ONLINE CTR v0.5.3 - Launcher Self-Update & Support for CUSA14876

v0.5.3 includes everything from v0.5.2 and is the recommended version.

The European edition

The port now runs CUSA14876 (the European edition), with or without its 1.21 update, as well as CUSA13795 (the USA edition). Thanks to martijnhe, whose fork brought it.

• Online works between both editions: European and USA players play together.
• The launcher detects the edition of the folder you choose:
  • it shows that edition's patches, marked [USA] or [EU] in their names;
  • it lists that edition's languages. The European one has English, Spanish (Spain), French, German, Italian and Arabic; the USA one has English, Spanish (Latin America), French and Portuguese (Brazil).
• Saves, the shader cache and DLC are kept per edition.

Ultrawide screens

21:9 and wider screens fill the whole width in races, menus and the title screen. Videos and cutscenes stay at 16:9 with black bars (an option). On an ultrawide screen the game asks once at the first start. Also from martijnhe's fork.

Fewer stalls in the first races

The first time a track, a racer or an effect appeared, the game stopped for a moment to compile its shaders. The first start now prepares them all for your GPU, from your own copy of the game: the window stays black for about 10 seconds, only once (and again after a new GPU or driver). In our tests on a GTX 1650, the same race went from 691 compiles to 105, and from 4 stalls while racing to 1.

Your shader cache is rebuilt once with this version.

Error code 23: not fixed, should be less frequent

Code 23 is not fixed, and it can still happen on any PC. It is a GPU hang with several different causes; each version finds and removes some of them. This one removes one more: a late "GPU idle" signal could let the game run a frame too far ahead and rewrite work the GPU was still reading. Several crash fixes from shadPS4 (the emulator the graphics come from) are included too.

If you get code 23, send us the log of that session (last_run_<your nickname>.log in the game folder; copy it right after the crash, because the next start overwrites it). Each log helps find the causes that are left.

Controllers

Bluetooth controllers (Xbox, 8BitDo…) could drop during races: the game changes the rumble almost every frame and each change is a message to the controller. Rumble is now sent at most 20 times a second, which should keep them connected. If one still drops, the log says when. Turn rumble off with BB_RUMBLE=0 to rule it out.

Updates from the launcher (Windows)

Tools → Check for updates looks for a new release and asks before installing it. Your settings, friends, patches, saves and nickname key stay as they are. The launcher can also check at every start (on by default; it never installs without asking).

This works from v0.5.3 on: to get v0.5.3 itself, update by hand as before.

Linux (AppImage / Steam Deck)

The Linux launcher gets the Windows launcher's options:

• game volume;
• a player for each controller;
• the window settings;
• more languages for the launcher;
• adding and removing patches.

It also detects the European edition, like the Windows launcher.

Downloads

• Windows: CTR-NitroFueled-PC-portable-v0.5.3-windows.zip. Unzip it over your current folder to keep your settings, saves and nickname key (ryunet_online.key), then open Crash™ Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.exe.
• Linux / Steam Deck: SacredFire-v0.5.3-x86_64.AppImage. Data, saves and the nickname key stay in ~/.local/share/sacredfire.

You need your own copy of the game: CUSA13795 or CUSA14876, base game and 1.21 update.

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En español: la v0.5.3 incluye todo lo de la v0.5.2 y pasa a ser la versión recomendada.

Versión europea: ahora funciona la versión europea (CUSA14876), con o sin su actualización 1.21, gracias al fork de martijnhe.

• El online funciona entre la versión europea y la americana.
• El launcher detecta la versión que elijas y muestra sus parches, marcados con [USA] o [EU].
• También muestra sus idiomas: la europea trae inglés, español de España, francés, alemán, italiano y árabe.

Pantallas ultrawide: el juego ocupa todo el ancho; los vídeos y cinemáticas siguen en 16:9.

Menos tirones: el primer arranque prepara todos los shaders del juego para tu GPU, con la ventana en negro unos 10 segundos y solo una vez. En nuestras pruebas, la misma carrera pasó de 691 compilaciones a 105. Tu caché de shaders se rehace una vez.

Código 23: no está arreglado y puede seguir pasando en cualquier PC. Es un cuelgue de la GPU con varias causas distintas, y en cada versión encontramos y quitamos algunas. Esta quita una más, e incluye varios arreglos de crasheos de shadPS4, así que debería pasar menos, pero no desaparece. Si te sale, mándanos el log de esa partida (last_run_<tu apodo>.log, cópialo justo después del cierre): cada log ayuda a encontrar las causas que quedan.

Mandos Bluetooth: ya no deberían desconectarse por la vibración.

Actualizaciones: en Windows, Herramientas → Buscar actualizaciones avisa de una versión nueva y pregunta antes de instalarla, sin tocar tus ajustes, amigos, parches, partidas ni la clave del apodo. Funciona a partir de la v0.5.3; esta versión hay que instalarla a mano como siempre.

Linux: el launcher suma las opciones del de Windows: volumen, jugador por mando, ventana, más idiomas y añadir o quitar parches. También detecta la versión europea.

_{Source of these builds (GPL): this repository at tag v0.5.3 (commit d5be87d); the Linux AppImage bundles libraries from nixpkgs 26.11pre1093333.fe13242281a6. Built by the repository's GitHub Actions workflow.}

ONLINE CTR v0.5.2 - Code 23 Fixes, Linux Launcher & Discord Invites

v0.5.2 includes everything from v0.5.1 (the code 3 fix, the redesigned launcher, the NAT type, more detailed crash logs) and is now the recommended version. If you are still on v0.5, please update: see "Online" below.

Error code 23 on Windows: fixed, but not for everyone

Two causes of the GPU hang behind code 23 were found in your logs on Windows and are fixed:

• Broken buffer data from the game (seen on several PCs right before the crash): the GPU no longer writes through it.
• Game minimised or in the background: it could crash after a few minutes; the game now waits for the GPU while nothing is shown.

This is not a fix for everyone: code 23 can still happen on some PCs and graphics cards, from causes we have not found yet. If it does, send us the log of that session (last_run_<your nickname>.log in the game folder, overwritten at the next start, so copy it right after the crash): the logs now say exactly what the GPU was doing when it failed.

Online

• Update both players. Players who cannot reach each other directly (strict NAT, mobile data, two routers) connect through the server's tunnel, only when both are on v0.5.1 or newer. Most failed joins we see on the server are a player on v0.5. If joining a friend or a public group fails now and then, this is the usual reason.
• Your NAT type is on the Windows launcher's Play page: type 3 (strict) is the one that blocks direct connections; turning on UPnP or forwarding UDP port 3074 helps.
• Joining a friend, a public group or a Discord invite can still fail for some players and networks; we keep improving it.

Linux (AppImage / Steam Deck)

The Linux launcher now has almost everything the Windows one has.

New:

• Controls page: pick the controller, remap the gamepad buttons and the keyboard keys (up to 4 keys per action), and the "D-pad down = L2 (use item)" preset.

• DLC page: add your own DLC packages (.pkg) for CUSA13795, turn each on or off, remove them.

• Friends list (their nicknames, for Friends in the game).

• Discord:

  • link your nickname to your Discord account, to recover it after a reinstall or on another PC;
  • your Discord status while you play ("Playing online · 1 of 8");
  • invites both ways, Windows ↔ Linux, and "Ask to Join";
  • these also work when the game is started from Steam (game mode), without the launcher window.

  Discord invites are not guaranteed to work for everyone. The invite reaches the game, but joining still needs a working connection between the two players (both on v0.5.1 or newer for the server's tunnel, see "Online"), the official Discord app (some custom clients only show the status), and being in the game's Online mode when accepting. If an invite fails, join through Friends in the game.

• Internal resolution, 480p to 4K, in the Display settings (also in the in-game menu).

• Server announcements shown in the game.

Fixed:

• AppImage managers (Gear Lever and others) could not integrate the AppImage: it had no icon or menu entry. It now has both.
• The Steam shortcut kept pointing at the version it was added from (for example the v0.5 file), and adding it again made a second entry. It now points at a fixed link that follows the AppImage you opened last, and "Add to Steam" updates the old entry: open the new AppImage once and press "Add to Steam" with Steam closed.
• The browser did not open for Discord's authorization (and "open folder" buttons could fail) when running from the AppImage: links now open with your system's own browser, with a "Copy link" button as a fallback.
• Resolutions above 1080p were not fully applied on Linux (the PS4 Pro path and the extra memory 4K needs were missing): they now work as on Windows.
• Discord did not see the game at all on Linux: the launcher now talks to the Discord app (the regular, Flatpak and Snap versions; browser Discord and some custom clients only show the status, without invites).

Downloads

• Windows: CTR-NitroFueled-PC-portable-v0.5.2-windows.zip. Unzip it over your current folder to keep your settings, saves and nickname key (ryunet_online.key), then open Crash™ Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.exe.
• Linux / Steam Deck: SacredFire-v0.5.2-x86_64.AppImage. Data, saves and the nickname key stay in ~/.local/share/sacredfire.

You need your own copy of the game (CUSA13795 with the 1.21 update).

---

En español: la v0.5.2 incluye todo lo de la v0.5.1 y pasa a ser la versión recomendada. El código 23 en Windows está arreglado, pero no para todos: se corrigieron las dos causas que encontramos en vuestros logs (datos de búfer rotos del juego, y el juego minimizado o en segundo plano), pero el problema puede volver a pasar en algunos equipos y tarjetas gráficas por causas que aún no hemos encontrado. Si te sale, mándanos el log de esa partida (last_run_<tu apodo>.log, cópialo justo después del cierre). Online: para que dos jugadores que no se alcanzan entre sí se conecten por el túnel del servidor, los dos tienen que tener la v0.5.1 o más nueva; casi todos los fallos al unirse que vemos son de alguien en la v0.5. Linux: el launcher ahora tiene casi todo lo del de Windows. Nuevo: página de controles (mando y teclado), página de DLC, lista de amigos, Discord (vincular el apodo, tu estado mientras juegas e invitaciones entre Windows y Linux, también abriendo el juego desde Steam), resolución interna (480p a 4K) y avisos del servidor dentro del juego. Las invitaciones de Discord no están garantizadas para todos: la invitación llega al juego, pero unirse depende de la conexión entre los dos jugadores (los dos en v0.5.1 o más nueva para el túnel), de usar la app oficial de Discord y de estar en el modo Online del juego al aceptar; si falla, entra por Amigos dentro del juego. Arreglado: los gestores de AppImage (Gear Lever) no podían integrarlo porque no tenía icono; el acceso de Steam se quedaba apuntando a la versión vieja (ahora sigue al último AppImage que abras; vuelve a pulsar "Add to Steam" una vez); el navegador no se abría para autorizar Discord; las resoluciones por encima de 1080p no se aplicaban bien; y Discord no detectaba el juego.

_{Source of these builds (GPL): this repository at tag v0.5.2 (commit 8ad508e); the Linux AppImage bundles libraries from nixpkgs 26.11pre1092090.55bfb4d7437b. Built by the repository's GitHub Actions workflow.}

ONLINE CTR v0.5.1 (pre-release) - Crash Fixes, New Launcher & NAT Type

Test release. v0.5.1 fixes the most reported crashes and changes a lot under the hood. Please play it and tell us whether the crashes you had are gone or still happen: v0.5 stays the latest stable release until this one has been tested.

Fixes

• Error code 3 at start (found and fixed). On some PCs the game closed right after starting, about one start in two. The cause was a memory overwrite between the game's own libc and the port's thread library; it is gone.
• Players who could not reach each other (strict NAT, mobile data): when there is no direct path, the game's traffic now goes through the server. This needs both players on v0.5.1.

New

• Redesigned launcher with the game's look (thanks to canneli), in nine languages: English, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Simplified Chinese and Russian, picked from your Windows language.
• The launcher is now Crash™ Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.exe, with a new icon. If you update over v0.5, your old desktop shortcut is renamed and keeps working, and so do Steam shortcuts.
• NAT type on the Play page (and a Check NAT type button in the Online tab): type 1 or 2 means other players can connect to you; type 3 (strict) means direct connections often fail. Your IP is never shown.
• Discord: the "1 of 8" in your status follows players joining and leaving faster.
• Linux launcher: FPS limit (up to 240), the Unlock Everything patch, and changes made in the in-game menu are no longer undone when you close the game.
• Releases are now built automatically on GitHub (thanks to leomoon).

Please report

If the game closes with code 3 or code 23, send us the log of that session: last_run_<your nickname>.log (or last_run.log offline) in the game folder. It is overwritten the next time you start the game, so copy it right after the crash, or turn on Save a detailed log in the launcher to keep one per session in logs\. The logs are now much more detailed: a code 23 log says the cause the graphics driver reports (GPU fault info) and which copy or draw of the GPU failed, on which texture, and whether that texture had already been freed; a code 3 log now also covers the closes that used to leave nothing in it, and shows the memory and code where the game stopped. That is exactly what we need to fix them.

Error code 23 is not fully fixed yet. It can still happen now and then, on any graphics card. This version mitigates part of it and, above all, is how we find the cause so we can fix it: its logs say what the GPU was doing when it failed. Your code 23 logs are what will get it fixed.

Downloads

• Windows: CTR-NitroFueled-PC-portable-v0.5.1-windows.zip. Unzip it over your current folder to keep your settings, saves and nickname key (ryunet_online.key), then open Crash™ Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.exe.
• Linux / Steam Deck: SacredFire-v0.5.1-x86_64.AppImage. Data, saves and the nickname key stay in ~/.local/share/sacredfire.

You need your own copy of the game (CUSA13795 with the 1.21 update).

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En español: versión de prueba. Arregla el cierre con código 3 al arrancar (se encontró la causa) y añade un túnel por el servidor para jugadores que no podían conectarse entre sí (los dos tienen que tener la v0.5.1). Launcher nuevo con la estética del juego, en nueve idiomas, ahora llamado Crash™ Team Racing Nitro-Fueled, con tu tipo de NAT a la vista (sin mostrar tu IP). Si el juego se te cierra con código 3 o 23, mándanos el log de esa partida: last_run_<tu apodo>.log (o last_run.log sin online) en la carpeta del juego. Se sobrescribe al volver a abrir el juego, así que cópialo justo después del cierre, o activa Guardar registro detallado en el launcher para tener uno por partida en logs\. Los logs ahora traen mucho más detalle sobre estos cierres, justo lo que hace falta para arreglarlos. El código 23 todavía no está solucionado del todo: puede seguir saliendo de vez en cuando, con cualquier tarjeta gráfica. Esta versión mitiga parte del problema y sirve sobre todo para encontrar su causa y arreglarlo, así que tus logs del código 23 son justo lo que necesitamos. La v0.5 sigue siendo la versión estable mientras probamos esta.

_{Source of these builds (GPL): this repository at tag v0.5.1 (commit 7ddcbe8); the Linux AppImage bundles libraries from nixpkgs 26.11pre1092090.55bfb4d7437b. Built by the repository's GitHub Actions workflow.}

ONLINE CTR v0.5 - Own Nicknames, Discord Accounts & Invites

Your own online nickname, Discord accounts and invites, game volume, keyboard + gamepad split-screen, and fixes for the most common crashes (error codes 3 and 23).

Online nicknames (important)

• Each player now needs their own nickname. The default names (RyuPC, Player, Jugador, ...) are refused by the server, since everyone using them shared one account (same coins, same friends, kicking each other out of rooms).
• The first installation that plays with a nickname keeps it: nobody else can use it. The installation's key is ryunet_online.key (with a copy in %APPDATA%\CTR-NitroFueled-PC). Never share it.
• Link your nickname to Discord (launcher → Online tab): the nickname is locked to your account and you can recover it on any PC or after reinstalling ("Recover it" button). Linked nicknames never expire; unlinked ones that nobody uses for 60 days become free again.
• Old launchers can still play with their own nickname while nobody has registered it with the new one: update and play once with your nickname to keep it.

New

• Discord invites: accepting an invite from Discord joins the private room directly, without adding the host as a friend (great for streamers sharing a room with their community).
• Game volume (0-200%) in Settings → Sound and in the in-game menu. The game also sounds louder by default: the 7.1 → stereo mix no longer drops it by ~13 dB.
• Keyboard as a split-screen player next to gamepads (Settings → Controls: "Keyboard" for player 2, 3 or 4).
• "Unlock Everything" patch by Camiloop, built in and off by default (back up your save before enabling it).
• Pit Stop items: choose between the items bought on the server or the ones in your own save (100% saves).
• Linux launcher: new Online section (play online, nickname, server, Pit Stop items).

Fixes

• Players on the same network can join each other (two PCs at home, same router): the game was told its local address was 127.0.0.1, so it connected to itself.
• Linux: better crash reports (from leomoon's upstream), and BB_ONLINE=0 really turns online off.
• Error code 3 (the game closing while loading or racing): the game's memory is now reserved and committed on use instead of asking Windows for 6.5 GB up front, which failed on PCs with a small page file.
• Error code 23 (GPU hang / TDR): shaders convert floats to integers with the PS4 GPU rules and loops in drawing shaders can no longer run forever. The shader cache is rebuilt once after updating.
• Recursive and error-checking mutexes created by the game behave as on PS4.

Downloads

• Windows: CTR-NitroFueled-PC-portable-v0.5-windows.zip. Unzip it over your previous folder to keep your settings, nickname key and saves, or into a new folder and copy user\, bbport.ini, launcher.ini and ryunet_online.key across.
• Linux: SacredFire-x86_64.AppImage (x86_64, Steam Deck included). Data, saves and the nickname key live in ~/.local/share/sacredfire. The Linux build is untested on real hardware for this release: Discord linking, Discord presence/invites and the desktop shortcut are Windows-launcher features; on Linux use the launcher's "Add to Steam" button for a shortcut.

You need your own copy of the game (CUSA13795 with the 1.21 update).

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Resumen en español: cada jugador necesita su propio apodo (RyuPC y similares ya no entran). Vincúlalo con Discord en la pestaña Online para no perderlo nunca. Además: invitaciones de Discord que entran directo a la sala privada, volumen del juego, teclado como jugador 2, parche "Desbloquear todo" opcional, jugadores de la misma casa ya pueden unirse entre sí, y arreglos para los cierres con código 3 y 23. Actualiza y entra una vez con tu apodo para quedártelo.

_{Source of these builds (GPL): this repository at commit 596fc8b (tag v0.5); the Linux AppImage bundles libraries from nixpkgs 26.11pre1092129.319e4cebef10.}

ONLINE CTR v0.4 - Private Matches & PSN Friends

Online multiplayer update via RyuNET Demonware with full support for private matches and in-game PSN friend lists.

What's New & Fixed in v0.4:

• Private Matches & Groups: Fully functional private match creation, lobby reservations, and session lifecycle over Demonware matchmaking.
• PSN Friends List Integration: Fixed sceNpWebApiReadData to accurately return the transferred buffer length to libSceNpToolkit2. Friends now properly populate in the in-game friends menu (CGuiBehaviorPlayerWidgetFriendsView).
• User Service Lifecycle: Implemented sceUserServiceRegisterEventCallback initial login event dispatching for local user 1, ensuring libSceNpToolkit2 and subsystems initialize into an active state immediately.
• Session Management: Local and online session tracking files updated to allow seamless party joining and invitations.
• Lobby & Auth Improvements: Synchronized with the latest RyuNET Demonware protocol updates, supporting both domain names and direct IPs with signed ticket authentication.

Requirements & Notes:

• Windows 10 (1903+) or Windows 11 64-bit.
• Vulkan 1.3-compatible GPU with up-to-date drivers.
• Requires your own decrypted PS4 dump of Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled (CUSA13795) and the 1.21 update.
• Unzip over your existing installation to preserve your settings and save data in user/.

ONLINE CTR v0.3

Online multiplayer support via RyuNET Demonware, internal resolution up to 4K, upscaling (AMD FSR 1 / FSR 3.1 / NVIDIA DLSS), and stability fixes.

New

• Online multiplayer (RyuNET): connects by default to octr.ryu7w7.xyz. Matchmaking, lobbies, Pit Stop, and leaderboards are supported.
• Launcher: added an Online section under Settings to configure the server and nickname, with a default reset button.
• Network: added native DNS domain name resolution for HTTP and UDP sockets (supports both hostnames and IP addresses).
• Fixed module linking in link_modules.py and link_libc.py that caused code 3 write-fault crashes during startup.
• GPU stability: disabled async command submission by default (async_submit=0) to prevent command buffer race conditions and crash code 23.
• Python runtime: bundles standalone Python 3.14 in python\ so no system Python installation is required.

Base port features

• Internal resolution: 480p, 720p, 1080p, 1440p, 1620p, or native 2160p (launcher: Settings › Display; in game: Insert).
• Upscaling: AMD FSR 1 (default), AMD FSR 3.1 (any GPU), and NVIDIA DLSS (GeForce RTX).
• Game languages: English, Latin American Spanish, French, and Brazilian Portuguese.
• Dumps: automatically detects and prepares split dumps from PS4 PKG Tool (Image0 + Sc0).

Updating
Unzip over your old folder: settings, saves, and DLC are kept.

Requirements and notes

• Windows 10 (1903+) or Windows 11 64-bit.
• Vulkan 1.3-compatible GPU with current drivers.
• No game files are included: you need your own decrypted dump of CUSA13795 and its 1.21 update.
• Not affiliated with Sony, Activision, Beenox, AMD, or NVIDIA.