How to Use Cheat Codes on ePSXe Emulator Guide

Using cheat codes on the ePSXe emulator can significantly enhance your gaming experience, especially for those challenging PS1 classics. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use cheat codes effectively.

Downloading and Setting Up Cheat Codes

1. Ensure Internet Connection: To download cheat codes, you need to be connected to the internet. This is crucial as the emulator will fetch the available cheats from online databases.
2. Accessing Cheat Codes Menu: Start your game in the ePSXe emulator. Once the game is running, close the game window by clicking the X in the upper right corner. This will bring up the ePSXe menu. Navigate to Options > Cheat Codes.
3. Downloading Cheats: In the Cheat Codes menu, click the Download button. The emulator will download the available cheat codes for your game. These codes are usually provided by other users and may not include all possible cheats.

Adding Custom Cheat Codes

1. Locate the Cheats Folder: Find the folder where you have installed the ePSXe emulator. Inside this folder, there will be a cheats folder. This is where you will add your custom cheat codes.
2. Identify Your Game's Code File: The cheat files are organized by the game's ID, which can be NTSC (US) or PAL (Europe). Common IDs include:
   • SCUS: Sony Created USA (NTSC)
   • SLUS: Sony Licence USA (NTSC)
   • SCES: Sony Created Europe (PAL)
   • SLES: Sony Licence Europe (PAL)
3. Create or Edit the Cheat File: Open the text file corresponding to your game in a text editor. The file name will be in the format Sxxx_xxx.xx.txt, replacing the dashes with underscores.
4. Format for Adding Codes: Each cheat code should be formatted as follows:

   #Description of Code
   XXXXXXXX YYYY
   

   For example:

   #Infinite Health
   800F5E6A 00FF
   

   Ensure you follow this format to avoid errors.

Saving and Loading Custom Cheat Codes

1. Save the Cheat File: After adding your custom cheat codes, save the text file. Make sure not to overwrite any existing codes unless you intend to do so.
2. Loading the Game with Custom Cheats: Exit the game completely and restart it. The new cheat codes will be available in the Cheat Codes menu. Select the cheats you want to activate.
3. Important Note: Do not click the Download button after adding custom codes, as this will overwrite your changes and download the default list of cheats again.

Tips for Using Cheat Codes

1. Avoid Saving Games with Active Cheats: It is generally not recommended to save your game with cheat codes activated, as this can cause the game to crash or behave unpredictably.
2. Verify Cheat Codes: Sometimes, not all cheat codes work as intended. Be prepared to test different codes to find the ones that work best for your game.

By following these steps, you can easily use and customize cheat codes on the ePSXe emulator, enhancing your gaming experience with your favorite PS1 titles.