PSX Short Draw Distance, specifically in Crash Team Racing

pjft

@Ranma I mean, it might - hope is never lost.

This is the original emulator's repository (last commit October 2017).

This is the libretro core we're talking about:

https://github.com/libretro/pcsx_rearmed

Try running the game on the original pcsx_rearmed (non-libretro) version. If the error is there, it's less likely, but try it out. If it's not there, then it's on the libretro core and it's more likely that someone will look into it.

George Spiggott

@pjft I tried running this in the non libretro emulator but it crashes after the Sony USA presents... screen.

langest

I tried disabling the dynamic compiler on my RPi4 and the game runs smooth and the draw distance issue is gone.

George Spiggott

Does it still do so with the double resolution hack?

langest

@George-Spiggott
One caveat I forgot to mention. I have a small overclock on my RPi4.

code_textover_voltage=2
arm_freq=1840
gpu_freq=600
core_freq=600

I haven't tested the double resolution hack. How do I enable it?

George Spiggott

Just follow this video.

Note that when he says 'select' he means 'hotkey'.

langest

@George-Spiggott
Seems to work perfectly fine on my machine.
And wow(!), the game looks like a new HD release. I'm not sure I like it, but it is fun to look at how clear the image can look.

George Spiggott

Sewer Speedways is a great track to test the speed of the game on. If slow down is is only slight you won't notice the graphics lag but you will probably notice the music slow down.

Are you using the speed hack? That speeds things up a little but also causes missiles to glitch.

Darksavior

Interesting, didn't know a dynarec used for so long could have issues like this. Beetle psx is getting a dynarec sooner or later so I'll be testing the draw distance on that.

langest

@George-Spiggott
I tested on the airship level without speedhack.
I'll test on sewer speedways as soon as I get the time.

langest

@George-Spiggott
I played through Crystal Cup on resolution hack without speed hack.
The sound went silent a few times but the frame rate seemed constant. Sewer Speedways was without any issue. Roo's Tubes and the Dingo Canyon were the ones where sound went for a couple of seconds.
Worth noting is that I'm good at the game relative to the AI, so I rarely see multiple racers on the screen or items being used. That could be a cause of the better results. That being said, I have not over clocked my pi to the limit so you could crank up the clock speed even more and you probably wouldn't have the sound issue.

George Spiggott

Great, thanks for the results. I'm going to pick up a Pi 4 this weekend so I have this to look forward to.

George Spiggott

I now have a Pi 4 (4GB not overclocked) running Lakka/PsxRearmed.

I set the resolution hack on, turned off the dynamic re-compiler and set the internal FPS counter on. The game's internal FPS is 30FPS. The game does slow down a bit, sometimes as far as 25FPS while racing and further during animation scenes but the slowdown isn't really noticeable when you play.

George Spiggott

I overclocked my Pi4 by following the instructions in this ETA Prime video:

over_voltage=4
arm_freq=2000
gpu_freq=600

CTR now maintains an unwavering 30FPS on every track I tried. I think the slowdown on the victory laps etc. may be accurate emulation of the PS1's slow GPU.

BillyH

It's as they say, if at first you don't succeed, try try again with better hardware.

George Spiggott

We're probably at the peak of what can be done with the current core. If/when Beetle makes it to ARM systems we will see some improvements there with even higher resolution and removal of bending issues.

George Spiggott

The saga of the perfect CTR play experience continues.

On my current build (Weekly 4.5.13) the sound cuts in and out on CTR if I have enhanced graphics and interpreter selected (but not if I only select one of them). I'm overclocked on the CPU to 2000, the GPU is unmodified as AFAIK it has no affect on PSX reARMed.

Can anyone replicate or fix this with the existing settings?

quicksilver

@George-Spiggott if you are running enhanced resolution and running interpreter at the same time you are probably pushing your cpu too hard and the game is slowing down, which is why the audio is getting choppy. A dynarec is much faster but causes issues with this game. So I would recommend not running the enhanced resolution option if you are also running interpreter.

George Spiggott

It's not just that the game is slowing down/skipping sound. I did had a pi4 build run CTR flawlessly in hi res without the dynarec (under Lakka). I appreciate Lakka may have different overheads that isn't the issue here. The thing is that one very other retroarch/lr-psxreamed Pi build I have had (both on my pi3 and pi4) CTR and other games would slow down and the music would distort rather than cut out which is less noticeable when you're playing.

I think this cut out sound vs distort sound may be a settings question.

George Spiggott

After a little testing I found thst keeping the dynarec off, enhanced graphics on and switching on the speed hack seems to be the least graphically intrusive option. Sound still cuts out, but only very occasionally, and a couple of weapons look odd but the rest of the game looks extra pretty.

I could also overclock more but I'm already at 2k on the CPU.