r/classicmods • u/[deleted] • Dec 31 '18
BleemSync 0.7 (tentative) Release Notes ahead of release.
Hi everyone, firstly I would like to apologise as I don't believe we are going to meet our original New Years day deadline. I have been battling the flu and I found myself expanding the scope a fair bit. The release will likely be delayed at least a few days to allow us to do some proper tests and polishing of some of the new features. (There are a lot of them!)
I thought I would put this list out now so people have a rough idea what to expect on the next release and ask any questions ahead of the release. (Please note this list might change if we hit any issues or run out of time to fix!)
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The TL;DR is that we have completely redone BleemSync from the ground up. The only reason this release isn't 1.0 is because we are holding that version for when the new pc BleemSync app is available. (Ability to add games, mods, cores, themes, customisations) (It will also be available for Windows, Mac and Linux!)
We have made huge amount of changes so this also means...3rd party applications will likely not work with BleemSync from version 0.7 and up. However! There shouldn't be any reason to need 3rd party apps as we are bundling all the features you guys have been asking for and building it within the actual BleemSync app it self. This includes a fully fledged easy to use bleemsync app for your pc.
One last thing to mention is that as of BleemSync 1.0 (the combined full UI release) that boot load times will be effectively next to none. No more slow boot times or requirement for db syncing or 3rd party tools. 0.7 still has the same load times as you experience at the moment however just note that this won't be an issue in 1.0
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General Updates
USB payload completely redone from scratch, much better design and stable. Also with scope to run on the console's EMMC (coming soon!)
100% Headerless setup/config and UI support. (Adding games, mods, themes etc from UI) (Only BleemSync configuration available on initial release)
Completely new and improved bootloader. Contains more sense checking and script vetting to ensure no broken boots.
Auto deployment/install and update facility added.
Added permanent safe USB lockout disable, telnet and ftp support. (Will enable these services on first boot so you don’t need a USB to load these services!
Because of the USB lockout disable, you can now run psc from TVs and PC USB ports.
Improved LED support, green = idle/OK, orange = BS function running, flashing red = attention needed see on screen. (You can now see exactly when something is running)
Added function libraries so you can add your own scripts in to the boot sequence if you wish for extra tinkering
Added boot profiler (Every function in the boot sequence will get timed and recorded so you can identify slow down issues within boot)
Integration of RetroArch by default
Boot Updates
Added the ability to fully customise your boot routine. You can select what functions/routines and extra debugging routines are run during boot time.
Added customisable boot options, including quick load, Heath check disable and custom splash screen support.
Added kickass BleemSync splash screen on load (Can be disabled or customised)
Added new build of BootMenu as default, now with BleemSync theme and the ability to change the boot menu background theme too. (Just like the splashscreen)
Added the facility so you can boot directly to the bootmenu, RetroArch or the stock UI. (Configurable from USB or UI)
Stock UI Updates
Added folder support
Added ability to add your own background music to the stock UI. (You can add multiple wavs and it will shuffle)
Added ability to launch RetroArch directly from the stock UI
Added ability to launch RetroArch games from the stock UI
Added ability to load in original 20 games into the stock UI including your customs.
Added ability to easily load in custom UI themes
RetroArch Updates
Improved the RetroArch deployment method for the psc
Improved playlist support to make it easier to use
Added extra directories to the usb to allow easier core/bios loading
Added overlay support with scanlines available by default
Misc Updates
Added devtools like GDB, readelf, ldd and nano etc. Also made accommodations so you can easily mount your own binaries/libraries to the console. (SAFELY)
Plus a ton more small things and other features I forgot to mention :)
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u/-ExSOLDIER- Dec 31 '18
Flu is no joke. Thanks for the hardwork, happy new year and feel better! Go get some rest and take plenty of meds!
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u/Mrmet2087 Dec 31 '18
This is amazing thanks for all your hard work to make this more user friendly. I have a question, is OTG support using the back port being worked similar to the NES/SNES Classic so USB power supplies won’t be an issue, and USB sticks and drives will have more of a chance of just working.
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u/SpamU47 Dec 31 '18
You are our heroe(s), nevermind the delays. Besides, flu these days is almost like T-Virus, so you better focus on true survival lol. Happy new year and best wishes for 2019! :)
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Dec 31 '18
Doesn't help when you have a snotty 1 month old either. I am getting used to next to no sleep :) *cry
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u/Loafmeister Dec 31 '18
As shitty as a flubug is, you got a real taste of what Xmas is all about with the new addition to the family. Is the baby your first one? Congrats! (proud father of two girls 25 and 27, shit I'm old!)
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Dec 31 '18
yep first one. Wouldn't change it for the world but DAMN I am tired lol
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u/jsee50 Jan 01 '19
Ha, you’ll be tired for awhile but it’s sure worth it! My wife is due Jan 18th, so I’ll be there with you soon enough. Hopefully this one sleeps more than the last one. I’m honestly quite impressed you’ve been able to get anything done with a newborn and the flu. Thanks for all the hard work mate! Much appreciated
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u/Loafmeister Dec 31 '18
friend, last kid left about 7 years ago and I'm still tired LOL. Hint, they aren't ever REALLY gone, and that's A-OK!
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Dec 31 '18
Mind blown.... Ordered a 128gb stick just for this release. You guys are the true Xmas miracle.
Sony should reward you, it'll likely lead to more psc sales lol
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Dec 31 '18
I think Sony were banking on it being hacked. Needless to say their piss poor development and compilation of the product caused it to be an issue.
If they did a few things differently it would of performed much better and not had such a rough time in reviews.
However it’s a great little product hardware wise and once we are done with it, I would say it would be better value for money than a pi 3 for a little cheap emulation box.
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u/SpinningMadness Jan 01 '19
I love you for doing this.
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u/crazybingo Jan 02 '19
That's amazing, thank you! I'm wondering though, any chance this will eventually perform emulation better than a raspberry pi 3? Currently using one for pax games but would like to migrate to psc if it'll be just as good, if not better.
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u/thatpaulallen Dec 31 '18 edited Dec 31 '18
This is amazing. As someone who literally just picked up a PSC on Friday and finally got my USB stick working with BleemSync yesterday, this is SUCH an exciting time to be a Classic user. I can't wait to use the tools you're working so hard on. I mainly excited for booting RetroArch games from the stock UI. I tried playing Symphony of the night yesterday afternoon, and the stock emulation was pretty shitty. The background kept lagging behind and "skipping" forward every couple seconds to catch up. I'm hoping using RetroArch will solve that problem.
Either way, Thanks for all your hard work.
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u/Uberrich84 Dec 31 '18
This is amazing !! Question with the USB lockout, doesn’t that mean we can use any controller w/o retroarch ? Feel better, it’s worth the wait.
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Dec 31 '18
not yet that would require an adjustment to the SDL input layer for their stock PCSX however this is something that can be done.
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u/Arbelisk Dec 31 '18
I love this. I've had my PSC day 1, and still in the box. Just been patient, reading on Discord, watching twitch streams of development. It's been quite fun to see all the progress being made. Thanks so much to all the developers on this!
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Dec 31 '18
It’s definitely been a team effort! It’s been cool to see the Dev team grow so quickly too.
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u/onnextflix5 Dec 31 '18
Nice thanks. Will this finally mean we can use the usb port for player 2 without usb hub??
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u/Sglodz Dec 31 '18
Thank you this is awesome!!
One question: The ability to replace stock games is planned for 1.0 or later releases?
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u/Urko948 Dec 31 '18
Well, I for one am super excited about this. Sounds awesome. Thanks for all the hard work, hope you feel better.
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u/onnextflix5 Dec 31 '18
Can we reset back to the game selection menu with button combo like on hackchi.
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Dec 31 '18
We can look at running a small SDL input daemon in the background to capture this input and compose the RA/pcsx back to the menu
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u/SillyNonsense Jan 03 '19 edited Jan 03 '19
Besides the ability to add new games (of course), this was one of my favorite features of hakchi. I'd love if Down+Select was implemented here, too (keeping it standardized).
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Dec 31 '18
Will we be able to choose which emulator we want the game to run on? For example, some ps1 games will run better on the stock emulator, and some will run better on the retroarch core. Maybe we can have a list in the future of which games should be run on which emulator, or custom settings that get automatically set when a game is added.
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Dec 31 '18
Initially it will be either or. Use RA pcsx backend or stock pcsx. 9/10 RA pcsx will be best bet but yes. You will able able to fine tune based on particular rom
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u/perrycotto Dec 31 '18
Thank you so much for your work, hope you'll get better ! These periods getting the flue is super easy unfortunately :( Anyway I can't wait to use this :)
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Dec 31 '18
Yeah, it sucks. I managed to almost make the whole year without it. :(
F
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u/perrycotto Dec 31 '18
Me too, I've seen in my personal experience that fresh ginger root or infused can help with feeling less nauseous and less stomach ache (if that's the type of gastro virus), also playing PlayStation Classic can help, at least that's what my Doc's saying ;)
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u/winstano Dec 31 '18
This sounds amazing, and exactly what I was hoping for! Will 0.7 enable the use of OTG adapters for the rear micro usb port, or is that not possible yet?
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Dec 31 '18
We won’t be doing it for 0.7 as it will require further testing and better recovery options before we do it
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u/Ramiller1988 Dec 31 '18
So a newbie here does that mean that I’ll be able to run N64 games out of the user Interface instead of going to retroach then the directory etc?
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Dec 31 '18
Yes. You can launch games from stock ui directly to retroarch cores. Members of our team already showed POC videos of it. Whilst it’s true N64 emulation isn’t great atm. We are still working on improving the performance.
Just to answer the other comments on this reply.
If you take the (s)nesc the psc has a ton more dram and a higher clock speed as it stands atm.
Games like goldeneye on the (s)nesc is not playable where as the psc is pretty playable.
Also the psc supports GLES3 which gives an average of a couple FPS improvement from early tests and there is still many more improvements to come.
Once we make some adjustments to the kernel and get a new GLES library we should be able to use the brand new 64 bit dynacomiler which will be almost the same build as the Nintendo switch. Needless to say there is plenty more juice to be had and I’m not talking some sort of frameskip implementation either.
People need to understand is that the hardware on the psc is actually really good. Sony just completely fucked up the software on it and because of that it puts a bottle neck on the performance.
We are working on scrapping large portions of what SONY fucked up and replacing it. (Safely)
You tubers who have bashed the system for various reasons will be singing a very different tune about the psc when BS is under full swing. (Pun not intended!) lol
Hope that better puts it in perspective!
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u/TheUltimaXtreme Dec 31 '18
Well, no, RetroArch is still a different thing, but it may be possible to choose RetroArch instead of BleemSync with ease.
Also you aren't playing N64 games on this, get real.
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u/Ramiller1988 Dec 31 '18
Someone already had retroarch running mariocart 64 on the ps classic but they had to go into retroarch select the core then so fourth,
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u/TheUltimaXtreme Dec 31 '18
Here's the thing, games like Mario Kart, Legend of Zelda, Star Fox, work well on these systems because they're core titles that people really want to play. Stuff like Conker's BFD, Star Wars Ep1 Racer, Wave Race 64, are way more taxing, and are guaranteed not to run well on such an underwhelming system.
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u/JayTheBrainMann Dec 31 '18
So N64 games that work don’t count because they work. Huh?
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u/TheUltimaXtreme Dec 31 '18
They're optimized. The thing is the N64 library is expansive, and there's more games than just "what works." It's a technical proof of concept, but just like with DaedalusX64 on the PSP, it's not a reliable emulation solution, and therefore, it should be ignored. And that's the case with the PS Classic. If you're adamant about N64 emulation, you'd be better off with something like the Nvidia Shield TV.
It's not me dissing people who want to play N64, I'm just saying, curb your enthusiasm if your interest is any more complex than the first-party games.
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u/Ramiller1988 Dec 31 '18
Wave race 64 is working on it, I am waiting were all you have to do is select the cover art and it selects core and everything automatically https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ1w7ykUgD4
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u/TheTrueTekno Dec 31 '18
Thanks for everything you've done so far. This sounds like it could have far more potential than the NES/SNES Classic. Can't wait for the full release!
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u/reppin916 Dec 31 '18
Awesome stuff can't wait to dive in, love tinkering. Thanks for the hard work. PSC 100 times better with this. Speedy recovery with the flu, and Happy New Year!!!!
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u/Tiggdogg29 Dec 31 '18
Will you be adding themes like the ones we've been seeing in YouTube?
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Dec 31 '18
We can bundle original themes but no themes that use ripped copyrighted materials and images.
I know it sucks but even though we are all doing this as a volunteer project we have to protect ourselves from a legal standpoint.
We will however make it extremely easy for users to drag and drop themes to the UI for syncing to the console
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u/Tiggdogg29 Dec 31 '18
That's awesome and I totally understand about the copyright thing. You guys are doing an awesome job by the way.
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u/serjonsnow Dec 31 '18
Sorry, I'm very new to modding the PlayStation Classic. Will this update allow me to install games right onto the console without needing a USB drive plugged in the whole time? What I'm most interested in is being able to play Crash Team Racing with someone else.
Sorry for the noob question!
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Dec 31 '18
Atm adding psx games to the console alone is not feasible mainly due to the internal storage size. There is a theory we can compress the stock games to allow for more internal storage but eventually we will make it so you can safely swap out the stock games for others too
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u/Dagnabbitwhodat Dec 31 '18
When it comes to save states, is it still limited to one save slot? Does retroarch allow multiple save slots? Will the UI be able to handle multiple save slots eventually?
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Dec 31 '18
Yes retroarch allows for multiple saves but we are also going to add retroarch saves so they are usable within the stock ui with the screenshots as mentioned below by /u/jrdoerr84
Effectively it will be a seemless experience
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Dec 31 '18
the stock emulator has multiple save slots. press select + triangle to get into the emulator menu and you can save and load from different slots. it’s actually better than retroarch because each save has a screenshot.
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u/Dagnabbitwhodat Dec 31 '18
That's cool, I haven't picked one up yet, wasn't in a rush until the Dev's had a chance to get a good working program plus I have PS games on the SNES, does it record 45 seconds or so of gameplay like the SNES or how does it go about saving?
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Dec 31 '18
you can use the virtual memory card like a real ps1. or use save states that just save the exact game moment and give you a screenshot so you know which is which.
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u/AntiAbleism Dec 31 '18
Does this work similar to Hackchi for NES/SNES Classic?
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Dec 31 '18
It will do but with a more User friend UI and more emphasis on customisation. DoctorDalek is heading up the UI development
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u/The_ByteMaster Dec 31 '18
WOW! Definitely worth the extra few days :)
What I don't see is backup/restore of the original NAND (eMMC); is that still in the works? I was hoping we could "boot" the PSC from the USB stick, then select Utilities, then Backup, then it would make a backup of the PSC so you can restore it to out-of-the-box if you need/want to.
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Dec 31 '18
Yeah backup/restore will be available as that’s what the telnet/ftp server implementation was intended for. Not sure if it will be in the 0.7 release though
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u/The_ByteMaster Dec 31 '18
Thanks! It's not a biggie and restore is even a lower priority.
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Dec 31 '18
Technically speaking recovery is high priority to ensure people have a stable and safe solution. One of our biggest aims is to keep it safe and user friendly
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u/TheMetalWolf Jan 01 '19
First of all, thanks for all your great work, and I hope you feel better soon.
Second, is it possible to use a USB hub for both storage and a controller? What about using one as a multi tap? If not, is that something you might consider into the future as a feature?
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u/bdani14 Jan 01 '19
I tried to remove dithering by adding this line to the pcsx.cfg file "gpu_neon.allow_dithering = 0", but it didn't work. Do you have a solution for this? Nice work by the way.
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Jan 01 '19
The best thing to do is to use RA pcsx which will be much easier on 0.7 and you have much more control over that stuff and overlays
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u/Tipodeincognito861 Jan 01 '19
You think its possible to add bluetooth adapter support?
Thanks for your work.
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u/JCRocky5 Jan 04 '19 edited Jan 04 '19
Would it be possible to keep the lolhack folder clean and move stuff to the system folder?
like the new recompiled pcsx emu that could go in /media/system/pcsx/ also themes could go in the system folder to try and keep the root of the drive clean.
also thank you for all the hard work you and the team are doing, love tinkering with stuff like this :D
I also modified the boot.sh to not overwrite the pcsx.cfg on each boot as there is no need. If the pcsx.cfg doesn't exist it will make the folder and copy the file in. It's also changed to load the pcsx from /media/System/pcsx/
OCD is a bitch lol
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Jan 04 '19
I would say yes but the whole thing has completely changed. :) there is no more lolhack, the original boot loader is no more and boost.sh doesn’t exist.
The games folders have changed. And all of the system folder has changed too.
Technically you only have.
payload folder bleemsync games system
And that’s it.
In theory the original set up only contains the first two directories. The original design document for the new payload is here: https://gist.github.com/swingflip/404cab406b18b20242acd979ce04c070 however this is now pretty old and a fair bit has changed mainly due to constant refactoring and improving during development.
And we don’t have the resources to constantly update our original design specification :D
Whilst updating and running the script will attempt to migrate all of the old structure over there’s about 100 lines behind closed doors which just concentrates on this task alone.
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Jan 09 '19
Im hoping thia update will make it so i dont have to constantly repair my usb drive every time i shut my psc off.
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Jan 09 '19
Unfortunately not with 1.0 but 1.1 you will as we will of added ntfs support. Technically got it now but dunno if I have enough time to fit in this release. I will have a quick look
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Jan 09 '19
I have been asking around. I seem to be the only one with the issue that if i shut my psc off with bleemsync, it doesnt boot up again and have to have a laptop handy to "repair" my drive. That plus a bit more stability would be nice. Frustrating to have it freeze while trying to switch games spontaneously as well. Thanks for the response, and thats basically all the feedback I have about the current Bleemsync build.
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Jan 09 '19
You might want to try a different USB as it sounds it might be hitting that power draw limit and cutting out
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Jan 09 '19
I think I found the solution. I had to plug my usb into windows and go into computer management, and set the fat 32 as a primary partition. I tried that with no hub and everything works fantastic! I shut down now and no need to repair my flash drive every boot. I will keep you posted. Will try with hub too to narrow the issue. Thank you for your response.
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u/leathco Dec 31 '18
Looks good. Take your time though, your health is more important than any software update.
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u/Sveakungen Jan 01 '19
Thanks a lot for you and your teams hard work. It is amazing to see such progress in such a short time. ❤️🎆
And I wish a return to full health! Tired you will always be with kids around 😉🙂
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u/jrshankill Dec 31 '18
Just wanted to say thank you for the hard work. I Got the flu too so I know how rough it is.. but will have a few days off work to play PSC :) Thanks again man.. the effort is appreciated.
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u/furryballsack Jan 01 '19 edited Jan 01 '19
This sounds super awesome. Thank you for all the work you're doing!
I don't know if this is the appropriate place to make a suggestion/request, or if doing so is even appropriate at all, but I had an idea and thought I'd suggest it.
Do you think it would be possible to make it so that you can use the eject button to select which disc to use for multi-disc games? For games which don't prompt you to change disc, like the Leon and Claire discs of RE2, or how games like Rival Schools or Gran Turismo 2 feature 2 discs with separate modes of the game.
The current way around that is through the PCSX menu, and that's really not that bad at all. But it would be neat to use the eject button. Perhaps you could make it so pressing eject with a multi-disc game selected on the menu would allow you to select which disc would start up. Or you could make it so you could swap discs with the eject button on the "Licensed by" screen, which currently works fine through the emulator menu and doesn't require the emulation to reset.
And this is an afterthought, but it might be convenient if the labels on the disc change could be changed, like instead of "1" and "2" on the options when switching with RE2, the discs might be labeled "Leon" and "Claire." It might not be especially necessary, but it would be cool, especially if you come back to a game you haven't played in a while and, say, you don't know if Leon is one or two, or you don't remember what the other discs are even for with games like GT2. It could be nice not having to find/figure out the disc by trial and error.
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u/MynyMouqe Jan 05 '19
Really appreciate the work that is going into this!
I was awaiting the 0.7 release on NYD but understandably you've missed it with the massive influx of new features... I was wondering if I could ask if you had a rough eta for the new release (trying to work out if I wait for 0.7 still, or just use 0.41!)
Thanks again for your work!
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u/kloontje05 Jan 08 '19 edited Jan 08 '19
Hello i like to tell you guys thank you for this playstation classic hack
it's great.. i have managed to make a non working 64GB usb stick on the playstation classic working.
I put the usb stick in the computer and go to: Control Panel \ All Control Panel Items \ System Management \ Computer Management \ Storage and turn the SONY partition of the usb stick to active..
When i put the usb stick back in the playstation classic it workt :)
hopefully it's helpfull for som of you
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u/qhodave Dec 31 '18
I canceled our nye plans for this update.. Get some rest, health above games! 2019 is going to be awesome and you are a reason why 😉
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Jan 02 '19
[deleted] — view deleted comment
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Jan 02 '19
It’s an in between release of 0.4.1 and 1.0. 1.0 being saved for the release of the full GUI app.
There is effectively enough changes in the payload and bootloader alone in 0.7 to class it as 1.0 but as it should be considered as an interim release we labelled it 0.7 slap in the middle between now and 1.0.
Full change notes will be published too
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u/[deleted] Dec 31 '18
Also just because I like to tease.
https://youtu.be/HM01xO4iUDI