DreamChip v1.0 Alpha changelog

PSP homebrew developer, Zion, has released an updated version of his Chip 8 emulator for the PSP DreamChip. Now on version 4.0, he mentioned that he got the emulator running at 42fps and aside from that, he also placed a visible Fps counter. Just in case you don't know what Chip-8 is, then read on.

Chip-8 is a programming language originally concocted by Joseph Weisbecker for the COSMAC VIP and Telmac 1800 8-bit microcomputers back in the 70s. There was a Chip-8 emulator for the PC coded by TJA and that was used by Zion to come up with a Chip-8 emulator for the PSP.

The coder also divulged that "I still havnt done that filebrowser, as im too busy working with wandria to bother. I just did this to prove to a few people that it can get to full speed without taking out the sdl". Thanks to Zion for this release.

Homebrew coder Zion has just made an announcement regarding the ongoing Chip-8 emulator project, DreamChip. This PlayStation Portable homebrew application has just been updated to version 3.0.

Chip-8, for those asking, is a programming language originally created by Joseph Weisbecker for the COSMAC VIP and Telmac 1800 8-bit microcomputers back in the 70s. This particular PSP version was coded from the PC emulator originally coded by TJA of the emutalk forums. Chip-8 carries ported classics such as Pong, Space Invaders, Tetris, and Pac-Man. Getting back on topic, here are the changes from after version 2.0:

The emulator now runs in full screen mode.
Flickering reduced (only seems to affect Pong).
Input working flawless (no more stickyness).
Slight Speedup.
More compatibility (games like Space Invaders now work)

Now, in case you guys were wondering what else is under works for version 4.0 (under construction):

More compatibility (a few bugs are hampering a few games)
Solve Flickering issue (flickering issue will be solved by the next release)
File Browser (its been low on priority, but i will definitely include in next release)
Speed (more speed )

Be sure to view the README to see how to upload this application to your PSP. DreamChip's source code to the bundle, which is hoped to help other aspiring coders learn the basics of PSP emulating. Lastly, be warned that Zion does not permit unofficial builds of this application. With that said, we thank Zion for this release, and hope you guys enjoy your download.

After giving us an Alpha release just a few days ago, Zion is back with a bumped up version of his Chip8 emulator for the PSP called DreamChip.

Zion says that he worked really hard on this second release so that he can bring us a version that'll fix the previous bugs that users have reported and he has also tweaked the controls such that it now works great with every game he tested it on.

In addition to that, he says that more ROMs now work including Tetris. He has also decided to include the source code to this release BUT, he also wants to get this message across: "Source code is released under the gpl licence (i think) and is included in the zip file. I do not permit unofficial builds to be released of this emulator."

Hope that's loud and clear for all those who are interested in working on DreamChip. But just in case you are interested, you can find Zion's contact details, as well as other info, on the readme. Included in his to-do list for the next release is a file browser and a speed up for the games that are currently running a bit slow.

Zion's released a brand new application that brings back memories of old-school game systems, placing them all into your handy-dandy PSP. It's called DreamChip, and it's currently in alpha stage, awaiting some testers who want to see just how far they can go in a high-stakes game of Pong.

Zion's DreamChip v1.0 Alpha is a Chip-8 emulator he's coded to bring old-school gaming to the PSP. In addition to being a programming language emulator, he's also added some games ported to Chip-8 and placed in the pulic domain, including Tetris, Space Invaders and Pong.

Of course, all of this is still in Alpha. According to the DCEmu boards, the controls are still a bit clunky, and may need a rewrite of the input system. Still, Zion could definitely use some ideas to make this emulator even better, so why not drop him a line, right? Enjoy!