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Parallel N64 with Parallel RSP dynarec release – fast and accurate N64 emulation is now here!
🕑 Added 2020-01-26 22:25:26 +0000 UTC
NOTE: A big YouTube video was scheduled to launch with this, however, it quickly expanded in scope beyond its original intent and as a result it’s still being prepared. So it’s going to take a while longer. As soon as it’s ready, we’ll include it in this blog post.
Hot on the heels of our Beetle PSX dynarec public beta release, here comes another bombshell, this time targeting that other big 5th generation console, the Nintendo 64.
ParaLLel N64 is back with a vengeance, and this time Parallel RSP coupled with Angrylion RDP Plus is the enabling technology for a big performance jump in low-level accurate N64 emulation.
Parallel RSP
We have released today a new version of Parallel N64 for Windows and Linux that adds back the Parallel RSP dynarec. This together with multithreaded Angrylion makes Parallel N64 the fastest LLE N64 emulator by far.
We have also added missing bits and pieces to Parallel RSP that allows for several games to work, such as World Driver Championship, Stunt Racer 64, and Gauntlet Legends. On top of that, we also optimized some parts in Angrylion RDP Plus which resulted in greatly enhanced core/thread utilization on a 16-core Ryzen CPU. It should also similarly scale well downwards.
Just to illustrate how dramatic of a difference all these performance-focused enhancements make: on an underpowered 2012 Core i5 laptop, the following games are capable of being played at fullspeed: Resident Evil 2, Mario Kart 64, 1080 Snowboarding, Doom 64, Quake 64, Mischief Makers, Bakuretsu Muteki Bangaioh, Bust-A Move 2 Arcade Edition, Kirby 64 – The Crystal Shards, Mortal Kombat Trilogy, Forsaken 64, Harvest Moon 64.
A 2012 Core i5 desktop CPU like the Core i5 3570k should be more than capable enough of playing the vast majority of N64 games at fullspeed with Angrylion+Parallel RSP, with only rare exceptions like Star Wars Episode 1 Racer being too much for it.
Dramatically lowering the performance ceiling like this has vast implications for the viability of low-level accurate N64 emulation, and opens the door for more people to enjoy bug-free N64 emulation, previously the preserve of only the most overpowered PCs.
Right now, only Linux and Windows are able to enjoy the benefits of Parallel RSP due to the LLVM dependency. This might solve itself later on, though.
Please read the full article here
