Why would you use FPGAs instead of either trying to make the emulation better or fixing the code to work on new instructions.
And yea modding roms is more difficult but not as difficult as a. Trying to learn how the cpu on these old consoles function b. Learning how FPGAs work c. Programming these fpgas to worn like old consoles.
Alternative is to look at the ROM in which case you would only have to modify the assembly to fix the quirks. Heck if it were a higher level language even a dumbass like me making dogshit on github might be able to do it.
Modern CPUs are so much more powerful, even look at lower power more efficient ones like the one on steam deck that FPGAs feel wasteful. Obviously there might use cases for FPGAs while developing software emulators (I’ve seen it being used to capture video from memory to bypass DRM) especially as the old consoles themselves break.
FPGAs get more and more accessible and cheaper every day. So for the future it will be way easier, cheaper and more accessible.
And so are general purpose CPUs at a much faster rate.
I’m more inclined to agree with the commentor on the other thread.
“Software emulators: are free, run on everything from your PC, phone, your old PSP and probably twenty other things you have in your room right now, putting new life into old otherwise useless hardware FGPA: one-purpose landfill trash that consoomers buy because they can’t imagine investing time in something that doesn’t involve spending large amounts of money, getting dumb plastic shit to fill up your home”
FPGAs get more and more accessible and cheaper every day. So for the future it will be way easier, cheaper and more accessible.
Isn’t it better and more accessible to mod existing roms to work with software emulators instead of doing the FPGA thing? It’ll help you preserve the game just the same way and won’t be as difficult as learning FPGA shit.
The route most normal people think when some code is buggy is to modify the code instead of making a whole new CPU. The ROMs aren’t going to vanish just because there are no more CPUs which can run the same ROM.
I think what the society society would benefit from is a centralized ROM Marketplace (Donation based) where you upload modded ROMs for obsolete consoles but of course because of how intellectual property works under capitalism this isn’t possible.
As mentioned, FPGAs are super expensive, not very efficient and require a lot of knowledge of the underlying ICs.
Also there are no FPGAs for PS2 and other modern consoles