Pcsx2: Project MaxPS2

[FuxorLuck]

First I know, i shouldnt open this on "issues" it's a project or a pull request (because the feature i request can be done automaticly), and I will be glad if you decide to move this project to the right place.
This is just the first time I use github

I was recently discovered some intresting ways to change how ps2 game is being rendered, and i want to share it and start a new project, which it's goal is to bring ps2 games to a better video quality, this include:

1. Progressive scan
2. 640x512 native resolution
3. more visible viewing area
4. Higher fps (maybe)???

So let's start

Progressive Scan

Some of you can say that pcsx2 has progressive scan by using no interlacing codes
https://forums.pcsx2.net/Thread-No-interlacing-codes
and while it's true that the video output is on progressive scan, the game itself is still being rendered in 2 dieffrents fields.
A true progressive scan need to have:

1. Progressive Scan Signals
2. SDTV480P Mode
3. Frame Mode

The most easy way to force progressive scan is through "sceGsResetGraph"
by changing the Hex code from

002C0500 2000B2FF 00340600 1000B1FF 003C0700

to

0000053C 2000B2FF 5000063C 1000B1FF 0100073C

or

By changing the Hex code from

038c050003940600XXXXXXXX039c0700

to

0000112450001224XXXXXXXX01001324

this wont work 100% and sometimes this hack comes with some issue, but the biggest issue and the reason i believe most people dont make progressive scan hack is because the lost of resolution
the game wont be rendering in full native resolution but rather half because it's only render 1 field instead of 2, which bring me to my solution:

Forcing Native resolution to be 640x512

let's take Ace combat 04 for example which it's native resolution on menu screen is 640x448 in US version.
I put a progressive scan signal hack

patch=1,EE,002616f4,word,3c050000 //00052c00

(And no interlacing to prevent shaking ,patch=1,EE,20104974,extended,34050001)

and this is how the menu looks

the next step was make a code that cancel the transiation between "the playstation 2 logo when the game is booting" to "the game itself"

this can be done for most games by just changing the Hex code from

0000a3fc 200002de

to

00000000 200002de

here is the code

patch=1,EE,00261c00,word,00000000 //fca30000

I use hardware mode and i full boot the game, and this is how the game is looking now

Pcsx2 now tells us that the game is running at 640x512 but we cant see any improvment because the image was shrinked, this is a GSdx PCRTC issue

https://github.com/PCSX2/pcsx2/issues/961

It is hapening because the height and the width of the game is still remaning 640x224 picture on 640x512

anyway lt's fix it

i changed the height to 512 pixels

patch=1,EE,2029F3F6,extended,00000200

you can compare the first picture with this one and see a big quality increased

basicly i get a game with NTSC frame rate + PAL image quality + Progressive scan

Let's try another game: dark cloud

here is the game on 640x448i no interlaced

here is the game on 640x512P

The 640x512p looks sharper but somthing feels a bit off, and that is i broke the asspect ratio, i changed the height to 512 pixels and oraginlly it was suppose to be 448 pixels.
which brings me to another benefits of "Force 640x512P"

More visible viewing area

Game that was originally 640x448 and got streched to 640x512 need to change the Y axis to 0.875 from the orignal value

448/512=0.875

Game that was originally 512x448 and got streched to 640x512 need to change the X axis to 0.91428 from the original value or for those who wants to play at 16:9 widescreen the X to 0.68571 from the original value

512/448=1.14285
1.14285 X 512=585.14285
585.14285/640=0.91428
0.914285 X 0.75=0.68571

Now here is the last thing about "Force 640x512P" It can also fix the problem that SDTV480P Mode make the game crash/ show only black screen

why it's important because?

Higher FPS

When SDTV480P Mode code is combained with in game FPS equal to refresh rate (59.94/50)
a speed issue might occur

for example in God hand 60 fps code + SDTV480P Mode code will make the gameplay (not menus and cutscenes) to run at half speed ,meaning you can play the game at 120fps at full speed.

//60 FPS
patch=1,EE,00747A09,extended,00000001
//SDTV480P Mode
patch=1,EE,0039520c,word,3c060050

this isnt the first time somthing like that happen in pcsx2
in Souculiber 3 the exact thing happened in an early version of PCSX2

https://wiki.pcsx2.net/SoulCalibur_III

the effect can also be 2x speed music like in dark cloud

//SDTV480P Mode
patch=1,EE,001122c4,word,3c060050 //00063400

//Force 640x512P (Black screen fix)
patch=1,EE,00112748,word,00000000 //fca30000

So what do i want from Pcsx2 team?

I write this as a side project that you might be intrested making in the future.

1.Instead of making hacking codes for each game there should be the ability to force progressive scan, after all (most of the time) it's the same values that need to change.
2.There should be an option in pcsx2 to streched the image to full screen after using "Force 640x512P" .

1. Update all the widescreen hack for more visible viewing area.
2. Learning and trying to reproduce the SDTV480P Mode bug???
   5.Finding more ways to force 640x512 and progressive scan mode

Thank you for reading that and thank you for being awesome!!!

[emjzero2]

Awesome stuff, you should post this over at the pcsx2 forums too !

[FuxorLuck]

Thanks, but my codes are useless without height and width fix
that is way i ask for an option in pcsx2 to strech the image or at least find a way to make finding these codes easy.