Savage Wind Alpha 3 (0.3.0-alpha.3)

Alpha 3: the first release for Linux, and ultrawide. Savage Wind plays The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
1.9.0 through the opening and the Great Plateau at 60 fps, on Windows and now on Linux and the Steam Deck. The
whole map has been walked on a 100% save, but the main quests and the Divine Beasts haven't been played yet: expect
bugs there, and please report what you find.

Important

No game files are included. You need your own legally obtained copy of the game, updated to version 1.9.0,
extracted from your own Nintendo Switch. Savage Wind provides no game files, keys, firmware, dumping or
decryption tools, or instructions to obtain any of them, and it never decrypts anything. The game code is
recompiled on your machine, from your files, for your own use only: don't share it. Respect the copyright laws of
your country. This is a fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo.

Downloads

File	For	Status
SavageWind-0.3.0-alpha.3-windows.zip	Windows 10 or later, x86-64	Supported
Savage_Wind-0.3.0-alpha.3-x86_64.AppImage	Linux x86-64 with glibc 2.35 or newer (Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12, Fedora 36, Arch, SteamOS...)	Supported; tested on the Steam Deck
Savage_Wind-0.3.0-alpha.3-aarch64.AppImage	Linux on ARM64 with a Vulkan 1.3 driver	Highly experimental

Warning

The aarch64 AppImage is highly experimental. It is cross-compiled on x86-64 and has never been run on real ARM
hardware. It may not set up, start or run at all. Android isn't supported. If you try it on Asahi Linux, a
Snapdragon laptop, a Raspberry Pi 5 or another board, please open an issue with what happened and the details
listed in docs/linux.md.

Highlights

• Game version 1.9.0 is now the supported one (1.8.2 still sets up and runs). Thai is offered as a text language.
• Ultrawide: Video > Fill wide screens shows more of the world on 21:9 and 32:9 screens instead of black bars,
  with the HUD kept 16:9 in the middle.
• Field of view slider, 70% to 150%, in play only.
• Motion controls: motion aiming and the tilt puzzles from your controller's gyroscope, or the mouse with T.
• Shader precompilation at setup, so new places and effects don't stutter.
• Game code built in about 6 minutes instead of 30, and shaders translate about 3x faster.
• Menus, cutscenes and conversations at your frame rate, and pre-rendered movies that play.
• Button prompts for your device: keyboard and mouse, Xbox, PlayStation or Nintendo, switching as you use them.
• New video options: VSync for G-SYNC / FreeSync, anisotropic filtering, AMD CAS sharpening, shadow resolution up to
  8192; a stick dead zone; CPUs without AVX2 are supported in a slower compatible mode.
• Many fixes, among them exploding trees, crashing cutscene videos, voices in the wrong language and the horse
  whistle crash.

The full list is in CHANGELOG.md.

Getting started

Windows: extract the zip to a folder you can write to (not Program Files) and run savagewind.exe.
Linux: make the AppImage executable (chmod +x) and run it.

The first time it asks for your game files: pick the folder with your own extracted game (exefs/ and romfs/,
version 1.9.0) and choose Set up game files. It checks the version, copies the files, builds the data image,
recompiles the game code on your machine (about 6 minutes with a 12-thread CPU) and precompiles the shaders, once.
Then the game starts. Settings are in the game's Options; Savage Wind Configuration (Windows) or the AppImage's
--config opens the configuration screen.

Needs a GPU with Vulkan 1.3, a CPU with SSE4.2 (2008 or newer) and about 35 GB of free disk space.

Coming from Alpha 2: extract Alpha 3 to a new folder and set the game files up again with your 1.9.0 files (the
game code has to be built again). Copy your save folder over to keep your progress.

Known issues

• Ultrawide is new: some screens and effects may still be cut off or misplaced at 21:9 or 32:9. Please report them.
• At high frame rates some cutscenes and conversations end a little sooner than on the console.
• GTX 1050 laptops with an Intel GPU next to it (Optimus) can crash at startup (#36). Lower-end GPUs such as the MX130
  are too slow for now.
• Magenta patches on some AMD GPUs on Windows aren't confirmed fixed (#26, #59).
• The faint Y / A / B letters around the gliding prompt don't follow your device yet.
• DLC isn't supported.

Thanks

To everyone who reported bugs, and to the contributors whose work is in this release: @fgabe, @adriadam10,
@Igorms27, @xiaoxue508 and @moronigranja (see the CHANGELOG for who did what).

Bundled components

Savage Wind's own code is MIT. The Windows zip also bundles, under their own licenses: FFmpeg 9.0.2 built as LGPL only
(source, configured by tools/build_deps_windows.sh), SDL 3
(zlib), shaderc (Apache 2.0), libiconv (LGPL), the GCC runtime (GCC Runtime Library Exception), winpthreads, Zig
0.17.0 (MIT; LLVM: Apache 2.0 with LLVM Exceptions), the generator frozen with PyInstaller (Python, Capstone, Unicorn
GPL 2.0, python-lz4), and the Fira Sans and Noto Sans Thai fonts (SIL OFL 1.1). The AppImages bundle SDL3, an
LGPL-only FFmpeg and shaderc built from pinned sources (tools/linux/build_deps.sh), Zig and the frozen generator;
glibc, libstdc++, zlib, the Vulkan loader and the GPU drivers are the system's. Versions, licenses and sources: the
README's License section and docs/linux.md.

This release was made almost entirely with AI (Anthropic's Claude, through Claude Code), directed, tested and
reviewed by a human.

SHA-256

1982c5b0e907436b8e770e6aa7bd3c9cea48877eb2238c3c9155923d092cab42  SavageWind-0.3.0-alpha.3-windows.zip
addf70100c95d99ce618b3a1e97690b0b5b4ff9b65b72e4c374c6bb618f491ac  Savage_Wind-0.3.0-alpha.3-x86_64.AppImage
6857ce7f2515dd680d3548b44374fb591b770cb1cef9927de2736c182076f41e  Savage_Wind-0.3.0-alpha.3-aarch64.AppImage

Savage Wind Alpha 2 (0.2.0-alpha.2)

Alpha 2: playable, but how far is unknown. Savage Wind plays The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 1.8.2 through
the opening in the Shrine of Resurrection and out onto the Great Plateau at 60 fps, with sound, voices, the HUD,
saving and loading. Nobody has played past the Great Plateau on Savage Wind yet: expect bugs or crashes further on, and
please report what you find.

Important

No game files are included. You need your own legally obtained copy of the game, updated to version 1.8.2,
extracted from your own Nintendo Switch. Savage Wind provides no game files, keys, firmware, dumping or
decryption tools, or instructions to obtain any of them, and it never decrypts anything. The game code is
recompiled on your machine, from your files, for your own use only: don't share it. Respect the copyright laws of
your country. This is a fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo.

New since Alpha 1

• The open world: the Great Plateau with its terrain, water, blue sky, shadows and HUD (minimap and gauges), and
  Link on the ground.
• 60 fps by default, or 30, 90, 120 or no limit, with the game running at the same speed.
• Resolution: native up to 4K, or AMD FSR 1 quality modes; window sizes your display supports, windowed,
  borderless or exclusive fullscreen.
• Settings inside the game's own Options screen, and Quit asks with the game's own dialog.
• Straight into the game: savagewind.exe starts the game once it's set up; Savage Wind Configuration
  has the setup and the settings.
• Shader and pipeline cache: places you've already seen don't stutter again.
• The title screen shows Savage Wind's version; mouse sensitivity defaults to 300%.

Getting started

1. Extract the zip to a folder you can write to (not Program Files). Game files, saves and settings stay in that
   folder.
2. Run savagewind.exe, pick the folder with your extracted game (exefs/ and romfs/, version 1.8.2) and choose
   Set up game files. It checks the version, copies the files, builds the data image and recompiles the game code
   on your machine, once: about 40 minutes with a 12-thread CPU. Then the game starts.

Needs Windows 10 or later (x86-64, a CPU with AVX2), a GPU with Vulkan 1.3 and about 35 GB of free disk space.
Coming from Alpha 1: extract Alpha 2 to a new folder and set the game files up again (the game code has to be built
again); copy your save folder over if you want to keep your progress.

Known issues

• Only the Shrine of Resurrection and the Great Plateau have been played.
• In real play the frame rate can still drop to 45-50 fps in places; the first time an effect appears it stutters
  while its pipeline is made.
• Two save-screen glitches (a black thumbnail the second time) and a black pause menu background after an in-game
  restart.
• Windows only for now. DLC isn't supported. Only version 1.8.2 is accepted.

Bundled components

The zip contains Savage Wind's own code (MIT) and, under their own licenses: FFmpeg 9.0.2 built as LGPL only
(source, configured by tools/build_deps_windows.sh), SDL 3
(zlib), shaderc (Apache 2.0), libiconv (LGPL), the GCC runtime (GCC Runtime Library Exception), Zig 0.17.0 (MIT;
LLVM: Apache 2.0 with LLVM Exceptions), the generator frozen with PyInstaller (Python, Capstone, Unicorn GPL 2.0,
python-lz4) and the Fira Sans font (SIL OFL 1.1). Versions, licenses and sources: the README's License section.

This release was made almost entirely with AI (Anthropic's Claude, through Claude Code), directed, tested and
reviewed by a human.

SHA-256 of SavageWind-0.2.0-alpha.2-windows.zip: 63297babb4586a335357b81b9c86873b1de1c6f5719da26bcb282cad393ca81d

Savage Wind Alpha 1 (0.1.0-alpha.1)

Alpha 1 is a preview for testers, not a way to play the game through. Savage Wind boots The Legend of Zelda:
Breath of the Wild 1.8.2 to its main menu and plays the opening in the Shrine of Resurrection - lit, with its fog and
effects, at the game's own 30 fps, with sound, voices and saves. Nothing past the shrine has been tested yet.

Important

No game files are included. You need your own legally obtained copy of the game, updated to version 1.8.2,
extracted from your own Nintendo Switch. Savage Wind provides no game files, keys, firmware, dumping or
decryption tools, or instructions to obtain any of them, and it never decrypts anything. The game code is
recompiled on your machine, from your files, for your own use only: don't share it. Respect the copyright laws of
your country. This is a fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo.

What's in it

• Text and voices in different languages, which the console doesn't offer: any of the game's 15 text languages
  with English, Latin American or European Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian or Japanese voices.
• Menus in the game's 11 languages, following the text language.
• Keyboard and mouse (every key remappable, a mouse camera) and any controller SDL knows.
• An overlay menu (Esc or F1) and a performance overlay (F10).

Getting started

1. Extract the zip to a folder you can write to (not Program Files). Game files, saves and settings stay in that
   folder.
2. Run savagewind.exe, choose Set up game files, pick the folder with your extracted game (exefs/ and
   romfs/, version 1.8.2) and start the setup. It checks the version, copies the files, builds the data image and
   recompiles the game code on your machine - once; it takes a while (about 40 minutes with a 12-thread CPU).
3. Play.

Needs Windows 10 or later (x86-64, a CPU with AVX2), a GPU with Vulkan 1.3 and about 35 GB of free disk space.

Known issues

• Only the opening (the Shrine of Resurrection) has been tested; past it, expect graphics bugs or crashes.
• The first time an effect appears the game can stutter while its shader compiles; it is cached afterwards.
• Windows only for now; Linux is next. DLC isn't supported. Only version 1.8.2 is accepted.

Bundled components

The zip contains Savage Wind's own code (MIT) and, under their own licenses: FFmpeg 9.0.2 built as LGPL only
(source, configured by tools/build_deps_windows.sh), SDL 3
(zlib), shaderc (Apache 2.0), libiconv (LGPL), the GCC runtime (GCC Runtime Library Exception), Zig 0.17.0 (MIT;
LLVM: Apache 2.0 with LLVM Exceptions), the generator frozen with PyInstaller (Python, Capstone, Unicorn GPL 2.0,
python-lz4) and the Baloo 2 font (SIL OFL 1.1). Versions, licenses and sources: the README's License section.

This release was made almost entirely with AI (Anthropic's Claude, through Claude Code), directed, tested and
reviewed by a human.

SHA-256 of SavageWind-0.1.0-alpha.1-windows.zip: acee2e802b8fb500321ccd22733a1cfb2d223966b5ebc879881306f339690aaa