Game plays worse/slower in newer versions: Is this considered regression?

[Rekrul]

(04-04-2019 02:20 AM)Dipen Wrote:  try updating the display drivers bro

I have the latest drivers that are available for XP.

(04-04-2019 01:23 AM)[Unknown] Wrote:  Are you using default settings? I'm guessing you aren't just reducing the resolution - which things have you disabled / changed to improve speed?

When testing for problems, I always start with a fresh copy of each version, unpacked directly from the archive to a new directory. Then I run it with all the default settings. The only things I change are to switch to fullsceen and I change a couple of the control mappings to match my gamepad. I leave everything else at the defaults when comparing different versions. I don't even use a save file for the game, I always start it from the beginning.

Anyway, I'm beyond confused right now...

I've been testing different versions of PPSSPP and I can never get consistent results, even with the same version. I can run it in v1.6 and get good performance, close PPSSPP, run it again and get crappy performance. It seems to be random. If the sound on the main menu is OK, then the game plays fine. If the sound is breaking up, then the game will play slowly. Note that FMVs and stuff like choosing a car in the garage are fine.

The only constant is that I can sometimes get good performance out of the 1.6.x versions and I always get terrible performance in 1.8.0. I also tested 1.7.4. It was somewhat better than 1.8.0, but still had highly inconsistent speed. It would randomly slow down, speed up, etc.

If I'm being 100% honest, the performance in 1.6 isn't perfect, however the speed variations are small enough that they don't typically affect gameplay. In fact, I only really notice them when watching the video I made. That is, when 1.6 decides to cooperate.

I don't have capture software, and that would probably skew the results a little too, so I used a digital camera pointed at my screen. Both were made with 100% default settings, except for the control mapping as noted above. Also, both were made starting the game from scratch. Nothing else was running on my system and I rebooted before running PPSSPP.

(You'll have to click and watch them on YouTube because the forum won't let me post two videos)

PPSSPP v1.6
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StjT-2FzO_k

PPSSPP v1.8.0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok87TS3hkxY

Note that 1.8.0 speeds up to just about normal around the 59 second mark, but slows down again a couple seconds later. You can hear the audio warbling.