# Nintendo Switch Yuzu Emulator Receives Significant Performance Improvements in First 2021 Update



## Uskompuf (Feb 11, 2021)

Yuzu is an experimental Nintendo Switch emulator from the creators of the Citra 3DS emulator. The emulator has come a long way since the early days with more games becoming supported and general performance improvements. The first major update of 2021 brings a rewrite of the buffer cache along with general bug fixes and stability improvements. The new buffer cache was tested with the Ryzen 5 3400G and resulted in an average performance improvement of 89% for tested games with the average FPS rising to 30. These improvements should greatly benefit those with lower-end hardware and are likely to increase in the future as the emulator is further developed.



 



*View at TechPowerUp Main Site*


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## sam_86314 (Feb 11, 2021)

Just started messing around with this emulator again. Finally, I can play New Horizons on my preferred platform.

Really wish they'd re-add the resolution scaler. Games look _soooooo _good in Ryujinx at 2x resolution.


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## lexluthermiester (Feb 11, 2021)

This is an odd article to see on TPU. Still, very interesting! I'm an emulation buff and had no idea this emu existed...


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## ViperXTR (Feb 11, 2021)

Didn't expect emulation news in TPU heh,

Aside from regular PC games, been into emulation for so many years and been always looking at whats new.

Yuzu has seen some great progress indeed, though RyujinX is still better in terms of compatibility and graphics









Was able to run Monster hunter rise Demo on RyujinX after just a few rounds of updates


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## sam_86314 (Feb 11, 2021)

ViperXTR said:


> Didn't expect emulation news in TPU heh,
> 
> Aside from regular PC games, been into emulation for so many years and been always looking at whats new.
> 
> ...


Just wish Ryujinx was more stable. Shader compilation takes ages and games seem less stable than on yuzu.

But, as I stated earlier, resolution scaling on Ryujinx is great. Yuzu needs to re-add it at some point.

I guess RPCS3 and Cemu have just spoiled me with their polish and feature sets...


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## ViperXTR (Feb 11, 2021)

sam_86314 said:


> Just wish Ryujinx was more stable. Shader compilation takes ages and games seem less stable than on yuzu.
> 
> But, as I stated earlier, resolution scaling on Ryujinx is great. Yuzu needs to re-add it at some point.
> 
> I guess RPCS3 and Cemu have just spoiled me with their polish and feature sets...


RyujinX now has shader chache but still lacks asynchronous shader compilation of RPCS3, CEMU and recently yuzu. In terms of stability, somewhat depends on the game i guess but RyujinX demands more CPU power for now vs Yuzu but yeah, i believe Yuzu removed it for compatibility and speed purposes for now but i believe they will bring it back sooner or later.
Speaking of RPCS3, GoW3 is pretty much very nice to play now


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## Space Lynx (Feb 11, 2021)

If Switch ever comes out with a PRO version with OLED screen and higher ppi I will buy a Switch, as it stands though I can't stand it.

while I am dreaming, lets also hope Sony doesn't give up on handhelds, and in a couple years comes out with a Vita 3 or something... I really think Sony had the right idea, they just need to keep at it.


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## Solid State Soul ( SSS ) (Feb 11, 2021)

ViperXTR said:


> Speaking of RPCS3, GoW3 is pretty much very nice to play now


Yes, finally i can play 11 years PS3 games on my 3000$ PC, PROGRESS !!! 


lynx29 said:


> If Switch ever comes out with a PRO version with OLED screen and higher ppi I will buy a Switch, *as it stands though I can't stand it.*


You can dock it on an oled tv, seriously tho, games dont need to be played at a million PPI resolutions on an OLED with saturated colors for you to enjoy playing them, but i guess saying that in a PC enthusiast forms is pointless, after all, nothing is enough for the enthusiasts am i right ?


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## ViperXTR (Feb 11, 2021)

lynx29 said:


> If Switch ever comes out with a PRO version with OLED screen and higher ppi I will buy a Switch, as it stands though I can't stand it.
> 
> while I am dreaming, lets also hope Sony doesn't give up on handhelds, and in a couple years comes out with a Vita 3 or something... I really think Sony had the right idea, they just need to keep at it.


Fix the joycon drift first and foremost heh



Solid State Soul ( SSS ) said:


> Yes, finally i can play 11 years PS3 games on my 3000$ PC, PROGRESS !!!
> 
> You can dock it on an oled tv


Lol, ive played it long ago in actual PS3 hardware, it's just somewhat interesting to see it run on PC, for me at least


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## Solid State Soul ( SSS ) (Feb 11, 2021)

ViperXTR said:


> Lol, ive played it long ago in actual PS3 hardware, it's just somewhat interesting to see it run on PC, for me at least


I get it, emulating games is interesting, though i wont be using it to play games from other platforms, emulations comes with so many quirks, bu the end you spend more time fighting and adjusting the software than enjoying the game.


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## sam_86314 (Feb 11, 2021)

Solid State Soul ( SSS ) said:


> I get it, emulating games is interesting, though i wont be using it to play games from other platforms, emulations comes with so many quirks, bu the end you spend more time fighting and adjusting the software than enjoying the game.


For me, tinkering with settings is part of the fun (to an extent).

All that tinkering then gets rewarded with being able to play BotW at 3440x1440 with all sorts of mods and at 70 FPS.


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## Solid State Soul ( SSS ) (Feb 11, 2021)

sam_86314 said:


> For me, tinkering with settings is part of the fun (to an extent).
> 
> All that tinkering then gets rewarded with being able to play BotW at 3440x1440 with all sorts of mods and at 70 FPS.


Thats really nice, for the 1\3 times it works out


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## ViperXTR (Feb 11, 2021)

Solid State Soul ( SSS ) said:


> I get it, emulating games is interesting, though i wont be using it to play games from other platforms, emulations comes with so many quirks, bu the end you spend more time fighting and adjusting the software than enjoying the game.


like sam_86314 mentioned, tweaking and tinkering is part of the charm, how would it run on this config? would it run on a dual core quad core etc?
If it runs good nice, if it doesn't oh well that's part of the progress of the emulator and watching an emulator improve is also part of the charm
​


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## Solid State Soul ( SSS ) (Feb 11, 2021)

ViperXTR said:


> like sam_86314 mentioned, *tweaking and tinkering is part of the charm*, how would it run on this config? would it run on a dual core quad core etc?
> If it runs good nice, if it doesn't oh well that's part of the progress of the emulator and watching an emulator improve is also part of the charm
> ​


Is it really tough ? 

Spending a lot of time troubleshooting instead of enjoying the game, is that really fun ?


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## InVasMani (Feb 11, 2021)

Finally you can emulate the Nintendo Switch and play Ark with the performance and image quality of a well polished potato.


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## ViperXTR (Feb 11, 2021)

Solid State Soul ( SSS ) said:


> Is it really tough ?
> 
> Spending a lot of time troubleshooting instead of enjoying the game, is that really fun ?


Yes, just like any other software or hardware tweaking, seeing it upscaled resolution than normal, having its FPS unlocked vs original hardware, modding etc.
I hardly finish any game on an emulator because ive mostly played it already on the original hardware. That mindset is only for the ones who want to play the game on its entirety and doesn't want to splurge on a particular console


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## sam_86314 (Feb 11, 2021)

For me, the biggest appeal of emulation is being able to play exclusive games on my preferred platform, and have a better experience than I would on the consoles. I can experience these games with everything that makes PC gaming great. Visual enhancements and mods are just the icing on the cake.

I completed the main story of BotW on Cemu, and that game is incredible on the emulator. That's not even mentioning the modding community that has popped up around it. CFW on the console may have started the modding scene, but Cemu has made it really take off.


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## sepheronx (Feb 11, 2021)

I will have to give this a try.  Thanks for the news!


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## ViperXTR (Feb 11, 2021)

sam_86314 said:


> For me, the biggest appeal of emulation is being able to play exclusive games on my preferred platform, and have a better experience than I would on the consoles. I can experience these games with everything that makes PC gaming great. Visual enhancements and mods are just the icing on the cake.
> 
> I completed the main story of BotW on Cemu, and that game is incredible on the emulator. That's not even mentioning the modding community that has popped up around it. CFW on the console may have started the modding scene, but Cemu has made it really take off.


CEMU BoTW, at 4K, Reshade, unlocked FPS, custom models and textures and even gameplay. The definitive experience 

Also, this handheld PC can play it as well, too bad price is ridiculous


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## sam_86314 (Feb 11, 2021)

ViperXTR said:


> CEMU BoTW, at 4K, Reshade, unlocked FPS, custom models and textures and even gameplay. The definitive experience
> 
> Also, this handheld PC can play it as well


Just one of the reasons why I am somewhat excited for Intel Xe. Here's hoping they manage to get the price down on their chips with Xe GPUs (but then again, this is Intel I'm talking about).

The GPD Win 3 is the one that appeals most to me. Just wish I could afford it.


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## 1d10t (Feb 11, 2021)

Been using Yuzu ever since I sold my Switch Lite, and I don't feel guilty whatsoever 



sam_86314 said:


> Just wish Ryujinx was more stable. Shader compilation takes ages and games seem less stable than on yuzu.
> 
> But, as I stated earlier, resolution scaling on Ryujinx is great. Yuzu needs to re-add it at some point.
> 
> I guess RPCS3 and Cemu have just spoiled me with their polish and feature sets...



Ryujinx eat more resources but I agree Yuzu is more stable, in any case both emulator just need minor polish.


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## Space Lynx (Feb 11, 2021)

Solid State Soul ( SSS ) said:


> Yes, finally i can play 11 years PS3 games on my 3000$ PC, PROGRESS !!!
> 
> You can dock it on an oled tv, seriously tho, games dont need to be played at a million PPI resolutions on an OLED with saturated colors for you to enjoy playing them, but i guess saying that in a PC enthusiast forms is pointless, after all, nothing is enough for the enthusiasts am i right ?




I like what I like, you like what you like.  /shrug


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## BorisDG (Feb 11, 2021)

Nintendo ninjas coming and shutting down TPU in 3...2...1..


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## lexluthermiester (Feb 11, 2021)

BorisDG said:


> Nintendo ninjas coming and shutting down TPU in 3...2...1..


For want? Reporting on something that is perfectly legal? Yeah, emulation is fully and completely legal.


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## dyonoctis (Feb 11, 2021)

lynx29 said:


> If Switch ever comes out with a PRO version with OLED screen and higher ppi I will buy a Switch, as it stands though I can't stand it.
> 
> while I am dreaming, lets also hope Sony doesn't give up on handhelds, and in a couple years comes out with a Vita 3 or something... I really think Sony had the right idea, they just need to keep at it.


Nintendo doesn't do "high tech" anymore, their strategy has been around driving cost down for a while. (It's basically what made the gameboy such a raging success too, it was the people console, they had competitors with better spec, but far too expensive). They given up on the "tech-head" market ever since the gamecube didn't worked out for them.
(Higher DPI would also mean asking nvidia to make a chip more powerfull than that one tegra chip that they've been using everywhere for ages. )


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## Space Lynx (Feb 11, 2021)

dyonoctis said:


> Nintendo doesn't do "high tech" anymore, their strategy has been around driving cost down for a while. (It's basically what made the gameboy such a raging success too, it was the people console, they had competitors with better spec, but far too expensive). They given up on the "tech-head" market ever since the gamecube didn't worked out for them.
> (Higher DPI would also mean asking nvidia to make a chip more powerfull than that one tegra chip that they've been using everywhere for ages. )



ye, the only thing I give nintendo credit for is at least being innovative. I still think the Wii was a fantastic idea even though it wasn't for me really. was neat to see it help old people, etc.


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## Vendor (Feb 11, 2021)

i had a brain fade while reading thought it was about cemu, then thought of playing BOTW because in-game shaders loading makes it very bad experience with the stuttering


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## BorisDG (Feb 11, 2021)

lexluthermiester said:


> For want? Reporting on something that is perfectly legal? Yeah, emulation is fully and completely legal.


It's a joke.


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## lexluthermiester (Feb 11, 2021)

BorisDG said:


> It's a joke.


Ah. That was not conveyed by the vocabulary you chose, thus the misunderstanding. Sometimes sarcasm and humor can get lost in the translation to text. Sorry about that.


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## GoldenX (Feb 11, 2021)

sam_86314 said:


> Just wish Ryujinx was more stable. Shader compilation takes ages and games seem less stable than on yuzu.
> 
> But, as I stated earlier, resolution scaling on Ryujinx is great. Yuzu needs to re-add it at some point.
> 
> I guess RPCS3 and Cemu have just spoiled me with their polish and feature sets...


We plan to reintroduce the resolution scaler after all 3 major rewrites are done. TCR and BCR are finished, only the shader decompiler rewrite (Project Hades) is missing.


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## sam_86314 (Feb 11, 2021)

Vendor said:


> i had a brain fade while reading thought it was about cemu, then thought of playing BOTW because in-game shaders loading makes it very bad experience with the stuttering


Vulkan and the asynchronous shader compilation made the experience significantly better on Cemu. You'll get stutters when you first run a game and when new effects show on screen, but it's pretty rock solid after that. It's absolutely a massive improvement over the old shader compilation method on OpenGL.

I'm willing to sacrifice the small performance improvement OpenGL has on Nvidia for the faster shader caching and compilation that Vulkan has.

Like in BotW when you use the runes or teleport for the first time, you get stutters while it caches shaders, and then those actions are perfectly smooth afterward.


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## GoldenX (Feb 11, 2021)

GLSL is very slow building shaders, that's expected. No idea why cemu didn't enable asynchronous shader compilation on OpenGL yet, or did they?
Maybe they plan to use SPIR-V in OpenGL in the future? We have similar plans for yuzu.

Man it's so weird to see my PC in a news article


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## sam_86314 (Feb 11, 2021)

GoldenX said:


> GLSL is very slow building shaders, that's expected. No idea why cemu didn't enable asynchronous shader compilation on OpenGL yet, or did they?
> Maybe they plan to use SPIR-V in OpenGL in the future? We have similar plans for yuzu.
> 
> Man it's so weird to see my PC in a news article


Huh, didn't know we had a member of the yuzu dev team on TPU. Neat.

Any interesting news you can share? Are there plans for an Android port?


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## GoldenX (Feb 11, 2021)

Android is not discarded, but it's not the focus right now. Our main GPU dev Rodrigo (my brother) has his hands full at the moment with the rewrites, preparing BCR for merging to master/mainline, and the memory reaper to solve the VRAM issues in Vulkan. Bonus point of this is that it gives SoC vendors time to release actually useful GPUs and drivers 

Besides that... oh yeah, yuzu can be called "resizable BAR ready", and "AVX-512 ready", if you can take advantage of that.


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## GeorgeMan (Feb 11, 2021)

sam_86314 said:


> Vulkan and the asynchronous shader compilation made the experience significantly better on Cemu. You'll get stutters when you first run a game and when new effects show on screen, but it's pretty rock solid after that. It's absolutely a massive improvement over the old shader compilation method on OpenGL.
> 
> I'm willing to sacrifice the small performance improvement OpenGL has on Nvidia for the faster shader caching and compilation that Vulkan has.
> 
> Like in BotW when you use the runes or teleport for the first time, you get stutters while it caches shaders, and then those actions are perfectly smooth afterward.


Does it still need special drivers for Nvidia GPUs, like it did last time I checked several months ago?


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## GoldenX (Feb 11, 2021)

GeorgeMan said:


> Does it still need special drivers for Nvidia GPUs, like it did last time I checked several months ago?


No, Nvidia merged those changes in the 460 series of regular drivers.


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## GoldenX (Feb 13, 2021)

BCR has been merged to master, should be in the next mainline version, if anyone is interested.


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