Compared to other scenes like the Switch hacking and the emulation ones, the PlayStation Classic scene produces new stuff at a much slower pace but interesting developments still happen. In this article, we’ll be looking at some stuff released in the last few weeks which includes RetroBoot 0.10.x and AutoBleem 0.8.x together with reports of the micro-console currently being sold for dirt cheap!

RetroBoot 0.10 & 0.10.1 released: RetroArch 1.8.1, improved Saturn & Dreamcast emulation and more

For the uninitiated, RetroBoot is one of the most popular modding solutions for the PlayStation Classic and it’s aimed at those who want to use their PlayStation Classic for emulating consoles other than the PlayStation 1.

If emulation is your jam, RetroBoot is probably the best modding solution to run on your PlayStation Classic. Now, it comes with even better Dreamcast and Sega Saturn emulation support!

As a result, its main focus is that of being lightweight and providing a well-configured version of RetroArch to give the best performance possible.

Around 3 weeks ago, RetroBoot 0.10.0 was released with version 0.10.1 following a few days later as a bug fix release. According to its release post on Reddit, this pretty major update comes with:

• RetroArch has been updated to version 1.8.1
  • This is currently the latest version of the front-end although RetroArch 1.8.2 is coming soon
• When it comes to cores, two major additions have been made which consist of Flycast Xtreme (Dreamcast) and Yabause Xtreme (Sega Saturn)
  • These cores contain modifications by KMFDManic which makes them perform better in many games thus increasing the PSC’s supported game library. However, many titles are still unplayable especially on Yabause
    

    Some games like DoA 2 run better with Flycast Xtreme but miracles are not to be expected (video showing performance)

  • Other than these two cores, other cores have also seen some updates
• Databases, assets and shaders have been updated
• Configuration files have seen some updates to provide a better experience
• The ‘Fastboot’ mode is now enabled by default and the patch installer now performs better
• Version 0.10.1 fixes saving in the PCSX reARMed core and turbo fire in the Mednafen PCE Fast Core

To grab RetroBoot 0.10.1 & see the full change log, check out this link and select the download you need since it comes in both Standalone and AutoBleem editions together with some update packages.

AutoBleem 0.8/0.8.1 released with sub-directory/category support, updated RetroBoot, changes to Theming system and more

Other than RetroBoot, another major modding solution for the PlayStation Classic has been released and this one is AutoBleem. If you’ve never heard of it, this modding solution is designed to provide a quick ‘n’ easy solution to hacking your micro-console that doesn’t require much effort from your end to set up, can run off a USB pen drive and can be managed without using a PC like BleemSync.

AutoBleem is a pretty good modding solution for those who want to play lots of PS1 titles with little hassle on their end!

In late November and early December, AutoBleem received its 0.8 and 0.8.1 updates with the former being a somewhat significant release since brings along:

• Support for placing PS1 games into sub-directories thus letting you categorise your ISO files
  • This means that you can now put RPG games in ‘/Games/RPG’ and Racing games in ‘/Games/Racing’ for example
• Support for more concise themes since all data for a theme is now stored in a single directory inside ‘/Themes’
• Game deletion can be done through the game manager menu
• RetroBoot 0.10.1 is now pre-installed and some other minor stuff like RetroArch favourites was added
• AutoBleem 0.8.1 is a bug fix update which fixes an issue with game scanning and a crash in the Evo UI if the /Games directory is empty

You may grab AutoBleem 0.8.1 (together with themes) and see the full change log of both versions by following this link to its GitHub Release Page

Conclusion

According to user reports, GameStop is currently selling the PlayStation Classic for $20 (again) which might make for a nice Christmas gift for any friends/family members who want to play a couple old games on their TV and perhaps enjoy tinkering around with gaming hardware!

On a related note, it’s now possible to use original SNES carts with your Nintendo Switch through Classic 2 Magic & SX OS which might be an interesting read for some.