Unlocking Higher FPS in the yuzu Nintendo Switch Emulator - UnlockTherapy (2024)

The yuzu emulator allows users to play Nintendo Switch games on their PC. One appealing aspect of emulation is the ability to play games at higher resolutions and frame rates than on the native hardware. However, getting games to run at an uncapped, high frame rate in yuzu can require some tweaking. This guide will walk you through the steps for maximizing FPS in yuzu.

Understanding FPS in yuzu

When playing Switch games through yuzu, the frame rate is not uncapped by default. Instead, yuzu will try to emulate the original performance profile of a game on real Switch hardware. So if a game is locked to 30 FPS on the Switch, it will run at 30 FPS in yuzu as well.

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There are a couple reasons yuzu takes this approach:

• Games are tuned around their target FPS on original hardware. Running much faster can break game logic.
• Emulating some Switch capabilities accurately requires synchronizing with the original frame rate. Going too fast can cause issues.

However, many games actually have some headroom to run faster. The developers simply lock the FPS to maintain consistency across different Switch models.

This guide covers multiple methods for raising or removing the FPS cap in yuzu, but take note of the following:

• Unlocking FPS can introduce gameplay issues, graphical glitches, or crashes. There are no guarantees.
• Better hardware will lead to better results at uncapped frame rates. Manage your expectations accordingly.

Setting a Custom FPS Limit

The simplest way to improve FPS is to set a custom FPS limit that’s higher than the original cap. This allows the emulator to render as many frames as possible up to your limit.

Steps to Set a Custom FPS Limit

1. Launch yuzu and open the game you want to modify.
2. Once loaded, click the „Emulation“ menu and select „Configure…“.
3. In the General tab, enable the „Frame Rate Limiter“ option.
4. Set your desired FPS limit in the box below. 60 or 120 FPS caps work well.

Try launching your game again with the new limit applied. With this method alone, many games see substantial gains over the 30 FPS original cap.

If you encounter issues like screen tearing or slowdowns, you may need to try further tweaks covered below.

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When to Change FPS Limit

Ideally the FPS limit should be set per-game for best results:

• For slower-paced games like turn-based RPGs or puzzle games, a 60 FPS limit usually works well.
• For faster action games, racing games, shooters, etc. try limits like 120, 144, or unlocked.

Of course, setting a global FPS limit is quicker if you want to apply the same setting to all games. Feel free to experiment to see what works best.

Disabling FPS Limits

For maximum speed, you can override the FPS limit behaviors described above and simply unlock frame rates entirely.

Note: Completely uncapped FPS can increase the likelihood of issues in some games. Only attempt this if you’re comfortable troubleshooting possible problems.

Using Debug Mode to Unlock FPS

Yuzu has a debug mode with an option specifically for disabling FPS caps. Here is how to access it:

1. Close yuzu completely if currently running.
2. Relaunch yuzu from your installation folder instead of a desktop shortcut.
3. Add the command line flag--enable-debug. For Steam users this is inLaunch Options.
4. Load your game in yuzu as usual.
5. Press F8 on the keyboard to open the debug menu overlay.
6. Search for and enable theDisable Frame Rate Limiteroption.

This will override all frame capping behaviors and attempt to render frames as fast as possible.

Note: You must enable this debug option each time you relaunch a game. Setting a custom FPS limit like above causes fewer issues in some games.

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Modifying Game Profile Settings

Alternatively, the FPS lock can be removed permanently by editing the game profile configuration file directly:

1. Browse to the folder location:%localappdata%\yuzu\config\
2. Open the.inifile matching your game’s title ID.
3. Add the following lines: [Graphics] frame_rate = 0 [Video] force_30fps = false

With these settings committed to the file, yuzu will force unlocked FPS every time you launch the game.

Warning: As mentioned previously, this can have unintended side effects in some games. Set custom FPS caps if running into issues.

Getting Better Performance with Plugins

In addition to pure frame rate tweaks, yuzu plugins can help optimize performance and make higher FPS more achievable. Check out the following options:

OpenGL / Vulkan Backend

Yuzu emulates Switch graphics via OpenGL or Vulkan APIs. Vulkan is generally faster if your hardware supports it. Enable the backend under Emulation > Configure > Graphics.

Note: Some games favor OpenGL currently. If Vulkan is glitchy or has crashes, switch back to OpenGL.

Asynchronous GPU Emulation

This speeds up rendering by running graphics commands out of order when possible. Toggle under Emulation > Configure > Graphics > Advanced. Requires Vulkan enabled.

Multicore CPU Emulation

Yuzu can schedule emulation across multiple CPU cores instead of just one. Often boosts FPS significantly. Enable under Emulation > Configure > CPU.

With the best plugins and settings combined, games that are ordinarily CPU/GPU limited on Switch hardware can achieve very high frame rates in yuzu.

Per-Game Optimization Guides

Certain games have fan-made mods or custom configs that remove limits or optimize performance. Check community resources like the yuzu subreddit Wiki for specific recommendations.

For example, Pokemon Scarlet/Violet normally caps at 30 FPS due to its physics being tied to frame rate. But mods exist to raise its cap to 60 FPS without issues. Always search for per-game settings when aiming for higher FPS.

The Risks of Unlocked Frame Rates

As stated previously, removing FPS caps doesn’t always lead to perfect results. Let’s review some potential downsides:

• Game logic speedtied to FPS– Anything relying on frames for timing can break at very high FPS. Animation, physics, etc.
• Screen tearing without Vsync– Visual artifacting caused by frames rendering mid-screen refresh.
• Insufficient emulator performance– FPS will still be limited by yuzu speed on weaker PC hardware.
• Crashes or glitches-odd behavior arising from lack of frame cap.

Ideally you should target frame rate uncaps for games confirmed to work properly without limits. And have hardware sufficiently powerful relative to emulator demands.

Otherwise, try with the custom FPS cap configs first. Or simply enjoy games at their original presentation until yuzu matures further.

Other Tweaks for Latency and Response

Frame rates aren’t everything for a smooth, responsive gaming experience. Here are some other yuzu settings that can help:

Reduce Shader Compilation Stutter

Yuzu compiles new graphics shaders on the fly the first time they’re needed. This can cause stutter. Pre-compiling shader caches per-game alleviates this.

Disable Vsync or Enable Enhanced Sync

Vsync aligns frames with your monitor refresh rate, adding 1-2 frames of input lag. Try disabling Vsync for lower latency. AMD and Nvidia GPUs also have Enhanced Sync or Fast Sync to reduce tearing while disabling standard Vsync.

Overclock Your Components

Higher component speeds equal higher FPS in yuzu. Mild overclocking of your CPU and GPU can make it easier to sustain speed at high frame rates. Just don’t push unstable OC levels.

Close Background Tasks

Eliminate any unnecessary applications and processes slowing your PC down. Yuzu demands enough overhead already without other tasks interfering.

Closing Thoughts

Hopefully this guide has given you some ideas on maximizing frame rates in the yuzu emulator. The methods range from simple configurations to advanced tweaks and mods that tap into yuzu’s hidden capabilities.

Always keep the yuzu compatibility page in mind as you test games. Performance and tweak compatibility will continue improving with future development. Stay patient and stick to default settings if running into too many issues early on.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do you unlock 60 fps in yuzu?

Set a custom FPS limit of 60 in the General tab of the Configure menu. You can also try disabling the frame rate limiter entirely in Debug mode.

How do you get 120 fps on yuzu?

Set a custom FPS limit of 120 in Configure, or disable the limiter in Debug mode. Getting a full 120 FPS also requires a powerful CPU/GPU and optimized settings.

What frame rate is yuzu reddit?

Reddit does not have a frame rate. For discussion of frame rates in the yuzu emulator, see the /r/yuzu subreddit.

How to increase FPS from 60 to 120?

Raise the custom FPS limit in Configure settings. Disable Vsync, enable asynchronous GPU, use Vulkan graphics backend, overclock your hardware, and close background processes.

How do I unlock 120 FPS on my computer?

For yuzu specifically, follow the steps outlined in this guide to remove FPS caps. For PC games in general, disable Vsync and uncap frame rates in graphics settings.

How do I enable 120 FPS?

In yuzu, set the FPS limit to 120 in Configure or disable it entirely via Debug mode. Ensure you have hardware powerful enough to render at that frame rate.

How to get 100 FPS?

Follow the optimization tips in the guide. Set an FPS limit of 100 or 144 in yuzu Configure settings. Use multicore CPU, Vulkan, and disable Vsync. Overclock components to maximize possible performance.

Which is better yuzu or Ryujinx?

Both have pros and cons. Yuzu has better compatibility while Ryujinx focuses on accuracy. Testing both can help if you have issues with a specific game.

Does yuzu need CPU or GPU?

Yuzu can leverage both CPU and GPU power. But generally, a powerful modern GPU (Nvidia RTX/AMD RX 5000+) will provide the best experience.

Does yuzu use GPU or CPU?

Yuzu uses your CPU for emulation/timing and leverages the GPU for rendering/graphics. Both are utilized, but the GPU does more heavy lifting for performance.

Which emulator gives high FPS?

Of Switch emulators, yuzu is currently best optimized for high FPS if you have sufficient hardware. It has more community contributions for unlocking speed as well.