A demo was just posted of a really interesting adapter that allows a Namco GunCon for the PlayStation to be used on any HID USB compatible device that outputs to a CRT. That means any device that outputs an RGBHV signal from 240p up to 1024×768 (and possibly higher), including PC/Raspberry Pi emulation and even the MiSTer! It will require no on-screen calibration and add a minimal amount of latency, all while retaining the accuracy of the original.
The GUN2CRT is a box with inputs for both of the connectors on the GunCon light gun: A PlayStation controller input and the “composite video” RCA jack; The video cable is meant to read the console’s sync data, which in the case of the PlayStation was pulled from the composite video output. The GUN2CRT utilizes an “RGBHV” signal to extrapolate the sync information, learn where the data is on-screen and send it to the gun’s composite port. It also translates the PlayStation controller commands to HID USB, meaning it will work with any emulation system (hardware or software) that accepts USB and outputs RGBHV “VGA”.
Interestingly enough, it also seems to work with lag-free HDMI to VGA converters, which means this can even be used with MiSTer setups that don’t have an I/O board (or use a connector that’s not a dsub)! More info here: https://www.retrorgb.com/mister-240p-over-hdmi.html
The GUN2CRT is still in development, but JayBee is planning on including a sync combiner, which will come in handy since the adapter requires separate H&V sync on the input side. My hope is two outputs will be provided: A VGA-style connector with switchable HV or csync outputs, plus either a SCART or maybe even an 8-Pin MiniDIN output that’s always RGBs. This should cover all setups, including people who already have an RGB SCART cable designed for the MiSTer’s dsub output, as well as people just using PC’s.
While I’m only speculating at this point, it seems a device like this can have multiple uses:
- The main light gun feature mentioned here.
- PlayStation controller adapter (just leave off the VGA connection)
- Sync combiner (USB would then just be power)
Overall, this is an extremely exciting project and we’ll make sure to update everyone when significant progress is made!
A small demo of my upcoming new crt lightgun adapter, which will allow you to use any Guncon/G-Con45 on any system with crt screen. Here I'm using the MiSTer fpga with the adapter connected directly on it. #guncon #MiSTerFPGA #lightgun #jbgamelab pic.twitter.com/aGbtiEzsmV
— JayBee (@JayBeeFr82) February 28, 2021
