[Testers Wanted] PCSX2-CE for OS X (v1.0!)

[avih]

Guys, let's try to figure how to get GSdx working. I still think that's the best direction right now.

I created a wineskin package with wrapper 2.5.12, wine 1.7.10, pcsx2 r5814, including gsdx 5164 (I used the SSE2 dll) and its SDL.dll. Here: http://www.sendspace.com/file/uo5y1n

After you run it, choose advanced, then browse for the windows exe at c:\pcsx2-r5814\pcsx2.exe

If it seems hanged, kill all wineskin processes, and the main app, and try to tick "Use Mac driver instead of X11" at the screen options, and try again.

GSdx and lilypad are already configured, and also spu2x. The keys are dpad -WASD, triangle-cross-etc - arrows, start - enter, select - right shift.

I'm running this on a 2010 13" MBA (core 2 duo @2.13GHz) with nvidia 320m GPU, 4G ram and using Mavericks 10.9.1, and GSdx in SDL software mode works for me (both booting into bios and navigating around, and also tested one game - ICO - which works well).

The package also includes zerogs, so you can try that out as well.

We need to find out why it works on my system but not on others, and then maybe we could do something about it.

[jes5ant]

I'm no techie. I don't know what your talking about throughout most of this thread. But I stopped trying to get Shadow Hearts Covenant working and moved on to Siokuden 2. I'm happy to say that it works.

Well it sort of works. The frame rate and sound dip a bit hear and there. Strangely enough it happens most in the menus. I can't figure that out.

[CometDan]

I'm new to emulators and I think you've done great with your work. I've only tried Gran Turismo 4 on it, loads up the menu great but as soon as I try to race it drops to 2 frames from 60ish.

Any ideas? (Bear in mind I'm new lol)

[neapolitanyetbritish]

Avih I'm gonna have a go at your guide now and will post back shortly with an edit to this post. (Mine is Mavericks 10.9.1 and a 2013 MBA with 1.7Ghz & 8GB RAM upgrades).

Really stupid question: where am I meant to place this Wineskin? Inside the PCXS2 file? EDIT: Solved

Okay, same issue as before, exactly the same.

I open an ISO (as one would) and then it immediately crashes, no particularly frightening message or sounds, just closes.

Console says:

"Path: C:\pcsx2-r5814\plugins\DEV9GHzdrk.dll
File is not a valid dynamic library.
Some kinda plugin failure C:\"[same file...]".dl"

Same repeats for ZZ0gl-cg.dll

I'm at a loss, but this is why mine didn't load and it's the same as what happened before I tried your method. Hope this helps!

----EDIT AGAIN----READ THIS PART-----

SUCCESS!!!!!

Run using the Mac driver and NOT X11 and it has loaded up and is now RUNNING I can confirm it is running and loading a game.

Crash Bandicoot Twinsanity has officially loaded and is running 10000x better than the previous using of the Zero plugin. All the graphics and sounds glitching is next to non-existent like night and day. Well done team!! CPU is a bit warm, can't complain and FPS is a steady 50, only a fraction slower than natural (feels like it's playing ever so slightly in slow motion) but not to a degree that I'd complain as compared to before. Well done!

EDIT again:

So far works better but not perfect. Playing Twinsanity and once the game starts up it's very laggy and slow motion-esque. Not playable. But still much better than it was before

More feedback: Playing with Speedhacks and settings (making it preset aggressive) helps the lag and FPS... but it's making my CPU temperature go insane 100o+...

not sure what to do, gameplay of this is pretty nightmarish.

Tried FFX-2 but the opening cinematic is mega slow... Not sure if I need to change a setting or it's always going to be like this...

Just tried Vexx, FPS is basically 10-30 during the game play scenes.

[avih]

Glad you got it working. Yeah, slow is gonna be an issue with a MBA, even the 2013 one. It's only got 2 physical cores and runs at 1.7GHz, so PCSX2 with GSdx in software mode will not be very fast.

If the bottleneck is the GSdx part (i.e. the EE % at the titlebar is relatively low and the GS % is relatively high), then setting 1 or 2 extra rendering threads at GSdx might help. If the bottleneck is EE (with relatively low GS % at the titlebar), then maybe MTVU at the speedhacks panel could help. Regardless, on a slow system I'd choose hacks with at least preset 4, or a similar configuration.

Your best reference for speed would be running PCSX2 via bootcamp on the same machine and choosing one of the software modes of GSdx. It probably won't go faster than that, but hopefully also not much slower, if at all.

[neapolitanyetbritish]

Hey, both the EE & GS are 0% when playing... Hope this helps.

Edit:

Speedhacks have made it considerably more playable, not perfect but much much better.

Bit of a noob question, I'm very familiar with technology and software but not much of a hardware person.

Can high CPU temperatures damage my MBA? We're talking 90-100(at worst)... Opinions?

[avih]

It should throttle itself (i.e. reduce CPU frequency) once it crosses some temperature threashold. I don't know the specific values, but I'd guess it's indeed around 100 deg Celsius or so. So no, it shouldn't damage the HW, but it might get a bit slower over time when it's throttled, and then back faster when the temp drop.

[neapolitanyetbritish]

Hmm, I see...

Basically trying to mess around with the settings and maybe we can put it down to my MBA's specs but messing around with settings seems to at least help... Makes me think that something can be done...

Tinkering around I can speed it up considerably but I'm nervous it might have damaging effects... I get the feeling that there's a check-box sitting somewhere that'll solve everything (like the run in Mac not X11 thing you advised)

[avih]

There is not a checkbox which will solve everything on a MBA. Unless that checkbox is at the cart when you're purchasing a rMBP.

[Bbplyr4lf]

Im having trouble transferring my bios to the installer. I keep using the bios installer but it keeps telling me there was an error. it says the variable pcsx2 is not defined. any advice to get it installed?