You can use per-game core options for now.
Keep in mind that even when playing at the correct frame rates, Flycast still has noticeable frame pacing issues. DEMUL is still the best emulator in this regard, except when you play a game for the first time due to shader compilation stutters. But after the compiling it’s smooth sailing with Demul.
Which is weird because it’s usually the other way around with RetroArch cores VS standalones. Guess Flycast still has a long way to go before i can get rid of Demul.
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Seems like it would be easier to just set the core options to NTSC as default, rather than doing it per-game.
Since it is per-game core options I guess it is just text based. I configured it on my module settings for HyperLaunch, I discern between PAL/NTSC for modelines on the configuration ini.
There’s no way I go back to Demul, what a nightmare.
Why, what’s wrong with Demul?
Other than the shader compilation issues it’s much better than Flycast in both not having as many frame pacing issues and having better compatibility. Not to mention it can play Naomi 2 games as well.
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I can’t speak for anyone else, but for me, RetroArch’s interface just kills it compared to a mouse-focused GUI from any emulator. Demul, and others, feel like I should just drop-the frontend and launch from a desktop shortcut like it’s 2004 or something lol.
The Naomi 2 support is nice though, I didn’t realize that. Does it run the MAME versions?
Well, i use Rocketlauncher/Hyperspin so i don’t have to use keyboard/mouse even when i run Demul or Supermodel or any other emulator that isn’t supported (or as good) in RetroArch.
Pretty sure it runs the MAME versions of roms as well, yes.
It also has limited support for Hikaru games. I think Planet Harriers works fine.
Oh nice, I’m running HyperSpin as well. In that regard though, Demul doesn’t plug in quite as smoothly as RetroArch does, unfortunately. I had all sorts of headaches with it before the Reicast core dropped. Now that I think of it, outside of RetroArch, the only 3 other emulators I’m running anymore are PCSX2, CXBX-Reloaded, and Cemu.
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I configured Demul for HyperLaunch, I even made a module for Hikaru to launch it fullscreen borderless, with HyperPause integration. Went through every game configuring the controls. It is kind of a nightmare: old DX11 plugin required for Internal Scaling, Gaelco, vertical games or shader filter, but then can’t use new DX11ng plugin with ListSorting and the bugfixes. Getting stutter (or hiccups) in games like Demolish Fist, or whenever you play windowed because full screen stretches the window. Versions breaking old working games and so on so forth. This was back in 2016, not sure how things have evolved.
Enter the libretro core and everything simply makes sense, no more per-game hack settings other than the usual Demul-missing pixel shaders, aspect ratio, widescreen, per-game controls that make sense… Open source is also a bonus. But this is my opinion, many people dislike Retroarch so go figure.
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I absolutely prefer RetroArch as well, it’s far more graceful than any standalone emulator when you are trying to create a big couch/living room setup with the likes of Hyperspin and Launchbox. But in the case of Dreamcast/Naomi/Atomiswave, Demul is just better and i can’t replace it with Flycast yet, even though i want to.
The latest version of Demul is from mid 2018 and so far i have no issues with it as far as compatibility is concerned. I know that the Demul module for Hyperspin is a bit weird because it changes options by itself. I even had to make some ini files read-only in the Demul folder so the module doesn’t mess up my settings. I definitely keep the gpuDX11.ini as read-only. I also keep two different Demul folders, one for Arcades and one for Dreamcast because they work better with a few different settings between them. Demul is portable so that helps.
Yeah, it’s a bit of a mess to configure it right for Hyperspin but after a lot of trial and error i personally reached a point where everything just works. I still want to replace it with a Retroarch core (like every other standalone emulator that i still use) but i only do that when the core is as good or better. I’m very sensitive to frame rates and frame pacing issues annoy me more than they should so this needs to be fixed in Flycast before i use it as the default.
Oh and i mostly aim for accuracy so i don’t mind that i can’t upscale the graphics so i don’t use the old plugin for that.
I tried Demul several times, and every time, it’s the same : it’s not smooth. I have a more than decent computer (i7 3770k @ 4.5 GHz, GTX 1080, 16 GB of RAM), and I tried EVERY setting and EVERY plugin available : Demul does not deliver 60 FPS. Never. So to me, Flycast is the way to go, and I absolutely love it.
It’s probably some odd setting because i have a weaker PC (i5 4670 3.4 GHz, GTX 1060) but Demul runs full speed/60fps no matter what for me. And it syncs well even on my 240hz monitor.
Flycast runs well too but i can see more stutters and frame pacing judder in both 60 and 240hz screens.
Yeah Demul is still king. The frame pacing in flycast is a deal breaker, it’s like night and day compared to Demul.
Do you have gsync? There are issues with demul and gsync that they’re aware of and working on. If you disable gsync demul will run butter smooth.
I’m def not a stickler for accuracy, but I personally can’t stomach taking a game that was rendered internally at 320x240 and pump it up to 4096x2160. I think it’s cool we can, but I am not a fan at all.
I’m curious about this ‘frame pacing’ that keeps popping up though. I’m hesitant to ask as I haven’t noticed the issue myself, and ignorance is bliss, but what does it look like when it happens?
Imagine the camera panning at 60fps and instead of a smooth, steady motion, you can see little “jumps” like normal stutters.
This isn’t a matter of how well the game runs, it may as well run at 100% speed and all frame rate counters may report steady 60fps, no matter how heavy these stutters are. It’s a syncing issue i believe.
Even Demul has it if you are really looking for it but it’s just one frame every several seconds. In Flycast it’s much more random and common. You can clearly see those stutters in DOA, especially the arcade version. When the camera pans around showing the stages, you can see how the motion isn’t always smooth, despite the game running at 60fps on a 60hz display with vsync ON.
This is common with games that don’t run at exactly 60hz but at something like 59 and some odd number. But RetroArch usually smooth these things out.
Demul has (much) more than a decade in development and still has many mistakes. It is obsolete and heavy. The interface is a mess. It does not release the code.
Flycast has less (?) Of a year in development and works miracles.
Instead of comparing. If we focus on collaborating with the project, it will be…
(I inserted solemn tone with background ikaruga music)
The best Dreamcast emulator ever created in the history of mankind.
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I agree. That’s why i report any issue. Reporting issues is a kind of contribution, especially if you are not a programmer. Testing + feedback is important. If i didn’t care about Flycast i would ignore it’s issues and stick with Demul. But because i care about it and want to get rid of Demul, i made this topic or any other topic here.
But in the end, i only care about the end result. I want to play games as accurately as possible, with as few bugs as possible. Therefore i’m not going to sacrifice those aspects only because the other emulator is open source or it has less time for development or the author is a good guy who likes the same food as i do. These are irrelevant for the end result. Otherwise i would use all the new and immature emulators on my setup and wouldn’t be able to play anything correctly.
I think the worst thing you can do for a new project or author is ignore these kind of reports. By not listening to them and focusing only on discussing how great open source emulators are compared to closed ones and we shouldn’t criticize them, said open source emulators won’t become better than the closed ones we want to get rid off in the first place.
You have not stopped comparing Flycast with Demul. Instead of being specific, “I have an X problem with Flycast.” Demul is very good and I have used it for a long time but this forum is for Flycast, or not?
There are people who do care if it is FLOSS (free/libre and or open source software) or proprietary software and you are not very well informed.
Demul is not proprietary software (closed code), nor is it open source, it is licensed GPL.v1 is Free Software. Because Demul does not release the code, it is illegal and immoral. There are people to whom this is important.
Nice talk, but don’t forget…
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Update: I just made a new configuration of RetroArch. Try DoA2 with the wide screen hack enabled. At 1080p with “Threaded Rendering” active (loses a lot of fps). At 720p with “Threaded Rendering” disabled, at 60fps fluids. Now it works fine, it is on the average of my card with other games. Much difference. Did I have to update the core or will it be that the emulator got corrupted? Always with the “Cable Type” in VGA for 60fps.