MiSTer FPGA – Quake II [Pt. 2 – 16×9 Mouse + Keyboard] / PlayStation [BETA]

The PlayStation core is not even out of beta yet, and already there are some pretty impressive enhancements available. This video showcases two of them- 16×9 Widescreen and CPU Data Cache for a slight FPS boost. Starts on Stage 3 after my previous Mouse+Gamepad video: https://youtu.be/2LJEB8LDMNI , though using Mouse+Keyboard this time.

I originally wanted to record this in fullscreen, but due to the fast moving 3D environments in this game, YouTube’s strict 1080p encoder starves it for bitrate and results in much more noise at that size. For this reason I retained integer scaling for this video, and the result turned out much better. Still some visual noise in these dark corridors and especially when viewing the gourad-shaded purple skybox, but overall I’m satisfied with how this turned out.

The filter goal is a slightly sharper viewing-distance 16×9 consumer CRT. In the previous video I went for settings that leaned more towards a PC CRT Monitor presentation, with much less visibility to the scanlines and higher sharpness.

Quake II is surprisingly flexible in it’s mouse implementation, allowing for 4 mice to be used at the same time (with multitaps) for split-screen deathmatch in its 12 unique multiplayer arenas. The game runs at a 512×240 resolution and targets a 30fps framerate, but often dips below. Another surprising feature of this port are the perspective-correct textures throughout the game, which don’t wobble around constantly as you would see on PS1 usually. Particle effects from the PC version are largely intact here also. Overall its a pretty impressive port considering the technical hurdles they had to go through to get this to run on the PlayStation so well.

I haven’t played the single player portion of Q2 since it first released on PC, having moved on to online multiplayer exclusively for after that. The stage layout on PS1 is different from PC also- some removed geometry and additional connecting corridors that serve as loading zones to compensate for the low amount of memory on the PlayStation compared to PC’s at the time. An interesting port that can be easy to get lost in its mazes at times.

The PlayStation core was created by FPGAzumSpass, whom previously brought us the GBA, Lynx and WonderSwan cores, along with enhancements to the Game Boy and NES cores, and significantly improved performance in the AO486 core.
You can support his Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/FPGAzumSpass

—

PSX BETA core 3-16-2022 build – Quake II

Filter Hori: Gaussian Sharp 70 // Filter Vert: Adaptive ScanlinesSLA_60Str3

Gamma: Off // Shadow Mask: Off

-Core Options- Widescreen: On // Fixed H-Blank: Off // CPU Data Cache: On

-In-game options- Mouse: On // Auto Center: Off

If using Mouse+Gamepad control, I recommend re-binding the X button to the left analog stick click (L3), so you can bypass messages quickly.

Played using a ErgoDox mechanical keypad & Logitech G400s mouse @800 dpi w/ 1ms USB polling.

Video: Integer scaled to 1080p // HDMI to Datapath e1s capture card

—

|:=-Timestamps-=:|
00:00​​ – Title / Settings
01:38​​ – Mission 3 (continued from previous video)
33:18 – 16×9 Splitscreen Deathmatch Demo (Hori / Vert)

—

Occasional livestreams on Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/WalrusFPGA

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WalrusFPGA

=—————CONTRIBUTE—————=

None of this would be possible without the constant hard work of Sorgelig. It cannot be overstated how much he has done and continues to do for this project, since its beginning. You can support him either at his Patreon in the link below, or on Paypal, depending on your preference. MiSTer is a paradigm shift in how we can experience these classic games. This is a long-term preservation project that will continue to grow so that gamers today and in the future can experience these excellent systems as accurately and lag-free as possible. Donating what you can will help keep the updates coming. Thank you.

Patreon: https://patreon.com/FPGAMiSTer

PayPal: https://paypal.me/FPGAMiSTer

=—————–INFORM—————–=

Github link for this core: https://github.com/MiSTer-devel/PSX_MiSTer

MiSTer Forum: http://MiSTerFPGA.org

MiSTer Documentation: https://mister-devel.github.io/MkDocs…

Official MiSTer Discord (live chat/help): https://discord.gg/misterfpga
(Be respectful; this server is moderated. New users must be verified.)

=——————BUILD——————=

Worldwide list of sellers for MiSTer expansion boards: https://misterfpga.org/viewforum.php?f=34&sid=74e1c5e7dae1b99284789d93194cfa0b

I have personally ordered all my parts from https://www.MiSTerAddons.com and have been 100% satisfied with the quality and service there. (North American seller. If in a different region, check list linked above for best local shipping rates.)

source