Can launchbox and bigbox be completely shut down after a game launch? (GPD Win)

[Aurel]

Hi,

I recently bought a fantastic super small device called GPD Win. It's a windows 10 handled console, shaped as a 3DS, and I'd like to use BigBox on it.
I made some tests, and it runs pretty ok.

But this device is very CPU and Ram limited, so I'd like BigBox to be closed after launching a game. Would this be possible? : )

 

EDIT : should you be curious, more infos on the GPD Win here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gpd-win-intel-z8700-win-10-os-game-console-laptop#/

 

 

Edited December 23, 2016 by Aurel

[DOS76]

I run BigBox on a few tablets with similar specs and performance isn't the best I don't think you can close BB when launching a game. I never have an issue with the games themselves what are you trying to emulate that is giving you an issue with BB running in the background

[ckp]

I think you could shutdown Bigbox by using and Additional App AFTER command, batch file, or script. To totally kill it in a rude manner, you would run :

taskkill.exe /f /im bigbox.exe 

but killing it like this might mean it won't close properly, and perhaps that might do something bad to one of the Bigbox xml files but i'm not sure.

you could first try the graceful close method like this:

taskkill.exe /im bigbox.exe

the power of the before and after additional apps feature lets you accomplish nearly anything.

 

Edit: since you want to do this for every game, it would be much easier to just run the taskkill by adding it to each of the emulators autohotkey tabs. so open menu item tools/manage emulators, and for each emulator got to the autohotkey tab and add something like this:

$Esc::
{
    Process, Close, {{{StartupEXE}}}

   Run, taskkill.exe /IM BigBox.exe
}

 

 

Edited December 23, 2016 by ckp

[Aurel]

@DOS76  Even if being a super low spec device, the GPD win can be tweaked to run gamecube, wii, ps2 and pretty demanding PC games. But these games need to use 100% of the CPU to be playable. A few programs running in background and you get slowdows / hiccups.

For example, the gamecube games emulated on the GPD Win in this vid use 50hz/Pal versions... NTSC/60fps can't be achieved. It's that tricky. But at the end of the day, you get your Dolphin and Steam library in your pocket (with a Xinput integrated gamepad) and it's awesome:

EDIT: I don't have any link showing BigBox running on the device, but you can find a Hyperspin on GPD Win video here : https://www.youtube.com/user/beatlep/videos

@ckp  Ooooooh, very clever! That will do the trick for emulators, thanks a lot! I still have to find a way to do the same thing for PC games, but this is already very nice : )

Edited December 23, 2016 by Aurel

[DOS76]

Wait it runs GameCube on an Atom that is insane

 

[DOS76]

Do you have  a powerful PC too you can install Steam BigPicture add BigBox as an non-Steam game and use in home streaming frm your Best PC to play on there while at home.

Edited December 23, 2016 by DOS76

[Aurel]

10 minutes ago, DOS76 said:

Wait it runs GameCube on an Atom that is insane

 

You'd be very surprised, I even played the latest Resident Evil 7 demo on it this week. It requires some tweaks in the bios, but if you spend a bit of time to max the CPU and GPU, this device is amazing, really. (out of the box, not that much)

I'm not using streaming on it, as storage isn't a issue (64gb ssd + 128go usb mini stick + 128go micro sdcard).
This device screams "Let me run Bigbox", BigBox perfs are very ok even displaying video previews.

And thanks to @cpk I should be able to do it now : )

Edited December 23, 2016 by Aurel

[DOS76]

Are you Overclocking it on a fanless system? It has its own GPU?

[DOS76]

Does it support Miracast to play on TV too

[Aurel]

GPU + CPU on a chip.

But there is a real active fan, with a physical swtich (off / midspeed / fullspeed).
I also told the bios to shutdown the system if a specific temperature is reached (80° Celsius).
It never happened for now, and this chipset can go up the 90° without harm.
My hands would burn before the console : )

I don't know what miracast is, but you can find a mini hdmi port on the console.

(If you're interested in it, do not buy it from second hand, the very first models had faulty gpu. Get a new model from the last batches. Some shops like Belchine.net even test the consoles one by one so you're sure to get a perfect unit)

Edited December 23, 2016 by Aurel

[DOS76]

hit the win+P keys and look for the option look for wireless display

Edited December 23, 2016 by DOS76

[Aurel]

Yep, it does wireless screen projection.

I don't have any use of this feature, but it's interesting to know it's supported.

Edited December 23, 2016 by Aurel

[ckp]

37 minutes ago, Aurel said:

Ooooooh, very clever! That will do the trick for emulators, thanks a lot! I still have to find a way to do the same thing for PC games, but this is already very nice : )

You can do it for PC games too, but you will have to use the additional apps tab to run taskkill.exe with command line parameter of,  /IM BigBox.exe , AFTER the game. If you have lots of games to do this to, it might be easier to just set it in one game, then open the Launchbox\Data\Platforms\Windows.xml file, find what it added for that one game and copy/paste those additional apps lines to each game you see inside that xml file.

[ckp]

2 hours ago, Aurel said:

GPD Win here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gpd-win-intel-z8700-win-10-os-game-console-laptop#/

So cool! But it looks like you can't buy them right now.

[Aurel]

@ckp  Thanks for the explanations! I'll do this.

Yes, you can buy one right now. Seems the next shipment is due to 15th january on the shop where I got mine (Europe): http://www.belchine.net/index.php?id_product=192&controller=product&id_lang=4&search_query=gpd+win&results=1

Please, please, be aware this is a cheaply made chinese product and it requires some tweaking before being 100% happy with it.
Screen is great, controls are great, overall quality is more than ok, but this isn't a ready to use PSVita.
Don't get it from second hand, and only get one from a very trustable shop so you're sure to get the latest model (and pre-tested as the GPD QA is very bad)
And be ready to get your hands a bit dirty in the bios: http://boards.dingoonity.org/gpd-windows-devices/gpd-win-performance-guide/

That said, I'm in freaking love with it and would recommend it to everyone looking for an all-in-one lovely not that low specs handled machine.
Running Steam games.
And Bigbox.
 

Edited December 24, 2016 by Aurel

[SentaiBrad]

I've been wanting a dedicated emulation handheld. I love my Vita, but I want something independent of another closed system, and those GPD's have caught my eye. I'm too broke now to get them though.

[meshflesh]

On 12/23/2016 at 5:01 PM, Aurel said:

Hi,

I recently bought a fantastic super small device called GPD Win. It's a windows 10 handled console, shaped as a 3DS, and I'd like to use BigBox on it.
I made some tests, and it runs pretty ok.

But this device is very CPU and Ram limited, so I'd like BigBox to be closed after launching a game. Would this be possible? : )

 

EDIT : should you be curious, more infos on the GPD Win here: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/gpd-win-intel-z8700-win-10-os-game-console-laptop#/

 

 

Hi. did you try retroarch on the GPD WIN??? as well as epsxe? if so, how do they run??? Does bigbox affect emulation performance?? thanks!!

[Aurel]

playstation games work pretty well yep.  And I'm using retroarch + light shaders for 8 / 16 bit systems.
Search on google / video and you'll find plenty of vids showing various emulators on this tiny thing : )

Bigbox is a bit heavy for the GPD Win, I'm using Attract Mode now, another frontend, very light on the RAM , CPU and SSD.
(I still love and use Launchbox/BigBox on my main machine.)

Edited February 6, 2017 by Aurel

[meshflesh]

 

50 minutes ago, Aurel said:

playstation games work pretty well yep.  And I'm using retroarch + light shaders for 8 / 16 bit systems.
Search on google / video and you'll find plenty of vids showing various emulators on this tiny thing : )

Bigbox is a bit heavy for the GPD Win, I'm using Attract Mode now, another frontend, very light on the RAM , CPU and SSD.
(I still love and use Launchbox/BigBox on my main machine.)

yesss...i agree. Bigbox is amazing on the desktop. especially on a 55inch tv.

thanks for your response!!  Im going to wait for the gpd win 2.  Wait until the 1st gen kinks are worked out. Im just glad the foodgates have been opened for handheld gaming pc's!! 

[SentaiBrad]

Is the GPD Win 2 a thing? I'm holding out for the PGS.