I’ve heard that Tekken 3 works with an updated PSIO bootloader, so I thought I’d give it another go. The last time I tested it, we didn’t get very far at all. This time I’m using an older debug bootloader, which should at least give us something different to investigate.

After connecting everything and selecting Tekken 3, the game starts loading. And look at that, we’ve made it further than before! That’s a promising result, especially considering how stubborn this game was during the first test.

Unfortunately, there’s another problem. Everything is running rather slowly, which I understand is partly down to the debug firmware. I thought I’d give Practice mode a go, but the performance isn’t exactly ideal for a fighting game. I’m not sure I’m going to get much useful practice done at this speed!

Still, it’s encouraging to see Tekken 3 getting further with a different bootloader. There’s obviously more work to do, and I’m keen to see how the next PSIO hardware and software revisions behave.

Version 2.0 is just over the hill, and it certainly looks like it’ll be a marvellous journey. Stay tuned! You can find more information about the project at ps-io.com.

Prototype test conditions

  • PSIO hardware: 1.1
  • PSIO software: 1.1A
  • debug bootloader
  • PlayStation: SCPH-5502
  • CD deck: removed