GCW Zero Game Console Firmware 2014-08-20 Download

Posted at April 27, 2024 by PCI-DB Team

GCW Zero Game Console Firmware 2014-08-20 Description

Image Scaling:

The hardware image processor (IPU) is now used to rescale video to fit the Zero's 320x240 screen. This is already useful for some applications and is an essential step towards HDMI and analog TV-out.

Applications can be modified to request resolutions smaller than 320x240, which will then be scaled up in hardware. This can allow for example some emulators to run a bit faster. By default, scaling will preserve the aspect ratio, but if you prefer to have no black borders even if that means distorting the image, you can switch modes using Power+A.

Applications can also set the key X-OD-NeedsDownscaling=true in their OPK metadata to request the use of resolutions higher than 320x240 which are then downscaled to 320x240. This can help in porting PC applications that need for example 640x480 output resolution. For applications that can render in either low (320x240 or below) or high resolution, we suggest to not set this key and render in low resolution, since outputting fewer pixels is better for performance and battery life.

G-sensor:

A driver was added that makes the g-sensor in the Zero available as a joystick. Applications that want to use this should set X-OD-NeedsGSensor=true in their OPK metadata.

Rumble:

A driver was added for the rumble motor inside the Zero. It can be used via the SDL2 haptic API.

GMenu2X Improvements:

The file selector is now a lot faster when entering directories with lots of files. Also the button repeat rate is now configurable, so you can increase this if you think scrolling is too slow.

Preview images (such as screenshots or cover art for game ROMs) are shown semi-transparently full screen behind the file list. Preview images should be placed in a directory named previews below the directory containing the data files, where the preview image has the same file name as the corresponding data file, but with the file extension .png. For example for my-favorite-game.rom the preview image would be previews/my-favorite-game.png.

The displaying of manuals was made faster, bugs were fixed and support for non-Latin scripts was improved. Unicode support was enhanced and long line wrapping is supported in more places now. Messages appearing on selecting the Power Off/Reboot menu entries make more sense now. There were lots of smaller tweaks, bug fixes and optimizations as well.

Two new translations were added:
- Norwegian by Lithium Flower
- Polish by Artur "zear" Rojek

Date and Time Changes:

We switched to a different hardware clock (RTC) driver. A side effect of this is that the first time you run the new firmware, the date will be reset to 1970 (the beginning of time in the UNIX world). The easiest way to correct the time is to connect to a WiFi access point, then the right time will be fetched over the network (via NTP). Alternatively, you can manually set the time using the clock application.

When the system time is updated via the network (NTP), it is now properly saved in the hardware clock (RTC) on shutdown; previously a bug prevented this.

A time zone database was added. There is no GUI for it yet, but from the command line you can create a symlink from /etc/local/timezone to the file under /usr/share/zoneinfo/uclibc/ representing your local time zone.

Changes for Developers:

- The popular Love2D runtime is now part of the rootfs.
- Added libraries: GLM (OpenGL Mathematics), SDL2 (no longer experimental), SDL2_image, SDL2_ttf, SDL2_mixer, SDL2_net.
- Removed packages: links, newt, slang.

Other changes:

- The button mapping in DinguxCommander was fixed.
- When a Zero is used as a WiFi access point (AP), broadcast packets are now routed over WiFi. This allows a LAN-enabled game instances on two devices (for example, two Zeroes or a Zero and laptop) to find the each other.
- Enabled support for huge files and EFI partition tables; this improves compatibility with external SD cards with atypical formatting.
- The 7zr tool was added, which can extract .7z archives. Together with the tar, unzip and unrar tools which have been available for a while, OpenDingux should be able to unpack all common archive formats.

NOTE:

The update process depends on which firmware version your Zero is currently running. To check the version, go to the "Settings" tab and start "System Info". Look at the dates on the Compiled on lines.

How it works

- First make sure you have a backup of all valuable user data you have on your GCW Zero, such as save games.
- Download the most recent updater application above. Transfer the application (OPK file) to the apps/ directory on your GCW Zero.
- You can select an option with the d-pad and confirm your choice with the start button.
- While the update is in progress, you'll see progress information being printed showing what the updater is doing. The update process takes a few minutes, please be patient while it does its work, even if you don't see anything happening for a while on the screen.
- When you press start again, the system will restart. After the restart you can check that the new kernel and rootfs were installed in the System Info application
- The compile date for the kernel and rootfs should be equal to or very close to the date of the updater application.
- After the update is complete, you can remove the updater application (OPK file).

About Gaming Console Firmware:

Upgrading the firmware version on your gaming console might enhance the unit’s overall performance and stability, include workarounds for various issues, and improve different features (or add support for new ones).

In addition to that, if you have updated the firmware and it either faulty or has caused a drop in the overall performance of the device, applying a previous version is handy as regards recovering the console’s functionality. On the downside, downgrading the firmware isn’t always possible.

When it comes to applying a certain firmware, as this process is not without risks most of the times, it is recommended that this task be initiated by a power user in a steady power environment, such as the one provided by a UPS unit. However, the installation can also be performed by a regular user at their own risk.

As for the installation method, given the large variety of gaming consoles and the various ways for applying a firmware, before even considering an upgrade or a downgrade, it’s best that you carefully read and understand the installation steps, and initiate the process only once you have familiarized yourself with the update method.

That being said, if you have duly considered all these aspects, either click on the download button to get the present release, or check with our website as often as possible to find out first when the firmware that you desire is available.

  It is highly recommended to always use the most recent driver version available.

Try to set a system restore point before installing a device driver. This will help if you installed an incorrect or mismatched driver. Problems can arise when your hardware device is too old or not supported any longer.

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