Mednafen PSX Black Screen

RetroArch Windows devices
#1

Hey All,

I have recently been having an issue with getting Mednafen to play any psx games. When i try to start any game i get a black screen with no sound. I can still bring up the retroarch menu, but the game will never start. This happens with games across all three regions. I have checked the BIOS files and am 95% sure that they are correct (correct names, md5 checksums, and listed as present in core info.) I have tried all of the different video/audio drivers that come with RA to no avail. I have tried using both the latest stable and nightly releases with the same results from both. Is this anyone else having this issue? Does anyone have any ideas as to what might be the cause to my problem? Thanks in advance.

#2

If you’re using the hardware-accelerated version, make sure you’re not using any Cg shaders, as they will cause a black screen. Also, make sure your cue sheets are correct, as it’s not at all unusual to find ones with stupid things hardcoded.

#3

i checked the cue files, they seem to be pointing to the correct files. I did have CG shaders enabled, i have disabled them but the problem still persists. Would they be enabled in more than more than just the quick menu?

#4

No, that’s the only place. Does the software-rendered core work for you? If so, you may be stuck with it for now. If not, let me know and we’ll keep digging.

#5

After double checking, it turns out i have been using the software render the whole time. I looks like even if i select the hardware option when loading a core it defaults back to the the software one. Going into the options in the quick menu, there is no option for the hardware render; only software is listed. I tried to delete the software core to try to force it into the hardware render, but this causes RA to crash immediately whenever i load a psx game. It is actually the software render that is giving me a black screen.

#6

Hmm, i’m not able to reproduce. Can you get us a log (see my signature for details)?

#7

Here is the log after attempting to run Breath of Fire IV (USA) through mednafen: http://pastebin.com/6SiYcccj

I also ran one after deleting the software core (attempting to force hardware render): http://pastebin.com/yngNPNBy

#8

logs are kinda useless since it stops writing-to-file after that “Does not have enough samples for monitor refresh rate estimation. Requires to run for at least 4096 frames.” line, everything else happening from debug window then is not written to file.

#9

I believe i have gotten the software render to work. I changed the system directory in retroarch.cfg from “default” to the acutal path for the system folder. I am not 100% sure why that worked, but it did. I appreciate all the help, thank you.

#10

psxbios is in <retroarch_system> config

#11

Right, it wasn’t finding your BIOS images because ‘default’ means the same directory as the ROM you’re trying to load.

#12

same problem running on linux and I had to make a system folder for RA since there wasn’t one already and put my bios files in there but still getting a black screen on all my psx games.

#13

Are your BIOS files being detected in information > core information? Do you have any shaders active? are you using beetle-psx-hw? Can you post a log?

#14

Okay so I check core info and it said it was missing the BIOS file… I guess there in the wrong folder but I have not clue where it would be looking. Yes I’ve tried both beetle-psx and beetle-psx-hw. If I remember correctly the hw one is the one to use. shaders are off. let me see if I can get a log.

#15

If it’s not finding your BIOS files, that’s probably the issue. It looks for them either in the same directory as your ROM or in the ‘system’/BIOS directory (whatever it’s set to in settings > directory). They also need to be exactly the correct image (as verified by the MD5 checksum) and named exactly what the core is looking for, case-sensitive.

#16

Literally like right after I sent my last reply I checked the names to make sure they weren’t uppercase and sure enough that was what was messing it up, so it all works now. Thanks for the help! :slight_smile:

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