/vr/ — Emulation or real hardware?

>>12612829 (OP)
Emulation, I want my savestates and fastforward

Also I get to use my favorite controller when emulating/FPGA:
Retro-bit 8 button Sega Megadrive controller.
Unless I need analog triggers/sticks, then its Dualsense.
8BitDo N64 controller for N64.
Gamecube for gamecube emulation (through the input integrity adapter).

>>12612829 (OP)
Emulation so I don't have to deal with 50hz, modding and importing like I did back in the 90s.

I actually like both for different reasons.

I like real hardware because my RetroTink 5X makes them look incredible on my big TV. Software mode on PCSX2 doesn't look as good as what my RT can do.

Emulation is good though because increasing internal resolutions transforms games and tends to be less invasive than other things you can do. Only thing I don't like about PS2 emulation is that it's common to see errors and graphical bugs in games and I don't like that.

I don't think one or the other is better, but if I had to choose I would pick Hardware over Emulation. has more soul.

>>12612829 (OP)
Imitation hardware with library/suspend functions > Real hardware > Emulation

>>12612829 (OP)
FPGA isn't emulation, it's indistinguishable hardware level recreation.

There is no competition, FPGA is the best of both worlds
>magic box that plays everything up to and including PSX, N64, and Saturn perfectly accurate and identical to original hardware, more accurate than the most intensive and accurate software emulators
>zero extra video latency or audio latency, both are identical to original hardware
>supports OEM controllers with zero lag or any USB controller in existence with zero additional lag
>flawless, lagless plug and play support for both CRT and 4k TVs
Only poorfags seethe, but even that hardly applies as they can be acquired for $200 now

Real hardware. Sure, it can be a pain to service them, but ultimately you're getting the authentic experience. If you're having to start from scratch in 2026, just emulate, either via computer or MiSTer.

>>12612921
>Software mode on PCSX2 doesn't look as good as what my RT can do.
how though? shouldnt it look the same? what does the retrotink do to it to make it look different?

Any of them are fine nowadays.

After having prior issues with Saturn emulation, and owning a couple of "real" arcade machines, I started delving into FPGA as an experiment, and I think the nicest thing about it is you can get as close of an "authentic" experience without having to purchase the original hardware and software which has become incredibly expensive.

On the other hand, software emulation is convenient and pretty good, and it's a great entry point for people to discover a lot of great games they missed out on or weren't even alive to see.

Spending hundreds of dollars on dying CRT's and thousands on retro systems and software is retarded. It's sad that the old technology we used to use will one day be gone, but at the same time, I think a lot of people are chasing a fantasy that hype has built up in their mind and doesn't actually exist in reality.

>>12612829 (OP)
>MiSTer
is completely worthless junk if you actually own a beefy PC.

>>12612986
PCSX2 is a laggy inaccurate piece of shit. God of War 1 (the single most popular PS2 game for emulation of all time) has massive rendering errors in software mode that are blatantly obvious from 20 seconds in

>>12612845
If you like the originals, get a Bliss-Box or a BlisSTer, the cables are interchangeable ! adapter for both setups.

>>12612829 (OP)
I prefer real hardware but i can't buy every console, so it's a mix of both real and emulators for me.
FPGA is not there yet as far as i'm concerned. if the market become bigger then we'll have more devs on it and a less buggy experience. then i'll use that rather than emulators for sure.

>>12612829 (OP)
>emulatrannie pc
Not retro.

>>12612829 (OP)
Real hardware unless it's prohibitively expensive. I need that authentic feel.

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>>12612829 (OP)
FPGA - because it has less latency than a 1000ghz CPU running an emulator. A schizophrenic said it here on /vr/ so it must be true.

>>12613702
Much of the latency of emulation is actually nothing to do with the cpu, but rather the pc architecture as a whole. So its kind of true, even a 1000 GHz cpu would not alone fix emulation latency.

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>>12612829 (OP)
Emulation because it's 100x cheaper.

>>12612829 (OP)
>Emulation
Best suited to specific games that benefit significantly from emulation features, particularly 6th gen and beyond, and console-only FPS that can benefit from mouse and keyboard control, otherwise if you're broke it's fine and your best option in any case. Raspberry Pi, OG Xbox, and Wii are good at emulating older consoles on CRT displays too, PSP, 3DS, or PS Vita with homebrew are also excellent choices for emulation
>Real Hardware
Best suited to your specific tastes, nostalgia, or whatever you can afford, especially when combined with a flashcart/ODE with access to emulation features like save states in some cases if you're lucky.
>FPGA
Best suited to autists who want the real hardware experience but could never realistically afford it, specifically when it comes to arcade games, Neo Geo at least until the AES+ launches, Philips CD-i, 3DO, and other failed consoles and old computers, especially when using a CRT display.

>>12614754
FPGA is original hardware with all the benefits, with many additional benefits, for cheaper, for way less space, and with no drawbacks aside from the lack of physicality of the system (but not the controller as it supports OEM controllers laglessly)

You are a retard

>>12612829 (OP)
Real, CRTV with S video and modded consoles is peak

>>12614892
>FPGA is original hardware

>>12612829 (OP)
Emulate on a CRT and get the best of both worlds.

I play emulated and on original hardware depending on the day or where I am or what I want to play. This fag vs fag teams shit is tiresome and gay as fuck. Stop looking for others approval and actually play some fucking games instead of constantly arguing about metashit that doesn't fucking matter.

For me, it's real hardware with pirated software, when it's not too impractical. The best of both worlds. When it is impractical, I'll just emulate. It helps that I already own most of the worthwhile consoles from back when they were relatively new, but I suppose if I felt like playing a game for something like the 3DO or Jaguar I'd just emulate instead of wasting money on that hardware.

>>12614892
FPGA is not original hardware. It's retarded and dishonest to claim that it is.

>>12612931
>FPGA isn't emulation, it's indistinguishable hardware level recreation.
lol please tell me you're just a paid shill and don't actually believe this

>>12616435
not him, but FPGA literally is not the original hardware.
is it as good as it, maybe better due to cleaner output? sure maybe.
but it just is factually not a Saturn, its a MiSTer FPGA.

Your logic is:
MiSTer FPGA = Original Hardware
MiSTer FPGA = Saturn
so by that logic:
Saturn = MiSTer FPGA.
and im sure you dont believe a saturn is an FPGA device.

>>12616710
is a wii a gamecube

misterfpga has the lowest input lag

>>12616710
They go through all that trouble to recreate the original chips in FPGA but then have completely different display output circuits, so you're still not getting an exact match in side by side comparisons.

>>12616757
Internally it uses an upgraded version of the GameCube's CPU and graphics hardware, its basically an overclocked Gamecube, but it is not a Gamecube. It is a Wii.

>>12616767
not if you use run-ahead in an emulator

>>12616757
>is a wii a gamecube
Slightly faster

>>12616767
>muh input lag
Is not noticeable. It definitely doesn't exist with original hardware. You've not convince me to buy your snake oil.

>>12612829 (OP)
>emulator, scam expensive emulator, real hardware.
>AI made image.
Doubt you have something.

>>12619632
MiSTer and OG hardware have identical input lag down to the nanosecond

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>>12614754
>Best suited to autists who want the real hardware experience but could never realistically afford it
No, my original hardware is in storage because I fucking hate the clutter of multiple cables and DC power supplies from multiple consoles, I ran that for years and going back there dusting the cables alone made me hate them.

FPGA is one little box, USB power, and easy RGB out for PVM.
I have a gaming PC with a 5080 GPU and a 48" LG C3 OLED attached to it in a different room, that can also emulate games and I use that sometimes as well, but that one is more often than not used for more modern games. Both are great and have minimal cable/power rputing issues.

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>>12612829 (OP)
for me it's decomp and port

emulation because cannot afford og hw where I live.
I would buy a chinese mister to play on my CRT but seems composite output is not as straightforward (I'd need to buy extra modules which means more money) so I prefer my PC with shaders.
I can play new games, old games, and use almost all kind of controllers via USB. Someday I'll get a Wii (to cover Wii and GC), and a mister for old games.
I have a PS2 though, that's where I use my CRT at least.

>>12622202
Sir I'm not buying your snake oil.

>>12622445
Sir I cannot afford your snake oil sir
I am a mere jeet

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>>12612829 (OP)
If this was 20 years ago I would tell you that emulation was a waste of time but now it is at a point where almost every game runs perfectly fine. The only exception is Xbox emulation but that is because only me and three other people actually give a shit about playing Xbox.

>>12618894
>muh run-ahead
Subhuman retard.

It's never recommended to use run-ahead as it increases input lag variance for slightly lower raw input lag. It's also not accurate to original hardware, has limited implementation depending on internal game lag and how intensive it is to run, and can cause various issues

The only rare edge case in which it may be worth it (and even then, not really and it's inaccurate), is games that are easy to run accurately, have significant inherent gameplay lag (5+ frames), and games where reaction speed is more important than timing (not many). In these cases, the raw input lag improvement is so large that it could (arguably, but not really) outweigh the increase in input lag variance that it brings.

Also, and very importantly, run-ahead is NOT going to remove any inherent lag from your setup (display lag, emulation lag, controller lag, OS lag), or V-Sync lag, which will usually be 2-3 frames at least, unless you have a very lag-optimized setup. Additionally it does nothing to improve audio latency, which is significantly better with MiSTer compared to software emulators.

So no, you are certainly not getting original hardware/MiSTer CRT level input lag, and you certainly aren't getting that level of input lag consistency either

>>12624001
>Also, and very importantly, run-ahead is NOT going to remove any inherent lag from your setup (display lag, emulation lag, controller lag, OS lag), or V-Sync lag, which will usually be 2-3 frames at least
Yes, thats why you turn off vsync, use a wired controller, and put on 2 frames run ahead. to correct for inherent setup lag

For 2d games there is no variance, your computer can handle it with ease

>>12612829 (OP)
I have several CRTs (including a PC one), original consoles and even a RPi I use for 240p emulation. I'll choose emulation any day of the week, and I refuse to believe people who swear to god real hardware still looks or performs good. Both the PS2 and Wii still look like trash, even on CRTs, and only emulation can fix that, plus both consoles run games at massive frame drops. While 2D consoles run and look just as good as emulation, you're still missing out on save states, being able to choose your own controller, remapping, shaders, etc.

>>12616039
This, but then you have to go through all the trouble of getting the resolutions you need from whatever hardware you're using. Once you're past that, you're golden.

>>12624120
emulating gen 6 and after gives you upscaling and better resolution
emulating gen5 and before gives you run ahead and filters
games just look and play better on emulator always

>>12624137
emulating gen 6 gives you bugs, and more bugs when upscaling.
emulating gen 5 and below gives you input lag and stutters with no meaningful improvements unless you are a cheater.

>>12624137
> filters
Only the mentally ill use filters.

>>12624114
>For 2d games there is no variance
Retard, this is tested with a 240fps camera on a high-end rig that can run these games 50x over

Test it for yourself

>just use a wired controller bro, it's that simple
I can just tell you're fucking retarded

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>>12612931
>FPGA isn't emulation, it's indistinguishable hardware level recreation.
You've got to be kidding me, nigga.

>>12616757
>is a wii a gamecube
Technically if you put a GameCube disc in or play a GameCube game on a softmodded Wii via the SD card there is "no emulation" involved since the GameCube hardware is actually inside the Wii, just like how if you play a PS1 disc on a PS2 there is "no emulation" either.

>>12624263
The shills don't know when to quit. LOL

>>12624120
>the PS2 and Wii still look like trash, even on CRTs
How does 240p look trash on a CRT? People will gladly spend hundreds of dollars on hardware chasing that 240p look in 2026.

>>12624263
They laugh at you but they never call you a liar

>>12624360
liar

>>12624263
>You've got to be kidding me, nigga.
elaborate