Configuration Menu

Overview

This menu appears when you turn on the PC Engine+UperGrafx without a HuCard inside the system. The PC Engine controller is used to navigate the menu and select the menu options.
The configuration screen of upergrafx_xx_20191005.pac. It's common screen for both resolutions.
The configuration screen of upergrafx_20190212.pac

Changes to the configuration settings are saved immediately, and remain saved even after the system power is turned off. 

Using the Controller

  • Press up and down on the controller's D-pad to select the various menu options.
  • Press left and right on the D-pad to change the settings of the selected sub-category.
  • Press the I button on the controller to switch to the IMAGE LIST screen.
  • Press the Select button on the controller to return all settings to their default.

Detailed Item Descriptions

BACKUP RAM AREA

Selects which of the 3 available pages on the unit's FeRAM to use for backing up game save data.

SCREEN ASPECT RATIO (from upergrafx_xx_20191005.pac)

Select the screen aspect ratio of the PCE display. This function affects all VCE screen modes. (The discontinued function "PIXEL ASPECT RATIO ON 4x3" affects only 256 pixel mode (it's a popular name))
[FIXED]
The size of all the pixels output by the PCE are now same, so that users don't feel a sense of discomfort. However, the screen is longer horizontally.
[ADJUSTED]
This function adjusts to the appropriate screen aspect ratio, like an analog TV. However, users might feel a sense of discomfort due to slower scrolling.
  • 720p: The screen shrinks horizontally. In 512 pixel mode, the screen looks strange. This is due to a technical problem on our end.
    • Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective series: all screens
    • TV Sports Basket Ball: player select screen
    • Asuka 120%: story text
  • 1080p: The screen stretches vertically.

SIMULATED SCANLINES (from upergrafx_xx_20191005.pac)

You can toggle the simulated scanlines on and off.

PIXEL ASPECT RATIO ON 4x3 (until upergrafx_20190803.pac)

(The function has been removed from upergrafx_xx_20191005.pac)
You can choose the pixel aspect ratio of the PCE display with this setting. When the PCE outputs a horizontal resolution of about 256 pixels, you may choose to shrink it by 1 pixel.
This is useful for games that can be forced to display in ARCADE MODE. Due to the nature of digital displays, it's not possible to select intermediate scales. It might not look as good when compared to analog displays.
A scanline filter is available on the 4x2 and 3x2 aspect ratios.
Please click the image. You can check full-size pictures which is useful to understand the difference.

SIDE AREA DESIGN

Selects the type of design that will appear in screen border area on the left and right sides of the game window.

BLACK


GRID


VSYNC FREQUENCY

Select the type of vsync frequency that you prefer.
  • 60.00 Hz: The standard frequency for most displays and video capture devices. Because it differs slightly from the PCE's vsync frequency, this causes a bit of screen/frame tearing.
  • Original: Uses the frequency that is output by the PCE, thus no screen/frame tearing is present. Might cause issues with some displays and video capture devices.
    • There are certain games (Game specific issues) that switch between frequencies at certain points, in those cases the screen will temporarily go blank after the switch occurs.
  • 59.83 Hz: This frequency is the one used most often by PCE software. This option is useful for when the blank screens occur too frequently and/or are annoying when using ORIGINAL. Now instead of a blank screen, there will be a bit of screen/frame tearing whenever the PCE software switches frequencies.

TOP AND BOTTOM CROPPING

This option crops out the upper and lower 8 lines of the background layer, while leaving the foreground sprite layers untouched.
The Uper Grafx displays the upper and lower 8 lines of the PCE's video output which would normally be hidden from view on an analog TV.
Because these areas of the screen aren't supposed to be visible on an analog NTSC television, some games might display graphical anomalies in these areas.
Any annoyances caused by this can be mitigated by cropping out these parts of the background layer.
This video of Final Lap Twin demonstrates this option in action:

SYSTEM CARD TYPE IN SLOT

Selects which of the two types of physical System Cards to use when playing CD-ROM2 system software. This setting has no effect if a physical ROM card is not inserted into the PCE system; it has not effect when playing ROM image files.
  • HE SYSTEM: Select this option if you wish to use the standard NEC system card, or if you don't know which of the two to select.
  • GAMES EXPRESS: Select this option if you wish to use the Games Express CD CARD. Some CD-ROM2 software might not run correctly with this card selected.

VIRTUAL CD DRIVE SPEED

Selects the read speed of the virtual CD-ROM2 system drive.
  • NORMAL: This option sets both the read speed and seek time of the virtual CD-ROM system drive to be identical to that of an actual PCE drive.
    • There is some software that will only run correctly if this option is selected.
    • A list of known software that is only compatible with this option can be found here - Game specific issues
  • FAST: This option sets the read speed to be 3 times faster than an actual drive, and seek times are eliminated.

IMAGE NUMBER PRESET

The number if installed disc images appear as occupied blocks in the CD-ROM2 system's memory card display screen. Use this screen to navigate and select the disc image you wish to run.
The notation used to organize the disc images is "bb-nn", where "bb" represents the block, and "nn" represents the number.

BLOCK

Allows you to select one of the 99 available disc images.
  • The virtual memory card can store up to 99 disc images per BLOCK.
  • BLOCK 00 stores disc images number 1 through 99, and BLOCK 01 stores disc images number 100 to 198. etc.
  • (Note) The image disc capacity of a BLOCK after the first is limited by the amount of remaining space on the physical memory card. 1 GB = 1,0003 bytes.
    • less than 4 GB = 11 images
    • less than 8 GB  = 24 images
    • less than 16 GB = 49 images
    • 16 GB or more = 99 images

DISC, ROM

Displays the disc image number or ROM image number within the target BLOCK.
  • When DISC XX-00 is selected, the Audio CD player on the NEC system card, which is then used to select the disc image you wish to run.
  • If you select a non-existent disc image number via the memory card screen, it will respond the same as if you had selected DISC XX-00

IMAGE LIST

This list will display the actual names of the disc images on the memory card, and you may select and run them through this list as well.
The screen will switch when you press the I button on the controller. Please see this page for more information: Selecting and Manipulating Disc Images
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