this post was submitted on 02 Aug 2024
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Does anyone "prefer" emulation?
edit: I should added the caveat "if it's feasible" because yeah it often isn't. We don't all have a lot of space, time, and money to deal with multiple old systems.
edit2: okokok there are plenty of reasons to prefer emulation. I was just thinking of controller/feel of the games almost always was best on the original.
Yes. Original hardware is a pain in the ass.
I want to play on my nice PC or steam deck, with save states, whatever gamepad I prefer, and an unlimited library.
I do because I just don't want all that stuff around. Save states are also a blessing for folks like me with endless skill issues.
Sure. You can fix frame rate drops, play with any controller you want, easier to play with mods, save states, speedup when replaying a game, easier to record video or stream. If you're playing a 3d game you can run in higher resolution with better anti aliasing and anisotropic filtering. For a 2d game sometimes one of the upscaling filters will look good. You can use CRT filter if you want and you don't have a CRT TV. You could do it on Steam Deck and cloud sync your saves with your PC, and even your phone (especially for turn based games)
There's even fun achievements via retro achievements!
I do - but I don’t necessarily think it’s “better”.
I actually do. Upscaling, fast forwarding, modding, cheats, save states are all nice QoLs. A lot of emulators for these retro consoles are pretty platform independent too, so I can run them from anything from a PC, a handheld device, phone, other gaming consoles or smart fridge with my choice of peripherals.
To get the top quality output I like out of a NES, I have to mod it for RGB/SCART by removing its PPU. Getting it out without damaging it is tricky, because it's soldered to a large ground plane that is very good at soaking away the heat in your soldering iron.
To get the NES to stop the damn blinking light, I have to use a new cartridge slot that grips extremely strong and is a PITA to get the cartridge back out again. Or use the top loader with worse audio. (Ninten-Drawer seems to be better than the Blinking Light Win here, but reviews note it's still pretty tight.)
To get decent loading times out of a Playstation 1, I have to mod it for an SD card (PSIO). This involves shaving away some very thin traces and soldering to them.
To get decent image quality out of an N64, I need a game specific GameShark code, a game patch with an EverDrive, or a mod. That mod doesn't have a DIY version, and must be sent to an approved modder.
To get games to work reliably and with high quality images and good loading times on any of these with emulation, I have to download a thing.
I don't think these are merely a matter of space/time/money. It takes quite a bit of knowledge and skill to achieve the mods, and you might end up with broken consoles in the attempt. I have enough soldering skill to do the PSIO mod. I haven't managed to get a PPU out of a NES without damage, though I think I know some tricks now that could make it work.
https://youtu.be/ywWwUuWRgsM?si=Hv4-fVm5hNGF9MUZ
take a look at this and then tell me with a straight face that I should be playing Ocarina of Time on an n64.
Recompilations and reverse engineered games are actually not emulation, they're ports. But yeah they're amazing and almost always the best way to play a game when available. See !source_ports@lemmy.sdf.org and !opensourcegames@lemmy.ml
While everything you said is correct, think about the perspective of someone who doesn't care how it works, only that it does. In this context, ports and recompilation live in the same space as emulation. You and I understand the difference, but we're nerds. I'm playing the game I bought years (possibly decades) ago, on my pc instead of on a console, with various enhancements depending on what software I'm using and a controller that doesn't hurt my hands. It's emulation.
Also, the video I linked probably wasn't the best choice to make my point, I chose it anyway because it blew my damn mind with how far the community has brought emulation-adjacent gaming.
I do. I have Guitar Hero Warriors of Rock on PS3. Console has 300ms latency which is a dealbreaker while RPCS3 on laptop or even just Clone Hero has much lower latency. If you have multiple consoles, emulation can bring all your consoles into one. I also have H.A.W.X 2 which drops frames on PS3, maybe emulated could run better. I want to freely approach frigates from low altitude without factoring in FPS drop when I blow them up :)
If I had unlimited space and could set up one of those retro game rooms, I'd love to use my old systems. However, it's way easier and practical for me to keep my collection in boxes/shelves and have a little pc hooked up to the TV that's actually made to output hdmi.
When it’s the only way is probably the only good answer to this; whether because you don’t have hardware or can’t set it up properly for whatever reason etc
You can also use any controller you want with emulation. You can even replicate a crt filter or even get a real crt and emulate onto that to replicate the good ol days. I'd say a crt helps more than original hardware. Even with original hardware, pixels are too sharp and clean on modern screens. Old games benefited from smoothing and blurring the lines, which helped create a more realistic image.
I'm in my 40s and basically have two jobs on top of housework. If I do play a retro game, I want things like save states since I'm probably playing more for a nostalgia kick than anything else and want to be able to put it down and pick it up (as well as not have to re-do things in games with save points few and far between).