Wind Waker Recomp Wiki / Requirements
Wind Waker HD Recomp requirements
What each platform needs to run The Wind Waker HD natively, which copy of the game works, how much disk space to keep free and what the developers have measured on real hardware.
- Vulkan 1.3 / Metal
- macOS 14+ Apple Silicon
- Android 13+
- glibc 2.35+
Requirements below are the ones the project states in its README and release notes for v0.5.1. The project does not publish RAM or CPU minimums, so none are invented here; measured results from the release notes are listed instead.
System requirements by platform
| Platform | Operating system / CPU | Graphics | Download and extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows | Windows 10 version 1903+ or Windows 11; x86-64, or ARM64 (Windows 11 on ARM) | Vulkan 1.3 (or 1.1/1.2 with VK_KHR_dynamic_rendering) | 41.2 MB zip; first start downloads llvm-mingw (190 MB) |
| macOS | macOS 14 or newer on Apple Silicon; no Intel build | Metal (default) or Vulkan through bundled MoltenVK | 26.7 MB zip; Apple’s Command Line Tools if missing |
| Linux | glibc 2.35+, x86-64 or arm64 (Ubuntu 22.04+, Debian 12+, Fedora 36+, Arch, SteamOS 3, Raspberry Pi OS 12) | Vulkan 1.3 (or 1.1/1.2 with dynamic rendering) | 125.0 MB AppImage or 145.8 MB zip; zip downloads zig (55 MB) |
| Steam Deck | SteamOS 3, Desktop or Gaming Mode | Vulkan | x86_64 AppImage, 125.0 MB |
| Android | Android 13+, arm64 | Vulkan 1.3 | 155.5 MB APK; builds the game on the device |
Graphics card and drivers
- Vulkan 1.3 drivers, or Vulkan 1.1/1.2 with
VK_KHR_dynamic_rendering, on Windows, Linux and Android. - Metal on macOS (Vulkan through the bundled MoltenVK is an option in Graphics › Renderer).
- The port reports crashes inside a graphics driver or an overlay’s Vulkan layer by name (
in amdvlk64.dll+…) incaptures/crash-<time>.log, and lists Vulkan layers at start. - Windows on Intel graphics received fixes in v0.4.0; Linux on Mali (panvk) in v0.5.0; Adreno, Mali, PowerVR and Huawei on Android are covered in the Android guide.
Disk space and downloads
| Item | Size |
|---|---|
| Release package | 26.7 MB (macOS) to 158.6 MB (Android x86_64) |
| Prepared game files | About 1.7 GB when setup extracts them; an extracted game folder is used where it is |
| Compiler (first start) | llvm-mingw 190 MB on Windows, zig 55 MB on Linux zip; both removable at the end |
| Portable save state | A few KB (slotN.wwstate) |
| Full save state / crash-recovery state | About 270 MB / 260 MB each (off by default) |
| Decomp build (macOS development builds, optional) | About 100 MB more, 10–30 minutes extra |
Your copy of the game
The Wind Waker HD for Wii U, USA (title 00050000-10143500) or Europe (00050000-10143600), version 0 (the disc or eShop release without the update). The update is not used even when present, because the port is built for version 0’s code. The European game plays in English, French, German, Italian or Spanish; the USA game in English, French or Spanish. This site does not explain how to obtain or dump the game.
Measured performance
| Device | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy S25 Ultra (Snapdragon 8 Elite) | 30–32 fps in the heaviest scenes; 34 → 47 fps in heavy Outset views after the buffer cache (v0.2.11) | README, v0.2.11 |
| Radeon RX 6700 XT (Windows) | 13–19% less render-thread time and half the uploads with the buffer cache (#91) | v0.2.11 |
| Laptop, Core i3 + GeForce 920MX | 46 → 60 fps in Forest Haven with Grass draw distance at Near; about 3% less render-thread time per draw | devel e5f4286 |
| Steam Deck | Render thread is the limit; fast path saves 6–9% CPU; Keep game speed holds full speed at 60 fps | v0.4.0 |
| Snapdragon phones | Windfall back to 40 fps (it ran at about 22 in v0.5.0) | v0.5.1 |
| RK3588 board (Linux arm64) | 20 fps lock in busy views removed by the guest buffer cache | v0.2.8 |
| Apple Silicon Mac | About 28% less CPU time per game step from the recompiler change in v0.2.13 | v0.2.13 |
Tips for slower hardware
- Keep internal resolution at 1× and use
WWHD_SHADOW_SCALE=1at higher resolutions to save GPU memory. - Turn on Dynamic resolution and, in the development build, set Grass draw distance to Medium or Near.
- Leave Keep game speed on with 60 fps, or play at 30 or 40 fps.
- Let setup prepare shaders; use Shader compile: Fast to keep playing while new shaders compile.
GameCube Wind Waker Recomp requirements
| Platform | System | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit | Direct3D 12 GPU; CPU with AVX2 (Intel Haswell, AMD Zen or newer) |
| Mac | Apple Silicon (M1+), macOS 15 or later | Built from your own disc (BlueWake) |
| iPhone / iPad | A13 or newer, iOS/iPadOS 17+, Developer Mode | Built on an Apple Silicon Mac with Xcode; 12 GB free disk (25 GB recommended) |
It needs the USA GameCube disc (GZLE01, revision 0). Its README measured Smooth Motion at 60 fps on a Core i9-13900KF with an RTX 5090, a steady 30 fps on an iPad Pro 12.9" (M2) and 25–30 fps on an iPhone 14. Laptops with integrated graphics such as Intel UHD can run slowly with Smooth Motion on.
Controllers that suit it A controller is the closest thing to the Wii U GamePad on every platform.
- Xbox Wireless Controller: plays by label with Xbox-coloured prompts
- Sony DualSense Wireless Controller: gyro aiming and trigger rumble
- 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller: a wireless pad that suits PC and Steam Deck docks
- GameSir G8 Plus Bluetooth controller: turns an Android phone into a handheld
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Frequently asked questions
What are the minimum requirements for Wind Waker HD Recomp?
A 64-bit Windows 10 (1903+) or 11 PC, an Apple Silicon Mac on macOS 14+, a Linux PC with glibc 2.35+, a Steam Deck, or an arm64 Android 13+ device. The GPU driver must offer Vulkan 1.3 (or Vulkan 1.1/1.2 with VK_KHR_dynamic_rendering); Macs use Metal. The project publishes no RAM or CPU minimum.
Does it run on an Intel Mac?
No. The macOS build is macos-arm64 only, for Apple Silicon on macOS 14 or newer.
How much disk space does it need?
The packages are 26.7 MB to 158.6 MB. Setup adds the prepared game files (about 1.7 GB when it extracts them), the compiler on Windows (190 MB) or Linux (55 MB, removable at the end), shader caches and saves. Full save states are about 270 MB each; the default portable states are a few KB.
Which version of the game do I need?
The Wii U release of The Wind Waker HD from the USA (title 00050000-10143500) or Europe (00050000-10143600), version 0: the disc or eShop release without the update. Setup checks the game code’s SHA-256 and explains what to use instead when it matches neither.
Will it run on a weak laptop?
The developers measured an Intel Core i3 with a GeForce 920MX: Grass draw distance at Near (development build) took Forest Haven from 46 to 60 fps. Keep internal resolution at 1×, set WWHD_SHADOW_SCALE=1, try Dynamic resolution and leave frame interpolation off if the game slows down.