The new version 1.06 of the BigPEmu emulator available exclusively on the Patreon

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Available exclusively on Patreon a new update of BigPEmu , the Atari Jaguar console emulator and currently the only program able to guarantee compatibility with the entire library of retail cartridges, together with excellent performance and a wide variety of features unique.

 

 

Developer Rich Whitehouse has improved BigPEmu ‘s new features , including the scripting system which has become robust and able to fix sync issues, unlock framerates and provide native resolution rendering.

This is a remarkable achievement considering that Jaguar , the emulated console, did not natively support polygons. The author showcased these new features on Digital Foundry (in the video above), including opening the framerate in Alien vs Predator and native rendering in Cybermorph .

An image of the native Cybermorph render has been shared, showing native resolution polygons and sprites, with an optional bilinear filter for the sprites, and the original HUD composited with the native render.

Given the complexity and breadth of the system, the author plans to make a video to showcase and explain some of the features, targeting both users and interested developers.

It is therefore recommended to check the author’s social media or Discord server to receive updates on this video.

Characteristics

  • Full Compatibility .
    • BigPEmu can run all the games in the Jaguar console’s retail cartridge library.
  • Fast .
    • The emulator runs the entire library of retail titles (with default settings) at full speed on almost any x64 compatible processor. Each Jaguar processor runs on a single native core (maintaining deterministic emulation) and does not rely on any dynamic recompiling (maintaining console compatibility), while maintaining extremely low system requirements.
  • Accurate .
    • It is the most accurate Jaguar emulator to date, although there is still a lot of room for improvement. I work continuously to get accurate system-wide cycle times.
  • Better than hardware .
    • While the emulator defaults to settings that cater for compatibility and accuracy, it is capable of much more. The settings are exposed to the overclock/underclock of each of the Jaguar cores as well as adjusting the speed and accuracy of other system components. BigPEmu lets you play many Jaguar games at 60 frames per second for the first time ever!
  • Save states and movies .
    • Everything is completely deterministic, just like real life. That’s right, I went. This means that all “randomness” is also controlled by a preserved seed. BigPEmu can record footage from nothing more than controller input and play it back with perfect accuracy. You can even stop playing a movie and start playing on its own at any time.
  • Excessive presentation details .
    • I did everything for this. There’s native support for the Jaguar Game Drive MRQ format in the cartridge browser (as well as box art sourced from PNG files), support for global and per-game backgrounds, and even support for controller overlays! Overlays are dialed on the fly in the Jaguar controller, displayed both on the input binding screen and on the controller’s helpful pop-up info display.
  • Additional device support .
    • Featuring support for analog controllers (both via external bank switching and via ADC), drive controllers, rotary controllers, and Team Tap.
  • Glorious shaders .
    • The emulator features a powerful post-processing system that is fully customizable. The system supports every type of effect imaginable, from applying smooth filters to simulating CRT displays.
  • Native HDR support .
    • HDR displays are natively supported, complete with options to adjust output based on display characteristics and to force post-process effects to use HDR buffers throughout the post chain. This means that post-processing effects take full advantage of that increased color accuracy and push it all the way to your eyes. CRT shaders reap all the benefits. At 4K with HDR color output, they’re an amazing sight to behold.
  • Game Profiles .
    • Mapping your Atari Jaguar controller to something other than a phone with wings can get a little tricky, so you might want to change the controller mapping for different games. You can do it! With per-game profiles, you can automatically load a new input pattern (or any other emulator setting) every time you load a game.
  • Time manipulation .
    • Native fast forwarding capability, which can be assigned to any input.
  • Plugins.
    • The stock plugins cover video, audio, input, and networking support over widely compatible APIs, with the ability to easily expand to any platform/interface. The OpenGL video plugin can fully scale from its default incarnation (with support for effects, distance field fonts, etc.) up to the fixed OpenGL 1.0 feature, meaning the emulator can run on virtually any capable GPU. to run GLQuake (although the font would look pretty bad on some of them).
  • The usual .
    • Enjoy all the emulator subtleties you have come to expect in modern times. Automatic EEPROM preservation, PAL support, custom boot ROM images, native support for multiple displays and different aspect ratios, custom display cropping, highly customizable input, custom language support, and so much more.
  • Full of terrible secrets .
    • No, really, it is. You will never find them.

Changelog

  • New scripting system. In developer mode, scripts are automatically recompiled on startup. There are also options for developers to automatically detect script changes while the application is running. Compiled scripts need to be enabled through a new feature of script modules.
  • Included a new script that allows Cybermorph to render polygons/textures at native resolution.
  • Added a new option to adjust MSAA to video settings. This is only relevant for things that use the native depth buffer, like the new Cybermorph script .
  • Included a new script that allows you to unlock the framerate in Alien vs. Predators .
  • Included a new script to fix flicker in the Brett Hull Hockey prototype .
  • A streamlined CRT library along with a whole set of BigPEmu specific API functionality is included in the scripting system via the Scripts/bigpcrt library.
  • The Core Native DLL Call (CDECL) functionality has been implemented into the Scripting API, so others can take the initiative to start implementing things like RetroAchievements as desired.
  • Added native support for mouse input (must be enabled in input settings). Mouse movement and buttons can be mapped to analog, rotary, and digital inputs interchangeably.
  • More work has been done behind the scenes on debugger-enabled builds, but this shouldn’t affect anything user-facing just yet.
  • Even more terrible secrets have been added.

In short, the author is facing health challenges and has noticed that using Twitter to reach interested audiences has become even more difficult.

Therefore, he is looking to depend more on organic word of mouth to spread news about the project and gain support. The author seeks help with social media support, including Patreon, to support his work.

Download: BigPEmu v1.06 – Patreon Exclusive

Source: discord.com