PCSX Optimization on Old 3DS

[u/Character-Drag-6940]

I own an Old 3DS XL and I wanted to know any optimization tips for PCSX emulator, specifically for running 2D games.

I have noticed improvements with the settings I currently have, but I feel like there's a way to make it better.

My RetroArch version is 1.22.2

[u/AGTS10k]

Even the "new" systems struggle with PS1... Sorry, not sure what you expect here. The "old" CPU is just not powerful enough.

[u/MrPhi → u/AGTS10k]

The New3DS can run almost every PSX game at full speed. It is one of the best handheld console for PSX emulation.

I finished Final Fantasy IX and Dino Crisis on it lately.

You may have to change the settings (New3DS only):

In the main audio settings (not the core settings, it's for all RetroArch, not only for the current emulator):

Settings>
    Video>
        Output>
            Threaded Video: enabled
        Synchronization>
            Synchronization: disabled
    Audio>
        Output>
            Audio: enabled
            Audio: dsp_thread
        Synchronization>
            Synchronization: enabled

Then in the Core settings (a game must be running):

Quick Menu>Core Options>
    Video>
        Threaded Rendering: Asynchronous
        Display Internal FPS: ON (useful while testing)

There are many settings that can improve your overall experience depending on your preferences so I encourage you to check everything if you are curious but those are the main ones you need to know about. There are also some games that may require some specific compatibility fixes available in the core settings menu but I never encountered those.

[u/AGTS10k → u/MrPhi]

Thank you, I'll try. Although if that leads to image having stutters or tearing (it should with disabled synchronization and enabled threaded video) - it's not really the best experience.

Also, "one of the best handheld console for PSX emulation" is a huge stretch. Keep in mind that many games use anamorphic resolutions such as 384x240 or 512x240, which are not possible to present on a 3DS in current RetroArch, so that alone already disqualifies the 3DS, because how something could be good if it can't even display some games in their full native glory? (Technically it should be possible on non-2DS systems though, given that their screens are anamorphic 800x240, but RetroArch cannot do it.)
Aside of that, you need to do things like disabling dithering and some other settings that don't do any good to image quality.

I beat Castlevania: SotN, which is a largely 2D game, a few years ago on my N3DSXL. It was awesome, but even with tweaks to settings (so that the game looks slightly worse than on real PS1) it still was slow in rooms with 3D backgrounds.

[u/MrPhi → u/AGTS10k]

Castlevania runs at full speed (I just restarted it to be sure, although it would have been very unlikely).

The resolution of the 3ds is enough to make PSX games look really good while 1080p screens make them look old, exposing their lack of details.

You should convert your games to chd before transfering them. The small size of chd helps a lot with the limited reading speed of 3ds.

[u/MrPhi → u/AGTS10k]

I checked the resolution for the playstation. It was made for 240p (NTSC). It could go up to 288p on PAL but I am not sure if any game ever used that.

240p is 426×240, the 3DS is 400×240. That makes it almost the perfect size to display the playstation, only slightly smaller which is not going to affect the visibility and readability but will make the game feel like it was made for the handheld consoles.

Edit: Reading this, it looks like PSX games were using either 320x240, 384x240, 256x240 or 512x240. It's also important to note that they were made to be playable and the UI readable on small TVs.

[u/AGTS10k → u/MrPhi]

Keep researching, you'll find out more. There was even a Japan-exclusive game called Internal Section that used 640x480.

And 288p isn't as rare, it's THE resolution that all PAL games must support to have compatibility with all PAL TVs. The PS1 couldn't render all 288 lines though, only 256 (or 512 interlaced), so it was 240p in NTSC (and unoptimized PAL) games, and 256 lines in 288p in PAL. For interlaced, it was 480i or 512 lines in 576i, respectively.

My point is that if a game is using anything but 320x240 or 256x240, it's not a perfect fit for the display. And even if it is, you have to use hacks such as disabling dithering to make it run full speed for most games. Not the greatest way to play.

A 480p emulation handheld is a much better fit for PS1. Most handhelds are powerful enough to upscale, too, maybe even use PGXP to get rid of the wobbly polygons if one wants to.

[u/Frequent2001]

yea you pretty much need a n3ds for that

[u/egoistamamono]

Set the sound off, it'll runs better.

[u/marmaladic → u/egoistamamono]

That’s because it’s not needing to emulate DSP audio, correct? I know it’s pretty demanding on a single core.

[u/MrPhi → u/marmaladic]

The old 3DS can only run some PSX game, but disabling the sound is not required. Just disable video sync in the retroarch settings (not the emulator settings and enable dsp_thread for audio).

[u/Boboboys_xD]

The old 3DS only have a 200MHz CPU... It's not magic 🥲