This guide will take you step by step through the process of setting up and configuring all of the software you need in order to play Playstation (PS1) games in Windows.
ePSXe is my favorite Playstation One emulator. The only problem with it is that it is not as easy to set up as most emulators. Luckily, it’s still easy once you know what to do. Follow the steps outlined in this tutorial and you’ll be playing PSOne games in no time!
Please note: This guide was initially published back in 2008 and some of the software it references has changed since then. With that said, it all appears to still exist, and in theory should still work.
- You can download ePSXe here. Download ePSXe 1.7.0 and extract the contents of the .zip into a new folder. Don’t try to run it just yet! You need some things first. Let’s start with the bios. We can’t link you directly to these bios, but they’re pretty easy to find. The file you’ll need is called scph1001.bin and can usually be found in a Google search (2021 update: took me 2 min to find on Reddit). Be sure to check it for viruses! When you have it, you need to copy it into the bios folder where you extracted the contents of the .zip earlier.
- Now, we need some video plugins. Pete is our man for this. We’ll need to go to his site and download Pete’s OpenGL2 PSX GPU, Pete’s Windows OGL/D3D PSX GPUs, and P.E.Op.S. Soft GPU (Windows). You’ll need to copy the contents of these .zip files into the plugins folder where you put ePSXe. Select Yes if it asks you to replace anything.
- Now lets start the emulator! Double click ePSXe.exe and it will start up. If a configuration wizard (shown below) does not show up, go to Config -> Wizard Guide.
- Click Config, select your bios (scph1001), click next and now we get to a slightly more complicated part. You need to pick the video plugin that will work best with your computer. If you have a fairly new nVidia card, Pete’s OpenGL2 will work great. If you don’t know what you have, press Windows + R type in dxdiag and click Enter. Click on the Display tab of what pops up. In the Device box it will show your video card. If it doesn’t say nVidia or ATI under Manufacturer, then you are probably safest going with the P.E.Op.S. Soft Driver.
- Now, back in the configuration wizard, click Config. The default settings usually work fine, just click on Fast or Nice in the bottom left hand corner and if you want it to run in full screen or windowed. Note: I’m going by what is shown in the OpenGL2 Configuration. Click OK when you’re done and then click next, and then next once more. Now you’re choosing between one of two cdrom plugins. Just follow ePSXe’s recommendation for your operating system and click next.
- Another tricky bit! Controller configuration. You’ll probably be using the first controller, so click that button. Select a controller from the drop down menu (I’m using Dual Analog) and click on the boxes that point to a button and press a key to set it as that button. ePSXe has worked great for my gamepad that is connected to my computer. Click OK when you’re done and then click Next. Click Done and you are ready to play some games!
- It’s time for the fun part! Grab an old Playstation game and put it in your computer. Go to File -> Run CDROM. Don’t have any old Playstation games? Go to File -> Run ISO. ISO’s are basically virtual CDs, which you can find online (NOTE: Simple Help does not endorse any kind of software piracy. Check with your counties laws regarding the use of copied discs). If you’re playing a mult-disc game and are ready to change discs, just press esc, go to File -> Change Disc and choose how you want to load the next disc.
Have fun reliving your childhood playing Playstation games in Windows! If you can get bored, you can always switch to Nintendo games :)
thanks it worked for me
but how do you save the game?