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Difference between revisions of "Dolphin"

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
(Added Description)
 
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−
{{stub}}
 
 
{{Emulation}}
 
{{Emulation}}
−
{{Infobox game
+
{{Infobox software
 
|title        = Dolphin
 
|title        = Dolphin
 
|cover        = Dolphin Logo.svg
 
|cover        = Dolphin Logo.svg
Line 8: Line 7:
 
|release dates=  
 
|release dates=  
 
{{Infobox game/row/date|Windows|2003}}
 
{{Infobox game/row/date|Windows|2003}}
−
{{Infobox game/row/date|OS X|TBA}}
+
{{Infobox game/row/date|Linux|July 13, 2008}}
−
{{Infobox game/row/date|Linux|TBA}}
+
{{Infobox game/row/date|OS X|2010}}
 
|wikipedia    = Dolphin_(emulator)
 
|wikipedia    = Dolphin_(emulator)
 +
|steam appid  = 1941680
 +
|steam appid side =
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
Dolphin is an emulator for two recent Nintendo video game consoles: the GameCube and the Wii. It allows PC gamers to enjoy games for these two consoles in full HD (1080p) with several enhancements: compatibility with all PC controllers, turbo speed, networked multiplayer, and even more!
+
{{Introduction
 +
|introduction      = Dolphin is an open-source<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin/commits|title=GitHub Commits activity|date=17 May 2023}}</ref> [[GameCube]] and [[Wii]] [[emulator]] that supports many extra features not present on the original consoles.
  
−
'''Key points'''
+
|release history  =
−
{{ii}} Open-source and is still actively developed.<ref>[https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin/commits GitHub Commits activity]</ref>
+
 
 +
|current state    = About 38% of the original [[GameCube]] and [[Wii]] games are considered to run perfectly (no issues) and 59% are considered playable (minor glitches).<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://dolphin-emu.org/compat/|title=Dolphin Compatibility List|date=17 May 2023}}</ref>
 +
}}
  
 
'''General information'''
 
'''General information'''
 
{{mm}} [https://dolphin-emu.org/ Dolphin Website]
 
{{mm}} [https://dolphin-emu.org/ Dolphin Website]
 +
{{mm}} [https://dolphin-emu.org/blog Dolphin Blog]
 
{{mm}} [https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin Dolphin Source Code (GitHub)]
 
{{mm}} [https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin Dolphin Source Code (GitHub)]
 +
{{mm}} [https://dolphin-emu.org/compat/ Dolphin Compatibility List]
 +
{{mm}} [https://steamcommunity.com/app/1941680/discussions/ Steam Discussion Forum]
  
 
==Availability==
 
==Availability==
 
{{Availability|
 
{{Availability|
−
{{Availability/row| Official | https://dolphin-emu.org/download/  | DRM-free | |  | Windows}}
+
{{Availability/row| Official | https://dolphin-emu.org/download/  | DRM-free | Does not contain any games for copyright reasons. |  | Windows, OS X }}
 +
{{Availability/row| Steam | 1941680 | DRM-free | Steam release has been cancelled for legal reasons.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2023/07/20/what-happened-to-dolphin-on-steam/|title=Dolphin Emulator - What Happened to Dolphin on Steam?|date=2023-08-05}}</ref> |  | Windows, OS X | unavailable }}
 
}}
 
}}
 +
{{++}} Has a built-in auto-updater in the Development builds.
  
 
==Game data==
 
==Game data==
 
===Configuration file(s) location===
 
===Configuration file(s) location===
 
{{Game data|
 
{{Game data|
−
{{Game data/config|Windows|}}
+
{{Game data/config|Windows|{{p|appdata}}\Dolphin Emulator\Config\{{Note|New default location only on brand new Dolphin installations made with version 5.0-18242 or higher.}}|{{p|userprofile\Documents}}\Dolphin Emulator\Config\{{Note|Legacy default location only on old Dolphin installations made with version 5.0-18242 or older.}}}}
 +
{{Game data/config|OS X|}}
 +
{{Game data/config|Linux|{{p|xdgconfighome}}/dolphin-emu/}}
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
===Save game data location===
+
{{XDG|true}}
 +
 
 +
===Save file(s) location===
 
{{Game data|
 
{{Game data|
−
{{Game data/saves|Windows|}}
+
{{Game data/saves|Windows|{{p|appdata}}\Dolphin Emulator\{{Note|New default location only on brand new Dolphin installations made with version 5.0-18242 or higher.}}|{{p|userprofile\Documents}}\Dolphin Emulator\{{Note|Legacy default location only on old Dolphin installations made with versions older than 5.0-18242.}}}}
 +
{{Game data/saves|Linux|{{p|xdgdatahome}}/dolphin-emu/}}
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
===[[Glossary:Save game cloud syncing|Save game cloud syncing]]===
 +
{{Save game cloud syncing
 +
|discord                  =
 +
|discord notes            =
 +
|epic games launcher      =
 +
|epic games launcher notes =
 +
|gog galaxy                =
 +
|gog galaxy notes          =
 +
|origin                    =
 +
|origin notes              =
 +
|steam cloud              = true
 +
|steam cloud notes        =
 +
|ubisoft connect          =
 +
|ubisoft connect notes    =
 +
|xbox cloud                =
 +
|xbox cloud notes          =
 
}}
 
}}
  
Line 45: Line 77:
 
|ultrawidescreen wsgf award =  
 
|ultrawidescreen wsgf award =  
 
|4k ultra hd wsgf award    =  
 
|4k ultra hd wsgf award    =  
−
|widescreen resolution      = true
+
|widescreen resolution      = limited
−
|widescreen resolution notes=  
+
|widescreen resolution notes= Per-game basis. Natively supported by a few GameCube games and most Wii games. Non-native titles can be patched with an AR/Gecko code, if either exists, or forced with the Widescreen Hack combined with a custom aspect ratio.
−
|multimonitor              = unknown
+
|multimonitor              = false
 
|multimonitor notes        =  
 
|multimonitor notes        =  
−
|ultrawidescreen            = unknown
+
|ultrawidescreen            = hackable
−
|ultrawidescreen notes      =  
+
|ultrawidescreen notes      = Can be patched per-game with an AR/Gecko code, if either exists, or forced with the Widescreen Hack combined with a custom aspect ratio.
 
|4k ultra hd                = true
 
|4k ultra hd                = true
−
|4k ultra hd notes          =  
+
|4k ultra hd notes          = Internal resolution can be multiplied by any integer (GUI exposes up to 12x, equivalent to 8K). Some effects are not properly scaled (most notably bloom and depth of field in many games): can be solved by disabling "Scaled EFB Copy" (thus rendering all effects at the console's native resolution) or by using Graphics Mods<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=Graphics_Mods|title=Graphics Mods - Dolphin Emulator Wiki}}</ref> (if the game has one).
−
|fov                        = hackable
+
|fov                        = true
−
|fov notes                  = Per-game Basis
+
|fov notes                  = Can be changed using Free Look.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=Free_Look|title=Free Look - Dolphin Emulator Wiki}}</ref>
 
|windowed                  = true
 
|windowed                  = true
 
|windowed notes            =  
 
|windowed notes            =  
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|anisotropic notes          = Up to 16 samples.
 
|anisotropic notes          = Up to 16 samples.
 
|antialiasing              = true
 
|antialiasing              = true
−
|antialiasing notes        = up to 8x [[MSAA]], up to 8x [[SSAA]]
+
|antialiasing notes        = [[MSAA]], [[SSAA]], and/or [[FXAA]] via a Post-Processing Effect.
 
|vsync                      = true
 
|vsync                      = true
 
|vsync notes                =  
 
|vsync notes                =  
−
|60 fps                    = hackable
+
|60 fps                    = limited
−
|60 fps notes              = Per-game basis. 60fps mods for some games while others are native.
+
|60 fps notes              = Per-game basis. Natively supported by some games, others can be patched with an AR/Gecko code, if either exists.
 
|120 fps                    = false
 
|120 fps                    = false
−
|120 fps notes              =  
+
|120 fps notes              = A few games (such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://codewalr.us/index.php?topic=2555.0|title=Super Smash Bros Brawl running at 120 FPS}}</ref>) can be patched to run at half the speed while maintaining 60 FPS, then by setting the speed limit at 200% on Dolphin, the game will play at the normal speed at 120 FPS. However, this is extremely impractical, and many elements (such as audio) will run at double speed.
−
|hdr                        = false
+
|hdr                        = limited
−
|hdr notes                  =  
+
|hdr notes                  = Can use HDR output to display the gamma and color spaces of NTSC and PAL more accurately.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin/pull/11850|title=Video: implement color correction to match the Wii/GC NTSC/PAL color spaces (and gamma)}}</ref> No actual HDR rendering in games.
 
|ray tracing                = false
 
|ray tracing                = false
 
|ray tracing notes          =  
 
|ray tracing notes          =  
−
|color blind                = unknown
+
|color blind                = false
 
|color blind notes          =  
 
|color blind notes          =  
 
}}
 
}}
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|key remap                = true
 
|key remap                = true
 
|key remap notes          =  
 
|key remap notes          =  
−
|acceleration option      = unknown
+
|acceleration option      = n/a
−
|acceleration option notes =  
+
|acceleration option notes =
−
|mouse sensitivity        = unknown
+
|mouse sensitivity        = n/a
 
|mouse sensitivity notes  =  
 
|mouse sensitivity notes  =  
−
|mouse menu                = unknown
+
|mouse menu                = true
−
|mouse menu notes          =  
+
|mouse menu notes          = The front-end can be navigated with a mouse.
−
|invert mouse y-axis      = unknown
+
|invert mouse y-axis      = n/a
 
|invert mouse y-axis notes =  
 
|invert mouse y-axis notes =  
 
|touchscreen              = unknown
 
|touchscreen              = unknown
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|controller support        = true
 
|controller support        = true
 
|controller support notes  =  
 
|controller support notes  =  
−
|full controller          = true
+
|full controller          = false
−
|full controller notes    =  
+
|full controller notes    = The front-end can't be navigated with a controller.
 
|controller remap          = true
 
|controller remap          = true
 
|controller remap notes    =  
 
|controller remap notes    =  
 
|controller sensitivity    = true
 
|controller sensitivity    = true
 
|controller sensitivity notes=  
 
|controller sensitivity notes=  
−
|invert controller y-axis  = unknown
+
|invert controller y-axis  = true
−
|invert controller y-axis notes=  
+
|invert controller y-axis notes= Per-game basis. Natively supported in some games, can also be accomplished by swapping the button mappings for up and down.
 
|xinput controllers        = true
 
|xinput controllers        = true
 
|xinput controllers notes  =  
 
|xinput controllers notes  =  
−
|xbox prompts              = Hackable
+
|xbox prompts              = hackable
−
|xbox prompts notes        = via texture packs (per-game basis)
+
|xbox prompts notes        = All games use Wii or GameCube button prompts by default. Xbox button prompts can be added using custom texture packs on a per-game basis.
−
|impulse triggers          = true
+
|impulse triggers          = false
 
|impulse triggers notes    =  
 
|impulse triggers notes    =  
 
|dualshock 4              = true
 
|dualshock 4              = true
 
|dualshock 4 notes        =  
 
|dualshock 4 notes        =  
 
|dualshock prompts        = hackable
 
|dualshock prompts        = hackable
−
|dualshock prompts notes  = via texture packs (per-game basis)
+
|dualshock prompts notes  = All games use Wii or GameCube button prompts by default. DualShock button prompts can be added using custom texture packs on a per-game basis.
 
|light bar support        = unknown
 
|light bar support        = unknown
 
|light bar support notes  =  
 
|light bar support notes  =  
 
|dualshock 4 modes        = unknown
 
|dualshock 4 modes        = unknown
 
|dualshock 4 modes notes  =  
 
|dualshock 4 modes notes  =  
−
|tracked motion controllers= hackable
+
|tracked motion controllers= true
−
|tracked motion controllers notes =
+
|tracked motion controllers notes = Native [[Controller: Wii Remote|Wii Remote]] support. Motion controls can be used on other controllers with the SDL input backend or a DSU server.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=DSU_Client|title=DSU Client - Dolphin Emulator Wiki}}</ref>
 
|tracked motion prompts    = true
 
|tracked motion prompts    = true
−
|tracked motion prompts notes = For Wii Games.
+
|tracked motion prompts notes = All games use Wii or GameCube button prompts by default. Different button prompts can be added using custom texture packs on a per-game basis.
 
|other controllers        = true
 
|other controllers        = true
 
|other controllers notes  =  
 
|other controllers notes  =  
−
|other button prompts      = hackable
+
|other button prompts      = nintendo, xbox, dualshock, steam, generic
−
|other button prompts notes= via texture packs (per-game basis)
+
|other button prompts notes= All games use Wii or GameCube button prompts by default. Different button prompts can be added using custom texture packs on a per-game basis.
 
|controller hotplug        = true
 
|controller hotplug        = true
 
|controller hotplug notes  =  
 
|controller hotplug notes  =  
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|haptic feedback notes    =  
 
|haptic feedback notes    =  
 
|simultaneous input        = true
 
|simultaneous input        = true
−
|simultaneous input notes  = up to 4 inputs
+
|simultaneous input notes  = All virtual inputs can be mapped from any source.
 
|steam input api          = unknown
 
|steam input api          = unknown
 
|steam input api notes    =  
 
|steam input api notes    =  
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==Audio==
 
==Audio==
 
{{Audio
 
{{Audio
−
|separate volume          = true
+
|separate volume          = limited
−
|separate volume notes    =  
+
|separate volume notes    = Per-game basis. Not all games contain the ability to adjust the audio mix.
−
|surround sound            = true
+
|surround sound            = limited
−
|surround sound notes      = Dolby Pro Logic II
+
|surround sound notes      = Per-game basis. If the game being played supported Dolby Pro Logic II on the Wii or GameCube, it can be converted to 5.1 surround sound.
−
|subtitles                = false
+
|subtitles                = limited
−
|subtitles notes          =  
+
|subtitles notes          = Per-game basis. Not all games support subtitles.
−
|closed captions          = false
+
|closed captions          = limited
−
|closed captions notes    =  
+
|closed captions notes    = Per-game basis. Not all games support closed captions.
 
|mute on focus lost        = true
 
|mute on focus lost        = true
 
|mute on focus lost notes  =  
 
|mute on focus lost notes  =  
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{{L10n/switch
 
{{L10n/switch
 
  |language  = English
 
  |language  = English
 +
|interface = true
 +
|audio    = unknown
 +
|subtitles = unknown
 +
|notes    =
 +
|ref      =
 +
|fan      =
 +
}}
 +
{{L10n/switch
 +
|language  = Polish
 
  |interface = true
 
  |interface = true
 
  |audio    = unknown
 
  |audio    = unknown
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  |fan      =  
 
  |fan      =  
 
}}
 
}}
 +
}}
 +
 +
==VR support==
 +
{{VR support
 +
|native 3d                  = true
 +
|native 3d notes            = Side-by-side, top-and-bottom, anaglyph, HDMI 3D, and passive.
 
}}
 
}}
  
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===API===
 
===API===
 
{{API
 
{{API
−
|direct3d versions      = 11 12
+
|direct3d versions      = 11, 12
−
|direct3d notes        =  
+
|direct3d notes        = D3D12 backend was added on February 16, 2016 through update 4.0-8933.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2016/03/01/dolphin-progress-report-february-2016/#40-8933-d3d12-backend-by-hdcmeta|title=Dolphin Progress Report: February 2016 - 4.0-8933 - D3D12 Backend by hdcmeta - Dolphin|date=2023-02-11}}</ref> D3D12 backend was temporarily removed on May 19, 2017 through update 5.0-3774<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2017/06/03/dolphin-progress-report-may-2017/|title=https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2017/06/03/dolphin-progress-report-may-2017/ - Dolphin|date=2023-02-11}}</ref> and subsequently brought back in completely redone form on April 1, 2019 through update 5.0-9878.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://dolphin-emu.org/download/dev/a2a4694497e71dbe4e033b6bd5f6224bf0af637e/|title=Information for 5.0-9878 - Dolphin|date=2023-02-11}}</ref><br><br>The D3D9 backend was removed on October 6, 2013 through update 4.0-155.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2013/10/12/d3d9-why-its-not-part-dolphins-future/|title=D3D9: Why It's Not a Part of Dolphin's Future|date=2023-02-11}}</ref>
 
|directdraw versions    =  
 
|directdraw versions    =  
 
|directdraw notes      =  
 
|directdraw notes      =  
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|glide versions        =  
 
|glide versions        =  
 
|glide notes            =  
 
|glide notes            =  
−
|software mode          =  
+
|software mode          = true
−
|software mode notes    =  
+
|software mode notes    = Extremely slow. Only for debugging purposes.
 
|mantle support        =  
 
|mantle support        =  
 
|mantle support notes  =  
 
|mantle support notes  =  
 
|metal support          = true
 
|metal support          = true
−
|metal support notes    =  
+
|metal support notes    = Native Metal backend support added on July 23, 2022 through update 5.0-16965.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2022/09/13/dolphin-progress-report-july-and-august-2022/#50-16965-macos-add-metal-backend-by-tellowkrinkle-and-50-17206-moltenvk-update-to-v1111-by-oatmealdome|title=Dolphin Progress Report: July and August 2022 - 5.0-16965 - macOS: Add Metal Backend by TellowKrinkle and 5.0-17206 - MoltenVK: Update to v1.1.11 by OatmealDome - Dolphin|date=2023-02-11}}</ref> <br>MoltenVK backend support added on November 30, 2018 through update 5.0-9173.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2018/12/04/dolphin-progress-report-november-2018/#50-9173-vulkan-add-support-on-macos-via-moltenvk-by-stenzek|title=Dolphin Progress Report: November 2018 - 5.0-9173 - Vulkan: Add Support on macOS via MoltenVK by stenzek - Dolphin|date=2023-02-11}}</ref>
 
|vulkan versions        = 1.1
 
|vulkan versions        = 1.1
−
|vulkan notes          =  
+
|vulkan notes          = Vulkan backend was added on October 1, 2016 through update 5.0-748.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2016/10/02/dolphin-progress-report-september-2016/|title=Dolphin Progress Report: September 2016 - Dolphin|date=2023-02-11}}</ref><ref>{{Refurl|url=https://dolphin-emu.org/download/dev/46b9383280a623753686ab6df6c479e784e416ae/|title=Information for 5.0-748 - Dolphin|date=2023-02-11}}</ref>
 
|dos modes              =  
 
|dos modes              =  
 
|dos modes notes        =  
 
|dos modes notes        =  
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|windows 32-bit exe    = false
 
|windows 32-bit exe    = false
 
|windows 64-bit exe    = true
 
|windows 64-bit exe    = true
−
|windows arm app        = unknown
+
|windows arm app        = true
−
|windows exe notes      = No x86 support as of 5.0
+
|windows exe notes      = 32-bit support was dropped on May 20, 2014 since update 4.0-1624.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2014/05/19/obituary-32bit/|title=Obituary for 32-bit - Dolphin|date=2023-02-11}}</ref><ref>{{Refurl|url=https://dolphin-emu.org/download/list/master/472/|title=master branch - page 472 - Dolphin|date=2023-02-11}}</ref>
−
|mac os x powerpc app  =  
+
|mac os x powerpc app  = unknown
 
|macos intel 32-bit app = false
 
|macos intel 32-bit app = false
 
|macos intel 64-bit app = true
 
|macos intel 64-bit app = true
 
|macos arm app          = true
 
|macos arm app          = true
 
|macos app notes        =  
 
|macos app notes        =  
−
|linux powerpc app      =  
+
|linux powerpc app      = unknown
 
|linux 32-bit executable= false
 
|linux 32-bit executable= false
 
|linux 64-bit executable= true
 
|linux 64-bit executable= true
−
|linux arm app          = unknown
+
|linux arm app          = true
 
|linux executable notes =  
 
|linux executable notes =  
 
}}
 
}}
Line 218: Line 265:
 
|OSfamily = Windows
 
|OSfamily = Windows
  
−
|minOS    = 7 SP1
+
|minOS    = 10
−
|minCPU  = A CPU with SSE2 support. A modern CPU (3 GHz and Dual Core, not older than 2008)
+
|minCPU  =  
−
|minRAM  = 2 GB
+
|minRAM  =  
 
|minHD    =  
 
|minHD    =  
−
|minGPU  = A graphics card that supports Direct3D 11 / OpenGL 4.4 / Vulkan 1.1
+
|minGPU  =  
−
|minDX    = 11
+
|minDX    = 10
−
|minOGL  = 4.4
+
|minOGL  = 3.3
  
 
|recOS    =  
 
|recOS    =  
−
|recCPU  = Quad Core
+
|recCPU  = Quad core
 
|recRAM  =  
 
|recRAM  =  
 
|recHD    =  
 
|recHD    =  
−
|recGPU  =  
+
|recGPU  = Vulkan 1.1 compatible
−
|notes   =  
+
|recDX   = 11
 +
|recOGL  = 4.4
 
}}
 
}}
  
Line 237: Line 285:
 
|OSfamily = OS X
 
|OSfamily = OS X
  
−
|minOS    = 10.12 (Sierra)
+
|minOS    = 10.14 (Mojave)
−
|minCPU  = Dual core
+
|minCPU  =  
−
|minRAM  = 2 GB
+
|minRAM  =  
 
|minHD    =  
 
|minHD    =  
 
|minGPU  =  
 
|minGPU  =  
−
|minOGL  = 4.4
+
|minDX    =
 +
|minOGL  = 3.3
  
 
|recOS    =  
 
|recOS    =  
−
|recCPU  = Quad Core
+
|recCPU  = Quad core
 
|recRAM  =  
 
|recRAM  =  
 
|recHD    =  
 
|recHD    =  
−
|recGPU  =  
+
|recGPU  = Vulkan 1.1 compatible
−
|notes   =  
+
|recDX   =  
 +
|recOGL  = 4.4
 
}}
 
}}
  
Line 255: Line 305:
 
|OSfamily = Linux
 
|OSfamily = Linux
  
−
|minOS    = Ubuntu 18.04 LTS, Fedora 23
+
|minOS    =  
−
|minCPU  = Dual core
+
|minCPU  =  
−
|minRAM  = 2 GB
+
|minRAM  =  
 
|minHD    =  
 
|minHD    =  
−
|minGPU  =  
+
|minGPU  =
−
|minOGL  = 4.4
+
|minDX    =  
 +
|minOGL  = 3.3
  
 
|recOS    =  
 
|recOS    =  
Line 266: Line 317:
 
|recRAM  =  
 
|recRAM  =  
 
|recHD    =  
 
|recHD    =  
−
|recGPU  =  
+
|recGPU  = Vulkan 1.1 compatible
−
|notes   =  
+
|recDX   =  
 +
|recOGL  = 4.4
 
}}
 
}}
 +
{{ii}} Support for Windows 7 and 8.x was dropped in 5.0-16393.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2022/06/09/leaving-a-legend/|title=Dolphin Blog -- Leaving a Legend: Saying goodbye to Windows 7|date=2022-06-09|snippet=With the merging of Qt6 support on the Windows buildbot in 5.0-16393, Dolphin has dropped Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. Our minimum spec for Windows is now Windows 10.}}</ref>
 
{{References}}
 
{{References}}
 +
[[Category:Emulators]]

Latest revision as of 10:54, 28 February 2024

This article is about the emulation of a console or deprecated PC platform on Windows, macOS (OS X), or Linux.
Dolphin
Dolphin cover
Developers
Dolphin Team
Release dates
Windows 2003
Linux July 13, 2008
macOS (OS X) 2010
 
Dolphin at Wikipedia

Dolphin is an open-source[1] GameCube and Wii emulator that supports many extra features not present on the original consoles.

About 38% of the original GameCube and Wii games are considered to run perfectly (no issues) and 59% are considered playable (minor glitches).[2]

General information

Dolphin Website
Dolphin Blog
Dolphin Source Code (GitHub)
Dolphin Compatibility List
Steam Discussion Forum

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Official website
DRM-free
 Does not contain any games for copyright reasons.
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Steam (unavailable)
DRM-free after installation through Steam client (notes may include more details)
 Steam release has been cancelled for legal reasons.[3]
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Has a built-in auto-updater in the Development builds.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows %APPDATA%\Dolphin Emulator\Config\[Note 1]
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Dolphin Emulator\Config\[Note 2]
macOS (OS X)
Linux $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/dolphin-emu/
Steam Play (Linux) <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/1941680/pfx/[Note 3]


This game follows the XDG Base Directory Specification on Linux.

Save file(s) location

System Location
Windows %APPDATA%\Dolphin Emulator\[Note 4]
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\Dolphin Emulator\[Note 5]
Linux $XDG_DATA_HOME/dolphin-emu/
Steam Play (Linux) <SteamLibrary-folder>/steamapps/compatdata/1941680/pfx/[Note 3]

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
OneDrive
Requires enabling backup of the Documents folder in OneDrive on all computers.
Steam Cloud

Video

Graphics feature State Notes
Widescreen resolution
Per-game basis. Natively supported by a few GameCube games and most Wii games. Non-native titles can be patched with an AR/Gecko code, if either exists, or forced with the Widescreen Hack combined with a custom aspect ratio.
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen
Can be patched per-game with an AR/Gecko code, if either exists, or forced with the Widescreen Hack combined with a custom aspect ratio.
4K Ultra HD
Internal resolution can be multiplied by any integer (GUI exposes up to 12x, equivalent to 8K). Some effects are not properly scaled (most notably bloom and depth of field in many games): can be solved by disabling "Scaled EFB Copy" (thus rendering all effects at the console's native resolution) or by using Graphics Mods[4] (if the game has one).
Field of view (FOV)
Can be changed using Free Look.[5]
Windowed
Borderless fullscreen windowed
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Up to 16 samples.
Anti-aliasing (AA)
MSAA, SSAA, and/or FXAA via a Post-Processing Effect.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
60 FPS
Per-game basis. Natively supported by some games, others can be patched with an AR/Gecko code, if either exists.
120+ FPS
A few games (such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl[6]) can be patched to run at half the speed while maintaining 60 FPS, then by setting the speed limit at 200% on Dolphin, the game will play at the normal speed at 120 FPS. However, this is extremely impractical, and many elements (such as audio) will run at double speed.
High dynamic range display (HDR)
Can use HDR output to display the gamma and color spaces of NTSC and PAL more accurately.[7] No actual HDR rendering in games.
Ray tracing (RT)

Input

Keyboard and mouse State Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
The front-end can be navigated with a mouse.
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Full controller support
The front-end can't be navigated with a controller.
Controller remapping
Controller sensitivity
Controller Y-axis inversion
Per-game basis. Natively supported in some games, can also be accomplished by swapping the button mappings for up and down.
Controller types
XInput-compatible controllers
Xbox button prompts
All games use Wii or GameCube button prompts by default. Xbox button prompts can be added using custom texture packs on a per-game basis.
Impulse Trigger vibration
PlayStation controllers
PlayStation button prompts
All games use Wii or GameCube button prompts by default. DualShock button prompts can be added using custom texture packs on a per-game basis.
Light bar support
Adaptive trigger support
DualSense haptic feedback support
Connection modes
Tracked motion controllers
Native Wii Remote support. Motion controls can be used on other controllers with the SDL input backend or a DSU server.[8]
Button/gesture prompts
All games use Wii or GameCube button prompts by default. Different button prompts can be added using custom texture packs on a per-game basis.
Generic/other controllers
Button prompts
Input settings icon - Generic Controller.svg		 All games use Wii or GameCube button prompts by default. Different button prompts can be added using custom texture packs on a per-game basis.
Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback
Digital movement supported
Simultaneous controller+KB/M
All virtual inputs can be mapped from any source.

Audio

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Per-game basis. Not all games contain the ability to adjust the audio mix.
Surround sound
Per-game basis. If the game being played supported Dolby Pro Logic II on the Wii or GameCube, it can be converted to 5.1 surround sound.
Subtitles
Per-game basis. Not all games support subtitles.
Closed captions
Per-game basis. Not all games support closed captions.
Mute on focus lost

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
Polish

VR support

3D modes State Notes
Native 3D
Side-by-side, top-and-bottom, anaglyph, HDMI 3D, and passive.

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 11, 12 D3D12 backend was added on February 16, 2016 through update 4.0-8933.[11] D3D12 backend was temporarily removed on May 19, 2017 through update 5.0-3774[12] and subsequently brought back in completely redone form on April 1, 2019 through update 5.0-9878.[13]

The D3D9 backend was removed on October 6, 2013 through update 4.0-155.[14]
OpenGL 4.4
Software renderer
Extremely slow. Only for debugging purposes.
Metal support
Native Metal backend support added on July 23, 2022 through update 5.0-16965.[15]
MoltenVK backend support added on November 30, 2018 through update 5.0-9173.[16]
Vulkan 1.1 Vulkan backend was added on October 1, 2016 through update 5.0-748.[17][18]
Executable 32-bit 64-bitARM Notes
Windows
32-bit support was dropped on May 20, 2014 since update 4.0-1624.[9][10]
macOS (OS X)
Linux

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 10
Processor (CPU) Quad core
System memory (RAM)
Hard disk drive (HDD)
Video card (GPU) OpenGL 3.3 compatible
DirectX 10 compatible 		Vulkan 1.1 compatible
OpenGL 4.4 compatible
DirectX 11 compatible
A 64-bit operating system is required.
macOS (OS X)
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 10.14 (Mojave)
Processor (CPU) Quad core
System memory (RAM)
Hard disk drive (HDD)
Video card (GPU) OpenGL 3.3 compatible Vulkan 1.1 compatible
OpenGL 4.4 compatible
A 64-bit operating system is required.
Linux
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS)
Processor (CPU) Quad Core
System memory (RAM)
Hard disk drive (HDD)
Video card (GPU) OpenGL 3.3 compatible Vulkan 1.1 compatible
OpenGL 4.4 compatible
A 64-bit operating system is required.
Support for Windows 7 and 8.x was dropped in 5.0-16393.[19]

Notes

  1. ↑ New default location only on brand new Dolphin installations made with version 5.0-18242 or higher.
  2. ↑ Legacy default location only on old Dolphin installations made with version 5.0-18242 or older.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Notes regarding Steam Play (Linux) data:
  4. ↑ New default location only on brand new Dolphin installations made with version 5.0-18242 or higher.
  5. ↑ Legacy default location only on old Dolphin installations made with versions older than 5.0-18242.

References

  1. ↑ GitHub Commits activity - last accessed on 17 May 2023
  2. ↑ Dolphin Compatibility List - last accessed on 17 May 2023
  3. ↑ Dolphin Emulator - What Happened to Dolphin on Steam? - last accessed on 2023-08-05
  4. ↑ Graphics Mods - Dolphin Emulator Wiki - last accessed on [unknown]
  5. ↑ Free Look - Dolphin Emulator Wiki - last accessed on [unknown]
  6. ↑ Super Smash Bros Brawl running at 120 FPS - last accessed on [unknown]
  7. ↑ Video: implement color correction to match the Wii/GC NTSC/PAL color spaces (and gamma) - last accessed on [unknown]
  8. ↑ DSU Client - Dolphin Emulator Wiki - last accessed on [unknown]
  9. ↑ Obituary for 32-bit - Dolphin - last accessed on 2023-02-11
  10. ↑ master branch - page 472 - Dolphin - last accessed on 2023-02-11
  11. ↑ Dolphin Progress Report: February 2016 - 4.0-8933 - D3D12 Backend by hdcmeta - Dolphin - last accessed on 2023-02-11
  12. ↑ https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2017/06/03/dolphin-progress-report-may-2017/ - Dolphin - last accessed on 2023-02-11
  13. ↑ Information for 5.0-9878 - Dolphin - last accessed on 2023-02-11
  14. ↑ D3D9: Why It's Not a Part of Dolphin's Future - last accessed on 2023-02-11
  15. ↑ Dolphin Progress Report: July and August 2022 - 5.0-16965 - macOS: Add Metal Backend by TellowKrinkle and 5.0-17206 - MoltenVK: Update to v1.1.11 by OatmealDome - Dolphin - last accessed on 2023-02-11
  16. ↑ Dolphin Progress Report: November 2018 - 5.0-9173 - Vulkan: Add Support on macOS via MoltenVK by stenzek - Dolphin - last accessed on 2023-02-11
  17. ↑ Dolphin Progress Report: September 2016 - Dolphin - last accessed on 2023-02-11
  18. ↑ Information for 5.0-748 - Dolphin - last accessed on 2023-02-11
  19. ↑ Dolphin Blog -- Leaving a Legend: Saying goodbye to Windows 7 - last accessed on 2022-06-09
    "With the merging of Qt6 support on the Windows buildbot in 5.0-16393, Dolphin has dropped Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 8.1. Our minimum spec for Windows is now Windows 10."