Below is a rough breakdown of my live stream interview with José Manuel Barroso Galindo, otherwise known as theypsilon.
I recommend watching the stream as this article won’t cover everything that was discussed, but it will give you a good idea.
Interview Dialogue: Pixel Cherry Ninja and theypsilon
Pixel: Welcome, Jose, the legendary theypsilon! You’re known as the developer of Update All for MiSTer. Tell us how you got started.
theypsilon: I’m a software engineer from Spain. I got into MiSTer in 2019 after seeing some videos. I loved the concept but felt the user experience (UX) needed improving.
Pixel: And that led to Update All. I was so overwhelmed configuring my MiSTer, and that tool is now a staple. What was the origin of it?
theypsilon: I was frustrated by how previous updating methods were not cohesive. I saw a comment in the community that someone should create a script to “update all” at once. So, I took different existing scripts, merged them, and that’s how it began.
Pixel: It’s a huge project now. How much time do you spend on it weekly?
theypsilon: I spend a minimum of 10 hours a week on maintenance and support. The project got so complex that I had to rewrite the entire infrastructure from scratch to rely heavily on automation.
Speed and Optimization
Pixel: The speed is incredible now. Pezz82 can’t even make a cup of tea before it’s done! What was the big breakthrough?
theypsilon: The major milestone was the 2.0.0 rewrite, which I released in February. I achieved the huge speed boost by parallelizing all the downloads throughout the pipeline.
Pixel: What’s your ultimate speed goal?
theypsilon: I want the “no updates” check to complete in 3–4 seconds. That will be fast enough to integrate a new UI element that shows users when updates are available without delay.
Core Locking and Future Features
Pixel: On the topic of updates: is it possible to introduce a feature to lock a core? Sometimes a core update breaks a previously working game, especially with high-frequency updates.
theypsilon: I recognize it’s a very common request. I’m considering a “blocking filter” that would let users restrict updates on specific files. The only drawback is that locking an old core might prevent you from receiving important bug fixes that have already been implemented.
Pixel: You also have a Patreon. What’s the new perk you’re working on for supporters?
theypsilon: I’m working on a new feature called “Timeline” or a “what’s new” screen. All users will see the past week of updates, but my Patreons will get boosted access to a full year of update history for all cores.
Pixel: And what about integrating community-made core lists and databases into Update All?
theypsilon: I had to manually integrate the other core databases. But I’ve since created a DB template to make it much easier for other contributors to integrate their content. Once they are integrated, the updates for that content are automatic.
Analogue Pocket and Next-Gen
Pixel: I know you own an Analogue Pocket. Did you ever consider making MiSTer a dock for it?
theypsilon: Yes, that was the dream, but the slow USB speed on the Pocket made it unworkable for updates. However, I’m still working on a feature to allow save file transfer between the Analogue Pocket and the MiSTer.
Pixel: We’ve seen the new DE25 board released by Terasic. I ordered one, did you?
theypsilon: Yes, I ordered one with an academic discount! I don’t believe the new hardware will suddenly unlock PS2 or newer systems, as some people hope. I think its true value will be in providing improved accuracy and extra features for our existing, resource-tight cores, like the N64 and Saturn.
Pixel: Do you think the release of the DE25 will cause Terasic to drop the price of the DE10 Nano to compete with the cheaper alternatives?
theypsilon: I have no clue about Terasic’s marketing strategy, but it’s a valid possibility. They might keep the price up to push people to the better DE25 hardware, or they could drop the DE10 Nano price to compete with the alternatives. I just don’t know how they’ll behave with that.
Gaming and the Future
Pixel: What got you into MiSTer, and what games do you play?
theypsilon: I got MiSTer because I wanted to get rid of my messy original hardware. I mostly play 16-bit consoles and the NES. MiSTer helped me discover games on the PC-Engine that I missed as a kid. It also reintroduced me to games I enjoyed as a kid on the NES like Bucky O’Hare.
Pixel: I remember you once told me that streaming felt like playing video games when we were kids and our friends were watching. You are the reason I stream more now! It really recreates that feeling to a good extent.
theypsilon: That’s amazing to hear! I used to stream to force myself to play games, but I don’t do it much anymore. It truly recreates that nostalgic feeling of friends gathering around the TV.
Pixel: Well, I’m buying the new beat ’em up Marvel Cosmic Invasion day one. It’s the same team that made Streets of Rage 4. We should definitely arrange a co-op stream together to play it.
theypsilon: Yes, absolutely, let’s do it! That sounds very cool.
Pixel: What about other consoles? You mentioned you grew up with arcade classics.
theypsilon: Yes, I played Final Fight a lot, I usually picked Cody. And games like Bubble Bobble and Snow Bros were huge in Spain.
Pixel: What’s on your MiSTer core wish list?
theypsilon: I’d love to see the PGM system (the Taiwanese system close to Neo Geo) and maybe the Dreamcast shooter Ikaruga, though I know that’s a distant dream.
Pixel: Finally, what’s your biggest project right now?
theypsilon: I’m working on a project for my master’s degree: an AI-powered CRT filter. It will be trained to replicate the specific visual signature of a concrete CRT model to provide a truly realistic retro experience on modern LCDs.
Pixel: Anything you wanna add?
theypsilon: and Pixel conclude with: Just remember that the core developers do the heavy lifting. The hardware is great, but please support the people who are creating the cores we use every day.
The full conversation can be caught below 👇
Here are all the social links for theypsilon Patreon, X/Twitter, GitHub.