Most PS1 FPGA problems become easier to solve when you first separate two possibilities: the game or core is behaving incorrectly, or the video chain is reacting badly to a legitimate resolution or image-position change. On the MiSTer PSX core, games can switch resolutions, use interlaced scenes, and deliberately move the picture outside the visible area. Those behaviors can produce a rolling image, lost sync, a jumping picture, cropping, flicker, or colors and textures that look wrong without proving that the game is incompatible.
Use a controlled process: record the title, region, core build, display and output path, and every relevant setting; classify the symptom; change one option at a time; and reproduce the problem with compatibility-affecting speed options disabled. The settings below are MiSTer-specific. Other PS1 FPGA implementations may use different names or provide no equivalent controls.
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What this guide covers
This is a MiSTer PSX-core troubleshooting guide, based on the official MiSTer FPGA Documentation (footer dated June 28, 2026). It addresses PS1 FPGA visual glitches, MiSTer PSX screen shaking, a PSX core that loses sync, a picture that jumps when resolution changes, color banding, interlace flicker, and games that show graphics glitches on MiSTer.
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Capture the setup before changing anything
A useful report starts with a reproducible baseline. Write down the following while the fault is visible:
- Game title, region, release or revision, and whether it is a disc image or another dump format.
- MiSTer PSX core version or build date.
- Whether the symptom appears during boot, at a particular menu, when entering gameplay, or only in a specific scene.
- Display type: modern HDMI monitor or television, CRT, or another display.
- Output path: HDMI, VGA/analog, converter, scaler, receiver, or any intermediate device.
- Every relevant PSX on-screen-display setting and applicable MiSTer.ini option.
- Whether the error overlay is enabled and the exact code shown.
- The exact steps that make the problem appear, including save-state or reset behavior if relevant.
Then return to that baseline after each experiment. Change one setting at a time and record the result. Changing several controls together can make a picture look better while hiding which control solved—or caused—the problem.
Start with sync and geometry symptoms
Use the sync and blanking controls first when the picture rolls, loses lock, jumps horizontally or vertically, or changes size when a game changes resolution. PS1 software does not always keep one fixed video mode. Some games also move the image beyond normal screen bounds for effects such as screen shake. A display or scaler can lose lock even though the core is generating the mode the game requested.
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Enable Fixed HBlank when horizontal timing is unstable, the picture jumps sideways, or a resolution change causes the display to lose sync. The MiSTer documentation says fixed horizontal blanking generally preserves the original 4:3 output. It is therefore a useful first test when the horizontal geometry is changing but you still want the familiar PS1 aspect ratio.
Do not interpret improvement as proof that the game was incompatible. Fixed HBlank changes how the core presents timing to the output chain; it does not alter the game’s data. If the image becomes stable but is visibly stretched or clipped, note that trade-off and test the other blanking and crop controls rather than stacking unrelated filters.
Fixed VBlank for vertical jumps and crop controls
Enable Fixed VBlank when vertical position, height, or cropping changes between scenes, especially in titles that switch among common 224p and 216p content. With Fixed VBlank active, the core exposes vertical crop options intended for those modes.
Use the vertical crop control to remove unwanted borders or keep the active image inside the display area. The correct value depends on the title and output device; a crop that is correct for one game can cut off status text in another. Make a note of which scene you used when judging the result.
Horizontal crop is intended for some PAL games. If a PAL title has excessive side borders or horizontal framing that differs from another region, compare the horizontal crop setting with Fixed VBlank enabled. Region matters: PAL timing and game-specific layout can make a setting that looks right in an NTSC title inappropriate elsewhere.
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Sync 480i when an HDMI display changes modes slowly
Interlaced scenes can require a transition between 480i and 240p. For HDMI output, the Sync 480i option may speed those resolution changes on many displays. It is a display-handshake aid, not a universal fix for every interlace artifact. If a television still blanks or takes several seconds to reacquire the signal, test the same scene with the option changed and document the display model and any receiver or scaler in the path.
Use the symptom, not the menu order
| Observed symptom | First control to test | What to watch for | Compatibility risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rolling, unstable horizontal lock, or a jump when the game changes mode | Fixed HBlank | Whether sync stabilizes while the image remains close to 4:3 | Primarily a timing and geometry change; judge cropping separately |
| Vertical position or height changes between scenes | Fixed VBlank, then vertical crop | Whether 224p/216p content stays framed without cutting text | Per-title framing differences |
| Unwanted side borders or PAL-specific horizontal framing | Horizontal crop with the appropriate blanking mode | Whether the active picture is centered without losing edges | PAL and NTSC layouts can differ |
| Long blanking or loss of picture during an interlaced-to-progressive change over HDMI | Sync 480i | How quickly the display locks when the scene changes | Depends on the display and HDMI chain |
Investigate interlaced scenes separately
Menus, video sequences, and some gameplay scenes may use interlaced output. The deinterlacer determines whether fields are combined or displayed alternately, so this is a different problem from blanking or crop geometry.
Weave: the stable default
Weave is the default deinterlacing mode and is often preferred when you want a steady picture. It combines fields into a frame. Fine movement can expose field differences, but the image does not intentionally jump on every field.
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Bob: a possible CRT preference
Bob displays fields in an alternating, vertically moving pattern. It can look jittery on a modern flat panel, yet some CRT setups make it preferable because the display’s own behavior can reduce the perceived harshness. Use Bob only after checking Weave, and identify the display type in your notes. A mode that appears acceptable on a CRT is not evidence that Bob is the better general setting.
When the symptom is specifically flicker or combing in an interlaced scene, compare Weave and Bob without changing blanking, crop, or texture options. This keeps the test attributable to deinterlacing.
Separate color artifacts from compatibility faults
Color banding, checkerboard patterns, and texture softness are rendering choices that can vary by game. Test these options independently from sync and deinterlacing controls.
Dithering
Dithering can make a checkerboard-looking image appear more even in some games by blending the intended color steps. In other titles it creates visible color banding or an objectionable pattern. Toggle it with the same scene on screen and keep the setting that matches the game’s original look for your display. A preference change is not proof of an emulation defect.
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The 24-bit rendering option can smooth graphics in some games. It may improve gradients or reduce harsh color transitions, but it does not guarantee a more accurate result for every title. Compare a known gradient, sky, menu, or pre-rendered background rather than judging from a single moving frame.
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Texture Filter
Texture Filter applies optional smoothing to 3D textures. It changes the visual style—usually making textures look less blocky—rather than correcting a synchronization or compatibility failure. Leave it off while diagnosing geometry, timing, or crashes so that a softer texture does not mask a separate problem.
| Visual complaint | Isolate this option | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|
| Checkerboard or coarse color steps | Dithering | Can improve some scenes and worsen banding in others; outcome is title-specific |
| Harsh gradients or rough color transitions | 24-bit rendering | May smooth graphics in some games; not a universal accuracy setting |
| Blocky 3D surfaces | Texture Filter | Changes texture appearance; does not establish that the core is malfunctioning |
Remove compatibility-affecting speed options before calling a game broken
Fastboot
Fastboot can cause bugs in a small number of games. If a title behaves incorrectly, turn Fastboot off and reproduce the same sequence from a clean reset. A game that works only after disabling Fastboot should be reported with that fact; do not use the accelerated setting as the baseline for a compatibility claim.
Unsafe speed and CD options
Speedhacks can sacrifice compatibility. Options that increase CD speed or make seeking faster may shorten loading, but games that depend on original timing can hang, crash, or misread data. Disable those options before diagnosing graphics glitches, lockups, or progression failures. If the fault disappears, the setting—not necessarily the game or core—is the leading cause.
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Read and preserve the error overlay
Leave the MiSTer error overlay enabled while diagnosing. It can distinguish a rendering or bus fault from a display handshake problem. Record the exact code, not just a description such as “the screen froze.” The official list includes:
- E3–E6: GPU hangs.
- E9: GPU FIFO overflow.
- ED: CPU data or bus timeout. ED can also indicate a missing or corrupt BIOS or absent SDRAM.
An overlay code is evidence about the failure category, not a complete game-support verdict. For ED, verify the BIOS file and SDRAM configuration before changing visual controls. For GPU codes, preserve the scene, title, region, build, and settings so another person can attempt the same path.
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A stable core signal can still look broken after it passes through a cable, converter, receiver, scaler, or display. Test the shortest practical path to the display, then restore the normal chain to identify where the behavior returns. Compare HDMI and analog only if your MiSTer hardware provides both and you can keep the game and core settings identical.
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The MiSTer Analog I/O path has an 18-bit output limitation. That limitation can affect the available color precision compared with HDMI, so color differences between the two paths do not automatically indicate a game or core error. The relevant option also changes whether the output is directed to VGA/analog or HDMI; record that choice when reporting a discrepancy.
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For a modern HDMI display, prioritize mode-change behavior, Sync 480i, and the display’s own handling of 240p and 480i. For a CRT, evaluate Weave versus Bob and the physical geometry independently. Do not assume that a setting that looks correct on one display will behave the same way on another.
A repeatable troubleshooting procedure
- Reproduce from a known state. Boot the same title and region, use the same core build, and navigate to the scene that demonstrates the fault.
- Capture the baseline. Photograph or write down the OSD, MiSTer.ini values, display, output path, and error overlay code.
- Classify the symptom. Choose one primary category: sync loss or rolling, geometry/crop, interlaced flicker, color artifact, texture appearance, crash/hang, or a BIOS/SDRAM error.
- Test the matching control. For sync, test Fixed HBlank; for vertical framing, test Fixed VBlank and crop; for interlace, compare Weave and Bob; for HDMI mode changes, test Sync 480i; for color and texture, test dithering, 24-bit rendering, and Texture Filter separately.
- Reset unrelated experiments. Return other options to the baseline before the next test. Do not combine a crop change with a deinterlacer change if you need to know which solved the issue.
- Remove speed modifications. Turn off Fastboot and unsafe CD or seek acceleration, then repeat the exact sequence. Use this result as the compatibility baseline.
- Check the output chain. Try a direct connection or a second display when available, while preserving the same core and game settings.
- Record the outcome. Note the option, old and new value, scene tested, display response, and whether the fault returned after a reset.
How to report a remaining problem
After the controlled tests, check the upstream PSX_MiSTer repository and its issues for a matching report. An issue entry by itself does not prove that a game is unsupported, nor does it prove that a symptom has been fixed. Match the details before drawing that conclusion.
Include all of the following in a report:
- Game title, region, release or revision, and the exact reproduction route.
- MiSTer PSX core build and any relevant MiSTer system version.
- Every changed OSD or MiSTer.ini option, including blanking, crop, deinterlacing, rendering, Fastboot, and CD-speed settings.
- Display type and model, HDMI or analog path, and any converter, scaler, receiver, or switch.
- Error overlay code, if present.
- Whether the fault occurs at boot, during a resolution change, in a particular interlaced scene, or after a timing-sensitive event.
- What happened when Fastboot and unsafe speed options were disabled.
Describe the result neutrally: “the display loses sync when the scene changes from 480i to 240p over HDMI” is more actionable than “the game is incompatible.”
Common misdiagnoses to avoid
A screen shake is not automatically a broken core
Metal Gear Solid is the documented example of a game whose screen-shake effect can make a modern display lose sync. Test Fixed HBlank and the relevant vertical controls before labeling the title unsupported.
A resolution change is not automatically a crash
When the image disappears briefly during a legitimate 480i-to-240p transition, test Sync 480i and the display path. A mode reacquisition delay can look like a game hang.
A softer texture is not automatically inaccurate emulation
Texture Filter intentionally changes 3D texture appearance. Turn it off when comparing behavior, then decide whether you prefer the filtered look.
A color preference is not a compatibility result
Dithering and 24-bit rendering can improve one title and make another look worse. Keep those judgments separate from crashes, hangs, and error codes.
What the evidence can and cannot establish
The MiSTer documentation provides settings, examples, compatibility cautions, and error categories, but it does not establish a game-by-game support list or a percentage of PS1 titles that work. The procedure above can identify whether a symptom follows a video setting, output path, speed option, BIOS/SDRAM condition, or repeatable core fault. It cannot, by itself, certify every release or hardware revision.
If you are using a different PS1 FPGA platform, map the same reasoning—capture the setup, classify the symptom, isolate one variable, and remove speed modifications—to that platform’s own documentation. Do not assume that MiSTer’s option names, crop behavior, error codes, or analog limitations exist elsewhere.
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