Everything You Need to Know About PCSX2 Plugin Direct3D 11: Features, Benefits, and Tips
How to Install and Configure PCSX2 Plugin Direct3D 11 for the Best Performance and Graphics Quality
PCSX2 is a free and open-source PlayStation 2 (PS2) emulator that allows you to play PS2 games on your PC, with many additional features and benefits. You can enjoy enhanced graphics, sound, speed, compatibility, and customization with PCSX2. You can also use various plugins to improve different aspects of the emulation, such as graphics, audio, input, network, etc.
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Direct3D 11 is a graphics API that can improve the rendering speed and accuracy of PCSX2, especially if you have a modern NVIDIA GPU. Direct3D 11 can take advantage of the latest hardware features, such as tessellation, multithreading, compute shaders, etc. It can also provide better compatibility with some games that have graphical glitches or slowdowns with other renderers.
In this article, I will guide you through the steps to download, install, and optimize PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11 for your system. You will learn how to select and configure the GSdx plugin for Direct3D 11, how to adjust the internal resolution, texture filtering, and other graphics settings for optimal quality and performance, how to enable and disable speedhacks, game fixes, and other enhancements for compatibility and stability, how to load PS2 game discs or ISO files on PCSX2, how to use save states, memory cards, cheats, and patches on PCSX2, and how to troubleshoot common issues and errors on PCSX2.
Downloading and Installing PCSX2 Plugin Direct3D 11
The first step is to download the latest version of PCSX2 and its plugins from the official website or GitHub page. You can choose between the stable release or the nightly build. The stable release is more tested and reliable, but may not have the latest features or fixes. The nightly build is more updated and experimental, but may have more bugs or crashes. For beginners, I recommend using the stable release.
To download the stable release of PCSX2 1.6.0 (the latest version as of writing this article), go to this link and click on "Download Get PCSX2 here". You will be redirected to a page where you can choose between different versions of PCSX2 for Windows or Linux. For Windows users, I recommend downloading the full installer (the first option), which includes all the necessary plugins and dependencies.
To download the nightly build of PCSX2 (the most recent version as of writing this article), go to this link and click on the "Windows" tab. You will see a list of different builds with their dates and versions. Choose the latest one (the one on the top) and click on the "Download" button. You will get a zip file that contains the PCSX2 executable and its plugins.
Once you have downloaded the PCSX2 installer or zip file, you need to install or extract it on your PC. If you downloaded the installer, simply run it and follow the instructions on the screen. You can choose the destination folder and the components to install. Make sure you check the "GSdx" plugin, which is the one that supports Direct3D 11.
If you downloaded the zip file, you need to extract it to a folder of your choice. You can use any program that can handle zip files, such as WinRAR, 7-Zip, etc. After extracting the zip file, you will see a folder named "pcsx2-v1.7.xxxx-windows-x86" (the xxxx will vary depending on the build version). Inside this folder, you will find the PCSX2 executable and its plugins.
The next step is to get the BIOS file from your PS2 console. The BIOS file is a firmware that contains the basic functions and settings of the PS2 hardware. It is required for PCSX2 to run PS2 games. You cannot download the BIOS file from the internet, as it is illegal and may contain viruses or malware. You need to dump it from your own PS2 console using a USB flash drive or a memory card.
To dump the BIOS file from your PS2 console, you need to follow this guide. It will show you how to use a program called "BIOS Dumper" to copy the BIOS file from your PS2 to your USB flash drive or memory card. You will also need a PS2 game disc and a way to boot it on your PS2, such as a modchip, a swap disc, or a Free McBoot card.
After dumping the BIOS file from your PS2 console, you need to copy it to your PC. You can use any method that works for you, such as connecting your USB flash drive or memory card to your PC, using an FTP client, etc. The BIOS file will have a name like "SCPH-xxxx.bin" (the xxxx will vary depending on your PS2 model). You need to copy this file to the "bios" folder inside your PCSX2 installation or extraction folder.
Configuring PCSX2 Plugin Direct3D 11
Now that you have installed or extracted PCSX2 and its plugins, and copied the BIOS file from your PS2 console, you are ready to configure PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11 for your system. To do this, you need to launch PCSX2 and follow these steps:
On the first run, PCSX2 will ask you to select your language. Choose the one that suits you best and click "Apply".
PCSX2 will then ask you to select a BIOS file from the list of available ones. Choose the one that matches your PS2 model and region and click "Finish".
PCSX2 will then open its main window, where you can access its menus and options. To configure PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11, go to "Config" > "Plugin/BIOS Selector".
In the "Plugin/BIOS Selector" window, go to the "GS" section and click on the drop-down menu next to "GS". You will see a list of different GS plugins that are available for PCSX2. Choose the one that has "GSdx" in its name and has "(Direct3D 11)" at the end. For example, if you are using PCSX2 1.6.0 stable release, choose "GSdx 20200506140834 (MSVC 19.25 SSE4.1/AVX) 1.2.0 [GSdx32-SSE4] (Direct3D 11)". If you are using PCSX2 nightly build, choose "GSdx (Direct3D 11) [libGSdx]".
After choosing the GS plugin for Direct3D 11, click on the "Configure" button next to it. This will open the GSdx plugin configuration window, where you can adjust various graphics settings for PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11.
In the GSdx plugin configuration window, you can adjust the following settings:
Renderer: This is where you can choose between different renderers for PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11. The renderer is responsible for drawing the graphics on the screen. You can choose between Direct3D 11 (Hardware), Direct3D 11 (Software), OpenGL (Hardware), and OpenGL (Software). For PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11, you should choose Direct3D 11 (Hardware), as it will use your GPU to accelerate the graphics rendering and provide the best performance and quality. The software renderers will use your CPU to render the graphics, which will be slower and less accurate, but may be useful for some games that have compatibility issues with the hardware renderers. The OpenGL renderers will use a different graphics API that may have some advantages over Direct3D 11, such as better accuracy, support for advanced features, and compatibility with Linux, but may also have some disadvantages, such as lower performance, higher requirements, and compatibility issues with some games and GPUs.
Adapter: This is where you can choose which GPU to use for PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11. If you have more than one GPU on your system, such as an integrated GPU and a dedicated GPU, you can select the one that you want to use for PCSX2. For the best performance and quality, you should choose your dedicated GPU, as it will have more power and features than your integrated GPU. For example, if you have an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 and an Intel HD Graphics 630 on your system, you should choose "NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060" as your adapter.
Interlacing (F5): This is where you can choose how to handle the interlaced video output of PS2 games. Interlacing is a technique that splits the video signal into two fields, one with the odd lines and one with the even lines, and alternates them on the screen. This reduces the bandwidth and storage requirements of the video signal, but also causes some artifacts and flickering on modern displays that use progressive scan. PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11 can apply different methods to deinterlace or blend the fields together, such as Bob tff, Bob bff, Weave tff, Weave bff, Blend tff, Blend bff, Auto, and None. The best method to use depends on the game and your preference. You can experiment with different methods by pressing F5 while playing a game. For most games, Auto or None are good choices.
Texture Filtering: This is where you can choose how to filter the textures of PS2 games. Textures are images that are applied to the surfaces of 3D models to give them detail and color. Texture filtering is a technique that smooths out the edges and pixels of textures when they are scaled or rotated on the screen. PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11 can apply different levels of texture filtering, such as Bilinear (PS2), Bilinear (Forced), Trilinear, Nearest, or Half-pixel Offset. The best level to use depends on the game and your preference. You can experiment with different levels by pressing F6 while playing a game. For most games, Bilinear (PS2) or Bilinear (Forced) are good choices.
Internal Resolution: This is where you can choose the resolution of the internal rendering of PS2 games. The internal resolution is the resolution at which PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11 draws the graphics before scaling them to fit your display resolution. The higher the internal resolution, the sharper and clearer the graphics will be, but also the more demanding it will be on your GPU. PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11 can scale the internal resolution by multiples of the native PS2 resolution, which is 640x448 for most games. You can choose between 1x Native (640x448), 2x Native (1280x896), 3x Native (1920x1344), 4x Native (2560x1792), 5x Native (3200x2240), 6x Native (3840x2688), 8x Native (5120x3584), or Custom. The best level to use depends on your GPU power and your display resolution. For most games, 3x Native or 4x Native are good choices.
Anisotropic Filtering: This is where you can choose how to improve the quality of textures at oblique angles. Anisotropic filtering is a technique that reduces the blurriness and distortion of textures when they are viewed from steep angles on the screen. PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11 can apply different levels of anisotropic filtering, such as Off, 2x, 4x, 8x, or 16x. The higher the level, the better the quality of textures at oblique angles will be, is where you can choose how to handle the blending of PS2 games. Blending is a technique that combines the colors and alpha values of pixels from different sources, such as textures, lighting, fog, etc. PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11 can apply different levels of blending unit accuracy, such as None, Basic, Medium, High, Ultra, or Custom. The higher the level, the more accurate the blending will be, but also the more demanding it will be on your GPU. The best level to use depends on the game and your preference. For most games, None or Basic are good choices.
HW Hacks: This is where you can enable or disable some hardware hacks and fixes for specific games or situations that have graphical issues or glitches with PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11. HW stands for Hardware, which means these hacks are applied by the GPU rather than the CPU. You can access the HW Hacks by clicking on the "Advanced Settings and Hacks" button next to it. This will open a new window where you can see and modify various options, such as Skipdraw, Half-pixel Offset, Wild Arms Offset, Align Sprite, Round Sprite, Sprite Hack, etc. The best options to use depend on the game and your preference. You can find more information and recommendations for each option by hovering your mouse over them or by visiting this page.
After adjusting the settings for PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11, click on "OK" to save them and close the GSdx plugin configuration window. You can also click on "Cancel" to discard them and close the window.
Enabling and Disabling Speedhacks, Game Fixes, and Other Enhancements for Compatibility and Stability
Besides configuring PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11, you can also enable or disable some speedhacks, game fixes, and other enhancements for PCSX2 that can improve the compatibility and stability of PS2 games. Speedhacks are tweaks that can increase the emulation speed of PCSX2 by reducing the accuracy or complexity of some PS2 functions. Game fixes are patches that can fix some specific issues or glitches that occur with some PS2 games on PCSX2. Other enhancements are options that can improve the functionality or usability of PCSX2, such as widescreen patches, turbo mode, frame skipping, etc.
To enable or disable speedhacks, game fixes, and other enhancements for PCSX2, go to "Config" > "Emulation Settings". This will open the Emulation Settings window, where you can access different tabs and options.
In the Emulation Settings window, you can adjust the following settings:
EE/IOP: This is where you can configure the Emotion Engine (EE) and Input/Output Processor (IOP) settings of PCSX2. The EE and IOP are the main processors of the PS2 that handle most of the game logic and input/output functions. You can change the EE Cyclerate and IOP Cyclerate sliders to modify the clock speed of the EE and IOP respectively. Increasing the clock speed can improve the performance of some games that are CPU-bound, but may also cause instability or compatibility issues. Decreasing the clock speed can improve the compatibility or stability of some games that are too fast or unstable on PCSX2, but may also cause slowdowns or glitches. You can also change the EE Cycle Skipping slider to skip some EE cycles to increase the emulation speed of some games that are GPU-bound, but may also cause graphical errors or stuttering. You can also enable or disable some EE/IOP options, such as Enable INTC Spin Detection, Enable Wait Loop Detection, Enable Fast CDVD, mVU Flag Hack, etc. The best settings to use depend on the game and your preference. For most games, the default settings are good choices.
VUs: This is where you can configure the Vector Unit (VU) settings of PCSX2. The VUs are the coprocessors of the PS2 that handle most of the 3D graphics calculations and physics simulations. You can change the VU Cycle Stealing slider to steal some VU cycles to increase the emulation speed of some games that are GPU-bound, but may also cause instability or compatibility issues. You can also enable or disable some VU options, such as mVU Block Hack, MTVU (Multi-Threaded microVU1), etc. The best settings to use depend on the game and your preference. For most games, the default settings are good choices.
GS: This is where you can configure the Graphics Synthesizer (GS) settings of PCSX2. The GS is the graphics chip of the PS2 that handles the rendering and output of the graphics on the screen. You can change the Frame Limiting slider to modify the frame rate limit of PCSX2. Increasing the frame rate limit can improve the smoothness of some games that run too slow on PCSX2, but may also cause instability or compatibility issues. Decreasing the frame rate limit can improve the compatibility or stability of some games that run too fast on PCSX2, but may also cause choppiness or lag. You can also enable or disable some GS options, such as Disable Framelimiting, Sync to Monitor Refresh Rate, Wait for Vsync on Refresh, Frame Skipping, etc. The best settings to use depend on the game and your preference. For most games, the default settings are good choices.
Speedhacks: This is where you can enable or disable some speedhacks for PCSX2. Speedhacks are tweaks that can increase the emulation speed of PCSX2 by reducing the accuracy or complexity of some PS2 functions. You can enable or disable some preset speedhacks by checking or unchecking their boxes, such as Fast CDVD, INTC Spin Detection, Wait Loop Detection, mVU Flag Hack, MTVU, etc. You can also enable or disable some custom speedhacks by moving their sliders, such as EE Cyclerate, VU Cycle Stealing, etc. The best settings to use depend on the game and your preference. For most games, enabling some preset speedhacks and leaving the custom speedhacks at their default values are good choices.
Game Fixes: This is where you can enable or disable some game fixes for PCSX2. Game fixes are patches that can fix some specific issues or glitches that occur with some PS2 games on PCSX2. You can enable or disable some game fixes by checking or unchecking their boxes, such as FPU Negative Div Hack, EE Timing Hack, VU Add/Sub Hack, etc. The best settings to use depend on the game and your preference. For most games, leaving all game fixes disabled is a good choice.
Hacks/Workarounds: This is where you can enable or disable some hacks and workarounds for PCSX2. Hacks and workarounds are options that can improve the functionality or usability of PCSX2, such as widescreen patches, turbo mode, slow motion mode, frame skipping, etc. You can enable or disable some hacks and workarounds by checking or unchecking their boxes, such as Enable Widescreen Patches, Enable Cheats, Enable Host Filesystem, Automatic Gamefixes, etc. The best settings to use depend on the game and your preference. For most games, enabling some hacks and workarounds such as Widescreen Patches and Cheats are good choices.
After adjusting the settings for PCSX2, click on "OK" to save them and close the Emulation Settings window. You can also click on "Cancel" to discard them and close the window.
Launching and Playing PS2 Games with PCSX2 Plugin Direct3D 11
Now that you have configured PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11 and other settings for PCSX2, you are ready to launch and play PS2 games with PCSX2. To do this, you need to load PS2 game discs or ISO files on PCSX2 and use various features and options while playing.
To load PS2 game discs or ISO files on PCSX2, follow these steps:
If you want to load a PS2 game disc, insert it into your DVD drive. If you want to load a PS2 game ISO file, make sure you have it stored on your PC.
Go to "CDVD" > "ISO Selector" > "Browse". This will open a file explorer window where you can locate and select your PS2 game ISO file. If you want to load a PS2 game disc, go to "CDVD" > "Plugin Menu" > "Plugin Settings". This will open the CDVD plugin configuration window where you can select your DVD drive as the source.
Go to "System" > "Boot ISO (fast)" or "Boot ISO (full)". This will launch the PS2 game on PCSX2. The fast option will skip the PS2 logo and BIOS screens and go directly to the game. The full option will show the PS2 logo and BIOS screens before the game. You can also use the keyboard shortcuts F9 or F12 respectively.
While playing PS2 games with PCSX2 plugin direct3d 11, you can use various features and options such as save states, memory cards, cheats, patches, screenshots, recordings, etc. To access these features and options, follow these steps:
Save States: Save states are snapshots of the game's state that can be saved and loaded at any point. They are different from memory cards, which are the normal way of saving games on the PS2. Save states are useful for quick saving and loading without relying on the game's save system. To save or load a save state, go to "File" > "Save State" or "Load State". You can also use the keyboard shortcuts F1-F10 for saving and Shift+F1-F10 for loading.
Memory Cards: Memory cards are virtual devices that em