An emulator is software that replicates the functions of other platforms or devices. For example, when you use a Playstation emulator on your computer, it copies the functionality of a Sony Playstation console, so the emulator allows you to play on your PC in the same way you would on a console. To emulate the Playstation system on your computer you will need to correctly download, install and configure the ePSXe emulator.
Steps
Part 1 of 5: Obtaining the EPSXe Files
Step 1. Download the ePSXe emulator from its official website, saving it on your computer hard disk
You will need to download the file in a compressed format, called ZIP.
Step 2. Unzip the compressed file using the following method:
- Download WinRAR for free through the RARLab website.
- Double-click the downloaded file to install WinRAR on your computer.
- Right click on the ePSXe emulator compressed file and select an option to extract the files. After completing the installation, you should see all the extracted files and folders, including the "bios" and "plugins" folders, as well as the "ePSXe.exe" executable file.
Part 2 of 5: Recover the PSX BIOS Files
Step 1. Activate the ePSXe emulation capabilities by recovering the PSX BIOS files
These are files that are typically used to launch games on a PSX (the Playstation console and digital video recorder); you have to install them on your computer, so that it will be able to emulate the PSX. Here's what you need to do:
- Search the internet for "Playstation Bios Files", to download the BIOS files compressed in '.zip' format.
- Right click on the downloaded ZIP file and select "Extract files." This will open the WinRAR application to unpack the files.
- Find and select the "bios" folder (it was created when you previously extracted the files and folders from the ePSXe emulator '.zip' file).
- Press the "OK" button to extract and install the BIOS files in the "bios" folder of the Playstation emulator.
Part 3 of 5: Install the Plug-ins
Step 1. Install the plug-ins to make sure the emulator correctly displays the game graphics, reads the CD drive and plays the sounds through the computer
It can be quite complicated at times, but there is a more comfortable way to do it:
- Now you will need to search for the following files: "PSX CD Plugin Pack," "PSX Graphics Plugin Pack" and "PSX Sound Plugin Pack", to download the respective ZIP files.
- Right click on each plug-in package and select "Extract files". Anyway, this time you need to locate the "plugins" folder (which was created before) and extract the files in each plug-in package into that folder.
Part 4 of 5: Setting up the EPSXe Emulator
Step 1. Double-click the "ePSXe.exe" executable file to start the emulator
Step 2. Press the "Skip Config" button
(More experienced users may choose to press the "Config" button to customize the emulator configurations and fine tune its performance. However, skipping the configuration step will still make the emulator run smoothly, since you have already installed the plug-ins).
Step 3. Configure the game controller
The method to use depends on the type of controller you have, the emulator will ask you to configure the controller buttons for different actions within the game. If you don't have a game controller, you can simply configure the keys on your keyboard.
Part 5 of 5: Play
Step 1. Insert the game CD into your computer's CD drive
Step 2. Go to the File menu and select "run CDROM
From here on you will be able to use a Playstation emulator to play on your computer, much like you would on a Playstation console.
Advice
When you unpack the ePSXe ZIP file, it is best to extract the files to a new folder by selecting the "Extract files to epsxe170." This way all files will be extracted into a separate folder, so they don't mix with your other files
Warnings
- Some versions of ePSXe may require the separate addition of the "zlib1.dll" file. This file can be downloaded from the DLL-Files website and must be saved in the same folder as the "ePSXe.exe" file.
- IMPORTANT: Only people who own a PSX are legally allowed to have PSX BIOS files on their computer.
