ROM Hack RELEASE [MOD] Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition - 60fps

[redforge]

Pros
Run the entire game at a silky-smooth 60fps

Cons
For the game to actually hit this framerate, something have to give. In this case, resolution. The included graphics ini sets the docked resolution to 640x504.(Crunchy!) It also changes anti-aliasing and some other settings to recover a bit of detail, but it still looks noticeably worse that the default 720p. UI retains full resolution.

Here's a comparison, to help judge the difference in quality (Of course, the framerate improvement is not visible in static images)
Docked mode, 30fps, default settings:

Docked mode, 60fps, included settings:


I've set up the graphics config to look as good as possible while running consistently keeping up a constant 60fps in docked and handheld modes. The game theoretically has a dynamic resolution, but I haven't been able to trigger it in my testing, and it targets 30fps anyways, so the loss in quality is sadly static.

If the game fails to hit 60 at any point, it will drop to 30. Game will stay at full speed, but UI will run at half speed. Since the game uses frameskip rather than deltatime, a fully dynamic framerate isn't possible (at least with this method)

Installation
Atmosphere is required. (Other CFWs might work if you rename stuff, haven't tested)
Overclock (SYS-CLK) is highly recommended

Extract XenobladeDE-60fps.zip to the root of your switch's SD card.
The atmosphere folder in the zip should be merged with the one on the SD card. Make sure you have the included files in exactly the right place.

Included files (Delete these to uninstall)
/atmosphere/contents/0100FF500E34A000/romfs/monolib/shader/lin_nx.ini - Graphics config
/atmosphere/exefs_patches/xcde_60fps/1EC9082CB52ECAF561EE45BC00FF318E9912232B.ips - Patch to unlock framerate

Make sure you have the 1.1.1 day-one update. Future updates might break something.

Recommended Overclock (WILL NOT STAY AT 60FPS WITHOUT THIS)
TL;DR - This needs as much performance as it can get.
docked_cpu=1785
docked_gpu=921
handheld_cpu=1224
handheld_gpu=537

Update
Upd1: Updated the zip to use Massagrator's updated 60fps patch. Make sure to delete the old patch if updating.

Credit to theboy181, Kirby567fan and M&M for creating the original Yuzu mod. Thanks to Massagrator for the original graphics mod for XC2.

 

[masagrator]

Edit: package above has updated patch.


You have outdated patch.
This is current patch with fix for UI - it's half speed only when dropping to 30 FPS (found by Kirby567Fan, I have ported it to 1.1.1).

UI Fix for yuzu uses something that doesn't work in Switch hardware, that's why you got wrong UI speed on Switch.

For some reason game has double buffer in hardware, but it doesn't exist in yuzu.
We were trying to find double buffer and delete it before releasing for Switch, but it's harder than we have expected.
Something similar to disabling double buffer you can get by instant return

grlib::CGLibManager::swap()
or
ml::DevGraph::renderSync()

or by nopping function call in

ml::DevGraphNx::renderSyncSys()

, but then you have render glitches in 60 FPS vicinity and framerate is less stable if you are further from 60 and 30 FPS. And you are getting slightly different glitches in each case.

That's why we were reluctant to release patch for hardware atm. But well - the damage is done.

 

[redforge]

You have outdated patch.
This is current patch with fix for UI - it's half speed only when dropping to 30 FPS (found by Kirby567Fan, I have ported it to 1.1.1).

UI Fix for yuzu uses something that doesn't work in Switch hardware, that's why you got wrong UI speed on Switch.

For some reason game has double buffer in hardware, but it doesn't exist in yuzu.
We were trying to find double buffer and delete it before releasing for Switch, but it's harder than we have expected.
Something similar to disabling double buffer you can get by instant return

grlib::CGLibManager::swap()
or
ml::DevGraph::renderSync()

or by nopping function call in

ml::DevGraphNx::renderSyncSys()

, but then you have render glitches in 60 FPS vicinity and framerate is less stable if you are further from 60 and 30 FPS. And you are getting slightly different glitches in each case.

That's why we were reluctant to release patch for hardware atm. But well - the damage is done.

Aw shit, if you want me to remove this until you've got a proper patch ready I will. I threw this together as a proof-of-concept, under the impression something more serious wouldn't be made for actual hardware because of the performance issues.

If not, I'll leave this up and make a new zip with your updated patch.
Thank you for all your work in the switch modding scene, last thing I want to do is mess you up.

 

[masagrator]

Aw shit, if you want me to remove this until you've got a proper patch ready I will. I threw this together as a proof-of-concept, under the impression something more serious wouldn't be made for actual hardware because of the performance issues.

If not, I'll leave this up and make a new zip with your updated patch.
Thank you for all your work in the switch modding scene, last thing I want to do is mess you up.

Just update patch. We don't know when we will find real double buffer, so it can stay until we find it.

 

[sluggedup226]

Edit: package above has updated patch.


You have outdated patch.
This is current patch with fix for UI - it's half speed only when dropping to 30 FPS (found by Kirby567Fan, I have ported it to 1.1.1).

UI Fix for yuzu uses something that doesn't work in Switch hardware, that's why you got wrong UI speed on Switch.

For some reason game has double buffer in hardware, but it doesn't exist in yuzu.
We were trying to find double buffer and delete it before releasing for Switch, but it's harder than we have expected.
Something similar to disabling double buffer you can get by instant return

grlib::CGLibManager::swap()
or
ml::DevGraph::renderSync()

or by nopping function call in

ml::DevGraphNx::renderSyncSys()

, but then you have render glitches in 60 FPS vicinity and framerate is less stable if you are further from 60 and 30 FPS. And you are getting slightly different glitches in each case.

That's why we were reluctant to release patch for hardware atm. But well - the damage is done.

Could you please make a pchtxt file to use with the yuzu emulator?

 

[masagrator]

Could you please make a pchtxt file to use with the yuzu emulator?

You didn't even checked yuzu page, did you?

 

[TheTrueDream42]

I'm guessing based on the overclock settings, that the mod shares its settings between both dock and handheld. As someone who only plays in handheld mode, both with or without the charger, can a buffed up version of the mod be made just for handheld mode be made please? Or is this the best we'll get for handheld anyway?

 

[sluggedup226]

You didn't even checked yuzu page, did you?

yea i did and according to the date of the file, it's outdated as opposed the date of your updated 1.1.1 fix file

 

[PalomPorom]

This is cool but it just makes everything blurry for me. What did i do wrong. Does it matter if you have the latest update installed?

Sent from my toaster running Rebug

 

[masagrator]

This is cool but it just makes everything blurry for me. What did i do wrong. Does it matter if you have the latest update installed?

Sent from my toaster running Rebug

Make sure you have the 1.1.1 day-one update.

Hard to say...

yea i did and according to the date of the file, it's outdated as opposed the date of your updated 1.1.1 fix file

... Read again. My updated file is dedicated to HARDWARE, because currently available for YUZU works as expected. So no - mod for yuzu is not outdated.

 

[PalomPorom]

Reinstalled 1.1.1 update. It's working now thanks!

Sent from my toaster running Rebug

 

[Gausak]

Nice job! It is a trick to lose so much resolution on the way ... But still, congratulations!

I will keep waiting to see if someone can increase the resolution somewhat without losing those wonderful 60FPS

 

[redforge]

Nice job! It is a trick to lose so much resolution on the way ... But still, congratulations!

I will keep waiting to see if someone can increase the resolution somewhat without losing those wonderful 60FPS

If massagrator figures out what hes trying to do, it will be possible to increase graphics settings (i.e. resolution) with the 60fps patch without causing problems. However, this would not give you 60fps more often, just make the drops to 30 not effect the UI.
It would be possible to up the res quite a bit while keeping 60fps in less demanding areas like tephra cave, but this is sadly the highest resolution can go while maintaining 60fps on bionis leg. The potential fix wouldn't change this.
The ideal scenario would be to implement true dynamic frame rate, rather than relying on the game's built-in frameskip. This would let the game drop to, say, 40-50fps in more demanding areas rather than going straight to 30. This would be great, but implementing it would most likely take an insane amount of work and I doubt it will happen.

It would also be possible to increase the resolution a tad with the current method by disabling effects, but from my testing the slight increase in res would not be worth the massive drop in visual quality. Feel free to mess around with lib_nx.ini, and share any configs you find to your liking.

I'm guessing based on the overclock settings, that the mod shares its settings between both dock and handheld. As someone who only plays in handheld mode, both with or without the charger, can a buffed up version of the mod be made just for handheld mode be made please? Or is this the best we'll get for handheld anyway?

Unsure what you are asking. The graphics settings are shared between docked and handheld mode. I've removed the blur and sharpening from handheld mode, so the only differences between docked and handheld in this config are: Dynamic reflections are docked-only, docked mode has slightly better lighting, and handheld runs at a further reduced resolution. Handheld should actually maintain 60fps because of the resolution change.

 

[Solotato]

Holy- this made such a noticeable difference it's incredible. Love this mod, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is definitely my fav 60fps patch so far <3333333333

 

[Niko_of_Death]

Would it be possible to make a version of this that prevents the gamespeed from dropping when framerate drops to 20fps? I play with static 720p, so lots of scenes cause framerate drops, which I'm fine with, but the way the game handles them is jarring.

 

[masagrator]

Would it be possible to make a version of this that prevents the gamespeed from dropping when framerate drops to 20fps? I play with static 720p, so lots of scenes cause framerate drops, which I'm fine with, but the way the game handles them is jarring.

Gamespeed is not dropping anywhere. Only what is tied to framerate is HUD and only this slowdowns.

 

[Niko_of_Death]

Gamespeed is not dropping anywhere. Only what is tied to framerate is HUD and only this slowdowns.

Weird, for some reason 20fps (and lower) in DQXI feels way smoother to me than it does in Xenoblade

 

[masagrator]

Weird, for some reason 20fps (and lower) in DQXI feels way smoother to me than it does in Xenoblade

Maybe because DX QIS movement is more fluid?

Check Xenoblade 2 or Animal Crossing for real slowdown.

 

[Duppex]

Thanks

 

[Gausak]

Any news about this mod? Lossless resolution enhancement of FPS or something similar ...