FPS cutting down to half in Multiplayer

[dunia01]

Game or games this happens in

ULJS-00218

What area of the game / PPSSPP

Sorry if this isn't the place. On February 7th, 2021, version 1.11 was released with a workaround for the wacky action mirroring bug in Katekyo Hitman Reborn! Battle Arena 2 and now all single-player content can be played accordingly but, while trying the multiplayer, the game cuts half the FPS (going from 60 to 30) and the kernel processing timing doubles, seen on the debug screen. It's "playable" but I've tried every option at my disposal and nothing makes the multiplayer run at the normal speed of the game, 60 fps. Interestingly enough, if I change some graphic settings and make the game run at 30 FPS normally, the multiplayer runs at 15 FPS. Is there anything I can do? Can this be seen?

What should happen

It should run at 60 FPS.

Logs

No response

Platform

Windows

Mobile phone model or graphics card

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti

PPSSPP version affected

v1.12.3

Last working version

No response

Graphics backend (3D API)

Direct3D 11

Checklist

• [X] Test in the latest git build in case it's already fixed.
• [X] Search for other reports of the same issue.
• [X] Try resetting settings or older versions and include if the issue is related.
• [X] Try without any cheats and without loading any save states.
• [ ] Include logs or screenshots of issue.

[LunaMoo]

What do you mean runs at 30fps? It reduces FPS to 30/30 or runs at half speed?

Because different FPS in different game modes is pretty normal/common in PSP games and usually not a bug. Did you checked how the game runs at real PSP in that mode?

Also if you're using some kind of fps patch, disable it and restart emulation without it active without loading affected savestates as they can often ruin things in unpredicted ways and the forum post with working patches includes everything inclding broken ones...

[ghost]

Could still be similar to https://github.com/hrydgard/ppsspp/issues/13452 but in reverse.

[anr2me]

It's normal for games to have different FPS when in single player and multiplayer. If the game have a timer (ie. count down timer on a fighting games) where you can see the second changes, you can see whether it took 2 seconds (real time) for each second of the in-game timer or not, if the timer is ticking the same as real time, that means the game is running at normal speed (regardless whether they're 30 or 60 FPS)

[anr2me]

Btw, are you using the latest dev build instead of v1.11 ?

I've tried the multiplayer on localhost and this game was running at 60 FPS, but i don't know how to change the timer to be limited instead of infinite, so i can't measure the time ticks.

May be one of your settings causing it to run slower? Or may be this game FPS is affected by the latency (high possibility) ? Are you playing on LAN or internet?

[dunia01]

What do you mean runs at 30fps? It reduces FPS to 30/30 or runs at half speed?

Because different FPS in different game modes is pretty normal/common in PSP games and usually not a bug. Did you checked how the game runs at real PSP in that mode?

Also if you're using some kind of fps patch, disable it and restart emulation without it active without loading affected savestates as they can often ruin things in unpredicted ways and the forum post with working patches includes everything inclding broken ones...

I`m not using any patch, cheat or save/load states as mentioned on the checklist. The game (menus/single-player modes) runs at 60/60 (100.0%) speed constantly. While entering the multiplayer mode, all the menus up to their intro are like that, but when the battle begins and the announcer says the round start the FPS drops to 40/40 (100.0%) or 30/30 (100.0%) and rarely goes back to the normal, changing constantly.

Btw, are you using the latest dev build instead of v1.11 ?

I've tried the multiplayer on localhost and this game was running at 60 FPS, but i don't know how to change the timer to be limited instead of infinite, so i can't measure the time ticks.

May be one of your settings causing it to run slower? Or may be this game FPS is affected by the latency (high possibility) ? Are you playing on LAN or internet?

The situation mentioned to LunaMoo happens when I'm using to instances (localhost) but while trying multiplayer online via ZeroTier it feels different. I was testing with a friend, mimicking everything configuration, but it only goes to 30 FPS, I can try again with them later. (I didn't have the option to show the percentage before but now I can provide more information once they are available.)

I'm using the 1.12.3 version from the website. Once you said that there was a dev build I looked more into it and found what you meant. I didn't try any dev build and I'm sorry to check that option to the post checklist saying that I did, I got confused. You can change the timer in the last option: オプション and then change the second option タイマ to left/right and just press cancel to go to the main menu and it should autosave. From what I've seen, running two instances through localhost doesn't change the ticks.

I'll download the dev build and try really soon. I can grab any info if needed.

[ghost]

If you are playing online over the internet the game lag from the large distance between the players makes the game slower for everyone. Most fighting games are like that (worse offender is Tekken 6 lol). This is not even an real issue here.

[dunia01]

Tried out the v1.12.3-607-g2d7a7fd34 multiplayer localhost for Windows 64bit and it got worse, it is running 30/30 (100.0%) but now you can see that the timer is ticking differently. Should be a problem with the settings on my end then?

[dunia01]

I've decided to test all the stages to see if something strange is happening. Stable v1.12.3 multiplayer localhost Tsuna Costume 1 mirror match with no announcer, waiting for the timer (99) to end while moving and dashing right and left, resetting the game each try (not using save/load states) but not resetting the emulator. @ANR2ME note that at the beginning of the round, the frames instantly drop when you move or if you stay still for a long time.

Forest 40/40 ~ rarely 60/60 Ballroom 40/40 ~ rarely 60/60 Japanese Room 40/40 ~ rarely 60/60 Electric Tower 40/40 ~ rarely 60/60 Destroyed Facility Ground 40/40 ~ rarely 60/60 Fighting Ring 40/40 ~ rarely 55/55 Distorted Black Hole 40/40 ~ rarely 55/55 Sakura Tree Room 50/50 but mostly 60/60 Fancy Room 40/40 but mostly 60/60 Training Ground 40/40 ~ rarely 60/60 Japanese Temple Grounds 40/40 Inside Facility with Containers 40/40 ~ rarely 55/55 Tunnel 40/40 ~ rarely 60/60 Wall with roots 40/40 ~ rarely 60/60 Spider Web Room 40/40 ~ rarely 60/60 Big Window Room 40/40 Ruins 40/40 ~ rarely 60/60 Sand Room 40/40 ~ rarely 60/60 Bamboo Room 40/40 but mostly 60/60 Big Snake Room 40/40 but mostly 60/60 Virtual Room with Error 40/40 ~ rarely 60/60

All stages look like a still picture with some effects. I don't see a pattern. All transitions between rounds run 60/60 fine, the intro/outro runs fine too.

[dunia01]

Clean download from the website and install. v1.12.3 Windows 64bit Multiplayer through localhost instances. The only changed options are 'Enable Networking/WLAN', 'Enable built-in PRO ad hoc server' and 'Change PRO ad hoc server IP Address' aside from the FPS indicator and debug. Got to multiplayer, Tsuna Costume 1 without announcer Mirror Match on the Forest stage. Runs locked at 30 FPS aside from intros/transitions/outros that run at 60 FPS, anything until the character select screen is fine too. Emulator restarted, 'Render duplicate frames to 60 Hz' turned on. Where it would run at 30 FPS now runs at 40 FPS. Emulator restarted again, 'VSync' turned on. Where it would run at 40 FPS now runs between 40~60FPS like said.

I made a video showing it. Careful with the sound, could be a little high. This time I didn't restart the emulator before turning on 60Hz and VSync because I've not seen a difference.

[anr2me]

I suspects the FPS to be affected by the latency if it only happened over the internet, you should try on LAN too, because adhoc was designed for LAN play so it should at least runs full speed.

Btw, have you tried enabling "Force real clock sync" on System setting on all players?

PS: i can't test the latency using clusmy right now, because after installing WARP apparently my clumsy can not be started anyore for some reason :(

[anr2me]

Tried out the v1.12.3-607-g2d7a7fd34 multiplayer localhost for Windows 64bit and it got worse, it is running 30/30 (100.0%) but now you can see that the timer is ticking differently. Should be a problem with the settings on my end then?

This is definitely strange if on localhost the FPS is still 30, because during my test last night it was running at 60 FPS.

PS: I'm using geforce driver v465.21 because the latest driver seems to be buggy on my laptop (often causing D3D/OpenGL/Vulkan device to be lost and need to restart Windows before it can work again when a program that use 3D got frozen and need to be killed from task manager)

[dunia01]

I'm running GeForce Drive 497.09 but a newer version already came out. Using the stable v1.12.3, checking 'Force real clock sync' made it work through localhost! I could swear that, before looking for help, I tried turning this option on while changing the clock to 166, 222, or 333 instead of leaving it on auto. I'm going to sleep now but later I'll try every stage and multiplayer with my friend. I'll post the results here. Thanks again. Interesting that the option says it could run slower if I understand that correctly. At least this can be removed from the list and if everything goes right, this information can be of use in the future. I wonder if it's possible to make this work without turning on this option on later versions. If any more information is needed besides the confirmation I'll give later, just ask.

[ghost]

I'm running GeForce Drive 497.09 but a newer version already came out. Using the stable v1.12.3, checking 'Force real clock sync' made it work through localhost! I could swear that, before looking for help, I tried turning this option on while changing the clock to 166, 222, or 333 instead of leaving it on auto. I'm going to sleep now but later I'll try every stage and multiplayer with my friend. I'll post the results here. Thanks again. Interesting that the option says it could run slower if I understand that correctly. At least this can be removed from the list and if everything goes right, this information can be of use in the future. I wonder if it's possible to make this work without turning on this option on later versions. If any more information is needed besides the confirmation I'll give later, just ask.

The github wiki page tells to use that option in some scenarios (it helps with reducing input lag as well).

BTW try to disable fast memory as well in System because that option might also cause similar symptoms and disabling it also helps to prevent crashes and disconnections.

[anr2me]

I'm running GeForce Drive 497.09 but a newer version already came out. Using the stable v1.12.3, checking 'Force real clock sync' made it work through localhost! I could swear that, before looking for help, I tried turning this option on while changing the clock to 166, 222, or 333 instead of leaving it on auto. I'm going to sleep now but later I'll try every stage and multiplayer with my friend. I'll post the results here. Thanks again. Interesting that the option says it could run slower if I understand that correctly. At least this can be removed from the list and if everything goes right, this information can be of use in the future. I wonder if it's possible to make this work without turning on this option on later versions. If any more information is needed besides the confirmation I'll give later, just ask.

Depends on how the netcode work in co-relation with the rendering engine, some games need the "Force real clock sync" option to be enabled to get more accurate timing on multiplayer. On single player, it might slightly affects the performance, but on a modern device where you can run most games at 60 FPS, it won't be noticeable.

Unfortunately, It won't be possible to have "Force real clock sync" disabled on multiplayer games that needed it, with the way how PPSSPP render the frames on a much faster device than a PSP, probably not in the future either, at most that option ended became a part of compat.ini when there are no games that needed it for single player (i have no idea which games that needed it for single player). But if it really affects input lags/delays, i guess most players prefer to have it enabled if the performance impacts is insignificant.

[anr2me]

BTW try to disable fast memory as well in System because that option might also cause similar symptoms and disabling it also helps to prevent crashes and disconnections.

"Fast memory" shouldn't cause crashes that much anymore, it was crashing because AdhocMatching was running the callback on any random PSPThread in the past, after it runs on it's own PSPThread the crashes was reduced significantly. However, there is still a possibility to crash because AdhocMatching have some HLE being called from another real thread (which could potentially runs the HLE at the wrong time and place on the PSPThread), and these real threads need to be changed into PSPThread to avoid problems.

On Mobile device, Fast Memory may need to be enabled to get a much better FPS.

[dunia01]

Sorry for the delay, my friend was not available for the time I was anticipating, we only played about two matches via ZeroTier and I decided to post after I've collected more data. The game ran at 45~55 FPS with them and I wonder what could be holding It down. Later today I'll try making a fresh install on their end and make sure the emulator is running fine. Fighting over localhost became flawless and after another fresh install, I tested which options made this possible: Turning 'force Real clock sync' alone made the trick. I had trouble port forwarding but I'll try more at the weekend with a different person and more methods, changing things a little.