With this Dynarec capability now available, does this mean the PS3 port of Retroarch might be able to include Sega 32x emulation in the Genesis GX+ core?
http://psx-scene.com/forums/content/dynarecps3-support-cfw-421-cex-dex-ingpereira-3061/
There is no 32X emulation in Genesis Plus GX right now - not even an interpreter for the SH2 CPUs, so nothing in the shortrun.
While Eke-Eke did offer to share some SH2 dynarec code (he got it somewhere - can’t remember where) - the Wii CPU is 32bit PPC, the Cell meanwhile is 64bit PPC ISA with 32bit pointers. So again - the problem is that the dynarecs that would be re-usable normally are incompatible with Cell (and require modifications), and the other problem is that making a dynarec core is hard work and very easy to get wrong.
In fact, it’s easier to re-use recompiler code from Wii on 360 with libxenon because Xenon is also a 32bit PPC CPU - it’s only Cell that is 64bit (with 32 bit pointers because 64bit would be too much overhead there).
Basically, what it comes down to is that I’d prefer to work together with capable people who can write the dynarec cores and then to basically give us pull requests so that we can put it in the libretro projects. Libretro being multiplatform would mean we could cater to most platforms that way with customized dynarec cores - seems like a better idea than everybody going off doing their own separate ports again that will eventually die over time (unlike libretro cores which will never die).
Squarepusher, so will the release of the DynarecPS3 help further emulators for the ps3, such as a port of Mupen64 (as you mentioned may be implemented as a future retroarch core)?
I am going to do a port of Mupen64 to libretro - that much is certain.
PS3 will likely not be the center of attention for that port though (Android/PC probably will be). If we can find a way to make the existing PPC recompilers for Mupen64 work for PPC 64bit, then sure. If not, then it’s back to square one. Recompiler code made for PPC32 is at least reusable for Wii and Xbox 360 (libxenon) - too bad Sony had to go with a 64bit CPU with 32bit pointers just to be different.
Thanks for the reply Squarepusher! Also, just wanted to let you guys know that RetroArch is top notch! Keep up the good work!
I have to say, all of the push lately to concentrate on porting things to these stupid touch-based android devices and phones where the touch screen controls are utter shit is both depressing and sad.
@underball I believe that comment was in reference to the dynarec availability. If someone hacks this new PS3 dynarec into a working mupen64 port between now and then, I’m sure the PS3 would become a higher priority. EDIT: oh lawd, I just re-read that to see that it’s not even a working dynarec, just the ability to write one. Yeah, that’s gonna be a lot of work for a small audience.
I have to say, all of the push lately to concentrate on porting things to these stupid touch-based android devices and phones where the touch screen controls are utter shit is both depressing and sad.[/quote]
it is where the market is moving towards, like it or not.
On Android controls are not so much of an issue since the USB/Bluetooth gamepad support is quite impressive compared to Blackberry and iOS. Android does have massive downsides though - which I think I have touched on before.
Anyway, the main issue is that the N64 MIPS-to-ARM recompilers are already there - nobody has taken the time or effort to do one for PPC64 - and it’s probably because of the lack of an audience vs. millions of ARM devices being out there. PS3 is a very niche market now.
It’s not even PPC64, it’s PS3’s version of it, because the ABI is a weird mix of PPC64 and PPC32 … (32-bit pointers and long).