Darksoft has just released a new version of his CPS-1 multi-kit, which includes a new way to get QSound that uses all original chips (as opposed to an FPGA replacement for audio). That makes these “official” Q-Sound boards that match originals. All kits purchased from now on will include this board and if you’ve already bought a version with the FPGA audio module, you can purchase just the audio board separately. More info below the links:
North American Store: https://highscoresave.com/cps1-cps1.5-dsp16a-limited-edition-of-25-units-darksoft-multigame-kit/
Europe Sales: https://www.saveyourgames.it/prodotto/coming-soon-preorder-darksoft-multi-cps1-1-5/
Main Forum Thread: https://www.arcade-projects.com/threads/new-qsound-modules-with-we-dsp16a.32238/
According to Darksoft, this multi plays EVERYTHING from CPS1 and has been engineered for almost two years. It supports key writing, CPS1, CPS1.5, all possible inputs for 3P, 4P, it even supports a spinner for Forgotten Worlds via a module sold separately by Mitsurugi_w – He really wanted to make the final CPS1 Multi.
How this all came about is a pretty cool story: Darksoft saw that some later models of CPS2, after AT&T became Lucent, didn’t have the CAPCOM-Q1 silkscreen but rather a Lucent DSP-16A which is what was already suspected as the DSP used. The problem with this DSP is that it’s only available as either OTP or Mask ROM, so if you find this chip, it has already been programmed and can’t be re-flashed. Well, Darksoft found a way to have it run code from external memory instead, allowing people to enjoy Q-Sound with the same chip and code as the original.
It’s my opinion that the previous revision which used an FPGA programmed with Jotego’s very accurate code still performed great and I wouldn’t have been unhappy if that’s what I received. That said, people who invest money in arcade multi kits do so because they want the most accurate experience to the original game. Heck, you can get a full MiSTer kit including a JAMMA adapter for less than the price of just this multi; These are not for the casual arcade gamer, but for the serious enthusiast. From that perspective, I think taking the time to make this module was a good move…even if it was an insane amount of work.
…and speaking of price, I (sadly) always have to remind people: If this is too expensive for you, don’t buy it. You can emulate CPS arcade games for free via software on a PC if you’re on a budget and you can always pick up a cheap Raspberry Pi JAMMA solution for arcade cabinets. Stuff like this is specifically for people looking to game on original hardware and if you compare it to the price of buying all the CPS game modules, it’s actually very cost-effective. So please, AGAIN, keep context in mind when forming an opinion about arcade hardware: It’s totally fine if you don’t want to spend the money on it, but respect the fact that many people choose to, as this is the exact solution they’re looking for.
