Hydro Thunder Hurricane (native port) — Revision 9.1

Hydro Thunder Hurricane: Recompiled — 9.1.0

Everything since 8.8: two stability/visual fixes, a reworked launcher Controls tab, and five engine optimizations (CPU and GPU) that raise FPS without lowering resolution, MSAA, effects or precision. Every optimization has an on/off switch, an exact-equivalence verifier and a positive control (a deliberately broken reference that the verifier must catch).

Performance at a glance

Measured on the developer's PC (RTX 5060 Ti, internal 1280×720 → 1080p output, FSR 1), uncapped FPS, Asgard track. The scene is the same boat-at-the-dock spot in every run, so results are directly comparable. Each step was A/B-tested with the same binaries and only its switch toggled.

Uncapped FPS - same Asgard scene (higher is better)

8.9.2  ███████████████████████████▏          178 FPS
9.0.0  █████████████████████████████████▉    222 FPS
9.1.0  ████████████████████████████████████  236 FPS

Command-thread CPU time per frame (lower is better)

8.9.2  ████████████████████████████████████  5.6 ms
9.0.0  ████████████████████████████▉         4.5 ms
9.1.0  ████████████████████████▍             3.8 ms

Version	Uncapped FPS	Command-thread CPU (ms/frame)	GPU (ms/frame)
8.9.2	~178	~5.6	~2.2
9.0.0	~222 (+25%)	~4.5	~2.0
9.1.0	~236 (+33% vs 8.9.2)	~3.8	~2.0

After 9.1.0 the remaining limit on this PC is the game's own logic thread, not the emulation layer.

ROG Ally Z1 Extreme (Linux)

Real gameplay with 9.1.0 on a ROG Ally Z1 Extreme (Linux, launched from Steam Game Mode) at a 25 W TDP, across the first four tracks:

• Around 120 FPS on average most of the time, and it rarely drops below 100 FPS.
• Shader loading is effectively instant: no compilation stutter when new scenes appear.

This is a hands-on play report, not an instrumented benchmark.

Tip: on SteamOS/CachyOS handhelds, play from Steam Game Mode. Desktop Mode adds stutter to every game.

What changed since 8.8

Fixes

• Crash when quitting from the in-game menu (8.9). The game crashed (heap corruption) when it exited by itself, because the window was released before the input driver. The app now shuts down the same safe way as closing the window.
• Lights showing through walls (8.9.2). Occlusion-query results from different lights were sharing a slot. They are now keyed by their full address. Leaks went from 37,729 to 41 in 184,000 queries. This also allowed fewer GPU submissions per frame (9–11 down to 3).

Launcher (8.9.1)

• New Controls tab: 14 actions, 2 keys each, with conflict swapping and "Restore defaults".
• "Saves" now holds only save actions, and "Add to Steam" sits under "Manage installation".
• The footer keeps only Play and a hint with the current keys.

Optimizations

Version	Switch (hydrothunder.toml)	What it does	Measured effect
8.9.1	ht_request_range_fast	Fast path for memory requests that are already up to date (~2000 per frame)	−32% per call
9.0.0	ht_zpd_batch	Occlusion queries reset in blocks outside render passes, instead of closing a pass for every query	~20% fewer render passes, GPU −8%
9.0.0	ht_dynamic_constants	Dynamic uniform buffers: reuse descriptor sets and change only offsets	binding cost −25% per draw
9.0.0	ht_cp_fast_registers	PM4 type-0 register runs written in bulk; a name-based setting lookup (mutex + string + hash) moved out of the per-draw path	+11% FPS, command CPU −15%
9.1.0	ht_async_submit	Mid-frame command buffers are recorded and submitted on a second thread, in order	command CPU −16%, +6% FPS

All switches default to true. Set one to false and restart to compare.

How correctness was verified

• Every optimization is checked against the original code path, live in the game: for example 11.2 M register blocks, 25.5 M constant bindings, ~35 k occlusion query pairs, ~8,300 async submissions and billions of texels/words. Result: 0 differences.
• Positive controls (the reference broken on purpose) made every verifier report errors, as expected.
• Vulkan validation, including its multi-threading checks: 0 errors.
• Linux build smoke-tested with software rendering (llvmpipe): 0 differences.

Downloads

• Windows: Hydro-Thunder-Windows-revisao-9.1.0.zip. Extract to a new folder; the zip root contains only the launcher, the configurator and the data folder.
• Linux / Steam Deck / ROG Ally: HydroThunder-revisao-9.1.0.AppImage.
• Source: Hydro-Thunder-fontes-revisao-9.1.0.zip (cumulative ReXGlue SDK patch plus all proof tools).
• Checksums: SHA256-revisao-9.1.0.txt.

Game files are not included; you need your own legally obtained copy (title 5841096A, update 0.0.2.1).

Known limitations

• On the ROG Ally, 9.1.0 has been play-tested (first four tracks, 25 W TDP) but not benchmarked with instruments.
• On AMD GPUs the "resolve" step is the biggest remaining optimization target. It was left unchanged because it needs measurements on the device itself.
• A short (~0.2 s on PC) hitch from the game itself about 10 s after the race starts is still under investigation.

Possible Final Build

Hydro Thunder Hurricane (native port) — Revision 8.8

Hydro Thunder Hurricane: Recompiled — v8.8 Preview

Performance improvements since v8.3, including GPU optimizations and new CPU improvements, while preserving rendering quality.

GPU improvements since v8.3

GPU time per frame, measured during races on an NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti, at 1080p output and a 60 FPS limit:

Preset	v8.3	v8.6 GPU optimizations	Reduction
Native	7.11 ms	4.21 ms	40.8%
Quality	2.86 ms	2.00 ms	30.1%

These GPU optimizations remain included in v8.8. The figures were measured during v8.6 development and are not a fresh v8.3-versus-v8.8 benchmark.

The changes reduce redundant texture loading, unnecessary render-target transfers, and resolve overhead. Exact comparisons checked the optimized texture paths against their original implementations.

CPU improvements

v8.7 — Reduced CPU usage while waiting for the GPU

Fixed a busy-wait loop whose original Xbox 360 pause instructions became ineffective after recompilation.

In the controlled 60 FPS race comparison:

• CPU usage dropped from 2.03 to 1.18 core equivalents, a 41.7% reduction.
• Both configurations maintained 60 FPS.
• The original game function continues to execute on every loop iteration.

v8.8 — Faster shader-constant preparation

Consecutive shader constants are now copied together, preserving the exact bytes, order, and layout sent to the GPU.

• Shader binding preparation used approximately 21% less CPU time per draw in the tested 60 FPS race.
• Both configurations maintained 60 FPS.
• The final uncapped comparison measured 183.4 FPS with the optimization enabled versus 183.1 FPS disabled.
• No additional reduction in whole-process CPU usage was demonstrated.

The GPU and CPU percentages describe different measurements and must not be added together. Lower GPU time does not directly imply an equivalent reduction in power consumption.

Validation

• Exact comparisons checked the optimized texture paths against their original implementations.
• The final Windows constant-copy verification compared 7.77 million uploads, including gameplay, with zero differences.
• Linux verification compared 544,768 constant uploads, with zero differences.
• The Linux build rendered the title screen for 120 seconds using llvmpipe.
• Diagnostic verifiers are disabled by default.

Downloads

• Windows package
• Linux AppImage
• Source package
• SHA-256 checksums

Original game files and proprietary Lossless Scaling binaries are not included.

Configuration

Both CPU optimizations are enabled by default.

To disable the v8.8 shader-constant optimization, add this line to hydrothunder.toml:

ht_float_constant_runs = false

To disable the v8.7 wait-loop optimization independently:

ht_spin_backoff = false

Preview status

This remains a preview release.

• Real Linux GPU, ROG Ally, and Steam Deck testing is pending.
• Manual confirmation of race completion, audio, and controls remains pending.
• No power-saving measurements are available for Ally or Deck.
• Results vary by hardware, scene, and workload.

Hydro Thunder Hurricane (native port) — Revision 8.3

Hydro Thunder Hurricane: Recompiled — Revision 8.3 Preview

This release covers everything since revision 8.1: Lossless Scaling frame generation on Windows (8.2) and GPU optimizations in the Vulkan backend (8.3).

Important: No game files, DLC, title updates, or Lossless Scaling files are included. Lossless Scaling is used only from your own Steam installation.

---

Highlights

• Up to 36% less GPU time per frame, with the same image quality.

• Faster texture uploads on NVIDIA GPUs.

• Major reduction in unnecessary EDRAM transfers.

• Lossless Scaling frame generation can now be controlled directly from the launcher on Windows.

• Lossless Scaling runs hidden in the background and closes automatically together with the game.

• New GPU diagnostics and performance tracing tools.

GPU Performance Comparison

Tests were performed in-race at a 60 FPS cap on an NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti at 1080p.

Image Quality Mode | Revision 8.2 | Revision 8.3 | Improvement -- | -- | -- | -- Native — 2× internal resolution | 11.08 ms | 7.11 ms | −36% Quality — 720p internal + FSR 1 | 3.68 ms | 2.86 ms | −22%

---

Important Notice

This project does not include:

• Original game files

• DLC

• Official title updates

• Lossless Scaling files

• Lossless Scaling executables

Lossless Scaling support uses the user's own Steam installation of Lossless Scaling.

---

Revision 8.3 Preview Summary

Revision 8.3 focuses primarily on reducing Vulkan GPU overhead without changing the rendered image.

The largest improvements come from:

1. Faster render-to-texture uploads on NVIDIA GPUs

2. Avoiding unnecessary 1× ↔ 4× EDRAM transfers during shadow-map clears

Together, these changes reduced GPU frame time in the tested Native configuration from:

11.08 ms → 7.11 ms

representing a reduction of approximately:

36%

Further testing is still required on AMD GPUs, Linux handhelds, the ASUS ROG Ally, and the Steam Deck.

Full Changelog: v0.5.1-experimental...v0.8.3-experimentalbuild

Hydro Thunder Hurricane (native port) — Revision 8

Hydro Thunder Hurricane — Revision 8 Preview

Revision 8 Preview builds on Revision 7 with a redesigned launcher, optional Lossless Scaling integration, revised FPS controls, and clearer performance information.

What’s new compared with Revision 7

Redesigned launcher

• Modern dark interface with game artwork and reorganized settings.
• Recognized installations display “Everything is configured”, installation status, and game/save locations.
• First-time setup retains the Game, DLC, and Update fields within the new interface.
• Manage installation reopens setup whenever needed.
• Save backup, save import, and Steam shortcut actions are grouped together.
• Main video settings use a two-column layout, with advanced options in a collapsible section.

Optional Lossless Scaling integration

• Automatically searches Steam libraries for an existing Lossless Scaling installation.
• Provides purchase/install links when the application is missing.
• Adds controls for frame generation, multiplier, and experimental presentation above the display’s refresh rate.
• On Windows, creates a dedicated Hydro Thunder profile while preserving other profiles and backing up configuration changes.
• On Linux, provides instructions for the separate lsfg-vk 2.x installation required alongside the Steam application.
• The lighter Linux frame-generation model is optional and disabled by default.

Lossless Scaling must be purchased and installed separately. Its proprietary files are not included in this release.

Revised FPS controls

• Available limits: 30, 40, 60, 90, and 120 FPS, plus Unlimited — experimental.
• Unlimited removes the frame limiter while retaining the virtual clock at 60 Hz.
• Updated the F5 panel to follow the same timing policy.
• There is no 50 FPS preset.

During a Windows test at 1280×720 on an NVIDIA RTX 5060 Ti, the unlimited mode displayed 187 FPS inside a race without frame generation. This verifies removal of the limiter; it is not an average benchmark, a measured improvement over Revision 7, or a performance prediction for handheld PCs.

Frame-generation overlay information

• Displays the requested frame-generation backend and multiplier.
• Keeps measured game FPS separate from the requested generation multiplier.
• Windows integration requests the Lossless Scaling FPS counter.
• The internal counter does not artificially multiply game FPS.

Configuration improvements

• Settings changes are saved through a single atomic write, skipping identical updates.
• Fixed the configuration and save paths used by the F5 settings panel.

Retained from Revision 7

Revision 8 Preview retains Revision 7’s FSR 1 and FSR 3.1 image-scaling options, sharpness controls, optional FXAA, Brazilian Portuguese translation, launcher language selection, Steam artwork integration, and save backup/import tools.

Known limitations

• Actual frame generation has not yet been validated with an installed copy of Lossless Scaling. Profile handling and discovery were tested separately.
• The overlay reports the requested FG configuration; it does not independently confirm generated frames.
• On Linux, generated-frame FPS measurement depends on external overlay and Vulkan-layer ordering.
• Above-refresh-rate presentation is experimental and does not guarantee tear-free output or additional distinct images beyond the display’s physical refresh rate.
• Linux compilation and launcher operation were checked, but gameplay and frame generation still require testing on CachyOS, ROG Ally, and Steam Deck hardware.
• Unlimited FPS remains experimental; high-frame-rate physics and audio behavior have not been exhaustively tested.
• This preview introduces no new lighting or shader-quality fixes and makes no claim of improved GPU performance over Revision 7.

Installation

Windows

1. Extract Hydro-Thunder-Windows-revisao-8-preview.zip into a new folder.
2. Open Launcher-Config.exe to configure the game.
3. Use HydroThunder.exe to launch directly.

Linux

1. Make HydroThunder-revisao-8-preview.AppImage executable.
2. Open it to access the launcher.
3. For frame generation, install Lossless Scaling through Steam and complete the separate lsfg-vk setup described in the launcher.

Existing registered game paths and saves remain in use. Game, DLC, and update files are not included.

Full Changelog: https://github.com/monscriser/HydroThunderPORT/commits/v0.8.0-experimentalbuild

Hydro Thunder Hurricane (Recompiled) — Revision 7

Hydro Thunder Hurricane (native port) — Revision 7

Changes since Revision 6.

Highlights

• FSR 3.1 now works (it used to crash the game), and the FPS overlay shows when it is actually running.
• New "Image quality" option: the internal render resolution follows the output resolution chosen in the launcher.
• Adjustable sharpness slider (0–10).
• Brazilian Portuguese text for the base game and the Tempest Pack DLC.
• Full Steam artwork when using "Add to Steam".

Image and upscaling

• FSR 3.1 (AMD FidelityFX 3.1.4): fixed the startup crash, which was a misaligned memory access in the Vulkan backend of the MinGW-built AMD library. Tested across 30 races with no crashes.

• FSR 3.1 gets LDR input with neutral depth and motion vectors, and rebuilds each frame on its own, because the game provides no motion vectors. Under these conditions it matches FSR 1 in sharpness and cost. That is why FSR 1 is the recommended default and FSR 3.1 is offered as an option.

• If the GPU cannot run FSR 3.1, the game switches to FSR 1 and does not retry FSR 3.1 every frame.

• Image quality (Native, Quality, Balanced, Performance, Ultra Performance): the internal scale uses whole multiples of 720p (1x, 2x, 3x), a limit of the Xbox 360 GPU emulation. FSR does the rest of the upscale to the output resolution.

  Output	Native	Quality	Performance
  1080p	2x (downscaled to 1080p)	1x + FSR	1x + FSR
  1440p	2x	1x + FSR	1x + FSR
  4K	3x	2x + FSR	1x + FSR

• Sharpness slider (0–10): controls FSR's RCAS. Levels 9–10 also enable FSR 3.1's own sharpening. At 720p with no upscaling, CAS is used instead.

• FXAA anti-aliasing in the Quality profile.

• FPS overlay (F6) shows the active upscaler: FSR 3.1 ativo 1280x720 -> 1920x1080, FSR 1 ..., Nativa ... or Sem ampliacao (labels are in Portuguese).

Performance

Measured on a PC with an NVIDIA GPU, on the Asgard Invasion track, in a real 1-minute race with throttle and steering:

Setting	Avg FPS (min)	GPU usage
1080p Native (2560x1440 internal)	85 (80)	99%
1080p Quality + FSR 1	120 (120)	45%
1080p Quality + FSR 3.1	120 (120)	52%
1440p Quality + FSR 3.1	120 (120)	53%
4K Quality + FSR 3.1 (2560x1440 → 4K)	77 (74)	100%
4K Performance + FSR 3.1 (720p → 4K)	120 (120)	56%

Other performance fixes in this revision:

• The runtime value of a setting was being ignored. Fixed: GPU uploads dropped from ~21 MB to ~0.44 MB per frame.
• The presenter pipeline was being recreated every frame. Fixed: presented FPS went from 42 to 120.
• Asynchronous ZPD queries (correct portal lights without stalling the GPU).
• High-resolution timers on Windows, deadline-based vblank and a more precise frame limiter.

Brazilian Portuguese

• With the language set to "Portugues", menus, tips, HUD, unlock messages, co-pilot subtitles and DLC text are shown in Brazilian Portuguese: 788 base-game strings and 128 DLC strings.
• The original game files are never modified. A translated copy is generated at launch and mounted over the Strings folder. The translations live in translations/ and can be edited.
• Engine: new "content package mounted" hook, used to overlay DLC files without touching the package.

Steam

• "Add to Steam" now installs the portrait capsule, banner, hero, logo and a multi-size icon, and pins the logo to the upper-left of the hero.
• Artwork comes from SteamGridDB, credited in steam_art/ORIGEM.md (banner and hero by Monscriser).

Launcher

• Every option is saved immediately. Fixed: switching between FSR 1 and FSR 3.1 was not being saved.
• New controls: Image quality and Sharpness. The text below them shows the internal render resolution and the output resolution it is scaled to.

Other

• The crash report now prints the module and offset for up to 12 frames.
• Packages include the MIT license of the AMD FidelityFX SDK and the libamd_fidelityfx_vk library (.dll / .so, with $ORIGIN RUNPATH on Linux).
• Zip files now use standard / paths, so they extract correctly with any tool.
• Linux requirements are unchanged from Revision 6 (glibc 2.38).

Known limitations

• FSR 3.1 brings no image gain over FSR 1 in this game, because the game provides no motion vectors. The HUD is rendered at 720p together with the scene, so it is upscaled too.
• The FSR 3.1 fallback path has not been tested on unsupported hardware.
• Linux: built and launched only with software rendering. It still needs testing on real hardware (Steam Deck / ROG Ally / CachyOS).
• Performance has not been measured yet on the ROG Ally or Steam Deck.
• "Add to Steam" was tested against a simulated Steam folder layout.

Files (SHA256)

89a1fe419383d264eeb3040c12bd2d68f9e820481449c3f314cae8e49c6d8dbe  Hydro-Thunder-Windows-revisao-7.zip
afdd5401a063ffe8d02917d091ada46143b3c9541b8ceca4df3db33b0f1f58f7  HydroThunder-revisao-7.AppImage
18b74c6a4a09e6c79674a8f979fbaa03e14b37e6c44b0517a48a93d6ab6d796e  Hydro-Thunder-Linux-revisao-7-portatil.tar.gz
c5599cd3052cc02e6babe54d9aee5f222d1ee16c8e1861b801d68e7896df3f87  Hydro-Thunder-fontes-revisao-7.zip

The packages do not include the game, the DLC, the title update or any saves.

Full Changelog: https://github.com/monscriser/HydroThunderPORT/commits/v0.7.0-experimentalbuild

Hydro Thunder Hurricane (Recompiled) - Revision 6

Hydro Thunder Hurricane (Recompiled) — Revision 6

This revision focuses on lowering GPU load for Steam Deck, ROG Ally and weaker GPUs. It also fixes the portal lights that showed through walls and the Linux AppImage that didn't start.

Downloads

• Hydro-Thunder-Windows-revisao-6.zip: Windows. Launcher-Config.exe opens the configurator; HydroThunder.exe starts the game directly.
• HydroThunder-revisao-6.AppImage: Linux. Requires FUSE.
• Hydro-Thunder-Linux-revisao-6-portatil.tar.gz: Linux without FUSE. Run Jogar.sh; Criar-atalho-no-menu.sh adds a menu entry.
• Hydro-Thunder-fontes-revisao-6.zip: source snapshot and SDK patches.
• SHA256-revisao-6.txt: checksums.

No game data, DLC, title update or saves are included. Use your own copy.

Fixes

Portal lights visible through walls

• The red and green portal lights in Lake Powell showed through mountains and walls.
• Cause: the game keeps several occlusion queries (ZPD) in flight at once, at different addresses. The SDK's begin/end inference treated this as an error and disabled host queries for the rest of the session. Every light was then reported as visible.
• Fix: ZPD is now emulated as a free-running sample counter, the way Xenos hardware and Xenia work. Each report gets the exact cumulative count, so any pair of reports the game compares gives the right result.
• Lights are now hidden behind geometry and turn on at the right moment. The frame rate cost was not measurable in testing.

FPS cap ignored / counter showing the monitor refresh rate

• An achievement-notification overlay was always attached. It forced the presenter to repaint the screen on every host vblank (120/144 Hz), even when the game had not produced a new frame.
• Passive overlays no longer force continuous repaints. The host now repaints only when the game delivers a frame.
• This removes wasted GPU work, and the FPS counter now shows the game's real frame rate.

Linux AppImage did nothing when launched

• Cause: the logging setup read a path from a moved-from object and fell back to creating logs/ next to the executable. Inside the read-only AppImage mount this threw an exception, and the game closed before any window appeared.
• Fix:
  • Logs and config now always go to ~/.local/share/HydroThunderRecompiled.
  • A log directory that can't be written no longer crashes the game.
• If startup fails, a dialog now shows where the launch log is.
• The game tries X11/XWayland first (the same path Steam Game Mode/gamescope uses) and falls back to native Wayland.
• ht-import now finds its libraries inside the AppImage. Before, it pointed to a path on the build machine.
• New portable tarball for systems without FUSE.

Performance

Engine frame rate selector (30 / 40 / 60 / 90 / 120)

• The launcher option now sets the game's own clock (guest vblank), not just a display cap. The whole game runs at the chosen rate.
• Game speed is unchanged. The race timer was measured against wall-clock time at 30 and 120 FPS (21 s of race time in about 21 s of real time). 40 and 90 use the same mechanism but were not measured separately.
• 30 or 40 FPS cuts GPU work per second by 50% or 33%. This is the main option for handhelds.
• At 90 and 120 FPS, the frame rate you actually get depends on your CPU.

Settings aligned with Xenia Canary

These match the Xenia profile that runs this game at 60 FPS with about 80% GPU usage on the ROG Ally:

• readback_memexport = false: removes a GPU→CPU sync in the middle of each frame.
• clear_memory_page_state = false: removes a per-frame page-state refresh.
• primitive_processor_cache_min_indices = 4096
• non_seamless_cube_map = true
• execute_unclipped_draw_vs_on_cpu = true
• Pipeline compilation threads set to automatic (-1, 75% of logical cores).
• Output dithering enabled, for smoother gradients.
• Mailbox present mode: lower latency without tearing. This became safe once the host stopped repainting unchanged frames.

Graphics profile

• Quality: 8x anisotropic filtering.
• Performance (Steam Deck / ROG Ally / integrated GPUs):
  • the game's own texture filtering, as in Xenia;
  • 8-bit gamma render targets;
  • 3 pipeline compilation threads;
  • a smaller texture cache.

Build / toolchain

• Linux and Windows builds both use clang 23 from LLVM-MinGW 20261006. The Linux build targets x86_64-pc-linux-gnu and links with lld.
• The MinGW header names used by the SDK are now resolved on case-sensitive filesystems (ObjBase.h, Windows.h, WinSock2.h, …).
• AppImage binaries and libraries use rpath=$ORIGIN. The runtime is type2-runtime 8f39b89.

Testing status

• Windows (RTX 5060 Ti):
  • Tested: menus, Lake Powell race, FPS counter, engine at 30/60/120, portal lights, Xenia-parity settings.
  • Not tested on PC: the Linux AppImage changes. They don't apply to Windows.
• Linux:
  • Built and smoke-tested in a GPU-less container. The game now gets past the point where it used to abort and stops only because no Vulkan driver is present there.
  • Still needs testing on real hardware (CachyOS / ROG Ally).
• Performance on Steam Deck / ROG Ally: not measured yet. No specific FPS figure is promised.

Known limitations

• Automatic RAM/VRAM cleanup is not implemented. The Performance profile only lowers the texture cache limits.
• FSR 3 is not included. FSR 1 (spatial) is still available.
• ffmpeg-modifications.patch is unchanged and not repeated in this source package. Take it from the Revision 5 source package.

Hydro Thunder Hurricane: Recompiled

Hydro Thunder Hurricane: Recompiled

Experimental Windows & Linux Port — Revision 5 · Installation Fix

An unofficial, experimental recompilation project bringing Hydro Thunder Hurricane to Windows and Linux using ReXGlue, with Xenia used as a compatibility reference.

The project combines recompiled game code with a runtime that translates the original Xbox 360 graphics commands. Native CPU execution does not eliminate graphics translation overhead, so performance improvements over Xenia are not guaranteed.

This release does not include the game, DLC, title update, or save files. You must provide your own legally obtained files.

Downloads

Platform | File -- | -- Windows | Hydro-Thunder-Windows.zip Linux | HydroThunder-Linux.AppImage

Two-player input configuration may require compatible controllers or an appropriate keyboard/controller assignment.

Graphics and shader compilation

• Fixed a texture-fetch exponent decoding issue that caused black textures in tested scenes.

• Moved color-pipeline creation to background workers to reduce blocking during shader compilation.

• Removed an unnecessary synchronous placeholder-pipeline compilation path.

• Added persistent shader and pipeline storage.

• Added periodic cache saving and safer cache-file replacement.

• Verified cache reuse between launches in tested scenes.

• Corrected an aspect-ratio issue caused by the compact launcher dimensions being reported as the game’s display size.

• Added a frame limiter that preserves the original game timing rather than accelerating the simulation.

Async compilation remains incomplete: some shader translation and depth-only pipeline creation still occur synchronously.

FSR1

This release includes the spatial FSR1 path:

• EASU + RCAS when upscaling.

• CAS sharpening at native size.

The implementation does not require AMD-specific graphics hardware, but this release has not been validated across all AMD, NVIDIA, or Intel GPUs.

FSR1 does not provide frame generation. FSR2, FSR3, and FSR3.1 are not implemented in this release.

Latest installation fix

Fixed the first-time preparation error:

“The destination cannot be inside the original folder.”

The importer previously created its temporary working directory inside the selected source folder. It then attempted to copy the source into its own descendant directory.

Preparation now uses a separate temporary location and cleans up that temporary directory afterward. The Windows tool lookup was also corrected so preparation can locate its helper executable independently of the current working directory.

The installation regression was tested on Windows and Linux using the original executable and matching update, with marker asset files to verify copying and preservation. These tests validate the preparation flow rather than gameplay compatibility for every supplied package.

Installation

The launcher currently displays its interface in Portuguese. The instructions below include the corresponding button labels.

Windows

1. Download Hydro-Thunder-Windows.zip.

2. Extract the entire ZIP into a folder of your choice.

3. Keep these items together:

   Launcher-Config.exe
   HydroThunder.exe
   data/

4. Open Launcher-Config.exe.

5. Select your sources in the three installation fields:

   • Jogo: your game folder or supported original package.

   • DLC: your extracted DLC folder or supported package.

   • Update: your title update folder or supported file.

6. Click “Preparar arquivos” and wait for completion.

7. Open “Vídeo e idioma” to configure the game.

8. Click “Jogar”.

After preparation:

• Open Launcher-Config.exe to change settings, manage saves, or export to Steam.

• Open HydroThunder.exe to launch the game directly.

Linux

1. Download HydroThunder-Linux.AppImage.

2. Allow it to run as an executable through your file manager, or run:

   chmod +x HydroThunder-Linux.AppImage

3. Open HydroThunder-Linux.AppImage.

4. Select your Game, DLC, and Update sources in the launcher.

5. Click “Preparar arquivos” and wait for completion.

6. Open “Vídeo e idioma” to choose your settings.

7. Click “Jogar”.

Opening the AppImage normally shows the launcher. A shortcut exported through the launcher starts the game directly.

Reusing an existing prepared installation

1. Open the new launcher.

2. Click “Usar pasta do jogo existente”.

3. Select the previous installation folder containing game_data and user_data.

4. Click “Jogar”.

Keep that registered folder: it contains the game data and saves used by subsequent launcher versions.

For a first-time installation using original files, use the Game / DLC / Update fields and “Preparar arquivos” instead.

Updating the launcher

1. Close the game and launcher.

2. Extract the new Windows package into a separate launcher folder, or replace the Linux AppImage.

3. Open the updated launcher.

The registered game location and saves are stored separately from the launcher binaries. If the game folder has moved, select its new location through “Usar pasta do jogo existente”.

On Linux, keeping the AppImage at the same permanent path helps preserve the Steam shortcut. If you move or rename it after exporting, recreate the shortcut through the launcher.

Adding the game to Steam

1. On Linux, place HydroThunder-Linux.AppImage in its permanent location first.

2. Close Steam completely.

3. Click “Adicionar à Steam” in the launcher.

4. Select the Steam account.

5. Reopen Steam.

The exporter preserves other shortcuts, creates a backup of the previous shortcut file, and adds bundled artwork from SteamGridDB game 34946.

The exported shortcut launches the game directly.

Backing up or restoring saves

• “Exportar saves”: choose a backup destination.

• “Importar saves”: select a compatible backup.

The restoration process includes a backup of the previous save data before replacement.

Clearing the shader cache

1. Close the game.

2. Open the configuration launcher.

3. Open “Vídeo e idioma”.

4. Click “Limpar shadercache” and confirm.

This removes this title’s recognized shader and pipeline cache files while preserving saves. Shaders must be compiled again afterward, so initial stutter may return.