As I’ve just started working on PlayStation 2 hardware and I have access to a DTL-T10000 development station (the big black monolith) I wanted to find out just how fast the main CPU, an Hitachi clone of a MIPS processor, really was.I took the source code to M.A.M.E. and xMAME and with a little tweaking ported it to the Sony PlayStation 2 without too much trouble. The emulator runs at 40fps for most of the older 1980’s ROMs with all the GNU compiler optimisations switched on, with no audio support currently. Once I have the graphics functions optimised I expect to see it running at a solid 60fps.

The other speed test I did was take the open-source 1964 Nintendo 64 Emulator that is available and to which I can claim absolutely no credit for and ported it to the PS2, I just cheekily renamed it to 2064 to bring it up to date.

Getting the N64 emulator up was a much easier task and with only a few tweaks and a little optimisation it is running a good 55fps. With some thougth given to the 3D rendering and harnessing the full power of the PS2 I expect to have an N64 emulator running at 150% to 200% of the speed of the actual console.

I’m hoping that the MAME cabinet I intend to put together wil not require a $1500 PC inside of it and I’ll be able to slip in a $300 PlayStation 2.

Please do not ask me for either of these programs as I cannot legally distribute them.

Update #1: Unfortunately for me, I was too dumb to actually take any pictures with a camera of M.A.M.E. running on the PS2 dev kit. A couple of days later I did remember to take pictures of my generic Atari 2600 VCS Emulator that I ported so you’ll just have to satisfy yourself with those.

Update #2: I ported my Atari 2600 VCS Emulator to the Sony PlayStation 2 as well.

Update #3: At least I had the presence of mind to take pictures of M.A.M.E. running on the Microsoft XBOX a year later.

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