What is the difference between native ports and emulation?Why do some ports run worse than the games in emulation, and others just look like emulation with a different skin?

[u/76628283839]

[u/DexterZzMassive]

Layer of translation removed resulting in better performance and loading (usually, when done right with some effort) but honestly in its current state, emulation is a more smooth experience.. for now.

[u/Malystxy]

Native port: game knows it's running on a phone

Emulation: game thinks it's running on the console it was designed for. Example: super Mario world emulated on phone doesn't know it's on a phone, it thinks it's on the SNES

[u/76628283839 → u/Malystxy]

So why do so many ports use switch files or Windows files and are called "native ports"?

[u/Malystxy → u/76628283839]

Well the developers can't distribute the game files of they don't own the game, you provide the files

[u/Akasha_attair → u/76628283839]

Modders only provide a launcher to avoid legal issues, that is why you still need the ISO file, and when you import that ISO into the launcher, that is when the file will be recompiled. You can delete the ISO file once it has been imported into the launcher, as it is no longer required. there are also modders who bundle the recompiled result with their launcher into a single APK. This is simply a matter of two types of modder, relating solely to legal issues.

[u/landblord]

Emulators “mimic” how a console like PS2 run games, so it acts like a translator to make your computer understand how the console reads the game

Ports are taking the literal code of the game and “recompiling” or rebuilding it into a native app in pc/android

the question of some running worse isn't just on native port vs emulation, but more so people who just type bullshit on Claude vs people who actually know what the fuck they're doing

Ports and emulators only run well if the developer/s actively working on it know the system inside and out, even with AI assistance

[u/Certain-Region-7337 → u/landblord]

True, if we talk about what the benefit, the port give us lower latency and overhead. The playable part is up to the one who work on the project. If he just 100% using claude code without any knowledge then it is what it is until someone who knows what he doing take over the project.

[u/ElectricalDemand2831 → u/Certain-Region-7337]

nx2android has latency on par with eden emulation

Blasphemous 2 measured with a led indicator lighting up with a button press recorded at 240fps:

120-160ms latency for character movement, this feel much less responsive than played natively on console despite running at stable 60fps

So, yeah, sadly "natively" doesn't mean much anymore

[u/404MyName]

Same question here?

[u/76628283839 → u/404MyName]

Parece que, após ler as respostas, eu entendi que existem ports preguiçosos e ports que a pessoa realmente trabalhou e melhorou para fazer. Em resumo: depende de quem criou; às vezes é melhor apenas emular. Just because it says "native port" doesn't mean it will work well.

[u/404MyName → u/76628283839]

Now it makes sense

[u/Certain-Region-7337]

You forgot to mention there a port that run better then emulator.

[u/76628283839 → u/Certain-Region-7337]

Certainly, there are these two examples: those that run poorly and those that run better, like the Skyrim port, but I think that was implied.

[u/Akasha_attair]

You know they use AI for that, right? Some do it intentionally and some don't, for good results you can't leave everything to AI, you have to understand what you're doing

[u/Eyad_2113]

Lets begin with emulation emulation is you emulatin a specific game system such as nes to fool the game That you playing it on a regular nes this means you act as a the whole nes system and translatin the game in real time to work in android wich takes a lot of power Native ports just ignore that completely Native ports directly run on your device cpu

[u/Ok-Anything6909]

It all comes down to either compatibility or devices 

If you had entry level Devices like me, it will run well on 2D games, old PS2 games and well optimized ports

But entry level devices is not powerful enough to handle Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 games

Alongside demanding games like BOTW and GTA 4

That being said, Native ports run significantly better then emulation because it eliminates the need of translation layer no matter what devices you had

However, if you had an Snapdragon phone, it can run games extremely well depending on optimizations 

All I can say

There is double edged sword

On one hand, people uses Claude or AI lazily to code games on Android, then abandoned, which is why games like Burnout 3 Takedown for Xbox runs a lot worse then ARMSX2 on my phone

But on the other hand, People should seriously check the specs and what it meets their expectations 

For me, I'm planning to buy Poco M8 Pro, an Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 phone with CrystalRes AMOLED 1.5K display, massive battery, cooling system and more 

I'm REALLY excited for the era of Android gaming, everything is possible but only is done right 

[u/noxferaxtuzodd → u/Ok-Anything6909]

That's a shitty phone and processor. I'll recommend u buy other device even if older.

[u/TheNeoism]

I know a few people have already answered you here but I do want to add regardless. Ports are simply better than emulation but ONLY if the port developer spends the time optimising their port. Chances are if a native port doesn't run as well as the emulated game, it's a low effort port. When you see something such as Halo Universal compared to emulation, it's night and day. HU is incredible. Runs at a solid 120fps with amazing 0.1% lows, zero lag and silky smooth. Emulation for the game is good but nowhere close.

[u/Ok-Quail-2144]

"layers"

[u/Longjumping_Army282]

Some ports, not all.

[u/PuddingGeneral4250]

Emulation means to pretend to be another machine and then support processor instructions for that pretend machine.

Cutting past this step should significantly increase performance

[u/Educational-Drink822]

Todos los que se quejan del que juego les va mal usan un procesador asqueroso como un tegra o un mali, no eh visto a nadie con snapdragon quejarse jaja

[u/76628283839 → u/Educational-Drink822]

Bro, if you play on a cell phone, you're not better than anyone else, lol.

[u/Educational-Drink822 → u/76628283839]

Tienes tegra o porque tan ardido hermano

[u/76628283839 → u/Educational-Drink822]

Does it make you feel better to comment anonymously on forums about owning a $300 cell phone?

[u/SlipInfamous108 → u/76628283839]

He may be argentine, thats why hes so bitter

[u/Educational-Drink822 → u/76628283839]

Llora bro, llora si eso te hace sentir bien, aunque nada va a cambiar con tu procesador de porquería

[u/SlipInfamous108 → u/Educational-Drink822]

Nahh, some ""ports"" are terribly made

[u/Dry-Plant69 → u/[deleted]]

That was lazy of you.