Pandora Dreamcast Emulator - PocketGamer.co.uk

[oceanofdarkstars1]

LOOK MOM.......NO HEAD!!!

[oceanofdarkstars1]

So you got the 2 networked and the workhorse crunching all the numbers with the Pretty one playing everything. SWEET

[mothra91]

@d4aft

What do you mean the SNES was 8 bit by architecture? I remember the Turbo Grafx 16 was 8 bit as in the GPU was 8 bit, but I don't remember the SNES being 8 bit in anyway.

[dde12321]

that is awesome

[MrLemonyFresh]

Common man, release that emulator, surely it's at a good stage now?

[Burnpnac]

dont say it emulates the dreamcast when it can barely even run, if it cant run exactly the same frame rate or play the game as normal, it is not an emulation, getting something to WORK on the computer, that was made on a computer is pretty fucking UN-inspiring.

[MrLemonyFresh]

@Burnpnac According to google EMULATE means: ambition to equal or excel.

The man's ambition is to make it run dreamcast games equally or better than the dreamcast will (I would pressume) so it is in fact an emulator lol..

[onpon4]

@Burnpnac I have to agree. The speed this Dreamcast emulator is running at would not be acceptable for gaming. It might work better in the future if/when the Pandora gets a hardware upgrade, though (it's been mentioned that it might be possible to upgrade to a 1 GHz CPU, verses the current one, which runs at 600 MHz, some time after batches 1 and 2 are shipped).

I don't understand what you mean by this, though:

"getting something to WORK on the computer, that was made on a computer"

[Burnpnac]

@onpon4 dreamcast games were made on a computer, so having something that barley runs on a computer that has the same specs almost as what it was designed on is retarted.

[onpon4]

@Burnpnac You don't happen to mean they were made FOR a computer, do you?

If that's the case, you misunderstand how this works. Dreamcast games were made for a very specific platform, the Dreamcast, which has completely different hardware than the Pandora. If the games were made for the Pandora, they would probably run just fine, but as it is, the hardware for the Dreamcast needs to be emulated with software. I don't think you understand how slow of a process emulation is.

[onpon4]

@Burnpnac (read my other reply first)

...On the other hand, if you actually meant what you said... well, let me explain this way. If I were to make a program in Z80 Assembly for the TI-83 Plus, I would probably do it on my laptop, since it would be impossible to program in that way using the calculator. That does not mean the program would work on my laptop; in fact, I can assure you that it wouldn't work on my laptop, since an x86 processor is incompatible with ASM code for a Z80 processor.

[Burnpnac]

@onpon4 no, they were made for dreamcast using C++, i dont understand how you can program a game on a computer 12 YEARS ago and still cant get it to run on a PC thats 100times as fast, seems retarded, take Yabouse or what ever that saturn emu is called, you STILL cant get saturn games to run on a 1.6ghz processor when the fucking saturn had a 28.6Mhz processor, that is not emulation ! if it dont work properly why even do it to begin with?? thats like showing off a broken coffee mug....

[onpon4]

@Burnpnac It hardly matters what language the games were written in. They're closed-source, which means the only ones who have the ability to recompile them for new platforms are the original developers. Chances are, they aren't going to do that any time soon, nor would they likely release the source code to the games.

I should also correct you on the clock rate of the Pandora: it's 600 MHz, not 1.6 GHz. In any case, clock rates can be quite deceiving and shouldn't be referred to too much.

[iTzCliche]

When the NGP comes out I hope it gets hacked and someone makes a Dreamcast emulator on it. Might not be powerful enough for sonic adventure but ikaruga for sure

[Droid924]

@iTzCliche what are you talking about ps vita(ngp) is a little more powerful than the xbox 360 even it could emulate a gamecube,wii,original xbox ect, and dreamcast is a weak system compared to those

[iTzCliche]

@Droid924 Don't think you quite understand the difference between emulation on a PC running windows and a PS Vita running Sony's firmware.

[Droid924]

@iTzCliche the ps vita will need custom firmware to do any emulators. so it won't be sony's firmware when you put custom firmware on it, it will look like sony's firmware (untill you customize the main menu) but it is different, the vita will run anything you want it to if it is powerful enough

[sukhi2000]

Is dreamcast still in developement for pandora?

The n64 emu is awesome,it's good to play lylat wars on 4.3 screem.

[RedbotX3]

Does anyone know if there has been any new progress with this dc emulator for the pandora? This video is over 2 years old and it would be great to know if the emulator has progressed since then.

Can't wait to play Jet Grind Radio and Sonic Adventure on the go! ;o

[fearofshorts]

Ok, two things about this-

The Pandora is availible from the official Open Pandora site. Google it, youtube won't let me post the URL.

Secondly, if you are wondering why there are very few videos about this emulator, it's because the developer currently doesn't have a Pandora. But rest assured that he will continue to develop it. And if that sounds bad, our community's full of awesome devs, and several have stated that if the creator gives up they will continue it.

[nikowii6464]

The PC EMULE THE DREAMCAST!!! NOT THE PANDORA!!!

[maximu22]

@nikowii6464 Nope the PC is only used for Debug depuration netlog.

[exsecrare]

My Dreamcast plays Dreamcast.

[Andermetal1]

With 2 frames skipping it would be playable ...

[Andermetal1]

Damn it my PC is 64 bit wide bus and it emulates the Dreamcast . Noobs ...

[iorel1982]

how much it cost?

[KRAFTWERK2K6]

@iorel1982 around 300 euros

[TargetRender]

The Pandora isn't powerfu enough to emualate a 128 bit console game properly. Ryo was missing his head in Shenmue, and it ran very slowly.

[ChessPieceRook]

@TargetRender

that, or the emulator needs some optimization.

after all, the pandora runs at arouns 600+ mhz, and the dreamcast's Hitachi SH4 RISC cpu runs at 200mhz.

[ChessPieceRook]

@TargetRender

oh, and by the way, the dramcasts SH4 cpu, is a MULTIPLE bit cpu.

parts of it run at 16 bit, other parts at 32, other parts at 64, and other parts a 128 bit.

but it's most widely classified as a 32-bit CPU.

so, you're both wrong, and right. XD

[Burnpnac]

@ChessPieceRook you are incredibly WRONG on that. what the fuck are you even talking about. no the GPU is ONE 128 bit, you dont really know anything about technology do you? no you dont. so dont fucking open your mouth and spread disinformation.

[ChessPieceRook]

@Burnpnac

you do realize, you just proved how little of my post you read, right?

did i say "GPU"?

No.

i said CPU.

And for the record, you're an idiot that's done no reasearch.

"A 16/32/64/128 bit CPU?

The SH-4 is a multiple bit CPU. Here is a list of the different functions, there bit sizes and the benefits of that particular bit size. "

[ChessPieceRook]

@Burnpnac

"Instructions|16-bits|40 percent smaller size than comparable 32-bit RISC

CPU Precision|32-bits|More accurate results compared to 16-bit values

Memory Addressing|32-bits|4 GB memory access which is overkill for a console that will not have more then 32 MB of memory

[ChessPieceRook]

@Burnpnac

External Data Bus|64-bits|800 MB/sec transfer rate with 100 MHz SDRAM

Floating Point Precision|64-bits|More accuracy in mantissa portion of number which aids graphic operations

Floating Point Bus 128-bits 3.2 GB/sec transfer rate from the data cache for matrix data aligned together as four separate 32-bit values like this: [32-bit][32-bit][32-bit][32-bi­t]"

[ChessPieceRook]

@Burnpnac

"CPU's are defined by their integer size, and the SH-4 supports 32-bit integer values, so the SH-4 is classified as a 32-bit processor. By the way a 64-bit processor would be overkill for any console, and none exists. That includes Sony's PS2 and Microsoft's X-Box."

See? did YOU do your research?

look up "sh-4 specs"

it's the first result.

[ChessPieceRook]

@Burnpnac

Now, i'm going add you to my ignored list, and not waste my time with your stupidity.

next time, go do your research, oh, and read ALL of the comment, CAREFULLY.

[fkolkc]

Hello Man, I bought the Pandora, could you teach me how to play Zelda and other games on it? Where do I donwload the emulator and the rom? How do I open the roms with the emulator on Pandora?

my e-mail: fkolkc@yahoo.com.br

Thanks!

[SURPLUSNiNjA]

I'm curious to know why paintless modlels aren't avaible, it looks cool and without the paint wouldn't it be cheaper to produce?

[eyesofnova]

remembering arguing with people about the Pandora and telling them it be able to play dreamcast games, sure it maybe slow now but I was right when I said it could play them.

[2HornDogs]

this is so beautiful it makes me want to cry!

[SonicMaverick3000]

Having Sonic Adventure 1/2 on the go? Epicness.

[salpha22]

Where is this emulator at in terms of development?

[darkhero36]

OMG HE HAVE NO HEAD!

[Aitor]

Would love to watch Ikaruga running on Pandora... although it can't be played on TATE.

[jcudal32]

a man can dream..............and hopefully 5 years from now portable PS2!!!

[GeneStarwind09]

What are the odds of a decent (20fps or above) speed with sound in the future?

[NamoNakamura]

I am so getting one of these. The very thought of playing games like Sonic Adventure and Jet Grind Radio on the go nearly makes me nerdgasm.

[dudemandude3]

Great were going to be able to emulate one of the most underrated conscles ever!

[EbutEm]

Hmm Shenmue... I don't think I ever played the quest where Ryo goes looking for his missing head. lol On a serious note, Pandora looks awesome!

[HardKore5250]

Is it my computer or is the dreamcast emulator slow?

[cyborgtroy]

@HardKore5250: Yes, it's slow, it's a work in progress. You can see in the background that the console output is smooth, but the emulator is running at maybe 50% speed.

[Yoshibirdofan123]

I wonder if this could handle the Sega Saturn

[loanstar744]

@Yoshibirdofan123

Of course it could,it just needs to be ported right.

[cyborgtroy]

@Yoshibirdofan123: I think they've been discussing this on the forums. Actually, even though the Saturn isn't very powerful, it has like 4 or 5 little CPUs and a bunch of oddly-placed memory, so it's a pain in the ass to emulate. They said it probably won't run on Pandora, not at a speed that anyone could play.

[AxiomofDiscord]

@cyborgtroy 2 CPUs and it did have a complex setup, but that memory was upgradable and it allowed for very smooth animations ... as long as the programmer wanted to take the time to exploit it.

[zenvidar]

Yes, it can handle the N64, which is a 64 bit vector graphic console. The Sega Saturn is 32 bits, same as the playstation 1. This video is showing what seems to be a work-in-progress emulator for the Dreamcast, a 128 bit console. (Other 128 bit consoles include the PS2, Gamecube, X-Box, although the dreamcast was less powerful, probably pushing it's limits a little over mid-range ps2 capability)

[d4aft]

@zenvidar How many 'bits' means absolutley nothing. The jaguar was classed as 64bit but was like 16bit in actual processor power, the n64 had 2 32bit processors, the snes was actually 8 bit by architecture - not 16, so your point is moot.

This is why none of the console manufacturers mention this now.

[7abi]

@d4aft

i agree with you but jaguar had 2 32 bit processors and n64 an actual 64 processor ;)

[gmanprime500]

@d4aft Truth of the matter is, the Jaguar was actualy 2 32 bit prosessors just like the 64. The only reason it was so bad is because no one knew how to program the games for somthing as powerful as it was.

[ChessPieceRook]

@d4aft

umm.....no.

the snes DID HAVE a 16 bit architecture.

nice try, but you don't have a clue about what you're talking about.

the snes uses a 16-bit 65c816 Ricoh 5A22 running at 3.58 MHz

but, the snes does have an 8-bit emulation mode.

the n64 has a NEC VR4300, which is a 64-bit CPU, but it also has a 32-bit bus.

oh, and the the atari jaguar had 4 processing units, the object processor, graphics processor, blitter, and digital sound processor.

(Continued in next comment)

[ChessPieceRook]

@d4aft

Oh, and the amount of 'Bits' a cpu has doesn't mean nothing.

the amount of 'bits' a cpu has, is how many bits it can process at a single time.

a 64-bit cpu can process 64 bits at a time, etc.

next time, do your research before you start saying things, or you'll sound like a completely retarded jerk.

[liveswired]

@d4aft common mistake - the N64 had a primary 64bit risc processor and a 32bit co processor. Infact some games made use of 64bit routines.

[titaniumweasel]

@d4aft actually, the n64 only had one processor, and it had a 64-bit architecture. The jaguar was the one that had multiple processors, It had two 32s and a 16, and developers built most of the games around the 16 bit one. I had read that it also had a 64 bit processor, but who puts four processors in a games console?

[greggyallstar]

@titaniumweasel

sega

[AxiomofDiscord]

Bits are not used for bragging rights because increasing them has diminishing returns and anymore for most dedicated systems offers little to be gained. Most companies quoted the CPU as its BITS number Jag used a 64 bit DRAM, Blitter and Object processor. TG16 was two 8 bits not SNES it was 16 bit N64 ran a CPU that did 64 or 32 hell the audio/video processing talked to itself over a 128 bit channel Saturn had the two parallel 32 bit processor cores. I get your point but hate misinformation

[Burnpnac]

@d4aft your full of shit, SGI made a 64bit mips GPU and a 32bit CPU for the N64 that ran on SGI IRIX microcode so your wrong about that.so instead of sounding like a stupid fucking eltiest ass hole who really dont know shit why dont you just fucking answer the question, the unit in question is 256 bit. Now fuck off.

[onpon4]

@d4aft Word size does not mean absolutely nothing. It was pointless to use a greater word size than 32 bits through the 6th generation, but word size is in fact important. Word size determines how much data is handled at once. In a nutshell, more word size means more potential RAM. Now that large enough amounts of RAM are becoming possible, 64-bit processors are starting to make practical sense.

Also, the N64 was 64-bit (though this was rarely taken advantage of), and the SNES was 16-bit.

DYH.

[d4aft]

@zenvidar ps, when you mention the word 'vector' i think you meant to say 'ploygon'

[Bobkops]

@zenvidar The Xbox isn't a 128Bit Console... The CPU is a derivate of a Intel Pentium III which is obviously a 32Bit x86 PC CPU...

[LessthanJake14]

@Bobkops The Xbox renders 128bit, but nobody uses that measurement anymore.

[staxjp]

@Bobkops um, its ppc architecture, not intel, lol, its 32 bit ppc, you know, the things Macintosh used to use.

[onpon4]

@zenvidar You didn't do your homework. None of the 6th generation consoles were ever advertised by "bits" except for the PS2, which was advertised as "128-bit" at one early point, even though it isn't really a 128-bit processor. All the rest just use 32-bit processors. The Nintendo 64, which actually did have a 64-bit processor, rarely had that processor taken advantage of, with programmers preferring the faster and more compact 32-bit operations.

PLEASE do your homework next time.

[i0ink]

where do you buy this

[NOOBNUT08]

is that the default color that the pandora comes in?

[kleinebudde]

@NOOBNUT08 I have seen it in other colors too.

[loanstar744]

@NOOBNUT08

Actually the default color is a sleek black and it looks much better than that.

[rauguaza]

i have pandora

[Yoshibirdofan123]

lucky

[HardKore5250]

how is it is it worth buying? How much did you pay what all comes with it?

[Scourgeandmephiles93]

Can you do this without the support of the PC in the background?

[kohan69]

It's used for debugging, all the processing is done on the pandora.

[WinnieThePuuh]

Depending on the optimization i would say :yes

[grimaudio907]

do you think it will be possible to run shenmue or any dreamcast game at full speed? and if so how long do you think it will take?

[TheShadowBrigade]

You can do that on Nulldc 1.6 beta... I can on a 5 year old laptop

[grimaudio907]

cool.