Ocarina Recomp Wiki / Requirements
Ocarina Recomp & Hookshot requirements
What each project needs: Windows or Linux, a Vulkan 1.3 GPU with mesh shaders for the Switch 2 recomps, 16 GB of RAM with a larger page file, up to 60 GB while building, and your own copy of the game.
- Vulkan 1.3 + mesh shaders
- 16 GB RAM
- 40–60 GB disk
- Windows · Linux
Requirements by project
| Ocarina Recomp | Hookshot | TriAevum | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating system | Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit | Windows 10/11 x64; Linux x86_64 with glibc 2.35+ | Windows x64; Linux x64 |
| CPU | AVX2 required | Any x86-64; non-AVX2 CPUs fixed in no-visual-studio (#363) | x86-64 |
| GPU | Vulkan 1.3 + mesh shaders, current driver; NVIDIA recommended | Vulkan 1.3 + mesh shaders, current driver; only NVIDIA tested by the author | Vulkan-capable GPU, current driver |
| VRAM | 6 GB and under: BC3 textures (0.2.5); BC3 up to 12 GB (0.2.7) | Presets from Minimum (4 GB) to Ultra (16 GB+); 8 GB cards get the full budget | Effects are adjustable; grass within a VRAM budget |
| RAM | 16 GB or more recommended; first run can reach about 24 GB with the page file | 16 GB or more; a run uses about 10 GB | Not stated |
| Page file | With 16 GB RAM: initial 16384 MB, maximum 32768 MB | Not stated | Not stated |
| Disk space | 40 GB (ZIP installer); 60 GB + 15 GB on C: (scripts or manual) | About 60 GB while building | About 0.5 GB package plus prepared data |
| Build time | 30 min to 2 h | About 40 min | A few minutes |
| Tools | None for the ZIP installer; Python, Git etc. for manual builds | None (builder brings llvm-mingw); Python for the command line | None |
| Internet | Needed during installation | Needed for the update check (optional) | Only for optional HD HUD and mods |
| Game copy | Switch 2 edition v1.1.1 | Switch 2 edition, build e0f3ccfa | Ocarina of Time 3D, EUR or USA |
Values come from each README and the release notes up to Ocarina Recomp v0.2.7, Hookshot device-lost-fix and TriAevum v0.8.0-beta.1.2. “Not stated” means the project gives no figure.
Graphics card: mesh shaders decide it
The Switch 2 edition draws its world with task and mesh shaders, so Ocarina Recomp and Hookshot ask for Vulkan 1.3 with mesh shaders. Without them the game does not start or shows only parts of the scene. TriAevum renders the 3DS game through its own NRI/Vulkan renderer and has no such requirement.
| GPU family | Mesh shaders | What reports say |
|---|---|---|
| NVIDIA GTX 10-series and older (Pascal) | No mesh shaders | Reports: GTX 1080 does not start (OR #137); fallback requested (HS #454) |
| NVIDIA GTX 16 / RTX 20 and newer | Mesh shaders | The tested path. 4–6 GB laptops got VRAM fixes in both projects |
| AMD RX 6000 (RDNA 2) and newer | Mesh shaders | Works for many after AMD fixes; bloom/overexposure and black-screen reports remain open |
| AMD RX 5000 / Polaris (RX 580) | Depends on driver | RX 580 work in progress (OR #98); an RX 5700 XT report (HS #424) |
| Intel Arc | Mesh shaders | Arc iGPU black screen after the intro (HS #460) |
| Steam Deck / Legion Go / Z1 | RDNA 2/3 APU | Legion Go black screen with audio (HS #426); Deck untested by the developers |
Keep the driver current; both READMEs list “update your graphics driver” as the first fix when the game opens and closes. On laptops with two GPUs, Hookshot (movie-sync) and Ocarina Recomp (0.2.7) now ask the driver for the dedicated one.
Memory and the Windows page file
Ocarina Recomp’s README recommends 16 GB of RAM or more and warns that on the first run the game may reach about 24 GB of memory; past the Windows limit, Windows closes it. With 16 GB, raise the page file to initial 16384 MB, maximum 32768 MB (System → About → Advanced system settings → Performance → Advanced → Virtual memory). The installer warns when the limit is low.
VRAM matters as much: Hookshot’s presets (Minimum 4 GB, Low 6 GB, Balanced 8 GB, High 12 GB, Ultra 16 GB+) set a safe texture budget, and its texture cache is capped at 6 GB. Ocarina Recomp 0.2.7 uses about 2.4 GB less VRAM than before and stores textures as BC3 on cards up to 12 GB.
Disk space and build time
- Ocarina Recomp: 40 GB free with the ZIP installer; 60 GB plus about 15 GB on C: for the script or manual routes. 30 minutes to 2 hours; “Prepare the game files” is slow on a hard drive.
- Hookshot: about 60 GB free while building; about 40 minutes. The romfs is hard-linked instead of copied where the disk allows it.
- TriAevum: the Windows ZIP is 550.5 MB; Forge prepares shaders in a few minutes the first time on a machine.
Linux requirements
- Hookshot AppImage: 64-bit x86, glibc 2.35 or newer (Ubuntu 22.04, Debian 12, Fedora, Arch, SteamOS), Vulkan 1.3 driver with mesh shaders (Mesa or NVIDIA), same memory and disk as Windows.
- Ocarina Recomp from source: Linux 6.7 or later (userfaultfd write protection with PAGEMAP_SCAN; SteamOS 3.8 qualifies) and a Vulkan 1.3 driver with
VK_EXT_external_memory_host. In-game play on Linux is not yet confirmed upstream. - TriAevum: AppImage (FUSE, or
--appimage-extract-and-run) or Flatpak; qualified on Mesa RADV.
Windows extras
- AV1 Video Extension: Hookshot’s movies need an AV1 decoder; if Windows has none, the game opens the free extension’s page.
- SmartScreen: the installers are unsigned; check the SHA-256 on the download page before choosing Run anyway.
- Path length: keep TriAevum in a short folder; Windows still limits paths to 259 characters.
Controllers
All three accept keyboard and mouse, and any gamepad SDL recognises. Pads the projects mention by name or that use the standard Xbox layout work without setup:
- Xbox Wireless Controller: the default layout on Windows; Hookshot added rumble and trigger support in
foliage-linux-updater. - Sony DualSense: rumble works in Hookshot; in Ocarina Recomp’s Xbox layout, cross is A.
- 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Bluetooth: made for Switch and Windows; if A/B feel swapped, switch Ocarina Recomp’s Button layout between
nintendoandxbox. - GameSir Cyclone 2: a PC and Switch pad with an Xbox-style layout.
As an Amazon Associate, this site earns from qualifying purchases. The links above go to Amazon; this site is not connected with the projects or the controller makers. Full button tables are on the controller page.
Frequently asked questions
What are the minimum requirements for Ocarina Recomp?
A 64-bit Windows 10 or 11 PC with an AVX2 processor, a Vulkan 1.3 GPU with mesh shaders and an up-to-date driver, 16 GB of RAM (with a larger page file), 40 GB free for the ZIP installer, internet during setup, and your own copy of the game at version 1.1.1.
Can I run Ocarina Recomp or Hookshot with 8 GB of RAM?
Neither project has tested less than 16 GB. Ocarina Recomp’s README says the first run can reach about 24 GB of memory, so with less RAM a large page file is essential and the build or the game may still fail. Hookshot says a run uses about 10 GB.
Does a GTX 1060 or GTX 1080 work?
No. The GTX 10-series has no Vulkan mesh shaders, which both Switch 2 recomps require. A GTX 1650 or newer (Turing) does have them; Ocarina Recomp 0.2.5 fixed a 4 GB GTX 1650 running out of VRAM.
Do AMD cards work?
Often, but they are less tested. Both projects have shipped many AMD fixes reported by contributors (black screens, slow movies, shader-compiler crashes). Hookshot’s quality presets and Ocarina Recomp’s BC3 textures help on 8 GB cards. Check the status page for open AMD issues.
Which controller should I use?
Any controller SDL recognises: Xbox, DualSense, 8BitDo and GameSir pads all work, and keyboard and mouse are supported too. See the controller setup page for the button layouts.