PlayStation Development Network - Getting Started

So you want to make games on the Sony PlayStation 1.

First off, pick an SDK. You have the options between the PSXSDK and PSY-Q.

The PSXSDK, was made by NextVolume under a UNIX environment. It will require Cygwin should you want to use it under Windows. Don't worry, we have a guide for setting it up which you can see in the below link. The PSXSDK may have a few bugs here and there, but that's no problem because it it open source, and the creator (NextVolume) will patch it, check it or help you should it not be a bug.

PSY-Q however, was the official SDK that official licensed Sony developers used. Most say it is illegal to use, but Sony would not care less. The PlayStation 1 is after all almost 20 years old. It is Windows native, and flawless.



To get started, I will need to explain some important information regarding the PlayStation 1.

What you will be making, is text appear on the screen by programming in C. Once ran though the compiler, you will be given an executable. This is specially compiled for the PlayStation 1's R3000A CPU, libraries, toolchain, BIOS and instruction set, so don't try running it in your Windows machine. Anyway, the file compiled, will be under 1kb (Kilobyte), which leaves you with a huge amount of free RAM (Random Access Memory) space. Problem is, should you want to make a more complex game, you wont be able to just simply store your game into RAM . Why?

Well, there is only 2Mb (Megabytes) of RAM in the PlayStation 1. Games such as 'Crash Bandicoot' and 'Final Fantasy' don't fit into 2Mb's of RAM. Instead, they buffer it from the CD-ROM and stream RedBook Audio to the SPU (Sound Processing Unit) to give you that amazing stereo ADPCM (Adaptive Differential Pulse-Code Modulation) music. There is much MUCH more to it than that, but that's the basic idea behind it.

For this example, we are not going that far, because it involves a LOT of code, amazing skill and patience.


So, lets get started on doing it the easy method.

You will need a few tools to make the 'Hello World' (hello world is not available for the PSXSDK) executable appear on your TV screen from the PS1.

First off, you will need a 'Xplorer' if you want to play/view your games on a real PlayStation 1. This is a cheat card that will enable a comms link from your PS1 to your PC and so forth. If you cant find the device online or anywhere at all, the alternative method is to solder and build a cable/PCB to the serial (SIO) port. You can figure out how to do that by clicking here (see the 'PSX Serial Cable' by Skywalker schematic or 'FreeWing'). You can not use an Action Replay (AR), Game Shark (GS) or a fake Chinese AR/GS.

We hope soon to manufacture a comms link device that will be for sale on PSIO.COM.AU which will feature USB instead of Parallel. If we go ahead with it, it will be announced on the PSXDEV.PSIO.COM.AU site. Donations will help speed up production of such a card and get a prototype made. If you don't want to pay for an Xplorer, you may just run your executable though an emulator. However, be warned that emulators are not 100% correct and so your code may be different between real hardware and emulation. You can burn your game/application to a CD-ROM, but you may find yourself with a whole stack of coasters. This is where I recommend adjusting your laser, so that you may read CD-RW's, which can essentially be erased and written to like a floppy disk.



Anyway, moving on, you will need:

 - A Sony PlayStation 1 that is less than the SCPH-7500 series with the Parallel Port (PIO port image)),
 - A straight through DB-25 Parallel Cable,
 - SDK of your preference,
 - A Xplorer cheat card that plugs into the parallel port (PIO) of your PlayStation 1 (or a PSX Serial Cable) and
 - A computer with a Parallel Port (or serial port for the 'PSX Serial Cable') running Windows 7 or Windows 98.



Next, you will need to download the SDK of your preference:
(the links will take you to the download sites)

 - PSXSDK
 - PSY-Q (Click 'Psy-Q SDK' if you are confused)


For the PSXSDK tutorial, please follow Shendo's guide here.
For the PSY-Q tutorial, please follow Haunted's guide here.


Should you need more help, please look around the forums, or feel free to ask a question for help.




Good luck and happy PlayStation 1 deving!