# Performance Optimization

Provenance is highly optimized for Apple devices, but performance can vary based on your device, the emulated system, and your settings. This guide helps you get smooth, full-speed emulation across all 38+ supported systems.

## Quick Performance Checklist

✅ **5-Minute Performance Boost:**

1. **Close background apps** - Double-tap Home, swipe up to close
2. **Disable visual effects** - Settings → Turn off Smoothing and CRT filters
3. **Use recommended cores** - See [per-system recommendations](#by-system) below
4. **Enable Low Power Mode** - For longer gaming sessions (slight performance trade-off)
5. **Update to latest version** - Performance improvements in every release

**Still slow?** Continue reading for system-specific optimizations.

***

## Understanding Performance

### What Affects Performance?

**Device Age (Most Important):**

* 📱 **iPhone 11 or newer** - Full speed for all systems including Dreamcast and PSP
* 📱 **iPhone 8/8 Plus/X/XS/XR** - Full speed for all systems up to PlayStation/N64; Dreamcast/PSP may struggle
* 📱 **iPad Air 3 / Pro 2018 or newer** - Excellent for all supported systems
* 📺 **Apple TV 4K** - Best performance, especially for demanding systems like Dreamcast

**Emulated System Complexity:**

* 🟢 **Easy:** NES, Game Boy, SNES, Genesis (full speed on any supported device)
* 🟡 **Moderate:** GBA, PlayStation, N64 (full speed on iPhone 8 or newer)
* 🔴 **Demanding:** Dreamcast, PSP (requires iPhone 11 or newer / Apple TV 4K)

**App Settings:**

* ⚙️ **Visual filters** (Smoothing, CRT) add processing overhead
* ⚙️ **Save states** can cause brief frame drops when created
* ⚙️ **Audio sync** affects timing accuracy vs performance

***

## Device-Specific Recommendations

### iPhone

**Modern (iPhone 11 and newer):**

* ✅ All systems run at full speed
* ✅ Enable all visual enhancements without performance loss
* ✅ Dreamcast, PSP playable

**Entry Level (iPhone 8/8 Plus/X/XS/XR):**

* ✅ All systems up to PlayStation/N64 at full speed
* ⚠️ Disable visual filters for demanding games
* ⚠️ Dreamcast/PSP may be slow

**Note:** Provenance requires iOS 16+, which supports iPhone 8 or later. Older devices cannot run Provenance.

### iPad

**Modern (iPad Air 3 / Pro 2018 and newer):**

* ✅ All systems at maximum performance
* ✅ Best screen size for retro gaming
* ✅ No compromises needed

**Entry Level (iPad 5th gen, iPad mini 5th gen and newer):**

* ✅ All systems up to PlayStation/N64
* ⚠️ Some demanding games (Dreamcast, PSP) may need frameskip

**Note:** Provenance requires iPadOS 16+, which supports iPad 5th gen, iPad Air 3rd gen, iPad mini 5th gen, and all iPad Pro models.

### Apple TV

See the dedicated [**Apple TV / tvOS Guide**](/platforms-and-performance/tvos-guide.md#performance-tips) for detailed performance optimization on tvOS.

**Summary:**

* **Apple TV 4K (2nd/3rd gen):** Perfect performance, all systems
* **Apple TV 4K (1st gen):** Full speed up to N64/PlayStation
* **Apple TV HD:** Good for 16-bit and earlier systems

***

## Performance by System

### 8-Bit Systems (Full Speed Everywhere)

**Systems:** NES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Sega Master System, Game Gear, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Atari Lynx

**Performance:** ✅ Full speed on all supported devices (iPhone 8 or newer)

**Tips:**

* No optimization needed
* All visual filters work without slowdown
* Lowest impact on battery life

***

### 16-Bit Systems (Full Speed on All Supported Devices)

**Systems:** SNES, Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega CD, TurboGrafx-16, Neo Geo Pocket, WonderSwan

**Performance:** ✅ Full speed on all supported devices (iPhone 8 or newer)

**Tips:**

* **SNES:** Some special chip games (Star Fox, Yoshi's Island) may need minor tweaks on entry-level devices
* **Genesis:** Multiple cores available - use "Genesis Plus GX" for best compatibility
* **Sega CD:** Requires BIOS + CHD format for multi-disc games

**Optimization:**

* Use save states instead of in-game saves (faster loading)

***

### Portable Systems

#### Game Boy Advance

**Performance:** ✅ Full speed on all supported devices (iPhone 8 or newer)

**Tips:**

* **Core:** Use "mGBA" core (most accurate, good performance)
* **Alternative:** "VBA-M" core for older devices (slightly faster)
* **Battery:** GBA games drain battery faster than GB/GBC (3D effects)

**Optimization:**

* Disable "Solar Sensor" if not using Boktai games (saves CPU)

#### Nintendo DS

**Performance:** ⚠️ Requires iPhone 8 or newer for full speed

**Tips:**

* **3D games** (Mario 64 DS, Mario Kart DS) need iPhone 11+ for smooth play
* **2D games** (Pokémon, Advance Wars) run well on iPhone 8/8 Plus/X/XS/XR
* **Screen layout:** Vertical layout recommended (one screen above the other)

**Optimization:**

* Lower internal resolution in settings (3x → 2x)
* Disable "High-Res 3D" for 3D games

#### PSP

**Performance:** 🔴 Requires iPhone 11 or newer

**Tips:**

* **Most demanding system** in Provenance
* Works best on iPhone 12 Pro or newer with active cooling
* Apple TV 4K recommended for best experience

**Optimization:**

* Set frameskip to "Auto" or "1" if needed
* Lower internal resolution to 2x (still looks great)
* Disable texture filtering if slow
* Close all background apps

***

### 3D Systems

#### Nintendo 64

**Performance:** 🟡 Full speed on iPhone 8 and newer

**Tips:**

* **Multiple cores available:** "Mupen64Plus" (recommended) and "ParaLLEl"
* **ParaLLEl core:** Better accuracy, requires iPhone 11+ for full speed
* **Mupen64Plus:** Faster, works on all supported devices

**Game-Specific:**

* ✅ **Works great:** Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Mario Kart 64
* ⚠️ **Needs newer device:** Perfect Dark, Conker's Bad Fur Day, Donkey Kong 64
* ❌ **Problematic:** GoldenEye 007 (slowdown even on newest devices)

**Optimization:**

* Use "Rice" video plugin on entry-level devices (faster but less accurate)
* Disable "widescreen hack" for performance
* Lower resolution multiplier: 2x → 1x (native N64 resolution)

#### PlayStation

**Performance:** ✅ Full speed on iPhone 8 and newer

**Tips:**

* **Best core:** "PCSX-ReARMed" (excellent compatibility + speed)
* **CHD support:** Multi-disc games work great in CHD format (faster loading)
* **Memory cards:** Provenance auto-creates, no setup needed

**Game-Specific:**

* ✅ **Perfect:** Final Fantasy VII-IX, Crash Bandicoot, Spyro, Metal Gear Solid
* ⚠️ **May need frameskip:** Ridge Racer Type 4, Gran Turismo 2

**Optimization:**

* Use CHD format instead of BIN/CUE (20-40% smaller, faster)
* Enable "Enhanced Resolution" on iPhone 11+ (sharper graphics, minimal performance hit)

#### Dreamcast

**Performance:** 🔴 Requires iPhone 11 or newer

**Tips:**

* Use **Flycast JIT-less core**
* Apple TV 4K recommended for best experience
* Not all games are compatible (core still in development)

**Game-Specific:**

* ✅ **Works well:** Sonic Adventure, Shenmue, Soulcalibur, Jet Set Radio, THPS 1+2
* ⚠️ **Slow/buggy:** Crazy Taxi 1 & 2, DOA2
* ❌ **Incompatible:** Some titles don't boot

**Optimization:**

* Disable "Widescreen" mode (adds overhead)
* Lower internal resolution if needed
* Use "Frameskip: Auto" for demanding games

***

## Advanced Optimization

### Battery Life vs Performance

**Best Battery Life:**

1. ✅ Enable **Low Power Mode** (Settings → Battery)
2. ✅ Lower screen brightness (biggest battery drain)
3. ✅ Play 8-bit/16-bit systems (NES, SNES, GB, Genesis)
4. ✅ Use wired headphones (Bluetooth drains faster)
5. ✅ Disable background app refresh for Provenance

**Battery Impact by System:**

* 🟢 **Low drain:** NES, GB, GBC, SNES, Genesis (\~4-6 hours)
* 🟡 **Moderate:** GBA, PlayStation (\~3-4 hours)
* 🔴 **High drain:** N64, Dreamcast, PSP (\~2-3 hours)

### Visual Quality vs Performance

**Maximum Quality (iPhone 11+ recommended):**

* ✅ Smoothing filter ON
* ✅ CRT filter ON
* ✅ Enhanced resolution (PlayStation, N64)
* ✅ Shader effects (specific cores)

**Balanced (iPhone 8/8 Plus/X/XS/XR):**

* ⚙️ Smoothing: OFF
* ⚙️ CRT filter: OFF
* ⚙️ Enhanced resolution: ON (PlayStation only)

**Maximum Performance (entry-level supported devices):**

* ❌ All filters OFF
* ❌ Native resolution only
* ❌ Frameskip: Auto

### Recommended Cores by System

When multiple cores are available, these are the best performance/compatibility balance:

| System          | Recommended Core | Alternative | Notes                     |
| --------------- | ---------------- | ----------- | ------------------------- |
| **Genesis**     | Genesis Plus GX  | PicoDrive   | Plus GX = better accuracy |
| **SNES**        | Snes9x           | bsnes       | Snes9x = faster           |
| **GBA**         | mGBA             | VBA-M       | mGBA = best accuracy      |
| **N64**         | Mupen64Plus      | ParaLLEl    | ParaLLEl needs iPhone 11+ |
| **PlayStation** | PCSX-ReARMed     | Beetle PSX  | ReARMed = faster          |

***

## Troubleshooting Performance Issues

### Game is Slow or Stuttering

**Symptoms:** Framerate drops, audio crackling, sluggish controls

**Solutions (try in order):**

1. ✅ **Close background apps**
   * Double-tap Home button
   * Swipe up on all apps except Provenance
2. ✅ **Disable visual filters**
   * Provenance Settings → Smoothing: OFF
   * Provenance Settings → CRT Filter: OFF
3. ✅ **Check core selection**
   * In-game menu → Core Info
   * Try alternative core if available
4. ✅ **Lower internal resolution**
   * Settings → Video → Resolution Multiplier: 1x or 2x
5. ✅ **Enable frameskip**
   * Settings → Frameskip: Auto
6. ✅ **Restart device**
   * Power off → Wait 10 seconds → Power on

### Specific Game is Slow, Others Are Fine

**Cause:** Game-specific compatibility or CPU-intensive content

**Solutions:**

1. Check online compatibility lists for that core
2. Try alternative ROM dump (bad ROM = poor performance)
3. Some games are just demanding (GoldenEye 007, Conker, etc.)
4. Update to latest Provenance version (cores improve over time)

### Audio Crackling or Popping

**Cause:** CPU can't keep up with audio buffer

**Solutions:**

1. Enable frameskip (lets audio stay smooth)
2. Close background audio apps (Music, Spotify)
3. Disable Bluetooth audio (use wired headphones)
4. Lower in-game audio settings if available

### Performance Got Worse After Update

**Cause:** New settings default, cache issue, or regression

**Solutions:**

1. Check if new visual settings were enabled automatically
2. Delete and reinstall Provenance (backup saves first!)
3. Report regression on [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/Provenance-Emu/Provenance/issues)

***

## Performance Testing Results

### Real-World Benchmarks

Tested on **iPhone 12** with default settings:

| System      | Test Game           | FPS      | Performance |
| ----------- | ------------------- | -------- | ----------- |
| NES         | Super Mario Bros. 3 | 60/60    | ✅ Perfect   |
| SNES        | Super Metroid       | 60/60    | ✅ Perfect   |
| GBA         | Metroid Fusion      | 60/60    | ✅ Perfect   |
| Genesis     | Sonic 3 & Knuckles  | 60/60    | ✅ Perfect   |
| PlayStation | Final Fantasy VII   | 60/60    | ✅ Perfect   |
| N64         | Ocarina of Time     | 60/60    | ✅ Perfect   |
| N64         | GoldenEye 007       | 25-45/60 | ⚠️ Slow     |
| Dreamcast   | Sonic Adventure     | 55-60/60 | ✅ Great     |
| PSP         | Crisis Core         | 30-50/60 | ⚠️ Playable |

*Note: Results vary by device. iPhone 11 and newer recommended for 3D systems.*

***

## Tips from the Community

**From Discord/Reddit/App Store reviews:**

1. 💡 **"Airplane mode improves battery life by 30%"** - Disables background sync
2. 💡 **"CHD format loads 2-3x faster than BIN/CUE"** - Especially for multi-disc PlayStation games
3. 💡 **"Close Music app before playing"** - Prevents audio interference
4. 💡 **"Delete old save states"** - Too many save states can slow library loading
5. 💡 **"Use iPad for PSP games"** - Bigger screen + better cooling = smoother performance

***

## See Also

* [Screen Filters & Shaders](/using-provenance/shaders-and-filters.md) — Filter types and their performance impact
* [Fast Forward](/using-provenance/fast-forward.md) — Speed up gameplay in supported cores
* [System-Specific Guides](/platforms-and-performance/system-guides.md) — N64 texture packs, 3DS settings, GameCube/Wii optimization
* [Apple TV / tvOS Guide](/platforms-and-performance/tvos-guide.md#performance-tips) — tvOS-specific optimization
* [Troubleshooting](/help-and-community/troubleshooting.md) — Fix common issues
* [ROM Formatting](/using-provenance/roms/formatting-roms.md) — Convert ROMs to optimal formats (CHD)

***

**Still having performance issues?** Ask in the [Provenance Discord](https://discord.gg/provenance) or check the [FAQ](/faqs.md).


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