ePSXe Tips (Full screen, Save state, Memory cards, Textures)


Setting your ePSXe window size screen to full screen is one of the ways to improve your PS1 gaming experience. Therefore, if you are using ePSXe, you might be wondering how to change the window size to full screen.

So, how do I change the window size to full screen on ePSXe? To change the window size to full screen, click the desktop resolution dropdown and expand it. Depending on your computer, select the recommended manufacturer’s resolution and click the appropriate box.

The ePSXe is the PS emulator for iPhone and Windows. It features plugins that increase its sound-producing and video rendering capabilities. To enhance the full-screen setting, you will use visual plugins, and you can download most of these for free. This way, you can achieve the best setting for ePSXe full screen.

To change the window size to full screen on ePSXe, you will first download Pete’s plug-in from its website and use WinZip to extract these files and save them in the ePSXe folder, then configure the filter.

Saving files on the ePSXe ensures easy location by the emulator when you change your filter settings. This process will vary slightly depending on whether you use Windows or iPhone.

After downloading the filter, you will need to configure it. To do this, start your emulator and then click Config then Video. Next, select Pete’s OpenGL Driver and click Configure. While on this window, click the circle next to Full-screen mode and then the arrow of the Desktop resolution for the screen resolution options.

You should stick to the manufacturer’s recommendations for the best graphic qualities. Setting a resolution higher or below the recommendations will affect image quality and your overall gaming and performance.

If you are using Android, the process will be more or less the same. First, you will run the ePSXe app on your smartphone. Next, select the Settings menu and scroll downwards to the Screen Preferences tab. Select the Screen Orientation and set it to Landscape. Afterward, go back to the Screen Preference and select Screen Ratio, which you will set to WideScreen from its default 4:3.

This setting will make your ePSXe to be fullscreen, such that it fits your smartphone screen as you play your PS1 games. The other alternative to fullscreen is Stretch, but it is not advisable, as it will cause your graphics to be blurry.

To achieve the above full screen set up on your ePSXe, you need the screen filter plugins and shader. These two plugins work together to ensure quality graphics. They do this by affecting the shape and color of the characters in the game.

Screen filter plugins enhance 3-D model textures by enabling anti-aliasing and smoothing out the sharp polygon corners that make 3-D characters. When you use them together with shaders, these plugins make the picture colors stronger and blend some of the shades, hiding the common flaws in the classic PS games. You can get the best ePSXe filter by using the Pete OpenGL2 PSX plugin.

Shaders are an important addition to quality full-screen graphics. These plugins improve the image of background graphics and character sprites by creating brighter color shades in 3-D PS games.

They include the Eternal SPU plugin and ePSXe SPU core. To enable a shader, click Configure, select Video, select Configure Pete’s PSX OpenGL Renderer, then, next to the Shader Effects, select that checkbox.

From the dropdown menu, you will have various shader effects but for the best settings, choose Shader level 4, then click Yes to select pixel shader. For the best graphics, ensure you balance the plug-in settings to ensure your images are clear even on full screen.

How Do You Save State on ePSXe?

The Save States feature saves your exact spot in the game. This feature is beneficial as you will not have to replay your progress to get back to where you were in the game. The size of a save state is somewhere between 1 and 3MB, depending on what is in the memory by the time you are saving and the game.

You can save state through keyboard shortcuts or manually through the Run menu. To save state on ePSXe, using the keyboard, press F1 to save in the first slot. Alternatively, go to Run, then Save State and select any of the five slots available. These slots are usually reserved to enable you to save up to five states. Once you choose a save slot, ePSXe will return to the game.

After saving your states, you will not need to use the ePSXe menu every time to access them, courtesy of some ePSXe shortcuts that enable easy management. Thus, you will use F1 to save your game to the selected slot, F2 to switch to one slot higher, and F3 to load the game from the selected slot.

Generally, the ePSXe save state feature is a bit glitchy since it is an emulator. Its history shows poor workability and instability during heavy activity. Thus, it is advisable to save your state when nothing is going on.

Alternatively, save your games periodically to avoid losing progress should this emulator crash or freeze. On the other hand, if your game has high in-saving, it will be best to use both in-games and save states to save your progress. This way, you will have a backup if the save state lags in functionality.

If you have an old PS game but no longer own a PS console, you do not need to worry as you can check this collection via your ePSXe. With the ePSXe, your computer will function like a PS. It will even allow you to save your games on a virtual memory card. The good thing with virtual memory is that you will not run out of room with it.

To check the game save files on your virtual memory card, click the Start button on your PC, Computer, and then Local Disc(C). Next, navigate to Program Files and double-click the ePSXe folder. To view the files you saved in your virtual memory card, click the mem card’s folder. You can also delete a file by right-clicking and selecting Delete.

Are You Missing Render Texture Extension on ePSXe?

The Missing Render Texture Extension issue will result when you initialize the graphics plug-in. It occurs alongside errors like Missing -PBuffer Extension and No Pixel Format available.

If you are experiencing the Missing Render Texture Extension issue, switching the rendering mode may fix the problem. To fix it, go to Config, then video. On the Stretching mode, select scale to window size, keep aspect ratio, and on Render mode, select Render to P-Buffer, then copy to texture.

The Render mode option is supported by most cards, hence an ideal option. With the above set, click Ok to effect the changes. You can then test the game or Run Bios, and it should work.

You can also try general ways to fix the above problem by running ePSXe as an admin, using system restore, and setting CPU overclocking to x1. Running ePSXe as an admin will either solve the problem or give another error of a missing a.dll file. In case of the above missing file, browse online for the file, download, then unzip. After that, place the file in the ePSXe folder for easy access.

To restore function through system restore, you will click the Start button, type System Restore on the search box, and then press Enter. This action will open the System Recovery, and you can select another recovery point then click on Next. On the next window, select a restore point. Doing this will return you to the last spot where it worked. You can then click Next and Finish to start the restore process.

Most players are well-versed in setting the CPU overclocking to x1 and advise each other to do so in most online gaming platforms. To do this, start by locating the ePSXe main file and double click to execute it.

You can also search for it from the start tab. When you open the emulator window, click the choices tabs within the menu, navigate to CPU overclocking using your mouse, activate the x1 option, and check whether the matter persists.

How Do I Add a Memory Card To ePSXe?

The ePSXe features memory card support. There are two cards in the mem cards directory, and each is about 128kb, the size of a standard PSX card. The first file is epsxe000.mcr, and the second is epsxe001.mcr. Read on as I explain how you can add a memory card to ePSXe for a fantastic gaming experience.

To add a memory card to ePSXe, double-click the ePSXe icon on your desktop. Click Config, then Memory Cards. To load the memory card file, click on the Select tab. Next, select your memory card from its location on the hard drive and click Open.

The ePSXe does not come with a memory card editor. Thus, to edit your Mem cards, you can use the Load and Run BIOS to access the PSX memory card editor, and from here, you can delete or move games you do not want to keep.

Also, if you are running Pete’s OpenGL, ensure you enable the offscreen rendering to view this menu properly. The ePSXe can support various memory card files, including Dexdrive and PSEmu Pro. It also has a memory card selector that enables you to choose the file you want to use and its slots.

When playing a game on your PS, you can stop in between and save your progress on the memory card. For instance, if you are on level ten in a game, you will continue playing on this level as you save data on your memory card.

The PSX emulator’s design lets you save game data to your memory card like you would save game data to your PS1 console with a physical memory card. To do this, you will first download 7-zip WinRAR.

Next, select a program and download it as long as it can open and extract a RAR archive. You will then click on the program’s setup file to set it up and click the Next tab, then choose a directory to install the program. Once done, click OK to finish the installation.

On your computer, create a new folder and name it PSX. Open the PSX.RAR archive and copy its contents to the PSX folder. In the PSX folder, create a folder and name it BIOS, then transfer the SCPH1001.bin file to BIOS. To launch your PSX emulator, click on File at the top of your screen and select Configuration. Next, locate the Memory cards tab and create a name for the emulated memory card.

Lastly, when using the ePSXe, you should note that the PSX can save up to five game saves on its emulated memory card. These save slots are also called save states, and you can change them by selecting a different one when saving your game.

When utilizing the save states in your memory card, you should be cautious and stick to PS1 games that you legally own since piracy is illegal. Also, you should avoid downloading the SCPH1001 bin file and instead use the one from your console since such download is also unlawful.

Wrap Up

The ePSXe, the PS emulator for Apple and Windows, features plugins that increase its sound-producing and video rendering capabilities. These plugins are also useful in attaining the best setting for ePSXe full screen for a fantastic gaming experience. To change the window size to full screen, you will first download Pete’s plugin and use WinZip to extract them, save them in the ePSXe folder, and configure the filter.

When playing on your PS1, you do not have to worry about losing progress. With the Save States feature, you can save your exact spot in the game. If you have reached a certain level and want to take a break, you can save this progress in your memory card and continue playing later.

This saving is similar to how you would save data to your physical SD card. Thus, with ePSXe, you do not have to worry about enjoying quality gaming and saving progress, as you can achieve all this with a few mouse clicks.

Bal Kang

Bal Kang is a technology expert based in the UK, with experience across a number of technology areas from phones, tablets, computers to gaming.

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