PSP 2020 32 bit or 64 bit which best to install?

[BumbleBee]

Hi,

When I first started using PSP X8 ultimate I was advised to install both the 32 bit and 64 bit versions as some plug ins only worked in the 32 bit version.
Must admit I have found this rather confusing and it does seem rather daft to have two versions of the same program on my PC (64bit Windows 10) Both versions loaded at similar speeds and have not really noticed much difference other than the plug in issue.

Has there been an improvement in PSP 2020 ultimate, so it is only necessary to install one version of the software to get full functionality?
If so which should I install?

Also would PSP 2020 be able to utilise the extras that came with the earlier version or is it necessary to install the extras again?

[LeviFiction]

There isn't really a good way to "improve" PSP to allow 64-bit programs to run 32-bit plugins. The reason for this is because plugins are run in the same process as the program that runs them. They aren't stand-alone programs. And the way computer work 64-bit programs cannot run 32-bit programs in the same process.

You are able to buy plugin bridge software. These allow you to call 32-bit plugins from a 64-bit program by treating them like stand-alone programs and running them in their own processes. It's a forced work around and it doesn't work with everything, but it is a good compromise. It just costs more money.

The recommendation to install both came from the desire to have the increased memory address capabilities of 64-bit for larger images and hopefully faster processing (not that that matters if the process is single threaded). As well as the ability to use 32-bit plugins when they were required. So, install the version of PSP you'll use most. If you need the plugins and don't want to buy a bridge plugin, install 32-bit. If you don't need the plugins, or you are okay buying the bridge software, go ahead and install 64-bit. If you aren't sure, install both until you are sure.

I never use the extras so I can't say for sure. Technically the answer is yes all old extras work in the newest version of PSP because they rely on systems that don't change that often between versions. The problem you'll run into are the installters. The installers may or may not work with newer versions of PSP. But if the extras are already installed you should be able to point PSP to them (the method depends on the extra).

[BumbleBee]

Thank you, that is very helpful. Much appreciated.