Homebrew Question Retroarch 1080p mode in docked?

[Stremon]

Hey guys,

I would like to know if there is a way of switching the retroarch video mode to 1080p manually or automatically when docked.
Now it stays in 720p, the switch screen resolution, and doesn't look so sharp on a 1080p screen (and even has some weird motion blur).

I asked on the official retroarch forum but nobody answered, so I'm asking here just in case

 

[KHEOPS]

Hey guys,

I would like to know if there is a way of switching the retroarch video mode to 1080p manually or automatically when docked.
Now it stays in 720p, the switch screen resolution, and doesn't look so sharp on a 1080p screen (and even has some weird motion blur).

I asked on the official retroarch forum but nobody answered, so I'm asking here just in case

Well, manually you can do whatever you want.
Change the video resolution to 1080p
Aspect ratio, overlay for 1080p etc
Then save a new 1080p_Docked retroarch configuration and load it when you need it.
However, it is not normal to have problems for 720p on a 1080p tv, the scaling of your tv must be bad? Your settings on the switch are 1080p60 hdmi tv out? Or 720p60?

 

[m4xw]

Hey guys,

I would like to know if there is a way of switching the retroarch video mode to 1080p manually or automatically when docked.
Now it stays in 720p, the switch screen resolution, and doesn't look so sharp on a 1080p screen (and even has some weird motion blur).

I asked on the official retroarch forum but nobody answered, so I'm asking here just in case

Native 1080p isn't supported yet.

 

[lordelan]

I don't even know why you would want this. Actually there's no system emulated through the yet available cores that has a higher native resolution than 720p.
I mean a pixel in a SNES game is scaled to four pixels if you double the resolution and scaled to 16 if you double it again, yet it's still taking the same space on your TV when the picture is stretched to reach the top and the bottom of the screen.
A higher resolution would only make sense for 3D games where we're actually quite happy if they run at 720p at least.

Edit: I don't get why people keep creating threads for RetroArch questions anyway. There is an official RetroArch thread. It's not there for nothing. Ask there and all people in that thread are getting a notification and might look up what you wrote/asked.

 

[hippy dave]

I don't even know why you would want this. Actually there's no system emulated through the yet available cores that has a higher native resolution than 720p.

If the Switch/Retroarch is outputting 1080p, then Retroarch is in control of how the emulated system's display is scaled to the TV's pixels. If the output is 720p and the TV is scaling it to 1080p then some of that control is lost (in practical terms probably causing less sharp emulated pixels).

 

[KHEOPS]

If the Switch/Retroarch is outputting 1080p, then Retroarch is in control of how the emulated system's display is scaled to the TV's pixels. If the output is 720p and the TV is scaling it to 1080p then some of that control is lost (in practical terms probably causing less sharp emulated pixels).

Depends on the quality of the tv scaler, I on tv panasonic plasma, it is gifted in upscale.

 

[Stremon]

If the Switch/Retroarch is outputting 1080p, then Retroarch is in control of how the emulated system's display is scaled to the TV's pixels. If the output is 720p and the TV is scaling it to 1080p then some of that control is lost (in practical terms probably causing less sharp emulated pixels).

Exactly my point, it has nothing to do with the resolution of the content itself, I just want pixel perfect scaling on my TV, and 720p stretched to 1080p on my TV is clearly not ideal for that, it is blurry.
I tried to connect my PC to my TV to test with retroarch and integer scale in 1080p (with black borders of course), and it's miles away from the result I get from the docked Switch. Even the non integer 4.5 full screen scaling looks better.
I understood it's not supported yet, but the retroarch Dev didn't even bother answering about it... Is it planned? Is it even possible?

 

[JokerJoester]

I don't even know why you would want this. Actually there's no system emulated through the yet available cores that has a higher native resolution than 720p.
I mean a pixel in a SNES game is scaled to four pixels if you double the resolution and scaled to 16 if you double it again, yet it's still taking the same space on your TV when the picture is stretched to reach the top and the bottom of the screen.
A higher resolution would only make sense for 3D games where we're actually quite happy if they run at 720p at least.

Edit: I don't get why people keep creating threads for RetroArch questions anyway. There is an official RetroArch thread. It's not there for nothing. Ask there and all people in that thread are getting a notification and might look up what you wrote/asked.

As someone that works in video production, there is a clear visual difference between 720p and 1080p- even with “pixels that are originally displayed at lower resolutions”

1080p native, even for pixel games, has a clear visual difference for anyone that has an eye for visual clarity. To be 100% fair though, many people are content with having a slightly blurry image. I’m not sure if there is a visual equivalent for the term “tone deaf” but I do feel like many gamers suffer from not being able to see the raw difference lol

 

[tiliarou]

Exactly my point, it has nothing to do with the resolution of the content itself, I just want pixel perfect scaling on my TV, and 720p stretched to 1080p on my TV is clearly not ideal for that, it is blurry.
I tried to connect my PC to my TV to test with retroarch and integer scale in 1080p (with black borders of course), and it's miles away from the result I get from the docked Switch. Even the non integer 4.5 full screen scaling looks better.
I understood it's not supported yet, but the retroarch Dev didn't even bother answering about it... Is it planned? Is it even possible?

You would better ask on retroarch discord and/or open an issue on their git.

 

[grabman]

issue is ur tv sir respectfully

 

[hippy dave]

I understood it's not supported yet, but the retroarch Dev didn't even bother answering about it... Is it planned? Is it even possible?

m4xw is often pretty frugal with words, but I'd take "isn't supported yet" to mean "will likely be supported at some unspecified time in the future".

 

[Stremon]

m4xw is often pretty frugal with words, but I'd take "isn't supported yet" to mean "will likely be supported at some unspecified time in the future".

that's the thing they didn't even bother saying it's not supported yet since they didn't answer at all. I just supposed it's not supported since it doesn't work.

 

[jonxs]

that's the thing they didn't even bother saying it's not supported yet since they didn't answer at all. I just supposed it's not supported since it doesn't work.

Native 1080p isn't supported yet.

thats your answer from the dev

 

[Stremon]

issue is ur tv sir respectfully

it respectfully is not.
720p upscaled to 1080p is not the same as native 1080p, no matter how good is your TV.
I didn't said it was ugly nor bad, just not as sharp as true integer scale on native 1080p.
But of course if you don't even see the difference between full screen stretch with bilinear filter, and sharp pixel perfect with integer scale, then yeah you won't see the difference anyway.
And don't bother answering that the difference is not visible or whatever, it's just a matter of preference and isn't the subject of the post.

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thats your answer from the dev

Oh I see, my bad I didn't see he was a dev
weird they are answering here and not on the libretro forum.

 

[m4xw]

Oh I see, my bad I didn't see he was a the dev
weird they are answering here and not on the libretro forum.

I am not on the libretro forums.
Best is just to join my Discord https://discord.gg/wYPwZ9s and libretro Discord too https://discord.gg/9HdWtZ3
We will add support for 1080p at some point, it just wasn't a prio pre-GL and now I am hung up with many other projects too

 

[grabman]

My 2cents is better upscalers dont have this issue boss so time to invest in a better tv if this matters to you its pretty much that simple

 

[Stremon]

My 2cents is better upscalers dont have this issue boss so time to invest in a better tv if this matters to you its pretty much that simple

Are you trolling or are you genuinely thinking this post has anything to do with upscaling? You know upscaling isn't something that magically make your content become 1080p, right? Plus, it's not an issue we are talking about, but a feature.

Ok since you obviously don't understand how integer scaling work, let me explain in a simple way, not sure you care, but some people might learn some stuff:
In order to have a very sharp image, with no blur or uneven scaling that cause strech pixels, we multiply the vertical source resolution (snes resolution 240p in that case) by an integer number (2x, 3x, 4x...) to come as close as possible to the native resolution of the screen. For the 720p of the switch, it's easy it's exactly 3 times, so you get it full screen in perfect resolution.
But if you want to use it in 1080p, the closest is 4 times, making it 960p, so it has black borders around the image, but still look good.
Now what is happening here is that 720p is stretched to 1080p fullscreen, so the ratio is 1.5, making it 4.5x of the snes native resolution, not 4 as it should be.
So no matter how good your TV/Upscaler your snes pixel will look more blurry and uneven than using an integer scale on a native 1080p.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

I am not on the libretro forums.
Best is just to join my Discord https://discord.gg/wYPwZ9s and libretro Discord too https://discord.gg/9HdWtZ3
We will add support for 1080p at some point, it just wasn't a prio pre-GL and now I am hung up with many other projects too

Thanks for the info

 

[grabman]

yeah i know what you mean but on my 2018 samsung the 720p content on my 1080p set switch looks great. Don't know what to tell you man.

 

[hippy dave]

yeah i know what you mean but on my 2018 samsung the 720p content on my 1080p set switch looks great. Don't know what to tell you man.

Be happy that you're happy with it, but don't tell other people they're wrong when they're not.

 

[Stremon]

Be happy that you're happy with it, but don't tell other people they're wrong when they're not.

Couldn't have said better