We are dropping x64 PCSX2 Playground builds!

[bigmehdi]

@Air,
it seems you are only hesitating to drop or not Linux 64bit support.
I think you can drop it.
I hope you'll upgrade your CPU soon, though.

[apparition]

I'm on Vista x64 and I support this move. More time can be spent developing one version rather than spending time doing 2 versions.

On the whole though, I still think that MS should've made Vista (and the upcoming Win7) 64-bit only. It's been a huge drag for developers who have to maintain a 32-bit and 64-bit version of their app.

[tabasket]

I support this as well since 64 bit users can still use the 32 bit version.

64 bit seems like an unnecessary load, so dropping it should speed up the progress.

[FireFlower]

Just drop it now and make 64x version when you think x86 is ready =)

*Windows Vista Ultimate 64bit*

[Jlagreen]

I tried the x64 build once but it was a futile attempt on Vista x64. Only because I couldn't get the necessary x64 plugins. So if the plugins aren't compiled in x64 there is no point to compile PCSX2 in x64.

Therefore I think you can just remove the x64 code and maybe focus more on stability or game compability in x86. My guess is that it takes at least another 5 years before it is worth compiling in x64. The reason is simple as many companies (including mine) still use x86 and they are the deciding factor for MS to still support 32Bit Windows.

[t.s.]

I'm using linux 64bit too.. Have tried to compile pcsx 0.95 beta and can play with it pretty well.

And... I agree too, if you want to drop 64bit version to maintain 32bit version. With that, u can focus more on the emu.

Just... don't drop the linux version! That's it.

Thanks a bunch everyone.

[cman]

I'm using linux 64bit too.. Have tried to compile pcsx 0.95 beta and can play with it pretty well.

And... I agree too, if you want to drop 64bit version to maintain 32bit version. With that, u can focus more on the emu.

Just... don't drop the linux version! That's it.

Thanks a bunch everyone.

Yes please... it is really hard for linux users not to be able to use this new branch of the emu just because we are using the 64 bit OS version (what is normal if we have a 64 bit processor)

Also i want to say, shouldn't think more about the future?? i mean, the emu is far to be complete and maybe we see good results one or two years later, but for that time a lot of people will use (or at least should use) 64 bit windows system, and most of the people, almost everyone will use linux 64 bit system.. In one or two years nobody will buy a 32 bit computer.

[echosierra]

I'm using linux 64bit too.. Have tried to compile pcsx 0.95 beta and can play with it pretty well.

And... I agree too, if you want to drop 64bit version to maintain 32bit version. With that, u can focus more on the emu.

Just... don't drop the linux version! That's it.

Thanks a bunch everyone.

Yes please... it is really hard for linux users not to be able to use this new branch of the emu just because we are using the 64 bit OS version (what is normal if we have a 64 bit processor)

Also i want to say, shouldn't think more about the future?? i mean, the emu is far to be complete and maybe we see good results one or two years later, but for that time a lot of people will use (or at least should use) 64 bit windows system, and most of the people, almost everyone will use linux 64 bit system.. In one or two years nobody will buy a 32 bit computer.

They aren't removing the ability of PCSX2 to run on a 64-bit OS, it just won't be officially supported.

At the moment, PCSX2 doesn't use any of the features of a x86-64 processor, because it would require what amounts to a re-write of the core emulator functions. It has taken years for it to progress this far, and all of the neat tricks currently used would have to be revisited and changed. The binary translation portion (the dynarec, 'recompiler', 'thing that makes the emulator run faster than 5 FPS') would have to be redone completely to take advantage of the additional features. This is not to be suggested lightly, especially when you aren't going to be the one doing it. People write their doctoral thesis on the theory of binary translation, aside from the OS this emulator may be the most technically complex program you have.

The other problem is, as others mentioned, maintaining two code bases. The x86 and x86-64 bases would be completely different, and any improvements to one would have to be ported to the other. Instead of development focused on one target, you have your developer base split over two.

If ref and the other mainline developers, along with the playground devs, decide to move to 64-bit processors then I wish them the best of luck, they are certainly going to need it. But until that day, I don't think supplying builds for architectures besides the target is a good idea. You can't strap on additional code to make the x86-64 build the best it can be, forking the code into a separate branch is the only way I know how to make a clean transition.

[Krakatos]

I think we were clear enough time and time again. We will not move to a x64-only version of pcsx2 until the LARGE majority of the computers in the world use a 64bit os.

There are little to no gains in using a 64bit build of pcsx2.
Any 32bit os would NOT be able to use pcsx2.
I think it's clear enough that there's no reason to write a 64bit only build right now.

So, when we will do that? One of the possibilities below
- pcsx2 is perfect, wee! It can run every game! We're left with nothing to do, why not porting to 64bit?
- we have so many coders, they don't know what the hell to do all day long! So why not making a 64bit version of pcsx2?
- 5 or so coders joined, and they ONLY know how to code in 64bits! Why not having them code a 64 bit version of pcsx2?
- A new OS is out, and it's a 64bit only os! You can't run any 32bit application on it! Therefore, we have to code a x64 version of pcsx2.

A tad sarcastic I know. But it's true, wait for one of the aforementioned 4 possibilities (minus the sarcasm). Before that, it's just a waste of time, especially considering how few coders we have

[John_E]

Currently, Windows 7 have 32Bit builds, but unofficialy its expected to ship only as 64bit. I think, droping it right now its not wise, and as you can see in the poll, there are more 64Bits systems than 32bits ones if we count Linux Distros.But i cant believe there is no performance advantages in X64 LMA mode , there is almost x4 the register space than in compatibility mode or 32Bits. Dont missunderstand me, im not a coder, im half way to. Could anyone explain?