Gamestation Pro

[big_guitar]

2 hours ago, Rikowski said:

Is there any chance they might do a firmware update for a lot of these issues? Button mapping for sure, I don't have the unit yet though I reckon it would have to be done via USB c somehow. Just seems like a oversight. If not maybe someone can homebrew a fix I dunno.

The only thing so far I've heard reported to come in the next firmware release is to address single channel audio issues (per GenXGrownUp), but hopefully they will consider SD related game issues. I mean, they made it available, so they might as well.

[Domeshtan]

3 hours ago, Rikowski said:

Is there any chance they might do a firmware update for a lot of these issues? Button mapping for sure, I don't have the unit yet though I reckon it would have to be done via USB c somehow. Just seems like a oversight. If not maybe someone can homebrew a fix I dunno.

From a video I watched it sounds like one is in the works.

[Domeshtan]

I forgot to add Ultra Tank to the .cfg list. If it can be mapped like that Battle Zone fix for controls where it plays like Combat that would be an improvement. I don't think the options were emulated yet on that version of MAME. (Walls, mines, bounce shots, invisible tanks...) Latest version of MAME can do it but I tried an old core on my Legends Gamer Pro and got the same results.

[Domeshtan]

57 minutes ago, big_guitar said:

The only thing so far I've heard reported to come in the next firmware release is to address single channel audio issues (per GenXGrownUp), but hopefully they will consider SD related game issues. I mean, they made it available, so they might as well

That's all? Hope they do more than that.

[big_guitar]

18 minutes ago, Domeshtan said:

That's all? Hope they do more than that.

Yes, hopefully!  Or even some documentation for button mapping if there is a way. 

Would be nice to assign Joy 1 RSY/RSX analog, hopefully they will go beyond the limitations of the GSP controllers.

For the artwork, The GSP won't handle the xml ".lay" formatting, is that correct?  only ".art" ? 

[Domeshtan]

24 minutes ago, big_guitar said:

For the artwork, The GSP won't handle the xml ".lay" formatting, is that correct?  only ".art" ? 

From what I've seen it only does the old style artwork (.art) I've been trying to convert artwork I use on my Legends Gamer Pro that is basically designed for that wide screen look. (16:9 aspect ratio) I played around with an old .art file for Pac-Man and messed with the numbers mostly for where to position the screen. I got all sorts of crazy results. (Tiny screen, screen half hidden behind the artwork, screen squished...) I got some close numbers for the vertical artwork and I was able to get artwork working for a couple dozen vertical games. The look a little too tall but still better than the wide look without it. The problem is the artwork is designed for 16:9 and the GSP keeps displaying things in 4:3 aspect ratio. On the built in games you can do 16:9 but not on the Micro SD card from what I can tell. Since I can't change that I'm only really doing the vertical artwork for the games I own now. It makes the horizontal games look worse. (Not by much, but at least the screen looks right that way). Whoever did the Artwork did a pretty impressive job. There are tons of games with artwork. (Just about all I would think.) Only found 1 or 2 missing so far or screen is wide instead of vertical. (Congo Bongo) Forgot where I got it but it's a pretty sizable download. The .png pictures don't need a mask .png I found out as well the way they are designed.

[Domeshtan]

13 hours ago, xboxiso said:

are you plugging your powered USB hub in the usb c port on the back of the GSP or one of the front ports? What is the benefit of using a powered usb hub with the GSP?

I ran another test and surprisingly the USB hub was working without the power supply! The nearest I can figure is that I thought it needed to be plugged in because the directions were not working. I think I figured it out... WHERE the controlers are plugged in matters. I have the PS Classic hooked in on the far left port. The GSP joystick is hooked in on the far right port. If they are reversed the GSP stick acts like player 1 and the PS Classic controller acts like player 2. When I have them swapped its the other way around (the way I usually have it). So it looks like either GSP stick can be used to navigate menus and exit the games. (The PS controller can't). It takes a few seconds of pressing select and a direction or two to get the system to detect it but once it does in a game it works fine. I see the power light is on my hub so maybe it's getting power from the system? I tested with a few games but Joust showed how each controler was detected. (Player 1 / Player 2)

By the way, testing other mini console controllers...

Genesis Mini - (3 button Controller) only the directions work. No fire, no coin drop, no start.

 

Genesis Mini 2 - (6 button controller) Somewhat works. Directions work and only the Y button works but... Y seems to do EVERY BUTTON at once. Playing Missile Command it acts as a coin drop, starting the game and fires all three bases at once. Crosshairs also locked up while the button was held down.

Edited November 30, 2023 by Domeshtan

[xboxiso]

Do you think it would make any difference if you added power to your usb hub? Make things work better somehow? I wonder what would happen if you plugged the usb hub in the back port of your GSP and supplied power to it. This is how I have my usb hub connected to my playstation classic.

[Domeshtan]

13 hours ago, xboxiso said:

are you plugging your powered USB hub in the usb c port on the back of the GSP or one of the front ports? What is the benefit of using a powered usb hub with the GSP?

Yeah, I just hooked up the PS Classic controller on the GSP left port with a USB C adaptor and used the GSP stick with batteries for the menus and it worked the same. Doh! Don't even need the hub technically. I supposed if I had a USB C cable laying around the GSP stick would work fine in the second port.

[fluxit]

Having acquired one of those 'half-priced' GsP(used,) I can confirm that controllers shipped with one unit will automatically pair wirelessly with another unit.  However, a GsP will apparently only wirelessly pair with 2 joysticks simultaneously.  The others will just endlessly blink their sync lights until you turn off a controller that has already paired.

 

4 player Warlords arcade does work with 2 GsP sticks wireless, and 2 wired.

 

 

I don't normally consider myself lucky when I receive a used product with alkaline batteries already installed, but in this case, it saved me having to buy or scrounge up those 8 extra AAs.🙂

[doug0909]

I see the refurbished units on Amazon... 

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNFT1QHB/ref=dp_cr_wdg_tit_rfb

 

Wondering if there are any other 4 player games, built in our off the sd card, which can use 4 sticks... 5200 conversion of Mule? The atariage 4 player homebrews? Bomberman on nes or genesis? Arcade gauntlet? 

[+Mocotechprfl]

What amazes me is how could a unit be refurbished if it only came out new a month ago???

[xboxiso]

It's just a return I'm sure. I've had really good luck with Amazon Renewed products. Whatever I have purchased in this way came looking brand new.

Edited November 30, 2023 by xboxiso

[Domeshtan]

Does anybody know what the attachment file size limit is offhand? I got like 20+ vertical game art files converted to work on the GSP. Zipped I think it was like 23Mb. Just don't want to tick anybody off putting up something too big.

[doug0909]

I just tried mice and trackballs wired with hubs/splitters and 2600, 5200, and arcade, connecting and disconnecting and wiring in the native joysticks, and nothing worked... Oh well millipede... 

[82-T/A]

6 hours ago, Mocotechprfl said:

What amazes me is how could a unit be refurbished if it only came out new a month ago???

 

My guess is that it's an Amazon return and they just put it right back in inventory, just marked it down.

 

Like someone else above said... for refurbs or the lower priced stuff, I've always been really happy with Amazon. You can get stuff really, really cheap that's basically new.

[PowerDubs]

Yup- I've had great luck with Amazons 'used' stuff...

 

I've had several items well over $1k that I've got for less than a night out at dinner with my wife.

 

One of them was a large industrial fan for my dyno.  Between the size and the weight... they had to have taken a loss on it.

[82-T/A]

11 hours ago, PowerDubs said:

Yup- I've had great luck with Amazons 'used' stuff...

 

I've had several items well over $1k that I've got for less than a night out at dinner with my wife.

 

One of them was a large industrial fan for my dyno.  Between the size and the weight... they had to have taken a loss on it.

 

I was wondering about your name... I assume you have a Volkswagen? We used to have a bunch of VWs back in the day. My wife had a 1.8T Jetta (not just the normal one, but the HiPo one). It's funny because if you feathered it off the line and floored it... it wouldn't peel out, but then as the turbo spooled up, it would begin to break the tires loose. We then also had a convertible beetle, and then had a bunch of classic Volkswagens. The only thing we have now is a 1973 Volkswagen Bus with a Porsche 2000cc Type-4 motor in it (which means it has 10 more horsepower than the stock Bus engine, hahah).

 

But yeah, I've gotten a few really nice things from Amazon that way. When I was redoing our master bathroom, all the fancy faucet components I was able to buy separately, and they were all totally new. Usually the box was crushed or there would be one thing missing, otherwise perfect.

[PowerDubs]

Yea...lifelong VW guy.. first car was a '73 bug.  Have owned a bunch..  '83 GTI, Autotech's supercharged '85 golf, numerous Mk2 16v, Mk3, Mk4 GTI 24v VR6 (wifes), Mk4 R32, Phaeton V8, Phaeton W12, Audi TT 3.2 (wifes), Mk6 GLI (wifes).. probably forgetting something... 

 

My dyno is for my motorcycles though...  I go to a shop when I want to run the cars.

[Domeshtan]

OK, here is the vertical arcade artwork I have converted for the stuff I own. (Probably missed a couple) It wound up being about 28MB zipped in case anybody wants to download it and use the files in their artwork folder on the GSP. I think it is 43 games I got done. I think I touched up a couple of the old ones slightly for Zaxxon, Super Zaxxon, etc. for where the picture is displayed. It's a little stretched because this artwork was meant to be displayed with a 16:9 aspect ratio but the GSP keeps forcing a 4:3 ratio on the Micro SD side.

 

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AkXglGX_EEougyGTAIi8dFp88Tr2?e=5aRcCO 

 

 

[xboxiso]

@Shannon as you are the GSP controls guru, I wanted to tell you that I have done some testing today with paddle games on the sdcard and verified that all of the paddle games included with the GSP also work with paddle controls when installed on the sdcard. I did have to rename Video Olympics to Pong to get that game to work with paddle controls. All of the others worked without any changes needed. I'm thinking there must be config files on the GSP that tell the system which games to use paddle controls for. I tried to trick the system by renaming Kaboom! to Breakout thinking that just the name alone would enable paddle controls but this unfortunately didn't work. Do you know of a way to set config files for games like Kaboom! and Astroblast installed on the sdcard to use the GSP paddle controls?  Also, I'm interested in how you have been able to adjust controls for arcade games, (which you have done an awesome job on). When I open the default .cfg files with Notepad ++ I just see a bunch of symbols, no text. What program are you using to modify the controls? How is this done? Thanks for the great work you have done...

[Domeshtan]

1 hour ago, xboxiso said:

. I tried to trick the system by renaming Kaboom! to Breakout thinking that just the name alone would enable paddle controls but this unfortunately didn't work.

Yep, I already tried that a while back kinda. I tried renaming the working paddle game .cfg file (probably was breakout. Warlords worked off the SD card for me as well). I got no controls at all. Not even joystick. Must be a checksum as well as the name it checks.

[Domeshtan]

2 hours ago, Domeshtan said:

I tried renaming the working paddle game .cfg file

I should say renaming the ROM image but I have played with .cfg files. Yep, can't trick Kaboom! into working but I would kind of be afraid if I could. The game is so intense, what do you do if you fry your paddle controler from over use? Do they sell single stick replacements? I had to build my own for my 2600Jr. but these new ones on the stick....

[fluxit]

43 minutes ago, Domeshtan said:

I should say renaming the ROM image but I have played with .cfg files. Yep, can't trick Kaboom! into working but I would kind of be afraid if I could. The game is so intense, what do you do if you fry your paddle controler from over use? Do they sell single stick replacements? I had to build my own for my 2600Jr. but these new ones on the stick....

As was suggested elsewhere, using a .pro file compatible with the included version of Stella is probably the most likely way to successfully apply a configuration to a single rom.

 

I just discovered a couple of potentially useless pieces of info while playing around with a keyboard plugged into the GsP.  It runs miniGUI on Linux, you can pop up the task switcher with Ctrl-Esc while in the normal main game menu.  You can also logout to the "Loading..." screen with Ctrl-Alt-Backspace, but the system doesn't reload the menu unless you power off and back on.

 

Stella seems to have keyboard input completely disabled.  No hotkeys work that I could find.

[Shannon]

5 hours ago, xboxiso said:

@Shannon as you are the GSP controls guru, I wanted to tell you that I have done some testing today with paddle games on the sdcard and verified that all of the paddle games included with the GSP also work with paddle controls when installed on the sdcard. I did have to rename Video Olympics to Pong to get that game to work with paddle controls. All of the others worked without any changes needed. I'm thinking there must be config files on the GSP that tell the system which games to use paddle controls for. I tried to trick the system by renaming Kaboom! to Breakout thinking that just the name alone would enable paddle controls but this unfortunately didn't work. Do you know of a way to set config files for games like Kaboom! and Astroblast installed on the sdcard to use the GSP paddle controls?  Also, I'm interested in how you have been able to adjust controls for arcade games, (which you have done an awesome job on). When I open the default .cfg files with Notepad ++ I just see a bunch of symbols, no text. What program are you using to modify the controls? How is this done? Thanks for the great work you have done...

 

 

Well once it was determined that retroarch was the main emulator used on the Gamestation Pro it was a little easier to come up with these ideas.  I've been using retroarch pretty consistently the last couple years on my Firestick Pro, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Playstation 3, Playstation 4,  Nintendo Wii-U, etc.  So I'm pretty familiar with how it works.

 

Once it was determined that MAME was being used for arcade games and that the normal MAME folders were looked for in the same folder as the ROM it was just a matter of determining which version of MAME was being used.  Retroarch has several versions that are used on older less capable processors.

 

Anywho... I know that the retroarch and MAME cfg setups are pretty consistent from console to console.  So I loaded the games on the same version of MAME on my xbox one and then I went into the MAME menu and configured the controls to match what was requested of me.  I would then FTP the files from the xbox to my PC and upload here.  In theory one could also set up retroarch on a PC and do the same.  If you do set up on a PC I would recommend connecting an xbox controller when doing it for more consistency.  It may also be possible to plug a GSP controller in the PC.. but I don't know if it will be recognized.

 

As for Stella I know from tinkering with retroarch, Stella current and DPC games that it will read .PRO file if it finds it in the same folder as the requested ROM.  Most likely, though, they are using Stella 2013.  Which I'm not sure about.   One way to find out is to try the Mappy DPC demo game.  I know for a fact that it does not work on Stella 2013.

 

If I had a GSP I'd probably be able to figure out more.  But I told my sister to pass up on it for a Christmas gift.  I might grab one later when they are on clearance.  But I'm still a little undecided.  I have all of the minis ( NES, SNES, Genesis, Playstation and a C64 mini ).. and I don't really use them..

 

I think once someone figures out how to dump the contents of the gamestation pro then it will easier to determine how they have things configured and how to take advantage of more customized setups.

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Shannon