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Emulation

Set Up DuckStation for PS1 Games With Clean Upscaling

Add a BIOS dump from your own console, run Vulkan and upscale 3D titles without smearing pixel art or breaking the original timing.

by@guidox updated:10/30/26 time:20 min level:Intermediate tested on:Windows 11 24H2, RTX 3060 Ti works on:Windows 10, Windows 11, DuckStation 0.1+ tools:DuckStation
TL;DR

Put a **BIOS dump from your own PS1** in DuckStation's BIOS folder, use **Vulkan** with **nearest-neighbour filtering** and upscale to **4x** with **PGXP geometry correction** on.

Before you start

Requirements

  • DuckStation, current stable release
  • BIOS dump from a console you own: SCPH5502 for PAL, SCPH5501 for NTSC-U, SCPH5500 for NTSC-J
  • Your own disc images as .cue/.bin or .chd
Step by step

Instructions

01

Install and point at the BIOS

Open **Settings > BIOS**, add the folder with your dump and select the matching region. DuckStation refuses to boot without it.

⚠ warningA BIOS downloaded from the internet is copyrighted and in most regions not legal to use. Dump yours.
02

Choose the renderer

Open **Settings > Graphics** and set the renderer to Vulkan with your discrete GPU as adapter. Keep VSync on and **Optimal Frame Pacing** enabled.

Renderer: Vulkan
VSync: On
Optimal Frame Pacing: On
03

Upscale without turning pixels into mush

Set **Resolution Scale** to 4x, **Texture Filtering** to Nearest-Neighbour for pixel art and enable **Dithering** so gradients still look like the console. Enable **PGXP Geometry Correction** for 3D titles.

Resolution Scale: 4x (960p)
Texture Filtering: Nearest-Neighbour
PGXP: Geometry Correction
tipUse Bilinear instead of Nearest if you prefer the smoother look - it is a taste decision, not a quality one.
04

Keep the original speed

Under **Emulation > Speed** leave the speed at 100% and turn **Sync to Host Refresh Rate** off unless your display matches the disc's region - NTSC runs at 59.94 Hz, PAL at 50 Hz.

Speed: 100%
Sync to Host Refresh Rate: Off
05

Map a controller

Open **Settings > Controllers**, press **Automatic Mapping (SDL)** for an Xbox or DualShock pad, then test analog mode in a 3D game. Save the profile so a second pad does not overwrite it.

06

Test the first five minutes

Audio should be clean, FMV sequences should not stutter, and the game should look like a sharper version of the original. If faces wobble, disable PGXP for that title.

Troubleshooting

Common issues

No BIOS found

The file has to sit directly in the folder you selected, with its original name and the .bin extension. Nested ZIP folders are ignored.

Audio pops and crackles

Raise the audio buffer to 50-100 ms, or switch the audio backend to WASAPI/Cubeb in the audio settings.

The game runs too fast

A PAL disc with a 60 Hz setting or vice versa. Check the disc region and the emulator speed setting.

Black screen after the PlayStation logo

Disable PGXP for that game, or switch the renderer to Software once to see whether it is a GPU issue.

FAQ

Frequently asked

Where are memory cards stored?

Per game in the memcards folder. Back up the folder before changing emulator versions.

Is .chd better than .bin/.cue?

Yes for storage and seek behaviour; DuckStation reads both.

How to undo this

Delete the DuckStation program folder and the config folder in Documents\DuckStation. Your disc images and memory cards are separate files and stay untouched.

Changelog · 1 entry
  1. 2026-10-30
    First version
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