Full Screen on Game Gear for CRT (240p/480i)

[Captain FPGA]

If this is possible I suspect it involves tinkering with the ini file. In one thread someone provided this setting for the ini file.

Code: Select all

[GAMEGEAR]
vscale_border=100

I think it only works on sets that use progressive scan, I couldn't get it to work on mine. I then tried this.

Code: Select all

[GAMEGEAR]
vscale_mode=0
vscale_border=1
video_mode=320,8,32,24,240,4,3,16,6048

I figured since it worked with my AO486 it might work with Game Gear? Unfortunately it's a no go. Any idea on how to make GG suitable for a PVM?

[FoxbatStargazer]

You need vga_scaler=1 if you are using a video mode with the analog I/O board. AO486 effectively forces that setting on but most other cores do not.

Note that the scaling is probably not going to be great because you are trying to stretch out 144 pixels to 240ish. But you can do it at least using the scaler... might need to make sure vscale_mode=0 and then set the core HUD aspect ratio to full or such.

[Captain FPGA]

You need vga_scaler=1 if you are using a video mode with the analog I/O board. AO486 effectively forces that setting on but most other cores do not.

Note that the scaling is probably not going to be great because you are trying to stretch out 144 pixels to 240ish. But you can do it at least using the scaler... might need to make sure vscale_mode=0 and then set the core HUD aspect ratio to full or such.

Appreciate the reply.

Yeah when I tried adding the vga scaler my TV was like NOPE. I tried vga_scaler=1, when that didn't work I tried vga_scaler=100 and vga_scaler=200 none of these worked. For whatever reason unlike the AO486 core, the Game Gear simply isn't recognizing GG core specific the changes in the INI file. Perhaps I'm listing it wrong?

The only other thing I can think of is changing [GameGear] to [SMS] in the ini and THEN try those sets. The worry there would be I'm trying not to make this interfere with my Master System core settings as they're perfect.

[thorr]

I think you need to define 240p video mode settings in the INI that work with your TV for the scaler to use. When using these various cores, they work because they are using CRT compliant video timings. The scaler needs a working mode defined. There are a lot of threads with 240p timings that you can try.

[Captain FPGA]

I think you need to define 240p video mode settings in the INI that work with your TV for the scaler to use. When using these various cores, they work because they are using CRT compliant video timings. The scaler needs a working mode defined. There are a lot of threads with 240p timings that you can try.

Fuuuuuuuck this sounds like it's more trouble than it's worth. You'd think the video settings I created that work on the AO486 core would've worked on the CRT. Now I need better more specific settings/timings. Maybe I'll look into it in the future but otherwise I'm good.

Thanks for trying to help though.

[FoxbatStargazer]

You already had to do define a scaler mode for 240p in A0486, that's why you have the video_mode, and if it worked there it should work here. Assuming you get vga_scaler=1 to apply.

But yeah I think the other problem here is that there isn't a separate game gear core... it's a single core covering both Master System and Game Gear, and the label is [SMS]. I don't know if it even stores separate HUD scaling settings for each mode, probably not.

Edit: it might be possible to create your own duplicate of the core for the purpose of separating the INI settings. Making and renaming a copy of the rbf file should be trival, though I am not sure how the system matches up the labels in the INI with it.

[Captain FPGA]

You already had to do define a scaler mode for 240p in A0486, that's why you have the video_mode, and if it worked there it should work here. Assuming you get vga_scaler=1 to apply.

But yeah I think the other problem here is that there isn't a separate game gear core... it's a single core covering both Master System and Game Gear, and the label is [SMS]. I don't know if it even stores separate HUD scaling settings for each mode, probably not.

Edit: it might be possible to create your own duplicate of the core for the purpose of separating the INI settings. Making and renaming a copy of the rbf file should be trival, though I am not sure how the system matches up the labels in the INI with it.

Sadly I tried that already a while ago, it didn't work.

Here's what I put:

Code: Select all

[GAMEGEAR]
vscale_mode=0
vscale_border=1
vga_scaler=1
video_mode=320,8,32,24,240,4,3,16,6048

When that didn't work I tried

Code: Select all

[SMS]
vscale_mode=0
vscale_border=1
vga_scaler=1
video_mode=320,8,32,24,240,4,3,16,6048

I even did one where I switched [GAMEGEAR] with [GG] my display rejected all.

The TV in question is a Sony Trinitron PVM M2U20

But yeah I think the other problem here is that there isn't a separate game gear core... it's a single core covering both Master System and Game Gear, and the label is [SMS]. I don't know if it even stores separate HUD scaling settings for each mode, probably not.

Edit: it might be possible to create your own duplicate of the core for the purpose of separating the INI settings. Making and renaming a copy of the rbf file should be trival, though I am not sure how the system matches up the labels in the INI with it.

Making a core?! Normally that stuff is way over my head. Wouldn't I need to learn core development or some shit?

I'm a GG fan but I don't want this to consume too much of my time. If there's already a separate GG core or there is another line of code I can use to force the aspect ratio to full screen that'd be preferable.

[kalach.x]

Game Gear games run at 160x144 which means that if you want integer scaling then you need 288 lines and this is too much for 15KHz CRT at 60Hz. It is doable in 50Hz but even then it more lines that should realistically be displayed on any TV. It can probably be doable if you tweak PVM service menu to display even more lines than Minimig core does in PAL but imho it is not worth for 50Hz operation.

But I checked if it would work and it did, at 50Hz. I didn't like the result though. Big square pixels do not look good on PVM.
It looks much better on PVM at native resolution == default settings without scaler.

If you want/need GG on CRT then the best option imho is to use VGA CRT. There you can easily get GTF/CVT compliant resolution that is integer multiple of 160x144 and which is high enough to get you no CRT scanlines and then fabricate scanlines with a filter if you like. This is probably the best way to get best GG image quality on CRT and have it large. And imho not even CRT is necessary because we are not talking about system that has smooth scrolling in games. Most games are 30fps and/or they stutter and GG originally had LCD anyways : )

BTW. When using scaler you should always put vsync_adjust=2 otherwise you get input lag and stuttering.

[yoshi41]

The SMS June update introduced a new GG "Extended" resolution option.

viewtopic.php?p=54164#p54164

Works great on CRT and flat screens with some caveats:

• Some screens are not extended and might have a garbled background, like the start screen of "Land of Illusions"

• Some screens are not extended and have scrolling issues, like the level select screen of "Land of Illusions"

• Flickering in fast games like "Sonic the Hedgehog" can be avoided by setting the "Z80 Speed" to "Turbo"