Azahar Emulator receives a new alpha update for version 2122, a preliminary release that is not yet considered stable nor complete in terms of features.

This update is intended to test new features for the stable release, and users are encouraged to test it out for issues before the final release.

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This update is notable for its numerous improvements to performance and game compatibility. Among the main changes is the use of SIMD operations that has optimized a common function, reducing GPU processing time for all applications.

However, this change requires CPUs with SSE4.2 instructions on x86_64 devices, a requirement present in all modern processors released since 2011.

Users with older hardware can compile the emulator with the ENABLE_SSE42 option disabled, although this will result in the loss of some optimizations.

A number of improvements have also been made to the handling of SVCs, with a more accurate simulation of the passage of time, leading to significant performance increases in games such as Luigi’s Mansion 2 , Star Fox 64 3D and The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth .

Refactoring state tracking in the video core has reduced the need for GPU syncs and loads, improving overall performance.

Additionally, SPIR-V support for Shadow2D texture mapping has dramatically reduced stuttering in titles like Luigi’s Mansion 2 and Resident Evil: Revelations , with benefits for other games as well.

GLSL -> SPIRV optimizations have been disabled by default, but can be re-enabled via a new setting, with minimal performance impact but significant improvement in smoothness.

Other issues fixed include an error in the geometry shader configuration parameter, which caused rails to disappear in Kid Icarus: Uprising , and a problematic assertion in AccelerateTextureCopy, which caused immediate crashes in The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth .

On the platform-specific side, Android adds options to customize icons and shortcut names, an improved performance overlay with toggleable stats, a single-screen aspect ratio setting, an option to disable shader JIT compilation, and a reorganized configuration interface.

Also introduced a toggle to rotate the screen to portrait. On desktop devices, you can now see advanced frame time information and fix a background color issue in the Vulkan renderer.

As for private rooms, their hosts automatically receive moderation privileges, while the option --enable_citra_modshas been removed.

On the technical side, the switch settings code on Android has been refactored to handle only boolean values, and some obsolete Vulkan dependencies on Windows (MSVC) and Android have been updated to align with Vulkan SDK 1.4.304.1.

Changelog

All

SIMD operations have been used to optimize a commonly used function, reducing GPU processing times for all applications . |@PabloMK7#1086
- This change breaks compatibility with x86_64 CPUs that do not support SSE4.2 instructions (primarily CPUs released before 2011).
- The few users who have hardware not compatible with this instruction set can compile the emulator from source by disabling the option ENABLE_SSE42in CMake.
  - Disabling this option also disables optimization of the feature in question.
Improved timing in SVC call handling by simulating the passage of time more accurately. |@PabloMK7#1093
- This leads to significant performance improvements in several games, including Luigi’s Mansion 2 , Star Fox 64 3D , and The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth .
State tracking in the video core has been restructured, reducing the amount of syncs and uploads required to the GPU. |@PabloMK7, anonymous contributor #1059
- The result is improved performance across all applications .
Added SPIR-V support for texture mapping Shadow2D, significantly reducing stuttering in some games. |@PabloMK7, anonymous contributor #1057
- Notable titles that benefit from this improvement include Luigi’s Mansion 2 and Resident Evil: Revelations , but other games could benefit as well.
GLSL to SPIR-V optimizations are now disabled by default, a new setting has been added to re-enable them. |@PabloMK7#1080 , #1084
- Disabling these optimizations has minimal impact on performance but significantly improves smoothness in all applications.
Fixed the start index parameter in the geometry shader configuration, which was previously set incorrectly. |@PabloMK7, anonymous contributor #1056
- This fixes an issue in Kid Icarus: Uprising where the scroll rails would appear invisible.
A problematic assertion within the function AccelerateTextureCopyhas been replaced with an error message logged. |@PabloMK7#1092
- This change fixes an issue that caused The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth to crash immediately upon starting a match.

Android

New options have been added when creating shortcuts, allowing you to customize the icon and name of the shortcut. | Kleidis #824
The performance overlay has been improved with new settings and statistics that can be enabled from the Layout menu. | Kleidis #808
- By default only the current framerate (FPS) is shown, but you can enable other statistics via the menu just mentioned.
Added an aspect ratio setting, which affects single-screen layout. |@icy-briar #913
Introduced an option to disable JIT compilation of shaders. |@PabloMK7 #1085
The initial setup process has been reorganized, reducing the excessive number of pages. | Kleidis,@OpenSauce04 #820
Added a switch to rotate the screen to portrait. | Kleidis #819

Desktop

Added an option to display advanced frame timing information at the bottom of the window. |@PabloMK7 #1083
Fixed an issue where a custom background color was not applied when using the Vulkan renderer on initial application startup. |@icy-briar #896

Room

Hosts of private rooms now automatically receive moderator privileges. | Kleidis #822
The option --enable_citra_modshas been removed. | Kleidis #822

Technician

Restructured switch settings code on Android to store values only as booleans. | Kleidis #821
Updated some obsolete Vulkan dependencies on Windows (MSVC) and Android to bring them into line with the Vulkan SDK 1.4.304.1 used elsewhere. |@OpenSauce04 #1094

Download: azahar-2122-alpha1-android-universal.aab – 66.6 MB

Download: azahar-2122-alpha1-android-universal.apk – 43 MB

Download: azahar-2122-alpha1-macos-universal.zip – 105 MB

Download: azahar-2122-alpha1-windows-msvc-installer.exe – 27.4 MB

Download: azahar-2122-alpha1-windows-msvc.zip – 36.6 MB

Download: azahar-2122-alpha1-windows-msys2-installer.exe – 38.1 MB

Download: azahar-2122-alpha1-windows-msys2.zip – 54 MB

Download: azahar-unified-source-2122-alpha1.tar.xz – 36.3 MB

Download: azahar-unified-source-2122-alpha1.tar.xz.sha256sum – 107 Bytes

Download: azahar-2122-alpha1.AppImage – 97.5 MB

Download: Source code azahar-2122-alpha1

Source: x.com