Gsdx11 Plugin for PCSX2: A Guide to Enhance Your PS2 Emulation Experience
How to Download and Use Gsdx11 Plugin for PCSX2
If you are a fan of PlayStation 2 games and want to play them on your PC, you probably have heard of PCSX2, a free and open-source emulator that can run most PS2 games at full speed. PCSX2 has been around for almost 20 years, and it has improved a lot over time, thanks to the efforts of its developers and contributors.
Gsdx11 Plugin For Pcsx2 Downloadl
One of the key components of PCSX2 is its graphics (GS) plugin, which is responsible for rendering the graphics of PS2 games on your PC. The most popular GS plugin for PCSX2 is GSdx, which was initially developed by Gabest in 2007. GSdx can use both Direct3D10/11 and OpenGL APIs, and it can switch between hardware and software rendering modes. GSdx also has many features that enhance the graphics quality of PS2 games, such as high resolution rendering, anti-aliasing, texture filtering, deinterlacing modes, etc.
In this article, we will focus on a newer version of GSdx, called Gsdx11, which has some advantages over the older versions. We will show you how to download and install Gsdx11 plugin for PCSX2, how to configure it properly, and how to use it effectively. By following this guide, you will be able to enjoy your favorite PS2 games with better graphics and performance on your PC.
How to Download and Install Gsdx11 Plugin for PCSX2
The first step is to download the latest version of Gsdx11 plugin from a reliable source. You can find it on various websites that host PCSX2 plugins, such as EmuCR, EmuNewz, or Orphis Buildbot. Alternatively, you can also download it from PCSX2 official website, where you can find both stable releases and nightly builds of PCSX2.
Once you have downloaded the Gsdx11 plugin file, which is usually a zip or rar archive, you need to extract it using a program like WinRAR or 7-Zip. You will see several DLL files inside the archive, each corresponding to a different version of Gsdx11 plugin. The versions are named according to the CPU instruction sets they support: SSE2, SSE4, or AVX2. You need to choose the version that matches your CPU capabilities. If you are not sure which one to choose, you can use a program like CPU-Z to check your CPU features.After you have chosen the appropriate version of Gsdx11 plugin, you need to copy the DLL file to the PCSX2 plugins folder. The default location of this folder is C:\Program Files (x86)\PCSX2\plugins, but it may vary depending on where you installed PCSX2. You can also create a custom folder for your plugins and point PCSX2 to it in the settings.
Now that you have installed the Gsdx11 plugin, you need to select and configure it in PCSX2 settings. To do this, launch PCSX2 and go to Config > Plugin/BIOS Selector. In the GS section, choose GSdx 11 (MSVC 19.00 AVX2/AVX2) 1.1.0 (or the version you installed) from the drop-down menu. Then click on the Configure button to open the plugin settings window.
How to Use Gsdx11 Plugin for PCSX2
In the plugin settings window, you will see several tabs and options that allow you to customize the graphics of PS2 games on your PC. The most important ones are the Renderer, the Interlacing, and the Custom Resolution options. These options affect how the plugin renders the graphics, how it handles interlaced video signals, and how it scales up the resolution of PS2 games.
The Renderer option lets you choose between two different APIs: DirectX 11 or OpenGL. DirectX 11 is usually faster and more compatible with Windows systems, while OpenGL is more accurate and supports some features that DirectX 11 does not, such as blending unit accuracy and mipmapping. The choice of renderer depends on your system specifications, your personal preference, and the game you are playing. Some games may work better with one renderer than the other, so you may need to experiment a bit to find the best option for each game.
The Interlacing option lets you choose how the plugin deals with interlaced video signals, which are common in PS2 games. Interlaced video signals alternate between odd and even lines of pixels, creating a flickering effect on progressive displays. The plugin can apply different deinterlacing methods to reduce or eliminate this effect, such as Bob tff, Weave tff, Blend tff, Blend bff, etc. The best deinterlacing method depends on the game and your personal preference. Some methods may produce smoother images, while others may preserve more details.
The Custom Resolution option lets you choose how the plugin scales up the resolution of PS2 games from their native resolution (usually 640x448) to your monitor resolution (usually 1920x1080 or higher). The plugin can use either a multiplier (such as 2x or 3x) or a custom value (such as 1280x960 or 1920x1440) to scale up the resolution. The higher the resolution, the sharper and clearer the graphics will be, but also the more demanding it will be on your system resources. You should choose a resolution that matches your monitor aspect ratio (usually 16:9 or 16:10) and that does not cause significant slowdowns or glitches in your games.
Besides these options, there are also other options that affect the graphics quality and performance of PS2 games on your PC. These options are divided into two categories: hardware mode options and software mode options.
Hardware Mode Options
The hardware mode options are available when you use either DirectX 11 or OpenGL as your renderer. They allow you to adjust various aspects of the graphics rendering process, such as texture filtering, anisotropic filtering, anti-aliasing, mipmapping, etc. These options can improve the graphics quality of PS2 games by reducing aliasing, enhancing textures, adding depth of field effects, etc., but they can also cause compatibility issues or performance drops in some games.
The hardware mode options are located in the Hardware Mode Settings tab of the plugin settings window. Here is a brief description of each option:
OptionDescription
Texture FilteringThis option controls how the plugin filters textures when scaling them up from their original size. It can be set to Bilinear (PS2), Bilinear (Forced), Trilinear, or Nearest. Bilinear (PS2) is the default option and mimics how PS2 filters textures. Bilinear (Forced) forces bil inear filtering to all textures, regardless of their original filtering mode. Trilinear applies trilinear filtering to all textures, which can improve the quality of textures at oblique angles. Nearest applies no filtering to textures, which can make them look pixelated or blocky.
Anisotropic FilteringThis option controls how the plugin enhances the quality of textures at oblique angles. It can be set to Off, 2x, 4x, 8x, or 16x. The higher the value, the more anisotropic filtering is applied, and the sharper the textures will look at oblique angles. However, this option can also cause performance drops or compatibility issues in some games.
MipmappingThis option controls how the plugin handles mipmaps, which are lower-resolution versions of textures that are used to reduce aliasing and improve performance when rendering distant objects. It can be set to Off, Basic (Fast), Full (Slow), or Full (Slow + Accurate Blending). Off disables mipmapping entirely, which can cause aliasing or texture shimmering in some games. Basic (Fast) enables mipmapping with a fast but inaccurate algorithm, which can cause texture corruption or glitches in some games. Full (Slow) enables mipmapping with a slow but accurate algorithm, which can improve the graphics quality of some games but also cause performance drops. Full (Slow + Accurate Blending) enables mipmapping with a slow but accurate algorithm and also applies accurate blending to mipmaps, which can further improve the graphics quality of some games but also cause more performance drops.
CRC Hack LevelThis option controls how the plugin applies CRC hacks, which are game-specific fixes that improve the graphics compatibility or performance of some games. It can be set to Automatic (Default), Automatic (Aggressive), Partial (OpenGL Recommended), Full (Direct3D Recommended), or None. Automatic (Default) applies CRC hacks based on the game ID and the renderer used. Automatic (Aggressive) applies more CRC hacks than the default option, which can improve the performance of some games but also cause graphical glitches in others. Partial (OpenGL Recommended) applies only a few CRC hacks that are compatible with OpenGL renderer. Full (Direct3D Recommended) applies all CRC hacks that are compatible with Direct3D renderer. None disables CRC hacks entirely, which can cause compatibility issues or slowdowns in some games.
Accurate DateThis option controls how the plugin handles the date register, which is used by PS2 games to perform alpha testing and depth testing. It can be set to Fast, Full, or None. Fast enables a fast but inaccurate algorithm for date testing, which can improve the performance of some games but also cause graphical glitches in others. Full enables a full but slow algorithm for date testing, which can improve the graphics quality of some games but also cause performance drops. None disables date testing entirely, which can cause compatibility issues or missing graphics in some games.
Blending Unit AccuracyThis option controls how the plugin handles blending operations, which are used by PS2 games to create various effects such as transparency, shadows, lighting, etc. It can be set to None, Basic, Medium, High, Ultra, or Custom. None disables blending operations entirely, which can cause compatibility issues or missing effects in some games. Basic enables a basic level of blending accuracy, which can improve the graphics quality of some games but also cause performance drops or graphical glitches in others. Medium enables a medium level of blending accuracy, which can further improve the graphics quality of some games but also cause more performance drops or graphical glitches in others. High enables a high level of blending accuracy, which can significantly improve the graphics quality of some games but also cause significant performance drops or graphical glitches in others. Ultra enables an ultra level of blending accuracy, which can achieve near-perfect graphics quality for some games but also cause severe performance drops or graphical glitches in others. Custom allows you to manually adjust the blending accuracy for each game using a configuration file.
HW HacksThis option enables a set of hardware hacks that can fix or improve the graphics compatibility or performance of some games. These hacks include Skipdraw, Half-pixel Offset, Wild Arms Offset, Align Sprite, Round Sprite, Sprite Hack with PS2 games, but it also requires more CPU power and does not support any graphical enhancements. The software renderer is useful for playing games that have graphical issues or glitches with the hardware renderer, or for playing games that do not require high resolution or effects.
The software mode options are located in the Software Mode Settings tab of the plugin settings window. Here is a brief description of each option:
OptionDescription
Extra Rendering ThreadsThis option controls how many CPU cores are used to render the graphics of PS2 games. It can be set to 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4. The higher the value, the more CPU cores are used, and the faster the rendering will be. However, this option can also cause compatibility issues or instability in some games. You should choose a value that matches your CPU capabilities and does not cause problems in your games.
Edge Anti-aliasing (AA1)This option enables a simple anti-aliasing technique that reduces the jagged edges of PS2 games. It can be set to On or Off. On enables edge anti-aliasing, which can improve the graphics quality of some games, but it can also cause performance drops or graphical glitches in others. Off disables edge anti-aliasing, which can improve the performance of some games, but it can also cause aliasing or pixelation in others.
MipmappingThis option controls how the plugin handles mipmaps, which are lower-resolution versions of textures that are used to reduce aliasing and improve performance when rendering distant objects. It can be set to Off, Basic (Fast), Full (Slow), or Full (Slow + Accurate Blending). Off disables mipmapping entirely, which can cause aliasing or texture shimmering in some games. Basic (Fast) enables mipmapping with a fast but inaccurate algorithm, which can cause texture corruption or glitches in some games. Full (Slow) enables mipmapping with a slow but accurate algorithm, which can improve the graphics quality of some games but also cause performance drops. Full (Slow + Accurate Blending) enables mipmapping with a slow but accurate algorithm and also applies accurate blending to mipmaps, which can further improve the graphics quality of some games but also cause more performance drops.
Allow 8-Bit TexturesThis option allows the plugin to use 8-bit textures instead of 32-bit textures when rendering PS2 games. It can be set to On or Off. On enables 8-bit textures, which can improve the performance of some games by reducing the memory usage and bandwidth requirements, but it can also cause color banding or dithering in others. Off disables 8-bit textures, which can improve the graphics quality of some games by preserving the color depth and accuracy, but it can also cause performance drops or memory issues in others.
Large FramebufferThis option allows the plugin to use a larger framebuffer size than the native PS2 resolution when rendering PS2 games. It can be set to On or Off. On enables large framebuffer, which can improve the graphics compatibility of some games by avoiding buffer overflows or underflows, but it can also cause performance drops or memory issues in others. Off disables large framebuffer, which can improve the performance of some games by reducing the memory usage and bandwidth requirements, but it can also cause compatibility issues or missing graphics in others.
These are the main software mode options that you can use to tweak the graphics of PS2 games on your PC. You should experiment with different combinations of these options to find the best balance between graphics quality and performance for each game. You can also save and load different configurations for different games using the Save and Load buttons at the bottom of the plugin settings window.
Conclusion
In this article, we have shown you how to download and use Gsdx11 plugin for PCSX2, a newer version of GSdx plugin that has some advantages over the older versions. We have explained how to install and configure Gsdx11 plugin for PCSX2, how to choose between DirectX 11 and OpenGL renderers, how to adjust the hardware mode options and software mode options for better graphics quality and performance, and how to use hardware hacks and shader configuration for advanced tweaking.
By following this guide, you will be able to enjoy your favorite PS2 games with better graphics and performance on your PC using Gsdx11 plugin for PCSX2. You will also be able to solve some common issues or problems that may arise when using Gsdx11 plugin for PCSX2, such as graphical glitches, slowdowns, crashes, etc.
We hope that this article has been helpful and informative for you. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below. Thank you for reading and happy gaming!
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about Gsdx11 plugin for PCSX2:
What are the minimum and recommended requirements for using Gsdx11 plugin?
The minimum and recommended requirements for using Gsdx11 plugin are as follows:
ComponentMinimumRecommended
CPUIntel Core 2 Duo @ 3.2 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 @ 3.4 GHz (or equivalent)Intel Core i5 @ 3.4 GHz or AMD FX @ 4.0 GHz (or equivalent)
GPUNvidia GeForce 8800 GT or AMD Radeon HD 4850 (or equivalent) with DirectX 10 supportNvidia GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon HD 7870 (or equivalent) with DirectX 11 support
RAM2 GB4 GB or more
OSWindows Vista SP2 or later (32-bit or 64-bit)Windows 7 SP1 or later (64-bit)
StorageAt least 50 MB for the plugin files and more for the PS2 games and BIOS filesAt least 100 MB for the plugin files and more for the PS2 games and BIOS files
What are the differences between SSE2, SSE4, and AVX2 versions of Gsdx11 plugin?
The differences between SSE2, SSE4, and AVX2 versions of Gsdx11 plugin are based on the CPU instruction sets they support. SSE2, SSE4, and AVX2 are extensions of the x86 instruction set that enable faster and more efficient processing of data. The higher the version, the more advanced the instruction set is, and the better the performance of the plugin will be. However, not all CPUs support all versions of these instruction sets, so you need to choose the version that matches your CPU capabilities.
What are some of the games that benefit from using Gsdx11 plugin?
Some of the games that benefit from using Gsdx11 plugin are:
Shadow of the Colossus: This game is known for its stunning visuals and epic boss battles, but it also suffers from low frame rates and graphical glitches on PS2. Using Gsdx11 plugin can improve the performance and graphics quality of this game by enabling high resolution rendering, anti-aliasing, mipmapping, accurate blending, etc.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater: This game is one of the best stealth action games ever made, but it also has some issues with texture flickering and shadow artifacts on PS2. Using Gsdx11 plugin can fix these issues by enabling texture filtering, anisotropic filtering, mipmapping, accurate date, etc.
Final Fantasy XII: This game is a masterpiece of RPG genre, but it also has some problems with blurry textures and jagged edges on PS2. Using Gsdx11 plugin can enhance the graphics quality of this game by enabling high resolution rendering, anti-aliasing, texture filtering, anisotropic filtering, mipmapping, etc.
God of War II: This game is a spectacular action adventure game, but it also has some glitches with water effects and transparency on PS2. Using Gsdx11 plugin can solve these glitches by enabling accurate blending, accurate date, etc.
Silent Hill 3: This game is a terrifying survival horror game, but it also has some issues with fog effects and lighting on PS2. Using Gsdx11 plugin can improve t