Hacking How feasible would Dolphin port be?

[bludud]

I think the interesting fact about emulation for the Switch is that the architecture is much more documented and supported compared to past hardware in Nintendo systems. The Wii had emulation, but I remember it was pretty limited due to the fact that the system was pretty under-powered and unique as far as hardware went. The OS may even be easier to work with, as I remember hearing it's somewhat based off Android.

 

[GarnetSunset]

Both of you don't seem to undertstand the word homebrew. Homebrew is unauthorized software on closed source systems. - any kind of unauthorized software - so therefore you can write code that prints the text string "lol dis is switchbrew ; )" And It'd be homebrew.

It is homebrew.
If the dev calls it homebrew then it's gotta be true.

Yes, we will probably need a GPU driver/toolkit, but the definition of homebrew is unsigned code, not a GPU accelerated emulator.

Spoiler: Explanation of the comment I made.

 

[Kitlith]

With code exec, most of what's needed now will be in figuring out how to use the GPU, how to make sound, how to free up some additional memory (does the browser itself even have enough memory in total to run dolphin? (And note I say the browser, not the switch!)), how to get input from the joycons, etc...

There hasn't been a big focus on these prior to now because we didn't have any of our own code to run. Now we do, so I expect a lot of activity on that front.

 

[linkenski]

Given that Nintendo may end up maining the Switch as their one and only console in the future I could see them making a New Switch with faster CPU clock, better battery and heat cooling, and with that it's totally possible. As for now I expect this will be one homebrew thing that winds up just killing people's switches.

This is generally one thing that scares me about homebrew more than with 3DS or Wii U. Switch seems more vulnerable in how its hardware reacts to software over time. I bet inevitable memory leakages and force closing is gonna wear and tear on it easilier.

 

[The Real Jdbye]

With code exec, most of what's needed now will be in figuring out how to use the GPU, how to make sound, how to free up some additional memory (does the browser itself even have enough memory in total to run dolphin? (And note I say the browser, not the switch!)), how to get input from the joycons, etc...

There hasn't been a big focus on these prior to now because we didn't have any of our own code to run. Now we do, so I expect a lot of activity on that front.

Dynarec might be a potential issue with Dolphin as we might not have access to execute arbitrary memory without kernel. There's no way Dolphin is going to be playable without dynarec.
With kernel we will have arbitrary R/W so none of this is an issue. Just find a memory region big enough that's marked as executable and use it. Or if we can, allocate our own executable memory.

 

[Bladexdsl]

Given that Nintendo may end up maining the Switch as their one and only console in the future

they won't do that. i bet their already working on their next console as we type. soon as one colsole is done they are straight to work on the next it's how they've always did it.

 

[blinkzane]

hahaha the title of this made me laugh

 

[nmkd]

Spoiler: Explanation of the comment I made.

How was my post bait?

Correct me if I was wrong

 

[GarnetSunset]

How was my post bait?

Correct me if I was wrong

I was the one with the bait :>

 

[Bladexdsl]

it's absolutely 100% possible to port ECCO THE DOLPHIN to the switch

 

[LibretroRetroArc]

OpenGL/Vulkan drivers will go a long way here. The main problem with Dolphin is that you don't want your port falling behind upstream, and I sincerely doubt upstream will ever want to support a backend that is not GL or Vulkan - they will consider it a maintenance hazard. So a GLES 3/3.1 driver implementation or Vulkan implementation for Switch homebrew will definitely need to become a priority as far as tooling is concerned.

 

[nmkd]

OpenGL/Vulkan drivers will go a long way here. The main problem with Dolphin is that you don't want your port falling behind upstream, and I sincerely doubt upstream will ever want to support a backend that is not GL or Vulkan - they will consider it a maintenance hazard. So a GLES 3/3.1 driver implementation or Vulkan implementation for Switch homebrew will definitely need to become a priority as far as tooling is concerned.

Well, GL and Vulkan are the only options for Homebrew anyway, we're not gonna try to port D3D...

 

[isoboy]

We'll have dolphin on the switch in about three days. He just needs to "wire it up to this hax."

 

[nmkd]

We'll have dolphin on the switch in about three days. He just needs to "wire it up to this hax."

Am I witnessing the birth of a meme?

 

[Dann_]

Rohan is released, thus we have arbitrary userland code exec

We don't yet have a graphics library
We don't yet have SD card access
We don't yet have a HID library

We're still quite far away from actual useful NRO's being build

 

[Jayro]

It would be ironic (and sad) if Nintendo suddenly hired Dolphin devs for the Switch, and Dolphin support either stopped or gets forked.

 

[Deleted User]

wait... rohan is released? am i missing something? where r the sources :x?

 

[Ace_Axel]

Given that Nintendo may end up maining the Switch as their one and only console in the future I could see them making a New Switch with faster CPU clock, better battery and heat cooling, and with that it's totally possible.

"New" Nintendo Switch, I suppose? I was thinking the same thing since Ninty went with the Tegra X1 SoC. They could easily use a newer... nevermind. The X1 is the latest chip. Perhaps they can OC the crap out of it if a revision comes out.

they won't do that. i bet their already working on their next console as we type. soon as one colsole is done they are straight to work on the next it's how they've always did it.

Well 3DS isn't going anywhere just yet according to what Reggie said in an interview with a lame gaming site that will not be named here. They want to support the hardware "Beyond 2018". Then there are those mockups of the Switch Mini. I'd like to see that happen. OK. Done talking... Didn't mean to de-rail... I'll just go back underneath my rock now. Bye bye then.

 

[Ace_Axel]

Delete this.

 

[Bladexdsl]

according to what Reggie said in an interview

cmon it's Reggie he's a notorious liar!