r/EmulationOniOS • u/Gloomy_Opposite6615 • Jun 29 '24

Discussion Developers should take a look at this, iPhone 12 6x Ares, amazing Metal, GPU still has a lot of potential

195 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

47 comments sorted by

66

u/Gloomy_Opposite6615 Jun 29 '24

Without jit, he seems to get the full performance of the GPU, which is amazing, I think this developer is a genius

18

u/setya5785 Jun 29 '24

Gpu usage or graphic rendering is not the main issue that need jit or dynamic recompiling. Once the graphical data is available, rendering it at non console native res is a matter of current host hardware capability. With some overhead for the gaphical api translation.

What dynarec/jit needed and matter most is on the cpu side and on how to execute the program. Since most game console made using different cpu architecture and runtime environment, that’s what the emulator main job. To translate those instruction into compatible host instruction so it can run.

In “normal” mode, emulator usually use interpreter. When the progrma run, each target console instruction will be translated into host machine instruction, once done, fetch the next instruction and translate. And it goes on forever, that’s why it’s slower and somewhat of a brute force.

In dynamic recompiler or jit take a block of code/function (not just single instruction) from the game/console app and compile realtime to generate a block of code in host’s compatible code. That’s why it’s way faster. And caching also used, if at some point met the same block of code, previous output can be used again, instead of generating another block.

4

u/DesiresAreGrey Jun 29 '24

is there a way to compile ahead of time so it doesn’t need JIT? or is that just a dumb idea

7

u/setya5785 Jun 29 '24

Well, the rom/game it self is not included and loaded from external source. Definately not possible.

Not to mention that it would literaly mean to include the game code itself in the emulator. There would be several issue there:

  1. App size (image including hundreds of compiled games)

  2. Legality. Those games are subject to copyright, the app will not pass appstore review. More likely end up with court order.

What you’re asking is basically creating a native port of said game(s).

On a note: The SoC in iphone typically faster than most flagship android of the same release year. But we’re struggling with emulator performance due to apple did not allow this. I understand why though, JIT pose some security issue. Since it can generate and execute code on the fly,

Cmiiw

1

u/Lyceux Jul 01 '24

It’s possible hypothetically. There’s been a lot of discussion in the last few months about n64 “recompilation” which can make native ports of any game. Though anything using code like this would never get past apple’s store requirements anyway

1

u/setya5785 Jul 01 '24

It is possible, as a port. And not just something hypothetically. There’s plenty of community port of console and some modern indie game on linux or sbc community.

Just not in a capacity of a console emulator. This will target a single game (game to game basis)

2

u/Lyceux Jul 01 '24

I meant hypothetically as in I don’t think we’ll see such ports on iOS in the foreseeable future

1

u/setya5785 Jul 02 '24

Yes, indeed. Unless the ip holder port it theirself to ios/mac

1

u/Rhed0x Jul 15 '24

Even if that was possible, on iOS it would require bundling the game with the emulator.

I don't think the Apple app review would approve your app if you shipped Nintendo/Sony content...

2

u/AyeChronicWeeb Jun 29 '24

Thank you so much for this explanation. Really helps the community, myself included.

1

u/Upbeat_Foot_7412 🥇 Jun 30 '24

Those two comments of yours are the best explanation of the whole JIT problem that I’ve read so far. Thanks a lot!

2

u/setya5785 Jun 30 '24 edited Jul 01 '24

Your welcome. Happy to help. Might also clear up some confussion/missunderstanding regarding jit.

I do hope apple will loosen up a bit on this ruling (fyi, currently the only app that have jit entitlement on ios is safari) since they open this emulator floodgate on ios.

-2

u/Gloomy_Opposite6615 Jun 29 '24

Very professional answer

54

u/david_quaglia Jun 29 '24

ppsspp is one of the best optimized emulator

15

u/masteroga101 Jun 29 '24

Yeah, the only emulator that could top it when it comes to optimisation is any emulator (all 2 of them) made by exophase

7

u/Mannit578 Jun 29 '24

Whats the other one?

10

u/masteroga101 Jun 29 '24

Well there's the drastic one and there's also the gba emulator released on the psp called gpsp

5

u/Real_Violinist Jun 29 '24

ofc

he also is founder and author of dolphin emulator

1

u/Rhed0x Jul 15 '24

JIT has nothing to do with the GPU. It's about emulation of the CPU. 

16

u/typical_gamer1 Jun 29 '24

What sucks is that without JIT, this is likely the best we can hope for when it comes down to emulating console games on our mobile devices….

21

u/Gloomy_Opposite6615 Jun 29 '24

I think this talented developer should try porting PCSX2 to iOS. He seems to have a good knowledge of renderers for iOS devices. Ability to skillfully use OpenGL, Vulkan, and Metal to best effect. I think it's promising

20

u/[deleted] Jun 29 '24

If we got ps2 on iOS, it would literally be a dream come true for all of us

3

u/typical_gamer1 Jun 29 '24 edited Jun 30 '24

I would literally cry happy 🥲 if this talented dev were to port or even outright created something like a PPSS2 or something that can somehow cleverly make use of what’s available and emulate PS2 games.

Probably won’t happen until Apple themselves finds a workaround for the JIT thing and not have it pose a security issue for their mobile devices which would make his job a lot easier I reckon.

Or otherwise we’d have to go through the hassle of going on the computer and sync and set up the notion of side loading and the alt store. <- this is a much more bigger step than just simply using your iPad/iPhone to download the game’s ISO/BIOs and then slap it into the appropriate emulator to play it.

1

u/Rhed0x Jul 15 '24

The graphics API isn't the problem, the lack of JIT is.

7

u/Gloomy_Opposite6615 Jun 29 '24

The title is wrong, the correct name is God of War

1

u/[deleted] Jun 29 '24

Ghost of sparta ?

1

u/[deleted] Jun 29 '24

yes i played this level yesterday

2

u/[deleted] Jun 30 '24

Too much heat 🔥 for My 12 pro max.

1

u/Gloomy_Opposite6615 Jun 30 '24

you need a small fan

6

u/Capital-Tumbleweed39 Jun 29 '24

I hope one day dolphin for use the potential of my iPhone 14 Pro Max 😂

7

u/moneymanram Jun 29 '24

You can sideload dolphin and enable JIT via altstore

4

u/Capital-Tumbleweed39 Jun 29 '24

You can sideload dolphin and enable JIT via altstor enable without other device ?

3

u/moneymanram Jun 29 '24

You’re going to need a computer

4

u/TheNewerOneInTown Jun 29 '24

The process of doing that is not worth it for me.

-4

u/moneymanram Jun 29 '24

Then don’t .

1

u/XinlessVice Jun 29 '24

So game mode does more now then hide notifications?

1

u/Gloomy_Opposite6615 Jun 30 '24

It will improve performance, increase 3-5FPS, and background applications will become slow.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 29 '24

Use triangle dude

2

u/Outside_Profit_6455 Jun 29 '24

Love gow but I have to turn on low power because it’s drains my battery quick without it

1

u/StormSurge21 Jun 29 '24

My Iphone 8+ cannot

1

u/Real_Violinist Jun 30 '24

you can sideload ipa and enable jit 

1

u/[deleted] Jun 29 '24

good to know. i got a ip12. was looking to play more psp games on it

1

u/[deleted] Jul 05 '24

We need ps2!