X Station PS1 ODE

[PixelPhoenix]

Well, here it is.

https://mailchi.mp/bffc9dadb37d/castlem ... ws-4826214

Pre-orders open on Friday, August 21st. $99 per unit.

[TORQUENDB]

Pre-orders are now live: https://castlemaniagames.com/collection ... s/xstation

[darcagn]

Ordering was very smooth, no issues loading the site exactly at sale time and still no issues now and still showing in stock 25 mins into sale.

I picked up 9 units, one for myself and 8 for resurrecting PSX consoles with busted disc drives and reselling. There doesn't seem to be any order quantity restriction.
I've earned enough "Castle bucks" to pick myself up a free controller or something

Castlemania remained true to their word that there wouldn't be any stock issues to worry about with this sale. Of course, this didn't seem to be as hyped/publicized as other mod launches, but I'll be very happy if they manage to ship these by the end of September with completely open ordering with no quantity restrictions.
Probably the result of using the low cost ESP32?

[Gunstar]

Ordered! $118 (£90-ish) to the UK with customs paid.

Customs paid shipping for Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Caribbean Netherlands, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

[PixelPhoenix]

I picked up 9 units, one for myself and 8 for resurrecting PSX consoles with busted disc drives and reselling. There doesn't seem to be any order quantity restriction.

Interesting. What are you pricing them at?

[fernan1234]

I picked up 9 units, one for myself and 8 for resurrecting PSX consoles with busted disc drives and reselling.

Assuming you're in the US (or Canada), please put me on your reselling queue for the least scuffed console I'd rather buy a premodded unit.

[darcagn]

I picked up 9 units, one for myself and 8 for resurrecting PSX consoles with busted disc drives and reselling. There doesn't seem to be any order quantity restriction.

Interesting. What are you pricing them at?

Honestly, I don't know yet. This is my first endeavor in buying up busted consoles to fix and resell, as I have a bunch of extra time during this covid situation. I was going to wait to see what happens in the market before settling on a price.
I anticipated the XStation would have great demand, but hasn't been talked about a ton yet, so I jumped on the opportunity to scoop up some compatible consoles fast before prices might rise.
I'm going to clean the consoles as well, and probably going to at least also recap the PSUs, and if the market seems to demand other services (like if I can make more also installing PS1Digitals), I might do more to these too.

Assuming you're in the US (or Canada), please put me on your reselling queue for the least scuffed console I'd rather buy a premodded unit.

Sure! I don't really have a queue but I'll certainly reach out to you when I'm ready to start selling them. I am indeed in the U.S. and will have NTSC-U SCPH-5501 consoles when I install these.

[evil_ash_xero]

I'm incredibly interested to see how good this thing is, once a lot of people get their hands on it. I doubt they've had a chance to test all of the games on the PS1. Especially, to completion.

[darcagn]

I'm incredibly interested to see how good this thing is, once a lot of people get their hands on it. I doubt they've had a chance to test all of the games on the PS1. Especially, to completion.

Agreed, especially considering PS1 has a vast library of long RPG titles. And considering how fast it was developed.

However, it seems to be using a way simpler design than the PSIO. I assume most of the PSIO's issues come from trying to maintain the original disc drive (i.e. requires patching and special formats etc. to load the games differently than normal straight drive emulation).

[fernan1234]

Sure! I don't really have a queue but I'll certainly reach out to you when I'm ready to start selling them. I am indeed in the U.S. and will have NTSC-U SCPH-5501 consoles when I install these.

Great, thanks! And I'm sure you'll price them competitively.

Demand itself for these should be healthy, though I imagine that a lot of hardcore PS1 people already got a PSIO (or a clone) and a good share of them may be okay with how it is, especially if they stuck to an older firmware from last year.

Agreed, especially considering PS1 has a vast library of long RPG titles. And considering how fast it was developed.

Yep, one of the first things people should test is a late save of Xenogears before the Deus larva battle, which notoriously locks up during a certain enemy attack animation on PSN releases and PS2 in particular when fast disc speed is enabled, and used to in older emulators. There's many cases of games doing tricky things well past the intro or initial gameplay areas.

[uberpolka]

Got 4 on the way myself.

1 for myself and 3 others for fully modded consoles.
xstation, ps1digital, recap, and some laserbear plastic once that's finalized.

[PixelPhoenix]

I anticipated the XStation would have great demand, but hasn't been talked about a ton yet, so I jumped on the opportunity to scoop up some compatible consoles fast before prices might rise.

It helps that Castlemania's supply wasn't limited, so the FOMO isn't there. I'm purposely waiting on picking one up myself. I don't feel comfortable soldering one to the mobo yet, and even though services out there exist, I'm not sure the people who are capable of doing those jobs are accepting requests yet.

I'm gonna wait to see what people think once it's in consumer hands and more people have had a chance to bug test it. It's possible that high compatibility claims are true, but nothing really compares to mass playtesting. We need to see games be completed from start to finish. There's no reason to rush right now, I feel.

I always felt that demand was going to be a slow burn. Partially because of the PSIO, and partially because the announcement-to-release window was so small.

Yep, one of the first things people should test is a late save of Xenogears before the Deus larva battle, which notoriously locks up during a certain enemy attack animation on PSN releases and PS2 in particular when fast disc speed is enabled

It's like you read my mind, because this is exactly what I had on my mind. The Xenogears one is famous on the PS2. It's a large reason why the PS1 is still relevant, accuracy aside. Backwards compatibility on the PS2 is nice, but not quite perfect.

I think the real test bed for these will be RPGs in general.

[Lawfer]

Apparently compatibility is not 100%? So anyone knows which games don't play/have issues with the XStation?

[darcagn]

Apparently compatibility is not 100%? So anyone knows which games don't play/have issues with the XStation?

I haven't seen anyone discuss specific titles yet, just that the XStation is near-100% compatibility.

I imagine testers aren't mentioning specific titles because the firmware is still being developed and tweaked. FirebrandX wrote just yesterday on twitter:

The wait is worth it. Almost every day the firmware is getting better and better. I'm truly thrilled with the progress!

[LukeEvansSimon]

I suggest this SD card mount as it makes the mod more polished:
https://laserbear.net/shop/ols/products ... card-mount

Having been a teenager during the SNES and Playstation generations, I chuckle thinking back to the hype around optical media being superior to game cards because at the time CDROMs were new tech and cheaper per megabyte than ROM based cards. The Playstation was so cool because it would bring optical media to the SNES. Then Nintendo and Sony split and the Sony Playstation became a stand-alone console that was considered the future because it used optical media.

Nowadays the cost of solid state SD cards is very low per megabyte, and everyone is excited to modify their Playstation to become card based. Clearly solid state cards are superior when it comes to reliability. My Atari 2600 can more reliably load games than my PS1.

Hopefully an ODE is made for the PS2 next.

[LukeEvansSimon]

Got 4 on the way myself.

1 for myself and 3 others for fully modded consoles.
xstation, ps1digital, recap, and some laserbear plastic once that's finalized.

I am with you on getting multiple xstations, doing a recap, and using the laserbear card slot... but ps1digital? PS1 is a 240p power house, and just looks downright beautiful on a 15khz CRT. I spent years using the OSSC and LG OLED TVs for old 240p consoles... and then I was shocked when I checked out things on a good CRT. The image is a bit softer, but those pixels blend better on particle illuminated phosphor. The lower lag is nice too, but honestly, it is the look the games have that keeps me using tubes.

[nmalinoski]

Got 4 on the way myself.

1 for myself and 3 others for fully modded consoles.
xstation, ps1digital, recap, and some laserbear plastic once that's finalized.

I am with you on getting multiple xstations, doing a recap, and using the laserbear card slot... but ps1digital? PS1 is a 240p power house, and just looks downright beautiful on a 15khz CRT. I spent years using the OSSC and LG OLED TVs for old 240p consoles... and then I was shocked when I checked out things on a good CRT. The image is a bit softer, but those pixels blend better on particle illuminated phosphor. The lower lag is nice too, but honestly, it is the look the games have that keeps me using tubes.

Keep in mind that not everyone has, wants, or can accommodate a CRT. Additionally, scaled output via HDMI directly from the console makes it immediately portable to any modern flat panel (I, for one, refuse to disassemble my analogue processing chain to reassemble it at a friend's, relative's, or hotel, then disassemble again and reassemble it back at home); and the digital output does not preclude use of the analogue output on a CRT, which means one could still enjoy the game on a CRT while simultaneously recording and/or streaming from the HDMI output.

[darcagn]

Keep in mind that not everyone has, wants, or can accommodate a CRT. Additionally, scaled output via HDMI directly from the console makes it immediately portable to any modern flat panel (I, for one, refuse to disassemble my analogue processing chain to reassemble it at a friend's, relative's, or hotel, then disassemble again and reassemble it back at home); and the digital output does not preclude use of the analogue output on a CRT, which means one could still enjoy the game on a CRT while simultaneously recording and/or streaming from the HDMI output.

This, plus the sweet in-game-reset the PS1Digital offers as well.

[PixelPhoenix]

Got 4 on the way myself.

1 for myself and 3 others for fully modded consoles.
xstation, ps1digital, recap, and some laserbear plastic once that's finalized.

I am with you on getting multiple xstations, doing a recap, and using the laserbear card slot... but ps1digital? PS1 is a 240p power house, and just looks downright beautiful on a 15khz CRT. I spent years using the OSSC and LG OLED TVs for old 240p consoles... and then I was shocked when I checked out things on a good CRT. The image is a bit softer, but those pixels blend better on particle illuminated phosphor. The lower lag is nice too, but honestly, it is the look the games have that keeps me using tubes.

PS1Digital doesn't replace A/V Multi Out, only the Serial I/O. You get the best of both worlds - the ability to use it with a CRT and the ability to output directly to any modern display without the need to line multiply it via the OSSC. You also get a slightly sharper image than you would with the OSSC - something you would have to pay for separately and becomes a more complicated chain as you feed the console to the OSSC with one cable (assuming RGB, a good cable will add to the cost) and feed another cable to a flat panel.

There will probably eventually be a point where you might want to use an HDMI capable solution to play these old games on, and simulated scanlines may eventually become decent enough to warrant use with one. I think it's excellent future proofing.

[LukeEvansSimon]

Got 4 on the way myself.

1 for myself and 3 others for fully modded consoles.
xstation, ps1digital, recap, and some laserbear plastic once that's finalized.

I am with you on getting multiple xstations, doing a recap, and using the laserbear card slot... but ps1digital? PS1 is a 240p power house, and just looks downright beautiful on a 15khz CRT. I spent years using the OSSC and LG OLED TVs for old 240p consoles... and then I was shocked when I checked out things on a good CRT. The image is a bit softer, but those pixels blend better on particle illuminated phosphor. The lower lag is nice too, but honestly, it is the look the games have that keeps me using tubes.

PS1Digital doesn't replace A/V Multi Out, only the Serial I/O. You get the best of both worlds - the ability to use it with a CRT and the ability to output directly to any modern display without the need to line multiply it via the OSSC. You also get a slightly sharper image than you would with the OSSC - something you would have to pay for separately and becomes a more complicated chain as you feed the console to the OSSC with one cable (assuming RGB, a good cable will add to the cost) and feed another cable to a flat panel.

There will probably eventually be a point where you might want to use an HDMI capable solution to play these old games on, and simulated scanlines may eventually become decent enough to warrant use with one. I think it's excellent future proofing.

The simulated scanlines on the latest OSSC firmware are actually pretty good. And I am a hopelessly fanatical CRT fanboy, so it pains me to admit it. In the latest firmware, you can configure how much illuminated scanlines bloom due to pixel intensity. The fact that most scanline emulators do not emulate scanline blooming is the main reason why most emulated scanlines look so bad. In fact, scanline blooming has a similar effect as pixel smoothing shaders... they make old games look less blocky. If you want very mild scanlines, you just configure the OSSC to simulate very high blooming levels. This tends to cause scanlines to be visible on backgrounds and not visible on foregrounds such as characters, which looks cool.

[TooBeaucoup]

^^^^^^^

Seconded... Played around a lot with current OSSC scanline functionality and it's gotten very nice looking after tweaking it, depending on your display. Obviously, nothing will be a true CRT experience other than a CRT, but I'm at the point where I'm pretty satisfied. I already know I won't always have a CRT and have to just accept that. The OSSC has gotten close enough for me.

[PixelPhoenix]

Ooh, good to hear. I hadn't been following OSSC's scanline capability, but I'm glad people have a solid workaround.

Still, that aside, for anyone who doesn't yet have an OSSC, installing a PS1Digital with the Xstation really isn't a bad call. Nothing to lose, only to gain - a great option for playing on a CRT and streaming games, too.

[The Zuck]

Hopefully an ODE is made for the PS2 next.

I think there is at least one in development. Surely any interested parties will be racing to coincide with the release of Dan's PS2 Digital mod. My biggest wish for a PS2 ODE would be the ability to play PS2 and PS1 games alike. I love being able to consolidate consoles via BC.

[evil_ash_xero]

Hopefully an ODE is made for the PS2 next.

I think there is at least one in development. Surely any interested parties will be racing to coincide with the release of Dan's PS2 Digital mod. My biggest wish for a PS2 ODE would be the ability to play PS2 and PS1 games alike. I love being able to consolidate consoles via BC.

The people who made the PSIO are planning on a PS2 ODE.

[Kez]

The people who made the PSIO are planning on a PS2 ODE.

I wouldn't hold your breath on that one.

[dmxxlr]

Hopefully an ODE is made for the PS2 next.

I think there is at least one in development. Surely any interested parties will be racing to coincide with the release of Dan's PS2 Digital mod. My biggest wish for a PS2 ODE would be the ability to play PS2 and PS1 games alike. I love being able to consolidate consoles via BC.

The people who made the PSIO are planning on a PS2 ODE.

An ODE would be nice but I boot most my images off my network via OPL. It's nice to keep the optical drive for when I really need it.

[evil_ash_xero]

The people who made the PSIO are planning on a PS2 ODE.

I wouldn't hold your breath on that one.

Very ominous.

I guess I won't.

[jd213]

Found a 5500 with a drive that is apparently dying (put in Macross VFX, and it loaded the initial screens and video clip but then failed to load anything afterward).

Will have to do some more tests to make sure this is a good candidate for the X-station, but is there anything I should specifically look out for when testing and inspecting it (besides the obvious like leaking caps or corrosion)?

[darcagn]

Found a 5500 with a drive that is apparently dying (put in Macross VFX, and it loaded the initial screens and video clip but then failed to load anything afterward).

Will have to do some more tests to make sure this is a good candidate for the X-station, but is there anything I should specifically look out for when testing and inspecting it (besides the obvious like leaking caps or corrosion)?

Besides checking for caps I'd just check to make sure all the controller ports and memcard slots work, and let the console run for a while to make sure it's stable.
Unfortunately without a working disc drive it might be difficult to get a game to play stably. Maybe some early game that loads into memory and doesn't need to keep accessing the disc drive?

[evil_ash_xero]

Is this thing easily installed in a system that has been modded for PSIO? And would it make the PSIO unable to work? I would kind of like to have both going, since there's so many freaking games on the PSX, and something always has a problem with a batch of games. I'm very skeptical this won't have a lot of firmware updates after it comes out. But it might be more stable, due to being an actual ODE. I dunno... stuff with the PSIO has kind of been a drag.