mkpsxiso vs QuackStation

mkpsxiso builds PlayStation CD images from an XML document, with output in .bin/.cue or .iso formats for emulators or CD burning. File order in the XML sets LBA placement, which the project says can support access-time optimization. The builder handles mixed-mode CD-XA content, including XA audio and STR video, and CDDA tracks sourced from WAV, FLAC, PCM, or MP3 files. Its related tool, dumpsxiso, extracts PlayStation disc images and can generate compatible XML. It supports 2352-sector images and CUE files, and can extract tracks, license data, and raw sectors. Generated XML follows strict LBA order and preserves timestamps and XA attributes. The project targets homebrew development, ROM hacking, and reverse engineering. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, and is GPL-2.0 licensed. Documentation covers command-line use, XML structure, track types, ordering, errors, and validation. Users supply their own Sony license data for injection. On ext4 and xfs, absent XML dates prevent 1:1 rebuilding for certain older files; Windows also has a documented directory-browsing issue with some nested structures.

QuackStation is a free PlayStation 1 emulator with a Qt front end and a fullscreen interface for TV use. Its project goals include playability, speed, long-term maintainability, and performance suitable for low-end devices. It supports hardware rendering through D3D11, D3D12, OpenGL, Vulkan, and Metal, as well as software rendering. Hardware graphics options include upscaling, texture filtering, 24-bit true colour, and PGXP geometry precision and texture correction. Playback features include save states, runahead, rewind, fast boot, CPU overclocking, and time-stretched audio. Games can load from CDs and formats including BIN/CUE, raw BIN/IMG, MAME CHD, ECM, MDS/MDF, and unencrypted PBP. It supports digital and analog controllers, lightguns simulated with a mouse, NeGcon, and multitap for up to eight devices. A PS1 or PS2 BIOS ROM image is required and is not included; users must dump it from their own console. The project is licensed under GNU GPLv3 or later. Android is currently unmaintained and unsupported.