Review of Connectix Virtual Game Station v1.4.1
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Hands-On Review: Virtual Game Station v1.4.1 By Chris Adamson Connectix. Price: Free Upgrade Last May, when we looked at the previous update to the Connectix Virtual Game Station, we said that the PlayStation emulator "...has the feel of an application that has quietly been put into maintenance mode." Five months later, version 1.4 has been updated to 1.4.1, and the modest numbering change reflects the fact that the release only claims to address issues with "redbook CD audio" (i.e., game discs with audio tracks that can also be played on a typical CD player). But when you fill out the optional form that accompanies the update on the Connectix web site, the company's questions include a list of possible enhancements. This begs the questions: is Connectix still planning substantial new work on CVGS, do these questions indicate where they're interested in taking the app, and is that a good idea? First off, let's look at Connectix's ideas. Users who fill out the form are asked to rank the following possible enhancements in order of priority:
Taking a look at these in order: Enhanced graphics -- Presumably, this means to enhance the graphics beyond those that would be seen on an actual PlayStation. For example, the bleem! PlayStation emulator for the PC (and is promised for Sega Dreamcast) catches calls to the PSX's graphics API, maps them to equivalent calls to the emulating machine's superior 3D hardware, and depends on that to improve the graphics. When it works, it can mean better looking textures and lighting effects. One downside is that it's proven difficult to perfect -- technical gripes have dogged bleem! since it's introduction. Secondly, Macs have typically not had very good graphics hardware (the Rev/A iMac I play on has the feeble ATI Rage II chip), so it's not clear how much good this would do for typical CVGS users. Force feedback -- Many PlayStation games will rattle the player's controller for an additional effect during game play. Of course, developers of PSX games know that "dual shock" controllers have been standard for a while, so they can count on most players having a controller that can get the effect. On CVGS, the usefulness of this feature depends on whether you have a supported controller, presumably including the MacAlly iShock. GameShark code support -- By hacking the PSX's memory at runtime, GameShark codes allow you to cheat by gaining invincibility, rare items, etc., or to enter parts of the software not meant for end-users, like the "Programmer's Rooms" used to test some games. This might be the easiest of the proposed changes to implement -- unless Connectix needs to work out a licensing arrangement with InterAct, makers of the GameShark. Network play-- As we mentioned in our very first review of CVGS, some games allow you to connect two PlayStations with a cable and play head-to-head games. Since this requires two PSX's, two TV's, and two copies of the game being played, this is a little-supported feature. Presumably, Connectix is considering trying to make this work over a network. While the Mac's ethernet port offers much higher speeds than the PSX's serial port, this is still a question of apples and oranges. Net connections have an unknown amount of latency, so a network programmer can't assume that connectivity will continue at a dependable rate. That's tricky enough when you're developing your own networked software, but emulated PSX games wouldn't know they were on a network, so CVGS would have to "wrap" the simulated serial connection in a network protocol... not an easy thing to do. Windowed mode-- CVGS plays only in a full-screen mode, while other emulators like MacMAME allow you to play inside a titled Mac OS window alongside your other apps. Since CVGS blocks other apps from running, I'm not sure I see the point here... So, those are Connectix's suggested enhancements. But they leave a line for "Other". Here are a few ideas of ours: Mac OS X compatibility -- How can this not be the top priority, for any Mac developer? Given hundreds of thousands of purchases of the Public Beta CD, we have to assume a sizable chunk of the Mac community will make the switch to the new OS when it goes final early next year. When run under the current "Classic" environment in Mac OS X, CVGS 1.4.1 complains about an incompatible CD-ROM drive, even on Apple hardware. This ought to get fixed now. Long-term, living in X is going to be a challenge for CVGS -- with preemptive multitasking, CVGS can't gobble all the CPU power by never yielding to other apps. Other apps will get CPU time, and CVGS will have to find a way to stay playable under those conditions. A memory-card editor -- This is another thing we called for in our initial CVGS review nearly two years ago. If you start up a real PlayStation with the lid open or without a disc, you can use a simple editor to copy memory-card data from one card to another or to delete saved games. CVGS offers no such functionality for its emulated memory-cards. Analog control support -- While the "force feedback" of Sony's controller is nice, the crucial feature it offers is the two round analog joysticks. These allow you to move in directions other than the usual eight (up, down, left, right, and four 45-degree diagonals). If's a lot easier for your quarterback to roll out when you can move a little forward or back, rather than having to make drastic 45-degree direction changes and run at a fixed speed. Again, adding this feature would only be useful if gamers purchase appropriate controllers. Conclusions -- Having said all of the above, it's a little surprising to see Connectix interested in enhancing CVGS. The app has been available for nearly two years, giving it plenty of time to find its audience. But perhaps more significantly, the supply of PlayStation software to emulate may be running dry in the next year. Why? Because on October 26, Sony will introduce the much-lauded PlayStation 2, whose initial shipment of 500,000 units will almost certainly sell out on the first day (a report on http://www.dailyradar.com/ indicates that retailer Best Buy expects lines to start forming at their stores as early as 2 AM on release day). The current PSX is at the bottom of the technical heap of the current console systems, making it ripe for replacement. True, 70 million units world-wide won't go quietly into the twilight, but PS2's CVGS-like emulator for older PSX games should make upgrading an easy pill to swallow, despite the $300 (US) purchase price. Will Connectix move on to a PS2-emulator? Given the performance penalty that emulation entails, it's hard to imagine that Mac hardware will be up to the task for a few years -- CVGS came out three years after the PSX, so we might not be looking for a "CVGS2" until 2003. Other console emulators are even more unlikely -- early beta Nintendo 64 emulators already exist for the Mac, but since N64 software only comes on cartridges, the only way of getting software into a "CVN64" would be in ROM image files, an extremely dubious proposition legally-speaking. Similarly, the Sega Dreamcast uses a proprietary 1 GB disc format -- it's not clear whether a "CVDreamcast" could even read such a disc. For now, we're encouraged that Connectix is continuing CVGS development, and we hope our readers will still continue to let us know how PlayStation games run on their Macs for the Macs Only! CVGS Watch page. . . [Go to Macs Only!'s Daily News]
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