RetroArch v1.20.0 update adds new CRT Beam shader and a new PS2 core "LRPS2"
The developers at Libretro kicked off the year with a brand new update to the popular gaming frontend for emulators, RetroArch, with the latest being version 1.20.0 available right now.
As expect with each new release, multiple issues have been addressed in this version, and additionally, two new features are added into this release, a new CRT beam simulation shader as well as a Illuminance sensor support for Linux users. The first feature, the CRT Beam simulation shader makes use of the recently added "subframe" shader, and this new shader simulates the "rolling" scanline effect found in CRTs of the time, in which the scanline/beam basically ran horizontally at a very fast pace to draw an image on a specified row, and then continues to the next row, and so on, until the complete image is fully drawn on the screen (all of this within a fraction of a second). According to Libretro, there are several advantages when using this new CRT Beam shader:
- Less flicker: The shader is much smoother and more forgiving of occasional frame drops.
- Works with arbitrary refresh rates: RetroArch’s subframe feature is limited to integer values, but the shader automatically adjusts to match your subframe setting.
- Prevents image persistence: It includes a small offset to cycle timing to prevent image persistence (often mistakenly called “burn-in”) on common IPS LCD panels. This issue is not permanent, like CRT burn-in, but can still be concerning.
The 2nd feature that RetroArch's v1.20.0 brings is support for the Illuminance sensor on Linux systems, which allows games that required light sensors for certain features to work properly, like with Boktai 2: Solar Boy Django for the Game Boy Advance, a title that included a solar sensor to utilize solar light / UV for several things in-game:
Finally, one of the biggest additions to this new version of RetroArch is not a feature itself, but rather a brand new core for PlayStation 2 emulation, titled "LRPS2". This new core is a heavily modified version of PCSX2, however, this one is up-to-date, unlike the PCSX2 core that RetroArch provided, so users can expect better compatibility and performance compared to the old PCSX2 core. That's not the most interesting part of the core, however, as LRPS2 uses a Vulkan LLE renderer, and also has support for Direct3D 11 and 12 as well as OpenGL, but the main focus is of course the Vulkan renderer (paraLLEl-GS) with support for Windows, Linux and MacOS.
Additionally, LRPS2 also offers a multitude of features, like fast boot, fast CD/DVD access, higher internal resolution, manual hardware renderer fixes, on-the-fly patches for certain games from a database (which RetroArch calls "hints), like language hints, no-interlacing hints, widescreen hints, game enhancements hints (cutscene skips, draw distance, LOD), uncapped framerate hints, etc.
Those interested in trying out the new RetroArch version can do so by updating RetroArch right within the application itself, or by visiting Libretro's website and downloading RetroArch manually.
RetroArch's 1.20.0 Update post RetroArch's LRPS2 Blog Post
