The old PlayStation 1 model SCPH-100x - SCPH-750x has a Parallel I/O on the backside. I often used it with a Bootcart to play imports. I wonder for what it was originally intended. As far as I know Sony has never released a peripheral for it.
Expansion possibilities are often included into system designs and this was just the reason. I don't recall ever reading anything being planned formally.
Nope, nothing was ever announced. It'd be quite slow for a RAM expansion of any kind, even more so for the rumoured GPU upgrade. Some people on usenet did pretty extensive research, you might be able to find something. It seems to be sharing some lines/addresses with the system BIOS, by the way.
It's a shame it couldn't be used for a RAM add-on, it really could have used it for 2D games like the horrifying Marvel Vs Capcom and Metal Slug X ports that had so much animation cut out. I too used to use the port for an action replay clone to stop the drive motor and swap to CD-Rs/Imports. It was quite handy, alot better than the swap trick during bootup.
I'm not sure about a rumor upgrade but the GPU in the first model and revision models are not the same. The first model GPU is actualy somewhat slower (specialy on fillrate). Just FYI. Not sure what the IO port was used for. I only used it for programming (worked insanly well for that).
Well, there seemed to have been a lot of speculation about an alleged "PlayStation Plus" sometime in 1997. That and some unofficial GPU docs mention a "GPU-B extension", and I believe there are specific GPU commands for using it.
It could be for: New BIOS Peripherals such as a floppy drive, microphone or camera Extra memory card swap space Really anything feasible with a very thin bus
Datel did come out with a V-Mem card that hooked up to the parallel port. It was like 300memory cards in one. It had a GUI to organize and go thru it all. Wasn't it also used for debugging? Taking snapshots of the VRAM, etc. when the game crashed and use it to debug the game.
Given they have a FDD that works on the mem/controller slot I think we can rule that out. I would say knowing the Japanese it was for some kind ok Mega karaoke! All kidding aside, I think this is a good area to look into.
I seem to remember rumours about Namco doing some version of Tekken that would utilize a memory expansion, but my memory is hazy. Another interesting use of the parallel port is the Bung Multi Xchanger, see http://www.robwebb.clara.co.uk/backup/bung/bungmxch.html
wow anyway i remember some page like lik-sang selling vcd add-ons and mp3 players to be plugged there
Not sure if this is the same thing, but once upon a time I stumbled across a NES cart for the parallel port. Came with a pc interface cable to allow you to store and play NES roms directly on your psx....can't for the life of me find info, pics or even a name but its out there.
It can be used for soft debugging and dump VRAM etc but only if those features are built into the game. You can however exploit most games similar to normal AR codes do but since the code is ran from uninitialized RAM so the actual implementation depends on the game. AFAIK Datel's drive acts as a normal card, it's not like a reserve bank and the console can in no way control the floppy. If Sony released something like that it would be a general purpose floppy and would have to use the parallel I/O and would probably have a GUI etc. The Multi Xchanger is like one of those PAR with GB emulators (without the emulator) only with GBX and V64Jr transferage NES cart for the PSX parallel port? To play NES on your PSX? There's something like that for Gameboy but it doesn't actually run games off the cart connector. It dumps the game into the PSX's memory then runs a shitty emulator.
Yes. I used to have the upgrade kit that I picked up from a discount bin some where long time ago... [last I remember it was inisde one of my drawer though just checking it seems gone...]
Also, going through the PS syscalls and BIOS dump there are some references to the "PIO shell" and stuff like that, but memory is hazy. And of course the system's BIOS runs code from cartridges if one is inserted (eg display the PAR GUI), so Sony obviously had some intention of placing code on it.
I also read about that Tekken issue, in Gamesmaster long ago, and it was about having more memory to make Tekken 3 more Arcade like.
I have that Multi XChanger. You can connect it with a V64jr and load N64 ROMs. So the PlayStation IS TRULY an add-on for a Nintendo console :katamari: I also have a GB Emulator, MP3-Player, Action Replay, Xploder FX and Xploder Pro. You can use Xploder to manipulate the main memory of the PSX. Upload of small games is also possible. With an Action Replay an CAETLA even more is possible, but you need a COMMS Link card.
Speaking of emulators for PSX though, IMBNES (ItMightBeNES) for PSX is absolutely amazing. It's actually a decent way to emulate NES games. Though I've noticed games like Metal Storm and Battletoads with the parallax background effects don't run full speed. But I like IMBNES for a period of time between the DreamCast going into the closet and getting the modded Xbox. The Xbox crushed any reason to emulate on any other home console system. Anyway, I remember hearing about the GB playing PSX cartridge which I always thought was stupid. I think I heard there was no sound.
