Threaded video issues on Pi4

TodorSauCe

So I have been experiencing some weird lag/dropped frames on my Pi 4 in all Retroarch cores when threaded video is enabled that I had never experienced on my Pi3b+. These issues are extremely apparent in fast paced side scrolling games like Super Mario Bros, Mario World, etc.

It took me a while to troubleshoot and Identify the issue as threaded video in Retroarch, especially since when I would try to change the setting and save the config within Retroarch, Retroarch would crash and then not save the settings. I tried to modify the retroarchcustom.cfg located at /userdata/system/configs/retroarch to just have video_threaded = false but the modified file would never stick and video_threaded = true would always be set.

I ended up having to modify the files at: /usr/share/batocera/configgen both files configgen-defaults-arch.yml and configgen-defaults.yml to have video_threaded: false

This fixed my issues.

Just posting in case anyone else with a Pi4 is stuggling with this issue.

Jimmy

Hey, man

I also have the same issue on rpi4, but I didn’t know what’s happening, It was so annoying. I almost through my rpi4 to the trash(ture).

Thanks for the troubleshooting, now it’s working fine.

@nadenislamarre could you change this issus on next version of rpi4?

megamik79

Thanks @TodorSauCe. Same issue here, but in my SD card I have all the Batocera V30 distribution files packed into a single squashfs archive which is loaded at boot. Any idea on how can I change its contents? I have googled here and there and ended up extracting the squashfs archive (via command unsquashfs) and being able to modify those .yml files, but still have no clear idea on which parameters I have to pass to mksquashfs in order to pack all the files into an squashfs archive again.

Edit: I have tried acessing via SSH and then modifying those .yml files, but had no luck (they are restored at every reboot).

longnosedgoblin

I have just tried Batocera for the first time and this is a big issue for me too. Why is threaded video on by default in the first place, it just makes 8bit/16bit/arcade games unplayable with all the stuttering.

I have tried editing the same files and they are overwritten again on boot.

Is there something we are missing because there surely must be some way to turn this off???

joinski

longnosedgoblin

I posted this as a wish in the discord (Option in Batocera ES for disabling Threaded Video)

longnosedgoblin

joinski

Yeah it needs to be an option in the UI. I don’t know why the yml files won’t stay edit ed for me.

Darknior

It’s ok, i wish it’s fine for you, i will put vedeo_threaded at false for all libretro emulators.
_

DutchmanAZ

Just wanna throw my thanks and support out for both the temp and permanent fixes being worked on for this. I did a run through of Contra 3 with a buddy over the weekend and couldnt for the life of me remember it stuttering like that, but now I know why AND how to fix it.

I love you guys! Batocera fuckin rocks!

foxp4v

Maybe found a solution for files overwritten at boot

https://wiki.batocera.org/modify_the_system_while_it_s_running

megamik79

foxp4v

Yes! After editing /usr/share/batocera/configgen/configgen-defaults-arch.yml and executing batocera-save-overlay, now threaded video is disabled by default after every reboot. Thank you very much!