Pro-tip: Use DS4Windows to spoof your DS3 or DS4 controller into thinking it’s an Xbox Controller. However, if you’re using a PlayStation DualShock controller, you might need to manually configure each button. If you’re using a controller with native xinput.dll, then you won’t have to configure anything for this part.
Pro-Tip: Using a Mac with M1 Chip? If you’re having problems with Hardware Renderer, switch to Software Renderer and observe performance differences. We recommend leaving GS Plugin as-is if you’re not experiencing visual artifacts or glitches. You can find this under Config, Plugins/BIOS selector. It’s time to configure PCSX2 Graphics Settings. Make sure to put a Check on Use Default Setting, then click on Finish and proceed to the next setting.
Locate the PS2 BIOS file you have downloaded and select it. Leave everything as-is and proceed to PCSX2 Bios. If everything is installed correctly, you should be seeing the PCSX2 First Time Configuration Window. If you're trying to experience a game in as close to its original form as possible, these functions can ruin that.This video tutorial can help you tweak the most advanced settings that we won’t be covering for this guide. Or if you get upset and can't beat a certain section, you might just turn on an invincibility cheat to skip it. It's easy to get in the habit of abusing save states before every major action in the game, so that you can always change your mind or retry if you fail.
Modern Features Can Ruin Your Experienceįeatures like save states and cheats are certainly convenient, but they can also prevent you from enjoying a game in its original form. Emulators, while great, can't provide the exact same experience as the original system.ģ. Ultimately, how much authenticity matters to you is a personal choice. Both options are handy, but come at an additional cost. If you have the original controllers for these consoles, you can usually buy USB adapters for them. However, these third-party controllers aren't usually as high-quality as the originals. You can remedy this by purchasing replica USB controllers for your console of choice, which is a decent solution. To visualize this, compare the below video of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on an emulator running in 1080p: So when you use an emulator, you are seeing a perfect representation of the video signal from the system, potentially with some enhancements. This gives early 3D games on systems like the PlayStation and N64 a smoother look. They looked OK on older, smaller CRT displays, but these analog signals look even worse when blown up on a modern large HDTV.Īnother reason is that in 3D titles, emulators can render polygons at higher resolutions than their original consoles, thanks to better hardware. The biggest reason for this is that older consoles used analog video outputs, like composite cables.Īnalog signals are not as clear as modern digital video standards. When you play games on an emulator, you'll probably notice the graphics look better than you remember from the actual console. Let's start with the positives and see some of the biggest draws for using an emulator to play video games. We'll discuss emulation generally here not all features are available with all emulators. For example, Nintendo's Virtual Console service on the 3DS and Wii U, as well as the Switch Online NES and SNES collections, use software emulation to run older games. While most people think of video game emulation primarily as third-party software, it's more widespread than you might think. This allows you to play games intended for that console on your computer, even though they wouldn't normally be compatible. In the case of video game emulation, software like Project64 mimics the hardware of a console like the Nintendo 64. In case you're not familiar, emulation is the act of allowing one computer to act like another. Let's consider the pros and cons of emulation so you can decide what's best for you. Emulation software provides an easy way to play games that aren't otherwise accessible.Ĭompared to playing on original hardware, emulation come with some benefits as well as a few drawbacks. If you're a fan of playing retro video games, chances are that you've experienced some titles on an emulator, or at least considered using emulation.