Lakka Switch, L4T edition
​

I am proud to finally release the L4T version of Lakka Switch!
New kernel, new logo, new drivers, audio... everything is fresh and clean.

Did I mention Rayman 3 was full speed on Dolphin? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

General system updates

• New Linux kernel and underlying operating system, based on Linux4Tegra and Jetson Nano drivers
  • mainline kernel has been deprecated
  • system features should now be on par with the L4T Ubuntu distribution, except for dock support
  • Bluetooth was lost in the battle and needs some rest to come back stronger
• aarch64 is now the default and mainly supported architecture
  • arm has been deprecated since L4T doesn't support it
• New logo made with the help of jaames and the R:S community

New features and improvements

• Audio now works through the internal speakers and headphones
• The new GPU driver supports both Vulkan and OpenGL
• RAM is now locked at full speed (1600Mhz), was 800MHz before
• The system is now way more stable and should boot for everyone with a decent SD card (no more black screen of death)
• RetroArch has been updated to add menu widgets (fancy onscreen notifications)
• Overclock profiles have been updated :
  • Renamed all profiles
  • Added more overclock profiles
  • Added underclock profiles

New cores

• mupen64plus-next (N64 emulator)
  • The core is full speed, even on aarch64 thanks to the new dynarec
  • Includes the updated version of the GlideN renderer
• picodrive (various Sega consoles)
  • The core replaces Genesis Plus GX (Game Gear support has been dropped)
• Beetle PSX HW (PSX emulator with OpenGL and Vulkan renderer)
  • The core performs worse than PCSX ReARMed for now, even with Vulkan
• reicast (Dreamcast emulator)
  • The core is full speed on all commercial games, no visual glitches
  • The OIT renderer works (better accuracy), speed is still good on 1x resolution
  • The core needs the Dreamcast BIOS files to be placed in /lakka/storage/system/DC
  • WinCE games are currently not supported - there is a WinCE version of the reicast core in the works but the aarch64 dynarec is too slow for the games to be playable (for now)
• Yaba Sanshiro (Saturn emulator)
  • The core is full speed on all commercial games
  • Yabause and Kronos were also added but both perform worse than Yaba Sanshiro
• theodore (Thomson MO/TO emulator)

Updated cores

• Dolphin : Vulkan support
  • With Vulkan, Dolphin runs decently - some games are playable, some are full speed... see for yourself, try it and experiment with different games and settings!
• PCSX ReARMed : Switch optimizations and CHD support
• PPSSPP : doesn't crash anymore when closing content

Removed cores

• mupen64plus
• parallel-n64
• Genesis Plus GX
• Ishiiruka
  • It might come back once the core is updated with the (beta) Vulkan renderer

Credits

• Kernel and drivers work: NVIDIA, switchroot team (especially ByLaws and langerhans)
• Lakka Switch work: natinusala and plaidman
• RetroArch, original Lakka distribution: libretro team
• mupen64plus-next: Gillou and m4xw
• PCSX ReARMed: Switch optimizations by m4xw, CHD support by aliaspider
• Dolphin core: aliaspider
• reicast core: flyinghead

Download link

The Lakka Switch website has been updated with the new version: https://lakka-switch.github.io/documentation/

Please note that you can't dual boot Ubuntu and Lakka Switch for now (it will always boot Ubuntu).

 

[Kallim]

Lakka is better if you're a single player gamer and Retroarch HOS is better for multiplayer.

The controller situation in Lakka is what's keeping me using it regularly. Nobody wants to talk about it either
so fo rme until that becomes a focal point I can't say it's better than Retroarch HOS as an all rounder.

I think it will get there eventually though

Have you tried the 8 bit doh adapters? I believe they work now... But I don't think they're compatible with my pad. I've got a cheaper version of them and it didn't work with my switch pro pad.

 

[Imancol]

Is Lakka contemplating future USB support for Switch?

 

[bad361]

Is Lakka contemplating future USB support for Switch?

it does have usb support

 

[Tibolegends]

Ok, Thanks. I've discovered this amazing tool and am impressed !
I'm playing Paper Mario through Dolphin, CPU at max, GPU dock mode and video driver Vulkan. Sound is perfect but game is pretty laggy, I'd say 80% of what it should be. Is there a way I am unaware of to improve that?
Thanks,

 

[ber71]

Ok, Thanks. I've discovered this amazing tool and am impressed !
I'm playing Paper Mario through Dolphin, CPU at max, GPU dock mode and video driver Vulkan. Sound is perfect but game is pretty laggy, I'd say 80% of what it should be. Is there a way I am unaware of to improve that?
Thanks,

Decrease the speed of the emulated CPU. It's a hit or miss depending on the game.

When possible, use PAL images, which target 50fps instead of 60. Less fps in exchange for a smoother gameplay.

 

[Tibolegends]

Decrease the speed of the emulated CPU. It's a hit or miss depending on the game.

When possible, use PAL images, which target 50fps instead of 60. Less fps in exchange for a smoother gameplay.

Emulated CPU down to 40%, game launch with 50Hz instead of 60Hz, and .iso PAL. I guess there is no way to make it run smoother. Thanks anyaway !

 

[nWo]

Emulated CPU down to 40%, game launch with 50Hz instead of 60Hz, and .iso PAL. I guess there is no way to make it run smoother. Thanks anyaway !

Hey bro, did you get past the gate after talking to Professor Goomba? (or something like that) The gate gets a glitch where the lock don't fall. I tried it about five months ago, don't know if any update fixed that problem.

 

[Tibolegends]

Hey bro, did you get past the gate after talking to Professor Goomba? (or something like that) The gate gets a glitch where the lock don't fall. I tried it about five months ago, don't know if any update fixed that problem.

Ahah Nope I havent, and will certainly not considering the latency ... going to switch to dolphin on my PC. Sorry

 

[Thorhax]

ok so I feel stupid. After a year of vulkan being available for lakka and not giving it a try until yesterday.
I'm blown away by the Dolphin core, sure it requires ac power and massive overclocking to achieve good performance for Wind Waker, but it works way better than Ubuntu or LineageOS ever did for my switch.

Thank you to the developers, I'm just sad linux isn't being further developed for switch, especially in light of how I'm looking into getting an OLED with a mod chip which doesn't support the linux kernel.

Decisions/decisions.

 

[evil_santa]

ok so I feel stupid. After a year of vulkan being available for lakka and not giving it a try until yesterday.
I'm blown away by the Dolphin core, sure it requires ac power and massive overclocking to achieve good performance for Wind Waker, but it works way better than Ubuntu or LineageOS ever did for my switch.

Thank you to the developers, I'm just sad linux isn't being further developed for switch, especially in light of how I'm looking into getting an OLED with a mod chip which doesn't support the linux kernel.

Decisions/decisions.

Thanks for the new Lakka goes to gavin_darkglider. if you want to support the Switchroot team and want to boost the Mariko support, the dev's have started a fundraising campaign.
https://gofund.me/441d5b9d

 

[2Dover3D]

How to update cores in lakka? Anyone knows how?

 

[Imancol]

someone has managed to run games on Play! (PS2 Emulator) the Lakka?

When I load a game, the core closes

 

[Keriam]

For emulation, is Lakka better than Android ? Is it available on Switch OLED ?

 

[bad361]

For emulation, is Lakka better than Android ? Is it available on Switch OLED ?

Its pretty much the same performance wise, lakka just suits better for emulation cause, well, its purely just standalone linex based Retroarch. I believe both android and lakka aren't available for OLED but maybe will be supported in the future.

...so in short, if you want just emulation, go for lakka, if you need more utility, apps etc., go for android.

 

[Lumince]

For emulation, is Lakka better than Android ? Is it available on Switch OLED ?

Mariko in general is NOT supported as of right now. There is a gofundme link on the L4S & SwitchRoot discords to help the devs get mariko units (v2, lite, & OLED) and chips for each.

Personally I use android for emulators. I just prefer android over linux but performance will be similar.

 

[Kallim]

Apparently the Lakka-Switch github io website is down. It gives me error 404.

I'm using Lakka-Switch.aarch64-3.2.7z.

If anyone here is struggling to get the Pro Controller to work (wirelessly or not), here's what I did. Worked for me.
Just hold the Sync button on the Pro Controller and then click Bluetooth on Lakka. It'll look for BT controllers, click Pro Controller. The Pro Controller will flash all lights and you'll get a message saying it's been connected. Then press all of the upper buttons simultaneously, that is, L, R, ZL and ZR. This will stop the 4 blinking lights and will leave 1 or 2 lights on, like on HOS.

You can't control the menus with any controller that's not Port #1, so you'll probably be unable to use the Pro Controller for now. Just go to Settings > Input > Port 1 Controls, select "Nintendo Switch Pro Controller" and then "Set All Controls". Manually map all the buttons. Go back, select Port 2 Controls and remove "Nintendo Switch Pro Controller" from "Device Index" so that only Port 1 is configured to use the Pro Controller. You can configure the Joy-Cons on Port 2 if you want.

Still, inputs on Lakka are a hassle. Everytime I fire up a new game it'll ignore my input configs and I need to re-do it manually. It works, though.

PPSSPP is absurdly faster on Lakka. Tried Tales of Eternia on HOS PPSSPP, both Standalone and RetroArch releases, unplayable on both. Stupidly low framerate, long 1~2s stutters everytime you change areas and black screen galore. It works flawlessly on Lakka PPSSPP, using Vulkan with no overclock (stock GPU, CPU Docked Stock Mode). No framedrops, no anything, just works.

PCSX Reloaded doesn't work as flawlessly to me, though. I had a better experience on HOS RetroArch. Still, I didn't fiddle with the settings or different video drivers/etc so that's probably it.

I'm still struggling to get mine working. It's not an official switch pro which could be the problem.

One doesn't show up at all. The other connects says it's connected in BT settings.

But it doesn't give switch pro controller as an option in device index (in the input menu).

It works wired and it works wired in hand held mode with a USBC to USBC cable. When connected it says it's an Xbox controller.

I might be asking a stupid question but what's the difference in dumping BT joycon and BT joypads?? Why does one work and not the other??

 

[ber71]

Big lakka 4.0 release. Fully reworked switch port.

https://www.lakka.tv/articles/2022/03/19/lakka-4.0/

Changes since version 3.7:

• Build system based on LibreELEC 10.0.2
• RetroArch updated to 1.10.1
• Cores updated to their most recent versions
  • superbroswar: added new libretro core
  • sameduck: added new libretro core
• Mesa updated to 22.0.0
• Mainline kernel updated to 5.10.103 (PC, Amlogic, Allwinner, NXP)
• Raspberry kernel updated to 5.10.95
• Most arm devices switched to aarch64
• Rockchip RK3288, RK3328 and RK3399 switched to mainline kernel 5.10.76
• Added support for additional Allwinner and Amlogic devices (not tested on our side, as we do not own many of these devices)
• Nintendo Switch: complete rewrite of the port with many fixes and enhancements
• Tinkerboard and MiQi now use common system RK3288 (hence the change of the image names); you need to place empty file named .nocompat in the /storage/.update folder / Update Samba share
• Dropped support for RPi4.arm

 

[Bentonoise7]

Big lakka 4.0 release. Fully reworked switch port.

https://www.lakka.tv/articles/2022/03/19/lakka-4.0/

Changes since version 3.7:

• Build system based on LibreELEC 10.0.2
• RetroArch updated to 1.10.1
• Cores updated to their most recent versions
  • superbroswar: added new libretro core
  • sameduck: added new libretro core
• Mesa updated to 22.0.0
• Mainline kernel updated to 5.10.103 (PC, Amlogic, Allwinner, NXP)
• Raspberry kernel updated to 5.10.95
• Most arm devices switched to aarch64
• Rockchip RK3288, RK3328 and RK3399 switched to mainline kernel 5.10.76
• Added support for additional Allwinner and Amlogic devices (not tested on our side, as we do not own many of these devices)
• Nintendo Switch: complete rewrite of the port with many fixes and enhancements
• Tinkerboard and MiQi now use common system RK3288 (hence the change of the image names); you need to place empty file named .nocompat in the /storage/.update folder / Update Samba share
• Dropped support for RPi4.arm

Has anyone tested if this Lakka version runs gamecube games with better performance?

 

[Thorhax]

Has anyone tested if this Lakka version runs gamecube games with better performance?

Pretty sure that's the first thing we all do!
It never seems to be a big improvement.

 

[Rahkeesh]

Interestingly the synchronization section on audio settings was just completely removed. I guess it not working would explain why I can't get stable frame pacing on say Genesis or anything else.

Edit: also I forgot how to boot from Lakka straight back into hekate? The reboot option just starts Lakka again, the shutdown option goes into RCM mode. I have hekate rebooting itself already with a reboot_payload.bin in my root directory that is itself hekate.