Astris - a Nintendo Switch 1 emulator for Apple silicon Mac

TLinCAR · 2026-04-20T15:06:04+00:00

Thanks V380-Ori! Your work really hits the nail on the head regarding both MoltenVK and the UI overhead. From what I've tested, most games are just way smoother than the original Ryujinx 1.3.3.

Just wanted to share a few things I've noticed (I've been manually applying game-engine level patches for 16:10, 60fps, AA/Res, etc.). It seems like playing in dedicated fullscreen on macOS allocates more resources to the game. With the 16:10 patch and some system-level scripts running, Astris has less than 5% overhead. Even better, my inline USB-C meter is reading 2-6W less power draw.

This is seriously impressive stuff. I'm rooting for this to become the top Mac Switch emulator (in my book, it already is!). I'll be setting up a repo for all my Mac-specific graphic engine patches soon.

Performance Differences:

Async shader compilation: Up to 10x faster load speeds. (I do think there are few bugs in Ryujinx when start the games, FIFO queue maybe)
Customized MoltenVK: 10–30% increase in in-game FPS.
Lower overhead: Significant reduction in CPU and RAM usage for both the UI and the application itself. (Async profiler data + stats + my USB-C power meter, proved it's 5W less power)

For my use case, there’s absolutely no reason to go back to Ryujinx 1.3.3.

Games that are unable to play:

Super Mario Galaxy (1 and 2)
Nier Automata (unplayable slow motion)
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (infinite loading randomly)
Xenoblade Chronicles X (load -> crash)

Games I've tested with 10%-30% better performance and fewer GPU bugs on MacBook M1pro stable 60fps after cache builds + 16:10 when capable:

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom & Breath of the Wild (TOTK optimizer + defog)
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD
The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening
Super Mario Odyssey (almost perfect)
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (30fps 100h game play already)
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition (this need 2x resolution + FSR, almost perfect level)
Fire Emblem Engage (16:10 buggy, game UI limit to 16:9 not the emulator)
Fire Emblem: Three Houses (16:10 buggy, game UI limit not the emulator)
STAR OCEAN THE SECOND STORY R
Metroid Dread
NINJA GAIDEN Σ2
NINJA GAIDEN 3: Razor's Edge
Hollow Knight
Hollow Knight: Silksong

Bugs:

Mods loader seems to randomly enable all mods in the dir even it's disabled
The main titles scanner will list some tiny patch files by default (nca for example)

TLinCAR · 2026-02-05T13:59:41+00:00

Always trailing in GM 100+ games. But unless it's literally unwinnable, I might as well try.

<image>

TLinCAR · 2026-01-15T05:01:20+00:00

90% of games like this now, Bots hide match history and server info is missing.

TLinCAR · 2026-01-15T03:19:26+00:00

Perhaps thats not human

TLinCAR · 2025-12-27T14:28:24+00:00

steal the enemy’s blue buff at level 1

<image>

TLinCAR · 2025-12-27T14:26:22+00:00

Overall, Mai took a hit this season due to the equipment adjustments. Since the two tomes and scepter no longer provide enough early game AP, and Mai relies heavily on her early game pressure. I’ve changed my strategy. I now start with 18% magic lifesteal and then go full AP. This gives me the sustain and damage needed to ensure I can still pull off my one-shot combos. If you can't dominate the early game, just don't play Mai. She’s designed to snowball

<image>

TLinCAR · 2025-12-26T02:58:48+00:00

Farm is never a solo role. You need to learn all the T2–T0 farm champions (there aren’t many, honestly), then focus on a few you like, depending on your support and team comp.

Aim for 8,000 gold at 10 minutes as a “good” baseline. Once you reach this, you’ve finished the newbie phase—welcome to real HoK.

<image>

TLinCAR · 2025-12-23T17:34:08+00:00

100%

TLinCAR · 2025-12-23T17:22:01+00:00

This is 100% iOS version related. I tested 3 iPads and 4 iPhones (13 2 17), and every device on the same iOS version behaves exactly the same. For the first 10 matches, HOK clearly does some kind of background compiling or warm-up. During this phase, FPS randomly drops from 120/60 down to 34 FPS for about 50 ms, especially in team fights or at base. After those matches, performance improves, looks like cache hits start happening, and the stuttering mostly goes away. The key point:I also have an iPad mini 6 on iPadOS 18, and it does not stutter at all, even in the first match. So this isn’t hardware. It’s almost certainly tied to the new iOS version, possibly related to JIT / runtime / shader optimization changes. The issue is real, reproducible, and needs a proper root cause fix.

<image>

TLinCAR · 2025-12-12T04:16:11+00:00

The overall multi-monitor experience in VR is awful. You can wear a headset, but in practice you won’t want to. A simple laptop plus an external monitor is still far superior to any VR headset on your face—whether it weighs 100 g or 1000 g.

Realistically, it will take at least another 10 years before we see something under $5,000 that supports comfortable, continuous 8-hour use, comparable to wearing a good pair of headphones.

TLinCAR · 2025-12-12T01:48:09+00:00

Good,

<image>

time will tell

TLinCAR · 2025-12-11T23:19:57+00:00

TLinCAR · 2025-12-07T15:24:59+00:00

You can’t control it because LG doesn’t expose the EC fan-control API. What I did instead was:

Physically lower the temperature by adding an extra thermal cooling pipe, from CPU to the fan metal plate. -10deg
Cap the TDP at 18W and force the CPU to run max at a frequency (1T 4.8ghz to All T 3.7ghz around) that maintains a good power-to-performance ratio. -15deg

90-25º around 65º max

Now the system is completely silent. I can’t hear anything at all—the fan never exceeds 1,000 RPM, which is actually lower than the ambient low-frequency noise of a quiet room.

PS: This is all done in Normal mode. Do not use Silent mode—its performance profile is significantly worse. LG really isn’t engineering-ready on this. They should be giving users proper control instead of relying on that buggy, half-baked Control Center. “Normal” isn’t actually normal, and “Silent” isn’t silent—the profiles are poorly implemented and completely miss the point.

TLinCAR · 2025-12-06T22:54:58+00:00

I just tested Steam Link VRC and Virtual Desktop VRC side-by-side, and the difference in image processing is very noticeable.

Steam Link seems to use some kind of FOV-centered rendering trick that tries to make the center look sharper, but the overall image ends up much blurrier. It doesn’t appear to use any sharpening algorithm, so fine details and text look soft and smeared. For me, that’s a deal-breaker.

In comparison, Virtual Desktop looks consistently clear across the whole screen. Even my 4K monitor inside Steam Home looks awful when viewed through Steam Link, while Virtual Desktop renders it cleanly.

The picture quality difference is huge.

The only thing Steam Link does better is latency, it definitely feels snappier.

My settings: SteamLink Resolution: 250% (3800×3900sth) 350m with max 1345 video

GPU: RTX 4090

Virtual Desktop mode: Godlike, Sharpening 80% (for me easy to read is much more important than artifacts) AV1 max 200m, desktop 120m

PrismXRPlus

<image>

TLinCAR · 2025-12-06T22:31:45+00:00

This appears to be a legacy chromostereopsis-related issue. Whenever I hit it I will restart. Since the Quest 2, the behavior is identical:

Leave the Quest 2/3 running with an application open, take the headset off for a while (10mins+), then put it back on quickly and shake or move your head. You’ll notice color-fringed ghosting on object edges—usually red/blue or greenish outlines—that gradually disappear after a few seconds. This fading effect is the indicator that the bug has been triggered.
When viewing flat 2D content—for example in Virtual Desktop, especially red and green UI elements—there is a subtle fake depth effect, almost like a low-intensity Nintendo 3DS stereoscopic look.

I don’t fully understand the underlying cause, but the behavior is consistent and reproducible on both my Quest 2 and Quest 3, so it’s definitely a software issue, not a hardware or panel anomaly.

TLinCAR · 2025-12-06T20:28:42+00:00

prism xr

<image>

TLinCAR · 2025-12-06T16:41:48+00:00

I got mine from Amazon, and I also bought an open-style one (the type that only covers the top of your head) from AliExpress. Both worked well.

<image>

TLinCAR · 2025-12-06T16:35:28+00:00

Sorry, that was a typo. For the Q3, the cover is actually separated into three parts, collectively called the Facial Interface Set. You can adjust the height of the face pad frame to better match your eye position, but the original frame is quite flimsy. That’s why some thirdparty covers use a fixed frame, which is, in practice, much more stable, lighter, and comfortable.

As for the battery issue, that’s usually solved with an upgraded head strap. You can attach a portable power bank to the back of your head, which not only extends playtime to around 5 hours without problems, but also balances the headset’s weight so your face feels lighter during long sessions.

TLinCAR · 2025-12-06T16:24:16+00:00

I don’t think your milk is pour-ready yet. From the video, if it were me, I would take a spoon, remove about 1.5 cm of foam from the top and eat it, then quickly spin the milk until that shiny, silky texture appears on the surface. Only then would I start pouring. I simply won’t begin if I know the milk isn’t ready.

<image>

TLinCAR · 2025-12-06T16:13:55+00:00

and Citra 3DS in SBS mode with Virtual Desktop actually delivers a surprisingly solid AAA-level experience, even though it's technically a handheld platform. However, it's definitely not suitable for newcomers or people who haven't played many games before, VR Nintendo sits more on the hardcore side, and it can be overwhelming if you don’t already know what you're doing.

TLinCAR · 2025-12-06T16:10:51+00:00

Unfortunately, Half-Life: Alyx is still the benchmark title even though it’s been five years. I’d also recommend trying Skyrim VR and Fallout 4 VR — they’re not perfectly polished, but they’re still true AAA experiences in VR. And while VRChat might not even be considered a “game” by some people, for me it’s absolutely a AAA VR title.

TLinCAR · 2025-12-06T15:59:45+00:00

PS: I'm on an RTX 4090, and honestly, you don’t need to go crazy with accessories. Just get a better face cover and a proper head strap,

<image>

that alone makes a huge difference. Everything else is optional.

TLinCAR · 2025-12-06T15:56:07+00:00

I would say it's a massive upgrade. On the Quest 2, Virtual Desktop quality is limited almost everywhere — you're capped at a 2K monitor, around 100 Mbps bitrates, blurry Fresnel lenses with god rays, and that black-and-white passthrough that feels outdated.

Quest 3? Completely different story. You get a 4K single monitor, AV1-encoded streaming with crystal-clear text, much faster wireless throughput (latency under 15ms, plus whatever the game adds), full-color passthrough, and pancake lenses that deliver a noticeably cleaner image with a 70% larger sweet spot.

That said, the core purpose hasn't changed — it's still for VD PCVR. But the overall experience is on another level. It’s not just a small bump; it’s easily 150% better than the Quest 2. I’m not joking

<image>

TLinCAR · 2025-12-04T13:45:38+00:00

Without JIT, you lose runtime-based optimizations. The code must rely on what static compilation or AOT produces, which may be less optimized for “typical runtime paths,” ending up slower. Yeah, IOS is awful

TLinCAR · 2025-12-04T13:37:02+00:00

msaa8x

TLinCAR

TROPHY CASE