Compatibility is not one switch#
POPStarter compatibility can come from automatic built-in fixes, CHEATS.TXT commands, forced config bytes, standalone PATCH_#.BIN files, TROJAN_#.BIN files, or per-game community fix packs. Record which layer you changed before testing.
2016 compatibility snapshot#
The recovered 2017 wiki snapshot preserved compatibility-rate figures dated 2016-04-21. Treat them as a historical benchmark, not a current guarantee.
| Backend / region | Playable rate | Count |
|---|---|---|
| HDD PAL | 78% | 343 / 438 |
| HDD NTSC | 75% | 165 / 219 |
| USB PAL | 79% | 298 / 377 |
| USB NTSC | 83% | 211 / 252 |
| SMB PAL | 76% | 133 / 174 |
| SMB NTSC | 80% | 92 / 114 |
Mode stacking rule#
Modes 0x01, 0x02, 0x03, and 0x05 touch CD-status behavior and should not be combined with each other. Modes 0x04, 0x06, and 0x07 are more likely to combine safely, but still test per title.
Tekken 3 is preserved in the corpus as a useful example for combining 0x06 and 0x04. That does not mean every game should receive that pair.
Hugopocked versus TROJAN_7#
| Fix family | Scope | Placement | Trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hugopocked per-game fixes | Specific games and revisions. | Per-game support folder matching the VCD basename. | Using the fix as a universal patch. |
TROJAN_7.BIN cumulative fix pack | Global POPStarter-side cumulative line after the final r13 build. | POPS folder, pending package verification for exact public recipe. | Stacking it with a per-game Hugopocked fix for the same game can add crashes. |
PATCH_#.BIN compatibility files | Mode or behavior-specific patch layer. | POPS folder or support path as documented by the package. | Filename/header mismatches and number collisions. |
Per-game datapoints to preserve#
- Crash Bash: treat as title-specific. The corpus preserves several eras of fixes and warns against expecting one universal mode.
- Tekken 3: mode
0x06plus0x04is a useful community example of allowed stacking. - Jackie Chan Stuntmaster PAL: built-in LibCrypt coverage exists for
SCES-01444, but disc-batch differences may still require$FAKELCor explicit codes. - Tomb Raider 1/2 CDDA desync: recorded as an emulation limitation; do not misdiagnose it as a layout problem.
- Spyro 2/3, Gran Turismo 2, Dino Crisis, Parasite Eve II: old snapshots name them as difficult or historically problematic. Re-test before publishing current absolute claims.
| Behavior | CHEATS.TXT | PATCH | TROJAN | Config bytes | Notes | Status | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compatibility mode 0x01 | $COMPATIBILITY_0x01 |
PATCH_1.BIN |
None | $418-$41F slot value 0x01 |
CD-status-touching mode; do not stack with modes 0x02, 0x03, or 0x05. | high recovered-cross-check | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ShaolinAssassin POPStarter documentation wiki |
| Compatibility mode 0x02 | $COMPATIBILITY_0x02 |
PATCH_2.BIN |
None | $418-$41F slot value 0x02 |
CD-status-touching mode; do not stack with modes 0x01, 0x03, or 0x05. | high recovered-cross-check | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ShaolinAssassin POPStarter documentation wiki |
| Compatibility mode 0x03 | $COMPATIBILITY_0x03 |
PATCH_3.BIN |
None | $418-$41F slot value 0x03 |
CD-status-touching mode; do not stack with modes 0x01, 0x02, or 0x05. | high recovered-cross-check | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ShaolinAssassin POPStarter documentation wiki |
| Compatibility mode 0x04 | $COMPATIBILITY_0x04 |
PATCH_4.BIN |
None | $418-$41F slot value 0x04 |
General-purpose mode used by several known titles. Recovered notes mention King's Field JP English patch and Final Fantasy IX default-config coverage. | high recovered-cross-check | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ShaolinAssassin POPStarter documentation wiki |
| Compatibility mode 0x05 / sub-CD status | $COMPATIBILITY_0x05 or $SUBCDSTATUS |
PATCH_5.BIN |
None | $418-$41F slot value 0x05 |
CD-status-touching mode; do not stack with modes 0x01, 0x02, or 0x03. Do not confuse this compatibility PATCH_5.BIN with POPSLoader's unrelated IGR texture patch artifact. | medium recovered-name-collision | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) POPSLoader by El_isra |
| Compatibility mode 0x06 / skip BIOS OSD shell | $COMPATIBILITY_0x06 |
PATCH_6.BIN |
None | $421=0x01 or $418-$41F slot value 0x06 |
Skips CD checks and the PS logo unless a user BIOS.BIN changes the path. | high recovered-cross-check | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ShaolinAssassin POPStarter documentation wiki |
| Compatibility mode 0x07 | $COMPATIBILITY_0x07 |
PATCH_7.BIN |
None | $418-$41F slot value 0x07 |
Recovered compatibility map lists mode 0x07; C-12: Final Resistance is noted as only partly helped. Keep separate from unverified IGR-related PATCH_7 folklore. | medium recovered-needs-package-check | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ShaolinAssassin POPStarter documentation wiki |
| Disable IGR | $NOIGR |
PATCH_0.BIN |
None | None | Turns off POPStarter's pad-triggered IGR behavior. It is not the same as disabling the BOOT.ELF exit-chain loader. | high recovered-cross-check | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) PSX-Place POPStarter page 15 - IGR and BOOT.ELF discussion |
| IGR menu: L1+L2+R1+R2+X+Down | $IGR0 |
None | TROJAN_0.BIN |
None | Opens the IGR menu. | high recovered-cross-check | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ElOtroLado POPS emulator for PS2 thread (mention only) |
| IGR menu: Start+Select | $IGR1 |
None | TROJAN_1.BIN |
None | Opens the IGR menu. | high recovered-cross-check | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ElOtroLado POPS emulator for PS2 thread (mention only) |
| IGR menu: L1+L2+R1+R2+Start+Select | $IGR2 |
None | TROJAN_2.BIN |
None | Opens the IGR menu. | high recovered-cross-check | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ElOtroLado POPS emulator for PS2 thread (mention only) |
| Direct exit: L1+L2+R1+R2+X+Down | $IGR3 |
None | TROJAN_3.BIN |
$424 must stay at r13 exit-chain default for BOOT.ELF chain |
Terminates POPS directly with no popup, then uses the mc0/mc1 BOOT.ELF -> OSDSYS chain. | high recovered-cross-check | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) PSX-Place POPStarter page 15 - IGR and BOOT.ELF discussion |
| Direct exit: Start+Select | $IGR4 |
None | TROJAN_4.BIN |
$424 must stay at r13 exit-chain default for BOOT.ELF chain |
Terminates POPS directly with no popup. Recovered notes warn that some mirrored manuals swap IGR4 and IGR5; CHANGES.TXT ordering is the authoritative order. | high recovered-cross-check | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ElOtroLado POPS emulator for PS2 thread (mention only) |
| Direct exit / OPL-style macro: L1+L2+R1+R2+Start+Select | $IGR5 |
None | TROJAN_5.BIN |
$424 must stay at r13 exit-chain default for BOOT.ELF chain |
The no-popup OPL-like exit most users want. Earlier r13 builds had a broken $IGR5; the 2019-06-05 final fixed it. | high recovered-cross-check | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) PSX-Place POPStarter page 15 - IGR and BOOT.ELF discussion Retro-Jogos POPStarter guide home |
| Disable automatic PAL patcher | $NOPAL |
stock PATCH_9.BIN |
None | $42A=0x00 |
Runs PAL games in POPS native NTSC behavior. This is the stock PATCH_9 meaning and collides by filename with the later loader-disable PATCH_9.BIN workaround. | medium recovered-filename-collision | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) PSX-Place POPStarter page 4 - PATCH_9.BIN loader-disable post |
| Force PAL patcher and Euro BIOS region | $FORCEPAL |
PATCH_8.BIN |
None | $42A PAL patcher path |
For PAL VCDs whose boot sector lacks valid PAL license text. Do not set with $NOPAL. | high recovered-cross-check | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) ElOtroLado POPS emulator for PS2 thread (mention only) |
| Force 480p output | $480p |
None | None | $42A=0x02 |
Not reliable on all titles and not compatible with X/Y position or display-width crop/stretch commands. | high recovered-cross-check | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) Retro-Jogos POPStarter guide home |
| Per-game cumulative fixes | None | None | TROJAN_7.BIN |
None | Separate from any PATCH_7 discussion. Recovered notes identify TROJAN_7.BIN as the final public fix-pack family, with a 2020-05-20 r7 package noted in history. | medium recovered-needs-package-check | POPSLoader recovered POPStarter documentation site (mention only) Hugopocked fixes for POPStarter |