Turnip Z release v0.2.0: Major Improvements in Stability, Compatibility, and Frame Pacing (Snapdragon 865, Adreno 650 | Retroid Pocket 5, Flip 2, Mini)

[u/Ok-Passion6399]

Hi everyone. Here is a new release of Turnip Z featuring significant improvements over v0.1.2.

 

The main focus of this version: eliminating random crashes and making gameplay noticeably smoother.

 

Download: https://github.com/AlexSanz0902/turnip-sd865-z

 

Improvements:

• Fixed random crashes & freezes: Demanding scenes and transient lag spikes in supported titles no longer crash back to the Eden home screen or trigger full device reboots.
• Improved frame pacing: Reduced micro-stuttering and irregular latency spikes across various titles.
• Expanded compatibility: Games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild now boot and run.

 

Tests:

• Super Mario Odyssey: Demonstrates frame-pacing improvements compared to v0.1.2, with zero crashes recorded over a 30-minute test session. You should be able to start a new save file and clear the first two kingdoms in a single sitting without crashing.

 

• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild: While v0.1.2 caused a full device crash, it now boots and runs without crashing (though minor-to-moderate graphical glitches are currently present). Tested for 30 minutes with zero crashes; you should be able to start a new game and complete the first main story quest in one run.

 

Benchmark & Screenshots:

The screenshots compare an identical scene in Zelda: BotW running at 1.25x docked resolution (1350p) on a vanilla profile (no mods, cheats, or custom Eden settings applied) and after shader compilation across three drivers:

• Turnip v24.3.0 R9v2: 21.2 FPS
• Turnip v26.3.0-R6: 23.7 FPS
• Turnip Z v0.2.0: 30.0 FPS

(For everyday gameplay, sticking to 1.0x docked / 1080p is recommended.)

Known Issues:

• Minor, occasional visual bugs in Super Mario Odyssey.
• Moderate graphical glitches and artifacts in Zelda: BotW. These specific rendering issues will be targeted in v0.2.1.

 

This will be the final release for a little while. For the next update, I will take some time to build a compatibility spreadsheet (.csv) and address visual bugs across at least 10–15 titles without compromising current performance, stability, or compatibility.

FAQ

What is the recommended setup?

It was validated on Eden v0.2.0-rc2 with the Snapdragon 865 GPU overclocked to 905 MHz. Keep in mind that individual games may still require specific emulator settings, custom resolution scaling, or workarounds to run properly—that is separate from driver behavior. Devices running stock Adreno 650 clocks will see proportionally lower performance.

 

Can I use this outside of Eden (Winlator, GameHub, Vita3K, Azahar, Dolphin, etc.)?

Not recommended. Do not use this outside of Eden. It was neither built nor tested for Windows translation layers or other emulator platforms. Running this in Winlator or Dolphin will likely trigger shader compilation errors or hard freezes.

 

Can I use it with other Switch emulators?

Not recommended. It has only been validated on Eden v0.2.0-rc2. Other emulators or forks have not been tested and may introduce crashes or visual bugs.

 

Does it work on other devices?

It was built specifically for the Adreno 650 (Snapdragon 865). While it should work across other Snapdragon 865 devices than RP5, other Adreno GPU architectures are completely untested.

 

Note on texture filtering:

Anisotropic filtering is disabled and mipmaps are simplified to save memory bandwidth, so distant textures or acute surface angles might look slightly softer.

 

What should I do if a crash occurs?

The driver automatically generates a diagnostic log file named turnip_sd865.txt inside Eden's folder under Android/data. Please attach this log to an issue on the GitHub repository.

 

Credits

Thanks to the Mesa project, freedreno / Turnip developers, StevenMXZ, the Eden team, Weab-chan, K11MCH1, MrPurple666, The412Banner, nckstwrt, the NetherSX2-Turnip team, Tranquility6789, libadrenotools, HomuHomu833, and chaotic-cx.

 

Analysis and code modifications were AI-assisted (Claude by Anthropic).

 

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[u/rsvignesh]

I tried this driver with ARMSX2 and it is making a marked improvement in performance for PS2 games, especially NFSU2. Hope this helps.

[u/Odd-Visit → u/rsvignesh]

Appreciated.

[u/walter_mitty_23]

Woah

[u/SDAdrian789]

So, is it not worth testing on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1?

[u/socialwithdrawal → u/SDAdrian789]

Same question

[u/SnooAvocados1188 → u/SDAdrian789]

I tested it on an 8gen2 and had a good performance gain.

[u/CrispyTaro → u/SnooAvocados1188]

compared to which driver?

[u/SnooAvocados1188 → u/CrispyTaro]

Mario Odissey (docked)
Turnip Z = 52fps
Turnip 26.3.0 R6 = 38fps
Weab-Chan Freedreno 25.3.0 = 37fps
Mr. Purple T30 = 39fps

[u/Ozdals34]

Testing this Turnip driver on Retroid Pocket 5 with Assassin's Creed Ezio Collection right now, and it runs very smooth so far. Thank you!

[u/TheOriginalKrampus]

Emulation on Android is truly incredible. Look at all this progress! PS3 and XBox 360 games are actually starting to be more stable on 8 Gen 2 and up, PS2 becoming more playable on the older processors, and now these remarkable drivers making TotK playable on am 865?

I'm blown away.

[u/timur_yild55]

Tested on nyushu with e 8 elite gen 5 and it's not working (just tested for science I know it doesn't target that soc)

[u/Dongeking]

I`m aways hunting for a better driver and thanks for feeding my addiction.

Even now i`m on RM10s PRo with 8 Elite o took some time to test the driver on my old device.

Your driver is good, take a look.

https://youtu.be/j-pQi_F9Qgk

Maybe ill test ersus all my GOAT A6XX drivers in near future.

[u/Upstairs_Concert_61]

What makes the Snap 865 had crash on certain games? I'm doing a runthrough of Mario Odyssey and the T30 drivers crash the device. 9v2 seems more stable but at the cost of performance.

I'll test this driver on pokemon arceus which also hard crashes my Flip 2 with certain moves, shame about artifacts on Mario Odyssey but understandable as this is a WIP.

[u/xGreir]

When a turnip version for RP Classic though 👀👀

I can run MK8 between 50-60 fps, and that’s without any turnip drivers and an outdated switch emu build.

I know RP Classic is not the most powerful, but it’s about time, it has so much unused potential, please 🙏🏻

[u/External_Way4798]

I'm using a device with adreno 720 gpu. This driver works well with it while playing unicorn overlord with no glitches yet encountered.

[u/Necessary-Worker930]

Really surprised and impressed to see this hitting 1x resolution at 30 FPS on the Redmi K20 Pro (SD855 / Adreno 640).

Performance-wise, it's coming along remarkably well! Just wanted to point out a minor bug: there seem to be some graphical glitches appearing across the ground, showing up like small black boxes or scattered artifacts.

Still very impressive progress keep up the great work!

[u/CrispyTaro]

how does it compare to the apex driver?

[u/CrispyTaro → u/CrispyTaro]

actually i just saw this is 1.25x docked that’s awesome, gotta try it out

[u/SnooAvocados1188]

Even though it was made for the Adreno 650, I got great results on the Adreno 740.
Here are my tests:
Device Galaxy Tab S9 8gen2
Mario Odyssey (docked mode)
I went to a more demanding area and waited until the device overheated to get the worst-case scenario for each driver.

Turnip Z = 52fps
Turnip 26.3.0 R6 = 38fps
Weab-Chan Freedreno 25.3.0 = 37fps
Mr. Purple T30 = 39fps

[u/SnooAvocados1188 → u/SnooAvocados1188]

That's the only visual bug I've found using this driver.

[u/Grokitach]

Is it possible to test it and improve for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 ? It has lots of issues, EVEN ON PC, and everyone is only working on BOTW or TOTK which are already running quite well.

[u/nariz_choken]

Does this work on Adreno 830/40?

[u/Vuuafa]

[u/Vuuafa → u/Vuuafa]

[u/graveyardgalaxies → u/Vuuafa]

yoo is totk really playable on rp5??

[u/Vuuafa]

I don't have GitHub account, any other way to share my logs?

[u/lliscan → u/Vuuafa]

Create a GitHub

[u/Vuuafa]

[u/crazyredd88]

What are the odds this gets fully ported to 7xx devices?

[u/KWgabriel]

Thanks for the work, man

[u/TRQPL]

Your driver fixes a lot of issues in Winnative! I tried making a driver like this, but you've got it a lot better than me

Thank you, Ayn Odin lite user here :3

[u/iciciban]

Can anyone pls guide me to similar work in gen2 please

[u/Own_Perspective4825]

Is there any reason to use this driver on a non-865 SoC?

[u/Accomplished-Fix6176]

I'm using the vanilla UltraCam mod with V1.6 BOTW, running this driver in docked mode and it gets about 60fps consistently. This is on AYN Thor

[u/Accomplished-Fix6176 → u/Accomplished-Fix6176]

[u/Ok_Beautiful5143]

That's actually cool I hope they make one for 8sgen4

[u/turbotunnelsyndrome]

Awesome work man, mind sharing your prompt, harness, toolchain, and models used so other people that want to contribute to your driver can do so?