Definitive PSX guide

[Skiuv]

Multi-disk
First of all we will see the different possibilities offered by Recalbox to swap disks.

PSP mode
Package all the disks in a single file eboot.pbp. You can change disc from the Retroarch menu.
Advantages:

• Controller shortcuts can be used to swap disk.

Disadvantages:

• The .sbi files can not be used in multi-disk games.
• Can not change to a patched disk (with LibCrypt protection fix).
• It takes time to change all multi-disk games to eboot.pbp.

PCSX-reARMed mode
The following disk is searched from the Retroarch menu.
Advantages:

• Your games are in .bin/.cue format.

Disadvantages:

• This does not work currently.
• It's ugly and slow.
• Save files are not shared among the disks.
• Controller shortcuts can't be used to swap disk.

Therefore, games with LibCrypt protection and multi-disk are a pain in this two modes.

Definitive way
For this mode it is necessary to add the .m3u extension to the PSX part in "/recalbox/share_init/system/.emulationstation/es_systems.cfg" (please developers, add this in the next version, thanks). For this, you can use a virtual machine with Ubuntu (for example) and connect the sd to modify the file. The modified line would look something like this:
<extension>.m3u .img .IMG .pbp .PBP .bin .BIN .cue .CUE .iso .ISO</extension>

Once this is done, you only need to create an .m3u file for each multi-disk game. This file will contain the names of the .cue files. For example:

The final aspect would be this:

As you can see, there are .cue/.bin/.sbi per disk and a .m3u per multi-disk game.

Advantages:

• Your games are in .bin/.cue format.
• Controller shortcuts can be used to swap disk.
• The .sbi files can be used.

Disadvantages:

• You have to change es_systems.cfg file (only once).
• You have to hide the .cue files in Recalbox menu.

Set controller shortcuts for disk swapping

• In game, go to Retroarch menu (Hotkey+B).
• list itemPress A to go to Main Menu.
• list itemGo to Settings > Input > Input Hotkey binds.
• Set Disk eject toggle, Disk next and Disk prev with your favorite keys.
• Example: Disk eject toggle (right-analog up), Disk next (right-analog right) and Disk prev (right-analog left).
• Now in game you can press Hotkey+"key" to eject disk, swap disk and insert disk (and reset game if it's necessary).

Glossary

• .ape: compressed file for .wav file.
• .bin: game data and music tracks.
• .ccd/.img/.sub: CloneCD files. You have to transform in .cue/.bin (with IsoBuster for example).
• .cue: file where the disc tracks are defined. One per .bin.
• .ecm: compressed file for .bin file.
• .pbp: PSP file for PSX games.
• .ppf: patch file for games with LibCrypt protection.
• .sbi: file that contains the protection information and that are needed to run protected games in emulators.
• .wav: music track file. You have to rename to .bin.

Interesting links

• ECM-APE Guide
• PSX game list
• .sbi files
• .cue maker

To be continued...

[voljega]

good summary, you might want to do a wiki page once it's finished.

About the m3u, does it simplify in any way the opening of the lid and changing the disc compared to using using a pbp and doing that through retroarch ?

[Skiuv]

@voljega said in Definitive PSX guide:

About the m3u, does it simplify in any way the opening of the lid and changing the disc compared to using using a pbp and doing that through retroarch ?

Disc swapping is equal in both methods.

[Skiuv]

Here is the wiki link with updated content: Guide.

[abunille]

@skiuv said in Definitive PSX guide:

Here is the wiki link with updated content: Guide.

I have corrected your link above, how we wrote on IRC
Thank you for your work