Homebrew Why is Nintendo 64 so hard to emulate?

[Beebz]

Why is that I wish we had that on 3DS

 

[Joom]

The difference between architecture types.

 

[hobbledehoy899]

I don't think the 3DS has a high enough screen resolution to even imagine pulling it off.

 

[regnad]

Even the Wii struggles with some games though.

 

[Joom]

I don't think the 3DS has a high enough screen resolution to even imagine pulling it off.

The issue is that the N64 uses a MIPS processor and the 3DS uses ARM. This means an interpreter would have to be implemented which isn't worth the trouble.

 

[SLiV3R]

I don't think the 3DS has a high enough screen resolution to even imagine pulling it off.

IT has.
N64 = 320x240
3ds = 400x240

 

[PF2M]

I feel like there should at least be a program like this that lets you stream N64 games directly to the 3DS via homebrew. If it's possible on DS, there's no way it's impossible on 3DS. We even have an open-source remote desktop app.

You could use that homebrew on 3DS using a DS flashcart, but a new homebrew would be needed to use the 3DS's extra controls and expanded screen space, so if you're a dev and think that sounds cool, get on it.

 

[TheLegendofMario]

Couldn't an Emulator like Mupen64plus AE be recompiled to run on 3DS?

 

[xtheman]

Couldn't an Emulator like Mupen64plus AE be recompiled to run on 3DS?

If it was that simple people would have done it. It takes more work then just recompiling something to work on the 3ds.

Also 500th post

 

[Vappy]

http://www.mudlord.info/blog/2016/07/11/why-n64-emulation-is-hard/

 

[cvskid]

Good thing there are other devices to play n64 games on.

 

[dpad_5678]

You could recompile Crisis for the 3DS (if you had the source code, of course. But that's another discussion). My point is any emulator could be recompiled for the 3DS, but that doesn't mean it would be even remotely playable.

 

[TheLegendofMario]

If it was that simple people would have done it. It takes more work then just recompiling something to work on the 3ds.

Also 500th post

I know it takes more to port something, than simply recompiling code, but wouldn't using Mupen64Plus AE as a base, be a good starting point, my phone has a 800 MHZ single Core ARM 7 processor and it can play N64 games near full speed. I have a horribly Slow phone, but plays N64 games at a playable speed.

 

[yusuo]

I know it takes more to port something, than simply recompiling code, but wouldn't using Mupen64Plus AE as a base, be a good starting point, my phone has a 800 MHZ single Core ARM 7 processor and it can play N64 games near full speed. I have a horribly Slow phone, but plays N64 games at a playable speed.

Sorry my friend but it doesn't work like that

 

[TheLegendofMario]

Sorry my friend but it doesn't work like that

how come reusing code won't work? It is still ARM code right? I would think that making changes here and there in the code would work. Is there a bottleneck of sorts preventing it?

 

[Deleted User]

how come reusing code won't work? It is still ARM code right? I would think that making changes here and there in the code would work. Is there a bottleneck of sorts preventing it?

Just because it's ARM code doesn't mean it's optimized for the 3DS.

 

[gnmmarechal]

how come reusing code won't work? It is still ARM code right? I would think that making changes here and there in the code would work. Is there a bottleneck of sorts preventing it?

No. Applications are generally not written in ARM ASM or x86 ASM or anything like that.
Don't forget a 3DS and an Android smartphone are very different in how they interact with hardware.

More than that.

Don't forget that programs require libraries - if those libraries are not available on the 3DS in the first place, they'll have to be ported as well.

It's just not that simple.

 

[TheLegendofMario]

but has anyone taken a look at the Source Code for Mupen64Plus or Mupen64Plus AE?

 

[gnmmarechal]

but has anyone taken a look at the ARM Source Code for Mupen64Plus or Mupen64Plus AE?

it's not "ARM source code".

 

[TheLegendofMario]

it's not "ARM source code".

Whoops, I didn't mean to put ARM before Source Code.