Netplay Guide

Netplay is a defining feature of Dolphin: it allows you to connect any GameCube or Wii game for internet play, without the problems or limitations of the Nintendo WiFi Connection or hassle of BBA. It is improving regularly, and while it is a bit finicky at the moment it is very playable and reliable with the right settings. This guide outlines what you need for reliable online play with Dolphin.

Changes since 3.5

 * HLE is functional in Netplay (with AX-HLE games) as of.
 * OpenGL and D3D9 speed improvements
 * Ability to disable memory cards added in Netplay settings as of.

Requirements and Known Bugs

 * All players must use the same git version of Dolphin.
 * Dual Core can cause desyncs, single core is required.
 * ISOs must have the same hash, with matching region and version.
 * Memory Cards need to be synchronized or disabled
 * DSP LLE may desync if slowdown occurs, HLE in and later is recommended for most games.
 * Only games that use GameCube controllers work with Netplay. Wiimotes, real or emulated, cannot be used.
 * 32bit builds cannot sync with 64bit builds, due to timing differences. But builds can sync between operating systems.
 * Internet requirements are very light: any DSL or Cable internet connection should do. Dialup and Satellite will not work.

Setting Up Dolphin
All players must use the same build, preferably the latest development build from http://dolphin-emu.org. Because of all the settings and memory card requirements, it is recommended that you create a duplicate copy of Dolphin specifically for Netplay, instead of using the one that you casually play games on.

General Configuration
Idle skipping doesn't affect Netplay, only movie playback, so it can be left on. Dualcore being off is the only setting required for stable Netplay. With dualcore on, there is a very high chance of desync. All players must be running the same setting of Dual Core in order to sync up.

DSP HLE is recommended, as DSP LLE can cause desyncs if slowdown occurs. Some games, such as Mario Kart, still do not work with HLE and require LLE with "No audio output" to sync reliably. "DSP on Dedicated Thread" causes immediately desyncs, and must be off.

Graphics Configuration
All graphics backends sync with eachother, so the general graphics settings can be whatever you like.

Enhancements can mostly be turned on or off without incident on higher end processors, so as long as you are getting fullspeed, go for it.

Hacks are very important for speed, but can cause issues if used improperly. Make sure everyone uses the same hacks throughout: if a hack causes a bug and only one computer bugs out while the rest are fine, the game will desync. You can enable hacks as you see fit, but if a game requires a compatibility setting and you ignore it, it may cause desyncs even if all the players use it. Look at the game's wiki page for information on what settings are needed and use them as a guide to base your experiments. Skip EFB Access to CPU and Disable EFB Copies will cause desyncs in any game where they are needed, so use them only if you know what you are doing. EFB Copies to Texture is usually fine, but if a game requires EFB to Ram it will probably cause a desync, so make sure you check the game's wiki page. Some people may see a small increase in framerate when using OpenMP encoder on 4+ core processors, but it also can lower your framerate depending on the game. OpenMP is not recommended unless you're desperate for a little extra speed.

GCpad Settings
This is pretty much whatever you want it to be. If you're playing local multiplayer, use pads 2 - 4 to setup your friends. For Netplay, by default it takes the first pad from every player; so even if you're the third person connecting to a Netplay, you don't have to setup a third pad.

How to set the Pad buffer
Dolphin handles latency in a very unique way: the pad buffer doesn't directly control the number of frames of lag. To find the best setting, start with a high setting and then turn down the pad buffer until the game starts slowing down. The best time to do this is during low taxing areas, such as menus or character select screens, since you're less likely to get slowdown from a computer. Be sure that all computers are able to run the section of the game at fullspeed when adjusting the pad buffer.

Setting a spectator
When a player connects that you want to be a spectator, the host must click their name, and then hit "Configure Pads". In the configure pads menu, turn off all pads for that player, and then hit OK to confirm.

Mixing local and online players
To set multiple players on one computer, highlight the player that will have multiple controllers and hit "Configure Pads". Then put the controller you want them to control underneath the pad their controller is configured for. This can be done for multiple people connected to the server.

FAQ
Q: The person I'm playing with seems to be moving around strangely but he says that I'm the one moving weirdly. What happened? A: This is a desync. Basically what both of you are seeing are two different games. The only fix is for the host to Stop then restart the game. If it keeps happening, double check your settings, check the hashes on your ISOs, and keep trying.

Q: When I try to join the host, it says "Game not found." A: You need to add the directory containing your ISOs into your Config. You'll know it is set up properly if the game is in Dolphin's Game List.

Q: Can I connect to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connect? A: No.

Q: Is there like a master server list of all the Dolphin servers? A: It doesn't work that way.

Q: Why am I having desyncs? A: While the emulator seems to be perfectly deterministic with a very particular group of settings, there are still multiple things that can go wrong. Your memory cards can be desynced, someone can have too many controllers set when someone else has less, etc. Just look at the list of requirements, double check everything, disable some of the hacks you are using, and try again.

Q: Why am I getting a blackscreen at startup with no sound or anything? A: One of the players has the wrong number of pads and the other emulators are waiting for input before starting. Double Check Options/Configuration/GC

Q: Why does it require single core? A: Because of the way computers work compared to how the Wii works, Dual Core is currently unreliable for Netplay.

Q: Can my 32bit computer play a 64bit computer? A: Yes, but you both have to use the x86 (32bit) build of Dolphin.