SNES Games on the Playstation 3
(Warning: Severely geeky post ahead.) I finally got SNES9x working on my PS3 last night. I never did find a complete set of instructions on how to do it anywhere–I had to figure it out based on bits and pieces of several different instructions–so I figured I’d write up a guide.
How to Install SNES9x on a Playstation 3 running Yellow Dog Linux
This guide assumes you already have Yellow Dog Linux installed, and that you have a working keyboard and mouse connected to your PS3. This looks complicated, but it really isn’t–if you’ve ever used a command line before, and know how to navigate from directory to directory using “cd”, you’re fine.
- Follow this guy’s instructions to get yum and yumex working properly on your system.
- Use yum or yumex to install “snes9express”. Yumex doesn’t work very well on an SDTV, which is currently all I have, so I can only provide instructions on how to do it with yum:
- Open a terminal window.
- Type “yum search snes9express” (without the quotes).
- It should return a description of snes9express.
- Type “yum install snes9express”.
- You can try using yum to install snes9x as well, following the same steps I outlined above. When I tried it, though, it installed a version that didn’t work–it just gave me some confusing error message about “XFree86″. So instead, you have to compile your own copy of snes9x.
- Go get a copy of the snes9x source code. Important: Do not download the binaries from that page! It’s the source code you want.
- Extract it and put it somewhere on your PS3.
- Open a terminal window and navigate to where you just put the source code, and then to the directory called “snes9x” within it.
- Type “./configure && make”.
- If you’ve done everything right, it should produce a file (actually a program) called simply “snes9x”. It will be in the same directory you’re currently in. Move it, if you like, to wherever you think it should go.
- Launch snes9express. It should probably be in your Applications menu under Games, or you can type “snes9express” in a terminal window.
- Go into the Preferences. One of them (under the Paths tab) is called “snes9x”, and serves to tell snes9express where the version of snes9x you want to use lives. Hit that, and set it to the directory where you just put your recently compiled copy of snes9x.
- Hit “Apply” to get out of the preferences, load up your favorite game, and give it a go–it should be working now.
Uing the SIXAXIS controller with SNES9x:
The SIXAXIS controller works great with SNES9x. You do have to configure it, though:
- Make sure the controller is plugged into the PS3 with a USB cable–as far as I can tell, it doesn’t work with Bluetooth yet.
- Launch snes9express.
- Click the “Joysticks” tab.
- Make sure the “Use joystick” box is checked.
- Click “Assign mapping”.
- Press the Playstation button once to activate the controller. Then press each button, as shown on the screen, to assign the buttons.
- Close out of the mapping assignments and start playing.
- Note: As far as I can tell, the D-Pad doesn’t work–you have to use the left analog stick instead. If anyone has a solution, I’d love to hear it.
27 Responses to “SNES Games on the Playstation 3”
Leave a Reply
[...] read more | digg story [...]
I recently installed snes9x on my ps3 in linux as well and I was wondering if you knew how to get the sound to work, its not working great on my box.
I had the same problem with the sound being a little glitchy. No solution that I’m aware of–if you find one, please let me know!
is there a GBA emulator guide?
I haven’t tried a GBA emulator yet, but if I ever do, I’ll write it up.
Had the same problem with the sound, just check the “Sync, Envelope, Interpolate” and the “Thread Sound” under the Sound preferences. When i do this it works fine on my PS3.
MFG SchniKaaZ
Wow, thanks! I’ll give that a shot.
Thanks alot for this guide. I was at first overwhelmed by the general usage of linux, as compared to say, windows, however I have become a little more familiar with it through the use of this guide, and I already like it better than windows!
Anyway, One problem I ran into with installing snes9x, was that when I tried to create the executable through the terminal, I would always get an error saying something along the lines of “no such directory” . I had the source code folder in a “My Documents” folder that I had created, and the terminal could not find it unless I put a “\” right after “My” so : “/root/My\ Documents”… After considerable frustration, I just ended up moving both the source code folder, and the rom folder to the desktop, and from there everything ran smoothly.
I love running snes roms on the psp,
and I will have fun with this release… Hopefully someone can figure out how to get the emulator running fast utilizing the PS3 powerplant :)
I have been trying to install the ps3 controller to work the snes but doesnt seem to pick it up when i press te PS button. Any solution gus? Thanks in advance.
Do you have the PS3 controller plugged in via USB? The wireless doesn’t work, you need to plug it in.
will this damage the ps3 in any way. does it have enough room to have linux and snes (i have a 40gb)
It won’t damage the PS3 as far as I know. You have to reformat your HD to install linux in the first place, and however much space you alot to linux is space that the regular PS3 software won’t be able to see. Instructions on how to install linux on the PS3 are beyond the scope of this guide, but you can find them elsewhere easily enough.
i cant get the square to work on snes linux ??? any one else have that problem ?
Hey good guide but i myself am having a problem i have typed in “yum search snes9express” and “yum search snes9x” and it is not working it is just saying “no matches found” i could reall y do with the help my PS name is matt_992.
i cant get it work it says @Public key for snes9express-1.42-2.fc5.ppc.rpm is not installed what do i do????
Sorry, I’ve never come across either of those errors. You may have to find a Yellow Dog Linux forum to ask them.
i need a snes9x fedora core 5 rpm does anyone know were to get it please post a website thanks.
How do i navagate to a folder in the terminal
ok i got everything working,…nm the stupid question.
How do i set the rom directory. I have the console with the 8 tabs and the ROM tab wants a direcotry. Where is it? Its not with the source? Where is it?
ok i just got snes9express up and running and got my first game goin but when i go to set the sixaxis controller it is only working for the pad2 slot and im not sure how to switch it to pad 1…any help is appreciated, thx!
nevermind i figured it out, for some reason my usb slot 2 acts as my number 1 pad and vice versa
-also is there a way to save preferences so u dont have to set up like “play louder” and what not everytime u load snes9express?
time to play some techmo superbowl
little help please
my snes wont load the source. i’ve done the configure & make part , seemed to work? but the file wasn’t made the closest thing I got was snes9x.o or .h. there was an error message in terminal saying make: *** [globals.o] Error 1
Please help!!!!! thx ahead
Greg fellow gamer
error: conflicts with new declaration with ‘C’ linkage
make: *** [globals.o] Error 1
my snes wont load the source. i’ve done the configure & make part , seemed to work? but the file wasn’t made the closest thing I got was snes9x.o or .h. there was an error message in terminal saying make: *** [globals.o] Error 1
error: conflicts with new declaration with ‘C’ linkage
make: *** [globals.o] Error 1
I got the same as well please help.!!!
OK, so a bunch of people are getting that error. I never did, so I don’t have a clue how to deal with it–any Linux experts out there who can weigh in?
hey i got the sixaxis controller connected to the laptop do u know how to configure it with the zsnes emulator