of conflicts, and in particular OPL needs a lot of code in proportion to the 2 MB IOP side memory, but the whole USB stack + FAT16/32 is smaller than expansion port + network adapter + tcp/ip + SMB

Speed usually doesn't matter for making or breaking something as (decent) disc software is OK with slowdowns (dirty/scratched discs)


That's much harder, in great part because there's nothing close to a complete compatibility list (implementations evolve, for better and worse, with OPL updates so individual lines in lists get outdated) and, secondarily, because all sorts of individual interfaces/servers can be used in a single category

I think, but am not sure, that firewire and SD adapters are both BDM implementations?

I was told SMB is more compatible than USB but is it actually the opposite?

 

[Ryccardo]

I was told SMB is more compatible than USB but is it actually the opposite?

I had a CECH-C PS3 with the PS2 GPU, so it can run ps2_gxemu which is much superior, statistically, than the software emulation (ps2_netemu) any PS3 can do... except for OutRun 2006 having terribly broken graphics on gxemu, guess what it's one of the maybe 7 PS2 games I care about
(In fact I've bought 2 PS2s since then and, combined, both run all those games fine from both HDD and USB)

The point is: you need to look (or quite likely try on your own) the individual titles you care about

 

[Windows_10_User]

I had a CECH-C PS3 with the PS2 GPU, so it can run ps2_gxemu which is much superior, statistically, than the software emulation (ps2_netemu) any PS3 can do... except for OutRun 2006 having terribly broken graphics on gxemu, guess what it's one of the maybe 7 PS2 games I care about
(In fact I've bought 2 PS2s since then and, combined, both run all those games fine from both HDD and USB)

The point is: you need to look (or quite likely try on your own) the individual titles you care about

OK, but the HDD is known as the most compatible device (as well as ps2_gxemu is more compatible than ps2_netemu, according to what you say) so it can't be known if SMB is the second or third most compatible one in general (so, not necessarily with only the individual titles I care about)? Also, you said USB as more compatible than SMB and then you say to look or try the individual titles I care about.

Also, how can the PS2 emulator be changed in IRISMAN and why did you buy 2 PS2s instead of a single one?

EDIT: I found this interesting video but unfortunately it doesn't mention i.LINK and doesn't talk about PS2 game compatibility. Also, I didn't know there was a speed difference between PS2 models on the same devices (mainly MX4SIO and USB, but also SMB). I thought the HDD was always the fastest device but it seems UDPBD can be as fast or even faster than it and SMB and MX4SIO can be as fast as it.