General problems FAQ

Here is a simple guide for the steps one should take to try to resolve your problems.

Steps to take

Update to latest version

Emulators can have stable builds that are weeks, months, and sometimes even years old. The "stable" version is often times just a randomly picked dev version. That is why the latest dev versions should be preferred. This could solve emulation issues most of the time. Links to dev builds can be found at the pages for PCSX-R, PCSX2, Dolphin, nullDC, DeSmuME and PPSSPP.

Change Settings

If you're using a plugin based emulator, graphical glitches and sound issues might be solved by changing the settings.

• PS1 Plugins
• N64 Plugins

Check for known issues

There are resources available for emulators which lists the common known issues with games, and the solutions.

• PCSX2 Wiki
• Dolphin Wiki
• PPSSPP Compatibility List
• N64 Config List

Check the archives

Sometimes, questions may have been asked and answered multiple times in the past. Check the Emulation General archives.

Foolz Archive

Ask Emulation General

If you still can't find a solution, ask Emulation General. Provide relevant details such as:

• System specs, especially CPU
• Emulator and version
• Emulator settings/plugins
• Game details
• The problem itself. Do not forget that, because if you do then what comes out makes no sense whatsoever.

Common Questions

>THERE ARE NO FUNCTIONAL 3DS, VITA, PS3, XBOX 360, WII U, PS4 OR XBONE EMULATORS

1. Q: Can I run [insert emulator here]?

A: Generally, emulation runs off the CPU, with the GPU allowing for higher resolutions, AA, etc. If your CPU isn't good enough, you can't emulate a system too well. A commonly-recommended CPU is the Intel Core i5 2500k or the 3570k. For DeSmuME and PPSSPP, enable the dynarec option for speedups. For GC/Wii and PS2 see the Dolphin and PCSX2 pages, specifically, for recommended specs if a 2500k/3570k is not a viable option.

2. Q: Why is my PS2 game blurry?

A: It's either interlacing or a filter in the game itself. For the former, switching the de-interlacing mode with F5 may help, and may cause flicker or screen shaking. For the latter, hacks are required. Either Aggressive-CRC if the game is listed there, or skipdraw (toy with the number, 1-100) might work otherwise.

3. Q: I downloaded a PSX game from emuparadise. It's in .ecm format and won't open in an emulator. Why?

A: ECM is a compressed format. You need to decompress using PakkISO or ECM Tools (both provided on the emuparadise download page). It'll output as a .bin usually, which is what the .cue uses to load the game.

4. Q: I use LilyPad, but the esc key and various others don't work!

A: In the Input API (radio buttons in the top left of the LilyPad options), choose raw input.

5. Q: I downloaded a file in a zip/rar/7z format, and inside it are a lot of files labelled either r00/r01 etc, part1/part2 etc or 001/002 etc files. What are these?

A: It's a split archive, usually RAR. Make sure you have 7-Zip installed. Do not use WinRAR. Extract all those files somewhere. Then, right click on the first in the sequence (e.g. r00/part1/etc) and, depending on the program used, should have an "Extract Here" command. Use it; it'll output the files you're looking for. You can then proceed to delete all those r0x/partx/etc files if you want.

6. Q: How do I connect my PS3 controller to my computer?

A: Use XInput Wrapper SCP.

7. Q: My save states do not work in the new version of the emulator I downloaded. Why?

A: Save states are not compatible between different versions of emulators, or between different emulators. Don't rely on them. Use real/battery saves which typically can be transfered, even if they need converted first.

8. Q: Save states do not work in Mednafen PSX.

A: Save states are not enabled in Mednafen PSX, and will not be added until the developer feels that the emulator is mostly finished.

9. Q: Metal Gear Solid gives me a blank screen.

A: MGS has anti-piracy features, and needs real bios to work. Do not use simulated bios in PCSX-R. If you are using bios and it still is not working, try different bios files. And that the BIOS is selected under the Plugins and Bios configuration menu.

10. Q: The PlayStation 1 game that I downloaded came with a lot of tracks. How do I play it?

A: You need to create/run the cue sheet (.cue). Support for multi-track games can be found in Mednafen, RetroArch, and PCSX-R. ePSXe does not support such features and should not be used.