Difference between pages "RockNES" and "Flycast"

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(Categories replaced)
 
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{{lowercase title}}
 
{{Infobox emulator
 
{{Infobox emulator
|title = RockNES
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|title = flycast
|logo = Rocknes.png
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|logo = Flycast.png
|logowidth = 150
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|logowidth = 130
|version = {{RockNESVer}}
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|version = [https://github.com/flyinghead/flycast GitHub]<br/>[https://flyinghead.github.io/flycast-builds Dev Builds]
 
|active = Yes
 
|active = Yes
|platform = [[Emulators on Windows|Windows]]
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|platform = [[Emulators on Android OS|Android]]<br/>Linux<br/>[[Emulators on Windows|Windows]]<br/>[[Emulators on macOS|macOS]]
|target = [[Nintendo Entertainment System emulators|NES]]
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|target = [[Sega Dreamcast emulators|Dreamcast]]<br/>NAOMI<br/>Atomiswave<br/>Windows CE
|developer = Zepper (aka 'Fx3')
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|developer = flyinghead
|website = [http://rocknes.web.fc2.com RockNES.web.fc2.com]
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|website = [https://github.com/flyinghead/flycast Site]
|source =
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|source = [https://github.com/flyinghead/flycast GitHub]
 +
|license = GNU GPLv2
 
}}
 
}}
  
'''RockNES''' is a [[Nintendo Entertainment System emulators|Famicom (NES)]] and Famicom Disk System (FDS) emulator.
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'''flycast''' is an open-source [[Sega Dreamcast emulators|Dreamcast emulator]] currently available for [[Emulators on Android OS|Android]], Linux, macOS and Windows. It is a fork of [[reicast]] - another Dreamcast emulator for Windows, Linux and Android. It has a work-in-progress wiki available [https://github.com/TheArcadeStriker/flycast-wiki/wiki here], complete with guides and information about various features.
  
==Download==
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==Downloads==
 
{| cellpadding="4"
 
{| cellpadding="4"
 
|-
 
|-
|align=center|{{Icon|Win-big}}
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|align=center|{{Icon|Win|Lin|Mac|APK}}
|'''[{{RockNESDownloadLink}}]'''
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|'''[https://flyinghead.github.io/flycast-builds Dev builds]'''<br>
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
==Overview==
 
==Overview==
This is arguably one of the oldest, if not the oldest mature Famicom/NES emulators in existence. Its public formation started in ''Version 0.51'' on June 29, 1998. According to the [https://www.dropbox.com/s/22q3pxsjxi9fnn9/rnes554.zip?dl=0&file_subpath=%2Frnes554%2Foldnews.txt oldnews.txt] document found inside the official website, it was originally called "'''xNES'''", but was renamed to the current '''RockNES''' title on August 22, 1998, to avoid confusion that lead some people to believe that it was for Unix. The title was first seen in version ''0.53 Release 3'' (On August 23, 1998) the day after release of ''xNES 0.53 Release 2''.
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Flycast requires a GPU that supports OpenGL 3.0 or OpenGL ES 2.0. A Dreamcast BIOS file is optional, but NAOMI and Atomiswave BIOS files are required. It has support for almost all Dreamcast, Windows CE, NAOMI and Atomiswave games. It also has support for the following features:
  
'''[https://segaretro.org/DarcNES DarcNES]''' was another multi-system emulator for multiple platforms made in 1998-2001 by Alastair Bridgewater (a.k.a. Nyef), that mainly focused on NES emulation. Unlike RockNES here, it was abandoned few years after its creation.
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*Emulating standard Dreamcast controllers, Keyboard, Mouse, Light-Gun (with your mouse), Twin Sticks, and even the ASCII Mission Stick
 +
*Emulating two expansion sockets per controller (VMU, Purupuru/Rumble Pack, or Microphone)
 +
*Widescreen (Rendering outside of screen)
 +
*Resolution and Texture Upscaling
 +
*Frame Skipping
 +
*Dump textures and load custom textures
 +
*Support for HLE BIOS (note that it's recommended to use a real BIOS)
 +
*High compatibility and high performance
 +
*Widescreen Game Hack (Auto-applying codes/patches to certain games to do Widescreen instead of using the hack)
 +
*Compatible with NAOMI games that use analog sticks (Monkey Ball, Gun Survivor 2) and trackball (Outtrigger)
 +
*VMU Support for compatible NAOMI games (Street Fighter Zero 3 Upper, Virtual-On, etc)
 +
*[https://github.com/libretro/flycast/issues/136 flycast Compatibility list]
  
{{Nes}}
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==Netplay==
 +
* Networked Dreamcast & NAOMI games are supported natively with [https://dreamcastlive.net/ Dreamcast Live] configured by default for supported games.
 +
* Local multiplayer netplay support available in the netplay fork, '''[https://github.com/blueminder/flycast-dojo/ Flycast Dojo]'''. Peer-to-peer, delay-based netcode with spectating available. 2 Players only. Featured as a part of [[FightCade]].
 +
* For '''Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon & DX''', a custom fork of Flycast and private game server is maintained [https://github.com/inada-s/gdxsv here].
 +
 
 +
==Libretro core==
 +
Two reicast cores on [[libretro]] called '''reicast OIT''' and '''reicast regular''' were introduced [https://www.libretro.com/index.php/introducing-reicast-oit-libretro-core-updated-reicast-regular-core/ in June 2018] that replace the original core. These cores backport changes from [https://github.com/flyinghead/reicast-emulator flyinghead's fork] that rework the rendering system. The regular core is compliant with OpenGL 3 and GLSL 1.30 in order to support mobile devices and mid-tier PCs. The OIT core supports a graphics feature of the Dreamcast called Order-Independent Transparency that can only be properly emulated using OpenGL 4.3 and later, so it's only available for Windows and Linux at the moment.
 +
The two reicast cores have been merged in one '''reicast libretro''' core [https://www.libretro.com/index.php/reicast-libretro-and-reicast-oit-libretro-merged-into-one-what-you-need-to-know/ in October 2018]. In 2019 the core was first renamed to '''Beetle DC''' and a short while later '''Flycast''', for licensing reasons.
 +
 
 +
===Availability of versions===
 +
*Windows and Linux ([https://www.patreon.com/posts/reicast-libretro-20673851 32bit] and 64bit)
 +
*Mobile devices ([https://www.patreon.com/posts/reicast-libretro-20753597 Android OS and ARM hardware]. NAOMI arcade hardware also supported.)
 +
 
 +
===Supported GPU features===
 +
*Tile clipping support
 +
*Fogging support
 +
*Volume modifier shadow support
 +
*Multipass rendering (enabled by default for non-OIT)
 +
*Render to texture buffer
 +
*Log 2 depth buffer
 +
*Order independent transparency ('''OIT''' only)
 +
*Two-volume mode support ('''OIT''' only)
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*Accumulation Pixel Buffer Size core option ('''OIT''' only. Can be set to 512MB, 1GB or 2GB, depending on how much VRAM your video card has. May help with correct output at higher resolutions.)
 +
*[https://www.libretro.com/index.php/reicast-libretro-updates-shenmue-12-now-runs-plus-reicast-hackathon-event-july-6-8-switzerland/ 64-bit dynarec] (Fixes ''Shenmue 1/2, Marvel vs. Capcom 2'' and ''Heavy Metal Geomatrix'')
 +
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWqxydgUe-U Flat shading] and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4TU7juoiNs bump-mapping]
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*[[Texture_filtering|Trilinear filtering]] ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SShXk8l1NOs Video])
 +
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH53fynF-N0 Improved palette/YUV texture quality] (Converts to 32-bit colors instead of RGB565; i.e. lossless quality of background textures in ''Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare'' and is equal to DEmul and redream.)
 +
*[https://www.libretro.com/index.php/reicast-libretro-progress-report/ Display VMU screens in-game] (Positioning, opacity levels and sizing available. Can also show all 4 attached VMU screens at once.)
 +
*Extra Depth Scaling (Fixes graphics in Samurai Shodown VI (NAOMI).)
 +
 
 +
===Misc features and enhancements===
 +
*Analog trigger and digital trigger simulations ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZDQGAxTyL0 Analog controls] also work on NAOMI)
 +
*[https://www.libretro.com/index.php/reicast-libretro-now-supports-naomi-other-additions/ Fast GD-ROM Loading] (Cuts down virtually all loading times in games)
 +
*Improved ADPCM decoding (Audio)
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*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNTXZ5AmfiQ Floating point maths accuracy improvements] (Fixed broken enemy AI in ''Soldier of Fortune'')
 +
*[https://www.libretro.com/index.php/reicast-libretro-updates/ EEPROM saving/loading implemented] (NAOMI)
 +
*[[Shaders_and_Filters#Smoothing_shaders|xBRZ]] texture upscaling
 +
*[https://www.libretro.com/index.php/reicast-libretro-updates-26-7-2018/ Render to texture upscaling] (Lets you set the upscaling factor to output whole screen at multiples of native resolution. Only affects games which render the screen to a texture, e.g. ''Dead or Alive 2'' or ''Crazy Taxi''. Results look amazing, ala what the xBRZ filter does to emulators for 2D-graphics consoles, e.g. SNES, GBA and etc.)
  
 
[[Category:Emulators]]
 
[[Category:Emulators]]
 
[[Category:Console emulators]]
 
[[Category:Console emulators]]
 
[[Category:Home console emulators]]
 
[[Category:Home console emulators]]
[[Category:Nintendo Entertainment System emulators]]
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[[Category:Sega Dreamcast emulators]]
 
[[Category:Windows emulation software]]
 
[[Category:Windows emulation software]]
[[Category:Closed-source emulators]]
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[[Category:Linux emulation software]]
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[[Category:MacOS emulation software]]
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[[Category:Android emulation software]]

Revision as of 03:42, 14 October 2021

flycast
Flycast.png
Developer(s) flyinghead
Latest version GitHub
Dev Builds
Active Yes
Platform(s) Android
Linux
Windows
macOS
Emulates Dreamcast
NAOMI
Atomiswave
Windows CE
Website Site
License GNU GPLv2
Source code GitHub

flycast is an open-source Dreamcast emulator currently available for Android, Linux, macOS and Windows. It is a fork of reicast - another Dreamcast emulator for Windows, Linux and Android. It has a work-in-progress wiki available here, complete with guides and information about various features.

Downloads

Windows Linux macOS Android Dev builds

Overview

Flycast requires a GPU that supports OpenGL 3.0 or OpenGL ES 2.0. A Dreamcast BIOS file is optional, but NAOMI and Atomiswave BIOS files are required. It has support for almost all Dreamcast, Windows CE, NAOMI and Atomiswave games. It also has support for the following features:

  • Emulating standard Dreamcast controllers, Keyboard, Mouse, Light-Gun (with your mouse), Twin Sticks, and even the ASCII Mission Stick
  • Emulating two expansion sockets per controller (VMU, Purupuru/Rumble Pack, or Microphone)
  • Widescreen (Rendering outside of screen)
  • Resolution and Texture Upscaling
  • Frame Skipping
  • Dump textures and load custom textures
  • Support for HLE BIOS (note that it's recommended to use a real BIOS)
  • High compatibility and high performance
  • Widescreen Game Hack (Auto-applying codes/patches to certain games to do Widescreen instead of using the hack)
  • Compatible with NAOMI games that use analog sticks (Monkey Ball, Gun Survivor 2) and trackball (Outtrigger)
  • VMU Support for compatible NAOMI games (Street Fighter Zero 3 Upper, Virtual-On, etc)
  • flycast Compatibility list

Netplay

  • Networked Dreamcast & NAOMI games are supported natively with Dreamcast Live configured by default for supported games.
  • Local multiplayer netplay support available in the netplay fork, Flycast Dojo. Peer-to-peer, delay-based netcode with spectating available. 2 Players only. Featured as a part of FightCade.
  • For Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon & DX, a custom fork of Flycast and private game server is maintained here.

Libretro core

Two reicast cores on libretro called reicast OIT and reicast regular were introduced in June 2018 that replace the original core. These cores backport changes from flyinghead's fork that rework the rendering system. The regular core is compliant with OpenGL 3 and GLSL 1.30 in order to support mobile devices and mid-tier PCs. The OIT core supports a graphics feature of the Dreamcast called Order-Independent Transparency that can only be properly emulated using OpenGL 4.3 and later, so it's only available for Windows and Linux at the moment. The two reicast cores have been merged in one reicast libretro core in October 2018. In 2019 the core was first renamed to Beetle DC and a short while later Flycast, for licensing reasons.

Availability of versions

Supported GPU features

  • Tile clipping support
  • Fogging support
  • Volume modifier shadow support
  • Multipass rendering (enabled by default for non-OIT)
  • Render to texture buffer
  • Log 2 depth buffer
  • Order independent transparency (OIT only)
  • Two-volume mode support (OIT only)
  • Accumulation Pixel Buffer Size core option (OIT only. Can be set to 512MB, 1GB or 2GB, depending on how much VRAM your video card has. May help with correct output at higher resolutions.)
  • 64-bit dynarec (Fixes Shenmue 1/2, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 and Heavy Metal Geomatrix)
  • Flat shading and bump-mapping
  • Trilinear filtering (Video)
  • Improved palette/YUV texture quality (Converts to 32-bit colors instead of RGB565; i.e. lossless quality of background textures in Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare and is equal to DEmul and redream.)
  • Display VMU screens in-game (Positioning, opacity levels and sizing available. Can also show all 4 attached VMU screens at once.)
  • Extra Depth Scaling (Fixes graphics in Samurai Shodown VI (NAOMI).)

Misc features and enhancements