System Requirements & Port Options

Q: Why did older Windows builds show a black screen on startup?

In v0.3.1-alpha, constraining Bevy’s task pool to 3 threads (RC_THREADS=3) starved render initialization on some Windows Vulkan systems, and initial startup could show a black or purple frame before v0.3.5-alpha. Updating to {TAG} resolves both.

Hardware specifications, 4.5 GB disk layout, Bevy wgpu graphics backends (Vulkan, DirectX 12, Metal), and every in-game Port Option in ReRAC (v0.3.9-alpha).

Download ReRAC Controllers & KBM

Vulkan · DirectX 12 · Metal
4 GB RAM min · ~4.5 GB disk
416p–2160p + Fill ultrawide
2x / 4x / 8x MSAA

Multi-threaded Bevy wgpu renderer over Vulkan, DirectX 12 and Apple Metal

Minimum & recommended PC specifications

Because ReRAC compiles Ratchet & Clank’s logic into native Rust systems rather than emulating the PS2’s dual-core vector units and Graphics Synthesizer over PCIe, CPU overhead is dramatically lighter than software-heavy PS2 emulation while GPU load scales cleanly with internal resolution and MSAA.

Component	Minimum Target	Recommended (1440p / 4K / Enhanced)
Operating system	Windows 10/11 64-bit, 64-bit Linux (x86_64), SteamOS 3.x	macOS 13+ on Apple Silicon (M1–M4, primary dev target) or Windows 11 / Linux x86_64
Processor (CPU)	64-bit quad-core x86_64 or Apple M1	6-core+ modern desktop/mobile CPU or Apple M-series for multi-threaded Bevy task pools
Graphics (GPU)	`wgpu`-capable GPU with Vulkan 1.2+, DirectX 12, or Metal	Dedicated Vulkan / DX12 / Metal GPU (GTX 1060 / RX 580 / Arc / Steam Deck RDNA2 / Apple M1+) for 1440p–2160p + 4x/8x MSAA
Memory (RAM)	4 GB system RAM	8 GB+ system RAM
Disk space	4.5 GB free space for `games/rac1/data/` + ~150 MB for versions	SSD or NVMe storage (completes 4 GiB ISO extraction in 3–8 seconds; adds ~3.5 GB if exporting assets)
Disc image	Your own Ratchet & Clank (2002) NTSC-U `SCUS-97199` v1.00 plain `.iso`	Same (no PlayStation 2 firmware files needed)

Bevy & wgpu graphics backends (Vulkan, DirectX 12 & Metal)

ReRAC’s renderer (crates/rc-engine) is built on Bevy’s wgpu abstraction and custom WGSL shaders (tfrag, tie, shrub, moby, sea, hud, and aa_blit):

Windows (Vulkan & DirectX 12): wgpu selects Vulkan or DirectX 12 automatically. An open upstream pull request (Launcher PR #7) adds an explicit graphics-backend selector in the launcher for dual-GPU laptops. Note that older integrated GPUs with incomplete Vulkan/DX12 drivers, such as Skylake-era Intel HD Graphics 520 (Launcher Issue #11), may fail device creation if drivers are outdated.
Linux & Steam Deck (Vulkan): Runs over Mesa RADV (AMD / Steam Deck), ANV (Intel) or proprietary NVIDIA Vulkan drivers.
macOS (Metal): Runs natively on Apple Metal. Note that Apple Silicon GPUs expose 2x and 4x multisampling for ReRAC’s world attachments (8x MSAA is hidden automatically when hardware does not advertise it).

Disk space breakdown (~4.5 GB + optional exports)

Tier 0 verified disc files (~4.0 GiB): 2,937 raw slices copied from your SCUS-97199 ISO into games/rac1/data/ alongside toc.bin and extract-info.json.
Tier 1 engine cache (~438 MiB): 134 WAD-decompressed files stored under games/rac1/data/cache/v1/ so levels load without re-decompressing PS2 streams every boot (can be bypassed for testing via RC_CACHE=0).
Engine binaries (~85–130 MB unpacked per version): Stored in versions/. Old alpha builds can be deleted from Settings → Version Management at any time.
Optional Tier 2 asset export (~3.5 GB, ~60,000 files): Written only if you run ⋯ → Export assets… with all selected.

All 9 in-game Port Options explained

Every graphics option in Pause → Options → Port Options follows one strict architectural rule documented in docs/plan/graphics_options.md: options change only what is drawn and never mutate deterministic 60 Hz gameplay state. Values persist in settings.toml.

Port Option Row	Available Values	Technical Effect
Preset	`Original` / `Enhanced` / `(Custom)`	`Original` matches PS2 TV output; `Enhanced` sets 4x MSAA, Far LOD, Smooth textures, and high-res HUD.
Anti-aliasing	`Original` / `Off` / `2x` / `4x` / `8x`	`Original` runs the PS2 GS full-screen bilinear blits (`aa_blit.wgsl`); `2x`–`8x` enables hardware multisampling where supported by your GPU (Apple M-series caps at `4x`).
Detail distance	`Original` / `Far` / `Farther` / `Maximum`	Scales tfrag, tie, moby and shrub LOD thresholds by ×1, ×2, ×4 or ×1000 without altering gameplay culling rules.
Texture filtering	`Original` / `Smooth` / `Sharp`	`Original` uses the exact PS2 GS depth mip rule; `Smooth` blends mip levels; `Sharp` applies GPU footprint mips with 16x anisotropic filtering.
HUD	`Original` / `Sharp pixels`	`Original` composites the 512×416 screen with bilinear scaling; `Sharp pixels` uses crisp nearest-neighbor composite scaling.
Shadows	`On` / `Off`	Toggles character and moby projected shadows (default `On`).
Aspect ratio	`4:3` / `16:10` / `16:9` / `Fill`	`4:3` preserves the original TV frame; widescreen and `Fill` ultrawide widen the horizontal field of view (Hor+) while keeping pause/title menus centered in 4:3.
Resolution	`Window` / `416p` / `720p` / `1080p` / `1440p` / `2160p`	Sets internal vertical frame resolution at the chosen aspect ratio, or matches your window natively (`Window`).
Fullscreen	`On` / `Off` (`F11`)	Toggles borderless fullscreen on the active monitor.

Recommended PC controllers

ReRAC maps PlayStation 2 face buttons, bumpers, triggers and twin analog sticks by physical position across connected gamepads, with multi-controller detection and Linux 8BitDo mapping fixes in v0.3.8-alpha:

Controller	Best For in ReRAC	Hardware Advantage	Link
Sony DualSense	Authentic PlayStation button layout	Symmetrical twin sticks matching DualShock 2 muscle memory + crisp D-pad	View on Amazon
8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless	Linux, SteamOS & Windows desktop	Zero-drift TMR sticks, charging dock, verified Linux button mapping in v0.3.8-alpha	View on Amazon
GameSir Cyclone 2	Precision 3D platforming & strafing	TMR sticks, hair-trigger locks for L2/R2 Thruster-Pack strafing, 1000 Hz wireless	View on Amazon
Xbox Wireless Controller	Plug-and-play Windows 10/11	Native Windows XInput standard with positional face-button mapping	View on Amazon

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Macro view of interlocking bronze and steel mechanical gearwheels on a machined frame — Precision mechanical gearwork echoing the OmniWrench and Gadgetron machinery

Metal workshop case holding twin reversible ratcheting socket wrenches and hexagonal steel sockets — Reversible ratcheting socket wrenches and hexagonal bolt drivers

Desktop gaming PC workstation with dual monitors and tempered glass chassis — Native Rust and Bevy desktop target with 416p-2160p scaling and Fill ultrawide view

Common questions

Does increasing Detail distance or Resolution affect enemy AI or physics?

No. ReRAC keeps gameplay simulation and visibility flags deterministic at 60 Hz regardless of Port Options. Setting Detail distance to Maximum (×1000) forces highest-detail tfrag, tie, moby and shrub meshes visually while every joint and moby update runs identically to Original.

Can ReRAC run above 60 FPS?

The original PS2 game’s physics, animations and timers tick at a fixed 60 Hz, and ReRAC paces presentation to 60 FPS by default (fixing fast-forward behavior on high-refresh monitors without VSync in v0.3.6-alpha). Developers benchmarking GPU headroom can pass RC_NOVSYNC=1 or RC_FRAME_CAP=0, though gameplay speed follows tick pacing; high-refresh frame interpolation is tracked in Launcher Issue #15.

Why did older Windows builds show a black screen on startup?

In v0.3.1-alpha, constraining Bevy’s task pool to 3 threads (RC_THREADS=3) starved render initialization on some Windows Vulkan systems, and initial startup could show a black or purple frame before v0.3.5-alpha. Updating to {TAG} resolves both.