ps2homebrew
[ISSUE]: Games randomly fail to load
Checks
- [x] I have checked existing OPL issues for duplicates and found none
- [x] I am using either OPL latest stable version, or archived version or OPL beta version
Describe the issue
Games frequently stop loading.
- Mostly random, not specific to any game or any particular place in games. However, some games seem to have the issue more frequently than others.
- The game behave as if "reading the disc" takes forever (black screen, sticks on a load screen)
- The problem occurs most frequently during the first few minutes (most often before the game's first intro logos). It seems to "decrease exponentially". I'd estimate it's about 50% chance the game fails during the first 2 minutes. If it gets past that, it's only about maybe 5-10% chance it will fail in the next 30 minutes. If it gets past that, the game will run perfectly for hours.
- When the problem happens, the orange LED usually is lit solid for maybe 5-10 seconds until it goes out. The SSD also has it's own activity LED which continues to flash much longer, usually until I turn the console off.
Console model
SPCH-50003
OPL version / revision
1.1.0
In which device(s) have you experienced this issue?
HDD
Context and extra information
I did not always have this problem, BUT my setup have been upgraded now and then and I am not sure with which change it started to happening. It MIGHT be possible that the issue happened before, but much more rarely.
Observed the issue mostly on Kingdom Hearts 2 (PAL, SLES-54114), dumped from original disc. I have double checked that the compatibility flags are correct (disable IGR, everything else default). The issue appears to happen just as much on other games though.
I am using the HDD-adapter, modded with one of those IDE/SATA-bridges. The SSD is a m.2 Crucial MX500, in a basic 2,5"-to-m.2-adapter, with latest firmware. The SSD was working fine previously in a PC. I am booting from FreeMcBoot, with OPL running from the memory card.
Earlier I have been using other hardware/software, which MIGHT have worked better:
- other storage devices (2,5" Intel 240gb 520 or 530, and various mechanical drives)
- older versions of OPL, and also HDD Loader
I am not using any fancy features (no virtual memory cards, no DS3 controllers, etc etc everything as vanilla as I can make it.
I am going to continue to try other things and update the issue, any advice on what might be causing this is appreciated! Maybe it's some kind of incompatibility between the SSD (maybe it's too fast?) and something else, so my next step will be to put a regular 2,5" mechanical drive and see if it makes any difference. Or does anyone have any other advice of what I should try first?
Thank you!
@JanErikGunnar
You can redo the tests, but using newer versions of OPL such as 2049 2077 And the latest beta 2199
I tested all four versions (1.1.0, beta 2049, 2077, 2199), with the Crucial MX500 drive, unfortunately, there was no difference, same problem on all versions.
I did notice GTA: San Andreas (NTSC) is particularly sensitive, it practically always freeze before or during the first yellow Rockstar logo, on all OPL versions.
I tried a slower drive, (Seagate ST750LX003 hybrid drive). This worked almost perfectly, in all versions of OPL. However in ONE (of many) attempts, GTA: San Andreas failed just like on the SSD. This was after running that game many times, so presumably the relevant blocks should have been in the drive's SSD cache at that point. It still worked the vast majority of attempts though.
Any suggestions what to try next?
I have other SSDs of other brands I could try, to check if something is incompatibility with this particular drive, or if it's something that just fails because the drive is too fast or something. Since the IDE/SATA-bridge is custom for the BBA I can't test that in a computer, and I have no other IDE/SATA-bridges at hand unfortunately.
Try The new Run https://mega.nz/folder/Ndwi1bAK#oLWNhH_g-h0p4BoT4c556A/file/ZFglzZRD
Sorry, haven't had the time yet :( will test and update as soon as I can.
Tested it now. In one go, I tried to start GTA:SA five times on the new version, five ties on 1.1, alternating them:
Beta 2201: Froze between in game cutscene and first game play 1.1: Made it to gameplay Beta 2201: Disc read error during/after the load screen with progress bar) 1.1: Froze before first logo Beta 2201: Made it to gameplay 1.1: Froze before first logo Beta 2201: Froze between the two Rockstar logos 1.1: Disc read error during/after the load screen with progress bar) Beta 2201: Failed before first logo 1.1: Froze before first logo (left system running for some time) (cut power completely for a moment) Beta 2201: Failed during first logo Beta 2201: Failed during first logo
So basically, it doesn't seem to be any noticeable difference, I'm afraid. The first attempts today made it unusually far, on both versions, compared to my previous runs, I haven't noticed that before, and maybe it was just a fluke. But to check wither it could be something with DRAM cache or memory leak or whatever I cut the power and did two more attempts as listed above, still no good :(
Tested two additional drives now - another identical MX500 (m.2) with another identical m.2-2,5" adapter, and a Samsung 870 EVO 500gb 2,5". I just tested GTA:SA, 10 times each (5x 1.1, 5x 2201). The Samsung worked perfectly. The MX500 failed about as often as the first one (froze before gameplay in 7 out of 10 attempts). No noticeable difference on 1.1 vs beta 2201.
So to summarize: Samsung 870 EVO - works fine, no issues Seagate SSHD - works almost perfectly (failed only once out of many runs) MX500 (BOTH of them) - fails most of the time
From my end I'm fine with just using the Samsung drive going forward but I'm happy to do additional tests on the MX500 if you want to try to improve compatibility!
Tested a few more drives I had available. One of them failed the exact same way. Updated list:
Samsung 870 EVO (500gb 2,5") - works perfectly Sandisk X300 (256gb m.2) - works perfectly Sandisk X400 (256gb m.2) - works perfectly
Seagate Momentus XT (750gb SSHD 2,5") - works almost perfectly (failed only once out of many runs)
Micron 1100 (256gb, m.2) - fails most of the time (95%+) Crucial MX500 (500gb, m.2) (TWO of them) - fails most of the time (95%+)
Tested a few more drives I had available. One of them failed the exact same way. Updated list:
Samsung 870 EVO (500gb 2,5") - works perfectly Sandisk X300 (256gb m.2) - works perfectly Sandisk X400 (256gb m.2) - works perfectly
Seagate Momentus XT (750gb SSHD 2,5") - works almost perfectly (failed only once out of many runs)
Micron 1100 (256gb, m.2) - fails most of the time (95%+) Crucial MX500 (500gb, m.2) (TWO of them) - fails most of the time (95%+)
Try turning on mode 1, or switching DMA mode to MDMA
