Yuzu: Switch Emulator Gets Up To 50% Performance Boost

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Shaheer Zahid

At HI Digital I test and write about different hardware configurations to show other PC users what they can expect from their build. My end goal is to educate the masses to make the right decision when they are looking for new PC parts to buy

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Yuzu, the emulator for Nintendo Switch, has come a long way since its release in 2018, with significant performance upgrades and even the implementation of local wireless multiplayer. However, a recent progress report from April 2023 reveals that the emulator has received one of its most significant performance upgrades.

Why it matters: With Nintendo games being exclusive to the Nintendo Switch consoles, Yuzu is a better option for PC users to play Switch exclusives like Pokemon Sword and Shield and Legend of Zelda games with much higher visual fidelity and unlocked frame rates.

The latest progress report from April 2023 mentioned a significant performance boost, thanks to one of their developers rewriting their old buffer cache code and some other changes. The result was a performance increase of up to 87% and an average of about 50% for regular users.

Below are some comparisons between mainline 1407 (High GPU accuracy) and mainline 1421 (Normal GPU accuracy), both rendering on 2x resolution scaling while disabling dynamic resolutions via mods.

Here are some comparisons with games reaching almost 240 FPS.

To get this performance boost, users only need to set their GPU accuracy to Normal, which is usually a balance between graphical rendering and performance. Previously, Normal GPU accuracy sacrificed visuals for better performance, but the latest update has almost closed the gap.

Zen 4 3D V-cache chips should get an even bigger performance boost, as stated in the progress report.

Among other changes was a fix of confusion between raw CPU frequency and CNTFRQ regarding CPU-timing accuracy, resulting in a 1-7% performance increase.

Auto-HDR has also been implemented for Windows 11 users playing on HDR-compatible monitors. There are many other improvements and changes, and the ones mentioned above are just the notable ones. The entire progress report can be read by clicking here.

Shaheer Zahid

[How-To Guides Expert]

Laiba, our tech guru at HI Digital, simplifies and crafts How-To Guides with a Google IT Support Certificate. Beyond tech, she captures the city’s aesthetics through her lens. Join her journey where tech meets creativity!

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