Chrono Cross 60 real FPS guide

[Markan]

Since the old post was deleted for unknown reason here I bring you an updated version of the performance guide to run Chrono Cross with 60 stable FPS courtesy by the hard work for weeks of the modding community (Discord https://discord.gg/S5N5XyNQ ).

There are two methods, the first one (and best) is using Special K (SK) tool, and for the people struggling with SK or simply don't like using it I have included a second method by only editing hex values of CHRONOCROSS.exe.

All this guide was made assuming you have a clean install of the game without any previous performance patch. (Mods that alters the graphical style doesn't matter)

METHOD ONE, USING SPECIAL K:

1) Download Special K in the following link and install it like any other software
https://sk-data.special-k.info/repository/SpecialK_22.4.19.2.exe


2) Open the game launcher, go to settings, select "Window mode" and your screen resolution, click apply then close the launcher

3) Open Special K and select "Add game", after the new window pop click "Browse" and select select CHRONOCROSS.exe located by default in C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\CHRONO CROSS THE RADICAL DREAMERS EDITION”

4) In the SK window, right click on CHRONO CROSS that you previously added select Manage-> Create shortcut.

Now you can launch the game with SK using the new shortcut.

5) Go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\CHRONO CROSS THE RADICAL DREAMERS EDITION and make a backup of CHRONOCROSS.exe just in case if you do any mistake with the following steps.

6) Download and install HxD from the official website, once you have it opened go to
"File ->Open" and select your CHRONOCROSS.exe, then go to "Search -> Replace" select the tab called "Hex-values" and put the following values:

Search for: 3B C7 72 18
Replace With: 3B C7 74 18

In "search directions" select All

After that press OK and save it



That's all you have to do outside the game.


7) Open the game using the Chrono Cross shortcut that SK created previously, you will see a new overlay, that means the program is running well, now you have to open SK control panel by pressing Ctrl + shift + backspace and make a few changes:

In the "performance settings" tab select "unlocked", a new box called "frame pacing" should appear, put this values: 0 in the first field, 0 in the second field, and 07 in the third field.

Here is a pic of example: https://imgur.com/a/QzyNAPA

NOTE: If you have problems after using these values you could try 0 in the first field, 7 in the second field, and 8 in the third field.


8) In the "Framerate limiter" tab check the option "Framerate limit" if it unchecked, double click on the space, type 59,94 (or 60) and press enter, on the same space, right click it and make sure the "Latent sync" option if checked.

9) OPTIONAL: If you have a powerful PC you can change the internal resolution to 1440p or 4K for a big improve in graphics.

That's all, now restart the game and enjoy it at 60 FPS.

NOTE 2: This fix is not perfect yet, if you have any problem you can ask in discord. https://discord.gg/S5N5XyNQ

Here is a list of posibles glitches and how to fix them: https://pastebin.com/gqPbWRNx







METHOD TWO, WITHOUT SPECIAL K


This method is done by purely editing hex values with HxD, you should know that using this method doesn't fix the tearing VSync problems but the difference with vanilla version still night and day.

First of all go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\CHRONO CROSS THE RADICAL DREAMERS EDITION and make a backup of CHRONOCROSS.exe just in case if you do any mistake with the following steps.

1) Download and install HxD from the official website, once you have it opened go to
"File ->Open" and select your CHRONOCROSS.exe, then go to "Search -> Replace" select the tab called "Hex-values" and put the following values:

Search for: 83 46 14 02 8B
Replace With: 83 46 14 00 8B



2) Do the same thing with the following values, you may select "All" in search directions if HxD couldn't find it

Search for 6B C6 1A -----> Replace With 6B C6 07

Search for 3B C7 72 18 -----> Replace With 3B C7 74 18

Search for AE 9C 08 -----> Replace With AE 1E 09

NOTE: The last value speed up the game a bit, if you don't like it you can change to AE 1E 08 instead



After finishing go to "File->Save".



That's all, now open the game and enjoy it

Here is a list of posibles glitches and how to fix them: https://pastebin.com/gqPbWRNx




I hope you find this useful, this fix is not perfect yet, and if you have any problem you can ask in discord. https://discord.gg/S5N5XyNQ


Comparison video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI0zjlDtsBw

[Stoibs]

Thanks, I think I'll copy and paste this somewhere incase it randomly get deleted again :S

Are the changes significant enough from the ISA fix though? Using that currently and I'm wondering if it is worth doing a complete fresh re-install when it's already more or less running smooth now.

[Markan]

Originally posted by Stoibs:

Thanks, I think I'll copy and paste this somewhere incase it randomly get deleted again :S

Are the changes significant enough from the ISA fix though? Using that currently and I'm wondering if it is worth doing a complete fresh re-install when it's already more or less running smooth now.

Yes, pretty significant compared with the old one, you dont need to reinstall the whole game, just delete CHRONOCROSS.exe and do a file verify with steam.

[Stoibs]

Oh cool thanks

[Melodia]

(in before it gets deleted again. Seriously, what were they thinking?)

[NamelessNP]

The last update I saw for the guide included DXVK-Async and alternate instructions for a local version of Special K for those of us who don't want to install the whole program. Is all that deprecated?

[Deykkcaos]

Originally posted by NamelessNP:

The last update I saw for the guide included DXVK-Async and alternate instructions for a local version of Special K for those of us who don't want to install the whole program. Is all that deprecated?

yeah, new special k dont need DXVK

[asmoranomar]

Whenever I attempt to launch via SK, i get a "Steam must be running to play this game (SteamAPI_Init() failed)." Error.

Steam is open, and I can launch the game without SK.

Any advice?

[chaosstare]

I hope that they can update the Switch version with the FPS Fix, backgrounds still looked ok for me, but I think the one modders upscaled are still better visually.

[GRKSP]

Thanks! I've tried the second mode and the difference is just unbelievable. I hope that if SE finally release a patch, it will at least be as good as this...

[Markan]

Originally posted by asmoranomar:

Whenever I attempt to launch via SK, i get a "Steam must be running to play this game (SteamAPI_Init() failed)." Error.

Steam is open, and I can launch the game without SK.

Any advice?

Try adding this to steam launch options

SKIF %COMMAND%

If not, try to add it in the SK manage options instead.


Another solution is deleting SpecialK.ini and let the program make a new one.

[Airi]

Thank you for this! It was driving my bonkers trying to play this normally ♥

[Stoibs]

Originally posted by Markan:

Originally posted by asmoranomar:

Whenever I attempt to launch via SK, i get a "Steam must be running to play this game (SteamAPI_Init() failed)." Error.

Steam is open, and I can launch the game without SK.

Any advice?

Try adding this to steam launch options

SKIF %COMMAND%

If not, try to add it in the SK manage options instead.


Another solution is deleting SpecialK.ini and let the program make a new one.

I'm stuck on this step also, and none of those 3 solutions do anything =(
Anything else?

EDIT: Oh nevermind, running it directly from Special K after doing all the hex editing and stuff worked, just made a another shortcut and this one works now.

Awesome, yeah thanks for putting that video up, could see it running better than the ISA mod after watching that and decided to give this a go =)

[Crusta]

Originally posted by Markan:

Comparison video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI0zjlDtsBw

Looks nice. But its kind of funny that the screen flashes black in battle mode with the FPS modding in this remaster. Because that exact same thing happens on emulator as well if you overclock the PS1 core too much in the emulator's options lol

[Airi]

Originally posted by Moluscow:

Originally posted by Markan:

Comparison video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI0zjlDtsBw

Looks nice. But its kind of funny that the screen flashes black in battle mode with the FPS modding in this remaster. Because that exact same thing happens on emulator as well if you overclock the PS1 core too much in the emulator's options lol

I've just gotten into some battles since applying the above steps. MOST battles seem to be fine, but I've hit the ghost ship boss fight and i'm getting that flickering a lot. Do we know if there is something else we can tweak/fix that can resolve this?

[Markan]

Originally posted by Moluscow:

Originally posted by Markan:

Comparison video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI0zjlDtsBw

Looks nice. But its kind of funny that the screen flashes black in battle mode with the FPS modding in this remaster. Because that exact same thing happens on emulator as well if you overclock the PS1 core too much in the emulator's options lol

That's due this remaster is an emulation from the original PSX japanese version and we discovered the overclocking internal CPU values, you can even import saves from PSX version lol.

Originally posted by Airi:

Originally posted by Moluscow:

Looks nice. But its kind of funny that the screen flashes black in battle mode with the FPS modding in this remaster. Because that exact same thing happens on emulator as well if you overclock the PS1 core too much in the emulator's options lol

I've just gotten into some battles since applying the above steps. MOST battles seem to be fine, but I've hit the ghost ship boss fight and i'm getting that flickering a lot. Do we know if there is something else we can tweak/fix that can resolve this?

You can touch the values in game using SK, for example, in the guide i recommended put 0/0/7 values since they seems to be the best but it can depends of your specs as well, you can try values like 0/0/8, 0/7/8, etc and see how it looks.