RetroArch Setup

[Kodokami]

Since Tirion's mod works off of RetroArch, I figured I'd write a short tutorial on how to get it set up. Fortunately, the RetroArch developers are already pretty good at that: Their webpage has downloads and installation videos and instructions for just about every system you can imagine.

RetroArch itself is not an emulator but instead runs off plugins called "cores". Once you start RetroArch, you'll need to go from the Main Menu to "Online Updater" -> "Core Updater", then find the PlayStation cores. There are two: "Sony - PlayStation (Beetle PSX HW)" and "Sony - PlayStation (Beetle PSX)". The only difference, I believe, is that HW offers more features. Select and update one of those (or both!).

To get Chrono Cross (or any PSX game) to work, however, I believe you also need some of the PSX's bios files. Specifically, SCPH 5500, 5501, and 5502. Find these online and toss them into RetroArch's "system" folder. You can then Import Content from inside RetroArch to find your game.

I'm not quite sure how to use Tirion's mod that will enable us to play Cross in upscaled textures, so I'll give the floor to them.

All other discussions specifically related to RetroArch and this project can be had here.

[Tirion]

I'll put this here too.

I uploaded a zip file with built cores to the releases page here https://github.com/stoofin/beetle-psx-libretro/releases

In that zip (mednafen_psx_hw_libretro_cc_upscale.zip) are core binaries for windows (.dll) and linux (.so) as well as a readme with some instructions on how to set everything up.  Let me know if you have any questions about it.

Also, if you're using the single disc version you can skip the m3u stuff, but when I tried it I ran into a few issues:

• the .cue was hardcoding the .bin path, so that required tweaking (use a relative path in .cue to the .bin, and also make sure the name of the texture replacements folder also matches <whatever>.cue)
• loading a disc 2 save created by the multi-disc version still prompted for a disc change, which I assume is just some kind of save incompatibility

[Kodokami]

Awesome! Thanks, Tirion. I'll be working on this today and see what results I can get.

[CptOvaltine]

Slightly related question:  I just tried out the Playstation Classic mod with RetroArch - will this mod work inside RetroArch on the classic, or does it require more processing power then it can provide?

[Tirion]

Sorry, but it seems the ps classic can't even handle the unmodified version of the beetle core.  You'd definitely want a dedicated GPU (>= a gtx 760) paired with a CPU with good single core performance.

[CptOvaltine]

Sorry, but it seems the ps classic can't even handle the unmodified version of the beetle core.  You'd definitely want a dedicated GPU (>= a gtx 760) paired with a CPU with good single core performance.

That's a bummer, but not unexpected. I've got a good set up on my work computer that could handle it well. (5GHz single core speed with GTX 1070ti)

I'm not big into gaming on my computer, but Cross could be an exception.

[ZeaLitY]

Adding attachments for archival purposes.

[Kodokami]

The "all-in-one" package now linked to in the master post includes a Read Me for setting up RetroArch settings, but I will include it here as well.

[itoikenza]

my Mac Mini 2012 Server and Thinkpad W500 both cannot run The HW ver. of the core... am i right?

[Kodokami]

my Mac Mini 2012 Server and Thinkpad W500 both cannot run The HW ver. of the core... am i right?

I honestly do not know the answer to that, having only tried this on Windows 10. Testing RetroArch on those devices without the texture pack would be simple enough, I think.

[VoShay]

Hey. I decided to replay Chrono Cross for the first time since I traded in my PS3 for a PS4 and lost access to my PSN version and stumbled onto your project. I've never used Retroarch before but I set it up according to the instructions in your folder and the game seems to be working great except element use freezes the game (sound and charging animation still playing) without any recourse to unfreeze it. Element use by the party always freezes the game, while element use by enemies sometimes freezes the game, if that matters. I'm unsure how to best troubleshoot it and googling hasn't done much to help me out. Does any of the tech folks on the project have any ideas?

Thanks for your efforts- I've always loved Cross and am very bummed out that I have no standard recourse to play it at this time.

[Kodokami]

Hey. I decided to replay Chrono Cross for the first time since I traded in my PS3 for a PS4 and lost access to my PSN version and stumbled onto your project. I've never used Retroarch before but I set it up according to the instructions in your folder and the game seems to be working great except element use freezes the game (sound and charging animation still playing) without any recourse to unfreeze it. Element use by the party always freezes the game, while element use by enemies sometimes freezes the game, if that matters. I'm unsure how to best troubleshoot it and googling hasn't done much to help me out. Does any of the tech folks on the project have any ideas?

Thanks for your efforts- I've always loved Cross and am very bummed out that I have no standard recourse to play it at this time.

Hey, thanks for dropping by!

Unfortunately, I have not heard of that issue. My guess is that it is due to some incompatibility between the RetroArch settings I suggested and your computer (different hardware is going to require different settings). Play around with the settings a bit, starting with putting CD Access Method and CD Loading Speed back to default and GPU Resolution to 2x. Let me know if that works.

I've had one other person have issues getting RetroArch to work as well, though for different a reason (which we never figured out!). In the end, I simply gave them a copy of my entire RetroArch folder as I have it set up, and it worked. So we can certainly try that for you as well.

[VoShay]

If it would be fairly painless to download your copy/set up I'd like to give it a try. I have an RX580 so I'm pretty sure I can handle the settings- maybe I goofed some little thing and didn't catch it.

[Kodokami]

Here ya go. It's my exact stuff for RetroArch. You'll still need the PROJECT KID folder with the texture pack, .bin, and .cue files.

If that doesn't work, we'll have to play with the settings to see what's causing the problem.

[VoShay]

Still unsure what I messed up, but that folder worked perfectly. 

I'm experiencing some occasional hiccups (momentary lag) in the area map to battle map transition (not always, seems to mostly disappear after the first half dozen battles or so) but otherwise, it is butter. Thanks for your help and the awesome mod. Looking forward to when you get all the work ahead of you guys done.