Fix ROG Ally Shadows Problem (and generally maintain 30FPS)

[fairplayer916]

The actual fix is simple and straightforward. Just follow the main numbered steps. Eveything else is just explanations and extra info for transparency.

Credit to dessgrantur for his guide.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/2124490/discussions/0/4849904828213295170/
Mine is basically just a more clearly labeled repackage of his, with some settings recommendations, and notes.

Disclaimer: because the ROG Ally by default doesnt render shadows in this game due to the AMD UE5 driver bug, your performance is going to be relatively better BEFORE you apply this fix.

AND you will lose AI based Upscaling, so Only FSR 1.0 will be available in game. i THINK this is because this mod labels the Vulcan api being used as DirectX 11, and AI stuff only works in DirectX 12. But thats just a guess on my part.

That said, ive been able to maintain a solid 30 FPS at 720p adleast so far in my playthrough of 6 hours in.

BUT i run my ally at a constant 38 watts via GHelper, google it.

Please note this requires you to download a .zip archive from the website GITLAB. if you dont trust the source, either do some research on the legitimacy of the project, or simply click away from this guide. Your safety is your responsibility.

The fix:
1. You need to use the DirectX to VUlkan API MOD called "DXVK-gplasync" by Ph42oN.
Link: https://gitlab.com/Ph42oN/dxvk-gplasync/-/releases

IF the link doesnt work, then just google "DXVK-gplasync" and click on the ->GITLAB Releases<- result.

2. In the middle catagory called "Packages", click on the blue "dxvk-glpasync-v2.4.1-1.zip" and the archive will begin downloading.
~2a. v2.4.1-1 is the current latest and the same version i am using, but feel free to test with a newer verison when it becomes available.

3. Open or Extract the zip archive, and go into the "x64" Folder.

4. Copy only "d3d11.dll", and "dxgi.dll". No other files in the .zip archive are needed.

5. Find your Silent Hill 2 Remake Install directory.

6. Once inside the directory, Paste the 2 files into "SHProto\Binaries\Win64"
~6a. if you didnt understand where to paste the files, and dont know how to find your main game directory, here it is spelled out a different way:
-Click on Silent Hill 2 Remake in your steam library
-Click on the Cog icon called "Manage" for the game
-Click on the "Properties" choice in the small floating menu
-In the new window that pops up, click the "installed files" banner from the left side menu
-Click the "Browse..." botton at the top right of the window
-You are now in the main game directory
-In this directory, double click the folder "SHPhoto"
-Then double click the folder "Binaries"
-Then double click the folder "Win64"
-Now Paste the two files from the .Zip Archive into this directory beside the file "SHProto-Win64-Shipping.exe"

NOTE: Some people claim they do not need the "dxvk.conf" for this to work. if you want to test yourself, skip ahead to step 13.

7. Right click inside this same directory and Create a new text file, but dont rename it YET.

8. Open that text file and paste this line into it: DXVK_ASYNC=1

9. Save, and close the Text file.

10. Rename the Text file, INCLUDING the ".txt" at the end of the name, to dxvk.conf.

11. If you did it correctly, windows will give you a warning saying the file may become unreadable if your rename the extention, with a Yes/No choice.

12. Click Yes.
12b. IF YOU CANT RENAME THE FILE including the .txt at the end, you need to learn how to turn file extentions visible on your computer. Google it yourself and come back.

NOTE: Some people are saying you can add " -dx11" to the launch options for Silent Hill 2 Remake in steam instead of making the shortcut. Feel free to test that yourself instead of following steps 13-19.
If you dont know what im talking about here, you can simply ignore this and follow steps 13-19 as normal. Or google "steam launch options"

13. Right click on "SHProto-Win64-Shipping.exe"

14. Choose "Create Shortcut" from the floating context menu

15. Right Click the newly created shortcut called "SHProto-Win64-Shipping.exe - Shortcut"

16. Choose "Properties" at the bottom of the floating context menu

17. In the new window, look for the "Target" Field. You will notice you can edit the file path shown

18. To the very end of that shown file path, add " -dx11"
18b. MAKE SURE TO INCLUDE THE SPACE AT THE START!
18c. do NOT include the quotation marks at the beginning and the end of " -dx11"

19. You must double click the shortcut you made for the game to launch with the fix EVERYTIME you want to play. Drag and drop the shortcut to your desktop if you like.

You can test if its working immediately by launching a new game and seeing if you can see James' hands in the mirror now during the starting cutscene.

FOR MAINTAINING 30 FPS:

1. Set EVERY visual setting to off (or lowest available option if off isnt a choice)

2. set supersampling to FSR 1.0 ("performance" or "balanced")

3. Set resolution to 720p

That *should* do it.

Hope this helps you!

[bRice153]

For the amount you spent on an Ally you could have gotten a PS5 and had a way better expeience lol

[fairplayer916]

Originally posted by bRice153:

For the amount you spent on an Ally you could have gotten a PS5 and had a way better expeience lol

true.

but i can use my ally on my lunches at work :D

plus i have a full desktop for gaming at home.

[bRice153]

Originally posted by fairplayer916:

Originally posted by bRice153:

For the amount you spent on an Ally you could have gotten a PS5 and had a way better expeience lol

true.

but i can use my ally on my lunches at work :D

plus i have a full desktop for gaming at home.

Also pooping too I suppose. Touche. At least you got an Ally and not a weak steam deck.

[fairplayer916]

Originally posted by bRice153:

Originally posted by fairplayer916:

true.

but i can use my ally on my lunches at work :D

plus i have a full desktop for gaming at home.

Also pooping too I suppose. Touche. At least you got an Ally and not a weak steam deck.

hey steam deck is awesome.you can find those things for sub $300 these days.

dont get me wrong, they have their limits, but i had one before the ally came out. and i enjoyed it alot.

that said, i get that they dont appeal to everyone. anyway, im passing out. GN friend.

[fairplayer916]

No idea if this is relevant to anyone else, but if you use DXVK, and the Shortcut method, your save games need to be moved out one folder from the number code folder to just the "SaveGames" folder

[WolfPax]

DXVK introduces more stutters and visual glitches so its placebo in this game.

[alxn1]

I did found root cause of glitches on integrated GPUs :)
It's Unreal Engine 5 problem: if video adapter doesn't have dedicated memory - UE5 disable for this GPU 3D textures. And as Lumen GI (which is used by Silent Hill 2 Remake) is impossible (as i understand) without 3D textures - UE5 disable Lumen GI at all :(

I did write another one dxgi.dll interceptor which can "inject" to UE5 corresponding video memory size (and some other things, but all other properties is not necessary):
https://github.com/alxn1/d3d12-proxy/releases

Usage: remove all dxvk dlls, place dxgi.dll and dxgi_proxy.ini from archive to SH2 bin folder (steamapps/common/SILENT HILL 2/SHProto/Binaries/Win64), edit .ini file if you want (but only gpu_dedicated_memory_size variable is actually needed), remove -dx11 key (if you want to start game with DX12), and run game.

I hope it will be works not only on my device :)
On AOKZOE A1 (with 680m and latest AMD drivers) this DLL fix all lights and shadows in game in DX12 mode (and DX11 too, if you want).

[alxn1]

I forget to disable logs in ini file by default, fixed in 0.0.2 version :)

[Seregio]

I tried this fix on my Ally Z1 Ex. and holy crap, you just fixed the freaking game on the ROG Ally and Legion Go. Thank u very much!

[alxn1]

My pleasure :) But anyway - this is are hack, and would be better if anybody post information about integrated cards, 3D textures and dedicated video memory size somewhere like Unreal Engine bug tracker - maybe it will be fixed in next releases UE5. I do not expect if this will be fixed in already released games, but will be cool if next releases will be work without hacks.

[fairplayer916]

Originally posted by alxn1:

I did found root cause of glitches on integrated GPUs :)
It's Unreal Engine 5 problem: if video adapter doesn't have dedicated memory - UE5 disable for this GPU 3D textures. And as Lumen GI (which is used by Silent Hill 2 Remake) is impossible (as i understand) without 3D textures - UE5 disable Lumen GI at all :(

I did write another one dxgi.dll interceptor which can "inject" to UE5 corresponding video memory size (and some other things, but all other properties is not necessary):
https://github.com/alxn1/d3d12-proxy/releases

Usage: remove all dxvk dlls, place dxgi.dll and dxgi_proxy.ini from archive to SH2 bin folder (steamapps/common/SILENT HILL 2/SHProto/Binaries/Win64), edit .ini file if you want (but only gpu_dedicated_memory_size variable is actually needed), remove -dx11 key, and run game.

I hope it will be works not only on my device :)
On AOKZOE A1 (with 680m and latest AMD drivers) this DLL fix all lights and shadows in game in DX12 mode.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. ill hold off on testing it myself until after i complete my current playthrough.

But dude you should make a post in the general forums about this. and not just for SH2, pretty much every recent UE5 game has this same issue, and it sounds like this could be a fix for all of them.

if it works. ill try testing once i finish my run as im outa storage on my aly.

but the fact that you MADE this is amazing. YOU are amazing.

[fairplayer916]

Originally posted by Seregio:

I tried this fix on my Ally Z1 Ex. and holy crap, you just fixed the freaking game on the ROG Ally and Legion Go. Thank u very much!

not sure if you are thanking me, or Mr. alxn1, but you are welcome if its the former.

and if its the later, then im adleast glad my post lead you to his fix.

[fairplayer916]

Originally posted by WolfPax:

DXVK introduces more stutters and visual glitches so its placebo in this game.

its weird, i hear everyone talking about constant stutters and visual glitches in this game, but i dont seem to have any. not on my ally with this fix, or on my desktop running the game vanilla.

im not saying you are wrong, just that the issues dont seem to be consistent between users.

like i get the typical loading cell stutters, but as long as im not sprinting though to new areas as fast as possible, i only get them for afew seconds when loading into a new area.

im about 12 hours into my playthrough and still holding rock solid 30 fps.

ive actually licked it to 35 now.

[alxn1]

Originally posted by fairplayer916:

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. ill hold off on testing it myself until after i complete my current playthrough.

But dude you should make a post in the general forums about this. and not just for SH2, pretty much every recent UE5 game has this same issue, and it sounds like this could be a fix for all of them.

if it works. ill try testing once i finish my run as im outa storage on my aly.

but the fact that you MADE this is amazing. YOU are amazing.

Thanks :) I will be happy if my silution will help. But currently i haven't disk space for another UE5 game (i want to finish SH2 first) for testing, and i'm not sure what this will work with any other games or with other graphic cards. I waiting for some positive feedback :)

[paperkit2012]

Originally posted by alxn1:

Thanks

Originally posted by fairplayer916:

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. ill hold off on testing it myself until after i complete my current playthrough.

But dude you should make a post in the general forums about this. and not just for SH2, pretty much every recent UE5 game has this same issue, and it sounds like this could be a fix for all of them.

if it works. ill try testing once i finish my run as im outa storage on my aly.

but the fact that you MADE this is amazing. YOU are amazing.

Thanks :) I will be happy if my silution will help. But currently i haven't disk space for another UE5 game (i want to finish SH2 first) for testing, and i'm not sure what this will work with any other games or with other graphic cards. I waiting for some positive feedback :)

I have tried it on my rog ally x, the lighting fixed without turning on ray tracing, thanks so much!!!