RetroArch [iPad 2, iOS 5.1.1] PSX PROBLEM! Please help!

RetroArch Apple devices
#1

Hello, I have just recently found out about the existence of RetroArch, so I decided to try it out! Here’s what happened:

First, I searched for the latest version, which is v1.0.0.2.1, but the official website Downloads section only has up to v1.0.0.2. Since the v1.0.0.2 in the Downloads section is a .zip file, I had no idea how to convert it to a .deb file for installation on my iPad 2, therefore, I searched these forums and I found the updated Cydia source to libretro and successfully added, downloaded, and installed RetroArch v1.0.0.2…to my dismay, the application doesn’t open up at all on my device when I try to start it. I then searched these forums again and found that RetroArch v1.0.0.2.1 exists + found a link to the .deb file…I then successfully installed v1.0.0.2.1 on my device only to find that the app still doesn’t open just like in v1.0.0.2.

Frustrated, I then decided to seek the older versions of RetroArch and found v0.9.9.6, which I’ve successfully installed and was also able to successfully open! I conclude that the latest RetroArch isn’t supported on iOS 5? Please make it compatible with iOS 5…many new apps are behaving in this insta-crash way with iOS 5.x due to Apple encouraging devs to drop it in lieu of iOS 6+. Please continue to support iOS 5.x! If you need a tester, I can be the one…I love iOS 5.1.1, and it runs optimally on my iPad 2…even better than iOS 7.x, as you may already know.

NEXT!!

I downloaded some necessary Playstation BIOS files (1001, 5500, 5502, 7502) and placed them within the appropriate hidden .RetroArch directory in the /RetroArch/Documents folder as well as created the ROMs directory. After that, I downloaded two ROMs----a Japanese ROM and a US ROM, and this is what happened:

The Japanese PSX ROM: -This ROM has 3 files…two .bin files and one .cue file. -I found out that the ROM must be booted from the .cue file. -The 2 Playstation Cores: Playstation1 (Mednafen PSX) and Playstation1 (PCSX ReARMed) were suggested. -When the Playstation1 (PCSX ReARMed) Core is selected, the app instantly crashes…I assume that the game is incompatible? -When the Playstation1 (Mednafen PSX) Core is selected, the game loads, but runs VERY slowly…we’re talking around ~5-10FPS MAX.

The US ROM: -This ROM has 2 files…one .bin file and one .cue file. -I attempted to run this ROM via Playstation1 (PCSX ReARMed) Core, and the app instantly crashes…I assume that either a lot of games are incompatible with this core or the core itself is broken. -I then attempted to run this ROM via Playstation1 (Mednafen PSX) Core, and I receive an alert saying “Failed to load game.”.

QUESTIONS:

Question #1 - Could you please make the latest version of RetroArch compatible with jailbroken firmware iOS 5.x?

Question #2 - Could you explain to me how to convert the .zip contents of RetroArch (from Downloads section) to a usable .deb format for easy installation on my iDevice?

Question #3 - If there’s JIT/Dynarec being used anywhere in RetroArch, how do I access it to enable it (if possible)? I couldn’t seem to find it anywhere.

Sorry for the long post, but I’m really interested in this and I want this project to excel and work well! Please help, and thanks in advance!! :slight_smile:

#2

Right now your iPad is Jailbroken, if so, why you dont install the official repo and download RetroArch from Cydia, that should fix your compatibility problems. http://www.libreto.com/cydia

#3

PCSX-ReARMed is usually fine on jailbroken devices, but it sounds like it’s likely crashing on the dynarec init on yours. Could be related to the super-old firmware or perhaps the jailbreak itself. A log would tell us more.

Mednafen-psx is expected to be slow because it has no dynarec. It is not quite full speed on the newest idevices, but will possibly be full speed on iphone 6.

#4

Correct me if I am wrong anybody, but wasn’t RetroArch originally first tested and released on 6.x firmware with A5 (ipad 2, iphone 4s) devices being the base target?

If so, then wouldn’t it be best to have a device at least on 6.x or higher when it comes to using RA? I’ve had (and still have a spare one for testing purposes) an iphone 4s and have used RA on it when the phone was on 6.x and even now while it is on 7.1.2. Both on 6.x and 7.x, RA ran great on the 4s. Many cores worked great, especially the psx core. Just don’t expect to use the DS, GBA, and N64 core and expect playable results. Anyways, ios 7 (especially 7.1.2 which is great for those running ios 7 on older devices) runs fine on the 4s; and seeing as how the ipad 2 and 4s share the same cpu/gpu (except the ipad 2 cpu is clocked higher at 1ghz, while the 4s cpu is actually down-clocked), you shouldn’t have any issues as well.

Honestly, the first thing you should be doing is updating your ipad from that outdated firmware. Not only are you missing out on some great new features (like ios 7 controller support for app store games), but it’s like you said, developers are no longer supporting older firmware when it comes to their updated apps, this is especially so for even newer apps. If your ipad was on 6.x, (6.x is a great firmware for a5 devices) then i could see a reason for staying, but your firmware is even older than that…

the latest version of ios 7 along with a jailbreak for it is still available, if i were you, i would jump on it before ios 8 comes out and closes your window to update your device to ios 7. That alone should fix and address some of your problems when it comes to using Retroarch on your device.

#5

you can’t run Psx core on jailbroken devices running iOS 5 because the jailbreak doesn’t allow dynarec.

#6

Incognit - I had already added the latest updated Cydia source for libretro, as stated in my original post. I have already downloaded that version of RetroArch, and that version doesn’t even open up on my device.

hunterk - My jailbreak for iOS 5.1.1 was the official jailbreak (redsn0w) from the original DevTeam, and is flawless even after so many years. The firmware is 5.1.1…could 6.0 really be THAT big of a difference to classify it as super-old/incompatible for RetroArch? Sure the SDK is different, but I don’t think it would require a massive code change just to make the app actually open up on 5.1.1, besides, the older version of RetroArch (v0.9.9.6) worked…why can’t RetroArch v1.0.0.0+ do the same? Can’t the developer just use the same line of code for booting up the app and getting things to work as was in the previous compatible versions? Also, about the Dynarec thing, you said that there might be something wrong with my Dynarec init (couldn’t find that file anywhere in RetroArch v0.9.9.6)…speaking of which, I had once tried PPSSPP (PSP emulator for iOS) using Dynarec/JIT ENABLED on my iPad 2, and the game ran much better than without it, I’ll show you a vid I made: [media:1pb0x8px]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNtGJHe7wHQ[/media:1pb0x8px]

BTW, here are the log/crash files (for all of my RetroArch endeavors on iPad 2 [iOS 5.1.1] as I described in my first post); please analyze and deduce: http://www.mediafire.com/download/1hovl … 1_Logs.zip

LDAHRAX - iOS 5.1.1. is also a great firmware for an iDevice like mines (iPad 2); not only that, but I also have some old crazy tools that are either not supported anymore and/or had become completely non-existent in the past couple years that I’m not ready to give up. My iPad 2 running iOS 5.1.1 gives me a maximum of 350+MB RAM when nothing is running, and most heavy/intense apps like Asphalt 8, Infinity Blade II, Dungeon Hunter 4, etc. almost never crashed on me while still providing good frames and high quality visuals and speed. XCOM: Enemy Unknown hardly EVER crashed on me on the battlefield…it’d only crash sometimes during the ‘jet flying back to the base’ clips after a completed mission (weird). I’ve done tests with the same games on a friend’s iPad mini running the latest iOS 7.1.2, and still, the iPad 2 running 5.1.1 runs a bit to noticeably smoother/less crashes in comparison.

Despite my firmware being a bit older, my device is still VERY capable…if the latest RetroArch can run on an iPhone 4S properly, why can’t I run it on a more powerful device (iPad2) properly? Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t RetroArch Dynarec algorithms a bit more advanced than PPSSPP’s?

MrSeven X - Are you implying that PPSSPP’s dev’s managed to get a Dynarec/JIT algorithm to work on iOS 5.x.x while RetroArch’s cannot do the same (not to mention, PSP is more advanced tech than PSX)?

#7

oh man thats what they told me when my iPad 3 was running iOS 5.1.1 . This firmware 5.1.1 is the best firmware and i had it for so long, now my iPad is on 7.0.4 and it’s better than 7.1.2. I also have iPhone 5s Non-Jailbroken and running retroarch(All cores) flawlessly.

#8

Well the only thing left is updating your iPad… Im sure the RetroArch build will start working with iOS 7.