How To play Sony PlayStation (PSX) Games on your PC
| I’m sure most of you have heard of emulation somewhere. So what is it exactly? |
Wikipedia says that “an emulator duplicates the functions of one system, using a different system, so that the second system behaves like (and appears to be) the first system.” This means that we can make our PC mimic a specific system, which thereby enables us to run those system-specific games on our computers.
In this series, we’ll take a closer look at the software needed to run PSX, PS2 and Xbox games on your PC. This time we’ll discuss Sony’s Playstation (PSX) and the ePSXe emulation software.
Part One – PlayStation 1
A lot of people had fun with the first PlayStation, including me, and we can’t seem to get rid of it (in a good way). All of the original PlayStation games were playable on the PlayStation 2, and most of them on the PLAYSTATION 3. These days you can even play them on your PSP, so why not on our PC as well?
To play Playstation 1 games on your PC, you need to download a program called ePSXe.
Step 1 – Download and install ePSXe
The latest version can always be found here.
As there’s no installer, you just have to unzip it in the folder of your choice. You’ll also want some shortcuts, so right-click on the ‘ePSXe.exe’, ‘send to’ and choose ‘desktop’.
Step 2 – Getting the PSX’s BIOS
The installation is far from complete though, as this is only the base of the emulator. Among the other things we’re going to need are the PSX’s BIOS files. These are essential for the emulation, but there is a catch.
You are only allowed to own these files if you also own a PSX. Make Use Of does NOT encourage piracy!
You can obtain the BIOS in two ways. You can dump it from your PSX, but that is the long route. You can also download it somewhere (direct link here), but again, only if you actually own a PSX.
We’ll extract these files in the \bios directory (you can also delete the ‘erase.me’ file)
Step 3 – Getting image
Again, we are not ready yet. Next we need the video plug-in.
There’s a wide variety of video plug-ins available, and (depending on your graphics card) some might work better for you than others, so I can’t tell you which one to use. I can point you in the right direction though, as Pete’s and P.E.Op.S. plug-ins have made a good name for themselves. If these do not work (well), try out a few and see which works best (all Linux plug-ins are at the bottom of the page).
We’re going to extract the downloaded package(s) into the \plugins directory. You might need to overwrite the ‘gpu.dat’ file.
Step 4 – Make some noise (optional)
The ePSXe core has built in sound plug-ins, but in case they didn’t work for you, check here for alternatives (scroll down a bit). You can put these plug-ins in the \plugins directory.
Step 5 – Disk driver plug-ins (optional)
The ePSXe core also has built in plug-ins for your disk drive, but in case they didn’t work for you, check here for alternatives (about halfway down the page). You can put these plug-ins in the \plugins directory.
Step 6 – adding zlib1.dll
In their haste to please us, the developers of ePSXe forgot to add zlib.dll to the latest release (v 1.70). You can get it here (just drop it in the same directory as ePSXe.exe).
Step 7 – configuring ePSXe
You’ve got all the files you need now and are just a few steps away from playing your games. Upon opening ePSXe.exe, or the shortcut you made to it on your desktop, you will encounter a configuration wizard.
First you select the correct BIOS for your region (PAL being Europe, Australia and a part of Asia). You’ll notice that there are different alternatives for your region, but all should work.
Next, select your video driver. When you press ‘Config’, you can change the video settings (like screen resolution, FPS limit, and so on. Apart from the resolution, only change these settings if you know what you’re doing.
Press next and select your sound plug-in and CD-ROM plug-in.
Last but not (at all!) least, you can configure your controller settings. First press on the controller you want to configure. In my opinion, the two best options here are either using a gamepad (USB, or an original one with a converter), or your keyboard (‘Digital’ in the menu).
Step 8 – Boot and play
Finally, in the ‘file’ menu, either choose ‘run CDROM’ or ‘run ISO’ to start playing!
You can make ISO’s of your PSX games without special procedures. Just use Nero, or another CD burning suite.
Be sure to look out for the next articles in this series, where we’ll take a closer look at PlayStation 2 and Xbox emulation.
You might also want to check out ps3maven.com – it provides Playstation 3 updates, news and everything related to the cool ps3 game console
(By) Simon is a student from Belgium who wastes his time relaxing, watching anime and surfing the net. He would tell you to check out his blog, only he doesn’t have one yet!
With the right driver you can use your PS3 controller via its USB cable thingy. I finished Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage with 100% completion (again) on my PC with my PS3 controller in this manner
Find more about it here.
How to Use a PS3 Controller on a PC
Great tip, by the way.
wanker i like wanking
(Comments wont nest below this level)while this is a great article its also a bit old, I have been playing PSX games on my computer for ages already.
True, emulating is nothing new, but there are a lot of people who don’t know (how to do) it.
Yeah It is old. I have a better emulator. Its called PSXfin. It could run any format of images like .img .cdz .bin .iso and .mds, and any psx cd-rom that you have. I tried epsxe and it never worked for me. Even with the configuration files it never worked.
OK… How can I get the games? I need a way to play without using PS CDs… I just want to insert the file in the emulator & that’s it ( like super nintendo emulator )… So is there anyway to do so?
Sure, you need to make an ISO of your game. To do this, just use Nero or CDBurnerXP (dl-link).
To play, select ‘run ISO’ in the ‘File’ drop down menu.
(Comments wont nest below this level)I just dug out my PSX to play some of the old games not to long ago. I guess now I can play them on the go.
The BIOS files are illegal to have regardless of whether or not you own the console.
Debatable.
that’s stupid. the bios is IN the console, you already own it if you have one. if you dump it yourself, and copy or use your own games, the use of epsxe or any other emulator is completely legal.
When do we get Part 2?
When he gets out of jail for pirating bios images.
I have used Emulators (Emu’s) for years. they are available for ALL the popular consoles and ROMS (games) are abundant if you know where to look.
JT
http://www.FireME.To/udi
I remember almost 10 years ago Bleem! came out emulating the PSX and was in stores such as Best Buy. It worked pretty well.
PSXe man i thought everyone knew this…..
I find PSX (psxemulator.gazaxian.com) a far better emulator and easier to setup. No tinkering with plug-ins.
Check it out!
Even budget PCs can emulate PSX now, I’ve been doing it maybe seven years. Anything P4 or greater probably works. However, good luck with PS2. My core 2 duo 3.0ghz 4GB DDR2 machine barely runs PS2 playably.
gee, now i can do what i’ve been doing for years now. epsxe isn’t anything new. i’ve run it on a celeron processor before.
Congratu-fucking-lations.
Pretty sweet tutorial, gonna try this for sure, thanks.
I had run epsxe for a long time, It is really good !
I realize this is about the PS1, but FWI PS2 emulation is crap on most PCs. What these fan boy articles dont tell you is that PS2 games are need a minimum of a fast dual core CPU system. Ive been to these website where fanboys tell you the PS2 emulators work but they are lying. Also many games simply dont work or get buggy at some point in the game because of a timing issue that only the PS2 system works with. How would you like to play a game for 2 hours only to lose it all on a bug? The problem programmers are having is that if they fix only thing, its screws something on another game up. The PS3 emulator for the PS2 cant unscrew Sonys timing mess. Next time some company goes out of its way to create super security, they should remember not to try so hard they screw themselves. Unless you are bored to tears this is a waste of your time. BTW there are emulators for other consoles and you can get a joy stick to USB adapter if you want to use the original consoles joysticks. I cant bother with PS1 games, mostly brainless shoot-em-up games stuff. PS2 picked it up a little but consoles have a long way to go before they get to complexity of PC games. Problem is that PC games require more intelligence to make and more testing costs and PC users pirate everything these days. There is no money in it. Crysis still hasnt sold as many game as Grand Theft sold in 3 months.
I’ve played psx games on my PC all these years using “virtual game station”
can you teach me why i cant hear any sound when i play ps game?
T_T
help me
Check out ‘Step 4 – Make Some Noise’
I’m having a problem with the video configure. (nothing seems to be wroking) i followed all the directions & now i’m stuck..im not too good with computers,so can someone tell me what i should do?
Have you tried alternative video plug-ins? (see ‘Step 3 – Getting Image’)
http://thepiratebay.org/torrent/3970788/PSX_4_Pc_%5B7_Games%5D
easier and includes 7 games.
down the torrent and love your psx!
i cannot do this… please, if you can do me a favor, send a link when can i free download crash bash and play in my PC!
Well the new game the force is coming out tomorrow and i just wanted to know if i downloaded this game would i be able to maybe get it to work with this emulator. Im not to computer savy but wow with the instruction on this sight even I think i can kinda figured out how to install it kinda. So tonight ill try but i was just wondering if i may be able to play the Force Unleashed.
You might be able to get the PS2 version going (though you’ll need a very strong PC). Check out How to Play Sony Playstation 2 Games on your PC
Ok i love the idea of the program. and of course bein a HUGE Final Fantasy fan i played FF7 first. i found that when you enter the battle sequence you cant see your health meters which is a major problem. any idea how to fix this?
set your compatibility section up like this and set texture quality to the highest.
Compatibility
- Offscreen drawing: 3
- Framebuffer texture: 2
- Framebuffer access: 4
- Alpha multipass: on
- Mask bit: on
- Advanced blending: hardware
source: forums.ngemu.com/…
Oh thanks for posting this. forgot to mention that. thats my only problem so far. ill let you know if i have any more questions.
Grrr it cut my first message off. here it is again. Ok i love the idea of the program. and of course bein a HUGE Final Fantasy fan i played FF7 first. i found that when you enter the battle sequence you cant see your health meters which is a major problem. any idea how to fix this?
I can’t extract the bios files in the BIOS Directory! THEY are not being copied when i copy them from my bios file TO the Bios directory
What program do you use to extract them from the *.zip file? Try using another program; WinRAR if you’re using 7zip and vice versa.
IM currently using winrar
I will try other programs and tell you! Thnx for this quick answer ,
I donno how to turn my downloaded psx file into iso with nero8! Help me simon or others
What extention is the file? Maybe I can help.
Hi simon do u know where i can dwnld psx game in iso or anything??
go on http://www.emuparadise.com you find ISO downloads
Ok thx billy… Btw i have some problem when running ff8 in epsxe 17.0
When i’m trying to run iso, my screen turn black and nothing happen..
Anyone could help me?? Thx
i have the same problem
it would be nice if anyone could help us
help plz
I had this working. Then I tried to use the Philips PC controller. Now I can’t get it to work again. Any ideas?
I dont have any PS1 CDs Where can i go to download PS1 games so i can use my emulator. Just want to download and play just like my nintendo emulator.
I had this working. Then I tried to use the Philips PC controller. Now I can’t get it to work again. Any ideas?
I returned the Philips Controller and got the Logitech Dual Action Controller. Still doesn’t work.
Can anyone help me?
Perhaps you could try reinstalling or using another controller driver.
how to sav game o???????
good work
I am unable to configure to play play starion 2 games on pc. i m using “ePSXe” softeare. so, if any body knows, plz send me detail how to configure and which software is good suatable for play.
Whenever I click on File > Run ISO, the screen goes black and nothing happens. Help?
There are a few possibilities:
- BIOS problem (do you get to see the SONY screen?), try changing your bios in the settings.
- Graphics plug-in, try changing that one
- If you get to see the SONY screen, and the game doesn’t run with any graphics plug-in, you’re probably just trying to run a too heavy game.
Hi,
I want to the opposite thing i want to play a normal CD ROM game on my playstation 1, how to do that please email me at daveyehuda@gmail.com
How do you use psx emulator ROMS to play a game? Do you have to create an ISO image with a ROM? How is this done?
I can’t seem to be able to find video plugins.. anyone have a direct link? I went to the link above and kept clickign “download here” and it keeps goign back to the same page i get no download. I even registered.. any help is appreciated.
Alternative source:
http://www.emulator-zone.com/doc.php/psx/psxplugins-tools.html
I would like to know how toburn allthe ps1 games onto my Nero burner so that I can play them on my PS1 not my computer. I onlyhave about a 100 games or s,as you can see I need toburna lot more games for my system. Call me at (631)742-07777 after 9ameatern time toguide me personally on my computer. thank you
For adding zlib1.dll , it says that I’m not allowed to acess it?
Hmmm… Try doing it the other way. Copy all other files in a folder that contains zlib1.dll
Not the most conventional thing, but improvising can usually get you a long way when computers refuse to work with you.
is there any way to play Final Fantasy 7,8,9?
they are only games i play.. T.T
Of course, any PS1/PSX game you want.
u can download all playstation file at http://www.4shared.com
where can i download video plugins?? pls help
http://www.emulator-zone.com/doc.php/psx/psxplugins-tools.html
Alright questions. <>
I did all you’re step one by one and everything working well until being inside a game.
Exemple: Ive downloaded Chronos Chross on “Roms Hustler”, downloaded all this files i needed ( which is 21 Files ), and extrated “only the first” files of the 21.
The game start and everything, but it had serious lagging problems, i don’t think it because of my PC so.. How do i fix that??
I guess there’s either a problem with the ROM, or with the speed of your computer – though you ought to have a pretty slow computer for that matter.
hey
thx for this post
its jordan and
i dont seem to understand whats going on
im new at this though and horrible at programming and all
so
1) i put in the bios but how do you put in images?
2) how do you run .rar files?
i was trying to run it but it didnt work.. so.. rawrrr haha
thx
1) file -> run ISO
2) WinRAR or 7-Zip
When I open my ePSXe emulator it will say ‘no WGL extentions’,
The link for zlib.dll is dead..
please re-upload file…
huuhh… -__-
Alternate source
i did the steps but when i start to play my cd it plays for a few seconds then it hangs the system! help!
i love epsxe i`ve used it for quite some time the only problem is that the new versions can`t handle games like final fantasy VII that`s why i keep usin 1.5.2 it never fails me and if anyone has problems with the video i found a good tutorial http://sachushead.blogspot.com/
I seriously have this game, but it’s had this GIGANTIC scratch. Last time I played it was when I was like 3.. I’m 14 now LOL. I really do miss this game.
Thanks for this info, I learned about game ROMs just an hour ago and I’ve been wanting to play this. I downloaded the game ROM and I just need to download the emulater.
Game ROM Problem!!! DAMN!!!
I can’t seem to get the Game ROM files burned onto the CD-ROM.
I’m using CDBurnerXP, and the files are under Temporary for some reason. Can I save the Temporary files to desktop or something to make it easier?
Possible, but not advised. Redownloading it might be a better solution. If you’re really determined however, Google can tell you where to find the temp folder of the browser you’re using.
could i play ps2 games on my pc without graphic card
am just new in psx emulators.. i just want to ask where can i get a free iso games download??? can u please give me some links
You can find games on the logical places – rapidshare, torrents, etc.
Do know that it’s illegal to download games you don’t already own. However, a lot of these games’ licenses have expired these days. You could always look for PS1 abandonware.
hi simon. i just wanna ask if emulators are safe for your system? i mean will it not crash your motherboard/hard disk or anything like that?
If you push your system over the limit, anything can happen. But no, not likely – it’s not like you’re overclocking.
hi simon i was going 2 ask that why when i extract the files it says what dew i wanna open it with is that normal?because it won’t let me open that file.Could u help me?plz
No need to open them, just put ‘em in the right places and the application will use them accordingly.
hello tnx for this website but i had a little problem using this emulator… When i open an ISO, there is nothing change but a dialog box saying “NO VGL EXTENSION”. I dont know what to do in order to fix it… PLS help me. Thank you and god Bless
Google is your friend.
Hello simon , like what i said i already solve my problem about “no vgl extension”… but now my problem is about when i play it on computer, it run too slow asa slow as the effect in the matrix film..
(Comments wont nest below this level)You could try a different video codec, but it’s probably a hardware problem.
hello Simon i already solve my problem “vgl extention” but now the new problem is, when i load the ISO it run too slow… GOSH pls help me urgently…. thank you
ok im having the same problem as another few plp up, i got it all working good, been playing legend of legaia (one of my favs) and just stated FF8, but as was said up there, once it goes into battle mode i can seen the baddies and my guys but no health or magic or even the attack area lol just have to keep clicking and lol where as that may work for first few lvls once get up in the game imma have to be able to see what im doing lol if any1 knows how to fix me let me know ty.
Probably an incompatibility problem. You should search the ePSXe forums (or plain ol’ Google) for other reported problems and (hopefully) solutions.
oh and i 4got to say that only happens on FF8, legend of legaia works great
I LOVE YOU!!!!
Thank you so much
Now I can play Harvest Moon again!
excuse me could someone please help me ….
I already did step 1-3 but step 4 and the others…
the shortcut didn’t open any website…
please help me…
There are alternative mirrors posted in the comments.
plz tell me how to play playstation 2 on pc
Look at ‘related articles’ above, or use the search box. We’ve also written an article about PS2 emulation.
Thanks for very good articles!
my psx in running very fast why ?
Um, when i click on the thing for the zlib file it gives me error and says not found… why?
Here’s an alternative link: http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?zlib1
Thank you very much for this tutorial. It helped me set up my emulator very easy with no problem and now I can play all my games.
hey wud u mind adding me on msn n runnin through the steps from the start exactly how u did it, cos ive been trying all sorts week in week out but still not been able to solve my problems, please get back to me i wud appreciate it
anyone??
hey wud u mind adding me on msn n runnin through the steps from the start exactly how u did it, cos ive been trying all sorts week in week out but still not been able to solve my problems, please get back to me i wud appreciate it
anyone?? msn —- p.dawber@hotmail.co.uk
how can i make games look good???…there really ugly:(..pls help
By not playing PS1 games, they’re PS1 games, did you expect really high quality from games that are nearly 10 years old?
I got this to work
I’m using the Wiimote Classic Controller, might buy a PS3 controller though. Thanks for this, Just been playing Spyro 3 and some Persona. Bit annoyed that all the screen kind of shakes, not the way a PS2 emu does though. I think I’ve pretty much turned my comp into the ultimte gaming machine (I have a Wii, PS2, N64, Dreamcast, MegaDrive, Sega CD, 32x, NES, SNES and a Gamecube emulator, other than PS2 and Wii it’s all flawlessly run. I’m going to a fair few more though 
)
try download sjboy emulator and you could play java phone games
the problem is that they look extremely bad for a ps game…i think is because i don’t know how to tweak the video options….can someone help??…ps: sorry for my english:D
PSX games are really just outdated, you can’t expect outstanding graphics from it – never mind the configuration.
thx, but its not working here
i only get a black screen when trying to play FF9
i used PSXfin also, there i can see the Ps1 logo, but it stays there
ati sapphire Hd 2600 Xt 512mb
Quadcore 8200 at 2.33mhz
asus k5kpl am se
thats my rig somewhat
know what it could be?
tried different plugins also, no luck
How about other games?
I installed this correctly but when I told it to play the disc, it told me my render texture was missing and there was no pixel format. How do I fix this?
hi, i have the same problem, did you find any solution?
From the NGemu FAQ:
* your CD may be corrupted. clean it off or make an ISO out of it.
* try using a different graphics plugin
* use a different emulator
Simon I do not own my playstation any longer. I do not own any games for it but I have the ROM files. I want to play them again but when I do all you say in the tutorial it will not let me uelse ROM fils it says I have to have a disk. Is there a way or another emulator i can use to allow me to play them just like with the visualboy advance emulator? Just a simple drag and drop thing? If so please let me know I really miss final fantasy 7
You can play them without the disks, but it would probably be illegal.
hey, i really need some help figuring this stuff out hah.
on the part where you say…”We’ll extract these files in the \bios directory (you can also delete the ‘erase.me’ file)”…i have downloaded the PSX BIO’s and can see them in the winrar folder, but how do you extract them into the specific bio’s folder on the ePSXe winrar folder?
it’s probably simple, but nothing i try seems to work.
Cheers!
You click “extract to” and then a box pops up and you find the bios folder on your computer (the one that should be extracted already, assuming you have downloaded and extracted your emulator) and click on it. Click ok and you are good to go.
where can i get “gnupeteopengl2.dll” … hard to find dude.
Try a Google search for “gpupeteopengl2.dll”
great information.these instruction help me to play Sony PlayStation games on my PC.
Someone else mentioned it but no one has given a fix.
I finally got everyhitng working, save for a few minor hiccups, and (final fantasy
i got into a battle and it didnt show the health/action command sections. which is kind of a gamebreaker so idk what to do, any help would be appreciated
Good luck on Ps1 emulation. I tried it out myself and my computer got a bunch of viruses. One virus most notably that used up 98% of my CPU capacity. My hats off to anyone that can put up with crap like that. I’ll just play the discs on my ps2 and be happy
hi, i really don’t know the problem, but when i run the game it says “missing render-texture extention” and it refuses to open then when i chooses to close it says “No pixel format available”.
From the NGemu FAQ:
* your CD may be corrupted. clean it off or make an ISO out of it.
* try using a different graphics plugin
* …or use a different emulator
Thanks alot, i found out that my video plug in was the problem, as i downloaded the d3d video plug in, it worked just great.
(Comments wont nest below this level)I am getting a problem. Sound is coming but no video is being displayed. If there is any problem with the Video Plugin, then tell me whish plugin I must use????
Thanks.
I clicked on the link to get the zlib.dll file but the link does not work. Can someone tell me were to get the zlib.dll
yeah its all good except it wont start playing “disc 2″ when you put it in when prompted. can you only play single disc games or something? i’ve tried EVERYTHING in the file menu such as insert cd drive and even configuration menu ( no dice)
Don’t bother playing games on this with more than one disc because you’ll only get as far as the end of disc 1. When you insert second disc, and file:insert cd drive, you hear the disc spinning like crazy, then it just stops as the screen remains prompting you to insert disc 2, (brand new game, not a single scratch on it) better off just buying a ps 1 at a pawn shop or something.
is there any way to play games not released in the US in english
If you’re talking about different region codes, you can play these if you use another region’s BIOS file.
will it be translated to english
(Comments wont nest below this level)Why I can’t load Twistead metal? There is black screen. I tried to go to BIOS, there I see Sony logo loading and then 2 functions (memory card and other 1)
I tried to change video setings, but nothing happened :/
can any one explain about emulators and temmme how to install this files in my pc
Hi iv got windows vista on a laptop , dell inspiron basic and i wanna know what graphic plugins to instail and maybe a link to get them for the Umu. thanks also sound would rock to if u can gime a link for it also.
plug ins are not avaliable at the moment? all the links are gone? any ideas where i can find em? thnx!
I just looked through this whole thread and there is not ONE link to any game downloading sites. is there any link to crash team racing, ive tried tonnes and can’t get it to work. I’ve got everything else set though I think.
I remember using ‘virtual game station’ in 99 with a Pentium II Intel processor cpu! with only 30 fps, it’s amazing how people thought emulation of playstation was impossible!
it’s better then perfect with epsxe since 2001 and i remember going crazy when i first played gran turismo 1 on my pc! PSx games will never get old and i will always remember them……….
I have just spoken in amazement of how far emulators have come! ps2 on pc now full speed ! oh my god!
…amazing
well i got my answer from another site, this tells you next to nothing, next time put everything in your damn article and maybe not so many people will be asking boatloads of questions that can easily be put into writing.
hey hi… this is hard help me pls ….whats the plug in directory
hi whats the plug in directort??
this is dumb too many steps why not just the whole file wow!