v0.3.0 — Native renderer, split-screen, Versus and Horde over System Link

New

• Native renderer, on by default on AMD. Render targets are now host surfaces and resolves write the textures directly, instead of emulating the Xbox 360's EDRAM. In Act 1 chapter 2 on an RX 7800 XT at the default 1440p internal resolution, with the frame rate unlocked: 224 fps (was 202 with the previous AMD path and 86 with ROV). It draws the same picture as ROV, and it fixes widescreen on AMD: 21:9 is clean at 211 fps without switching to ROV. The setting is gow2_native_renderer (auto, on, off). auto turns it on for AMD GPUs on Windows unless you chose a render_target_path_d3d12. NVIDIA and Intel keep their current paths until someone measures them: if you have one, please try gow2_native_renderer = "on" and tell us how it looks and runs.
• Split-screen campaign co-op. PC Options > Multiplayer > Split-screen players (2 to 4), restart, then Co-op Campaign > Split-screen Campaign. Each extra player needs a controller. Turn on "Keyboard is player 1" to play keyboard and mouse plus one controller.
• Versus and Horde over System Link. In Multiplayer or Horde, set Match Type to System Link, create the party on one copy and join it from the System Link Browser on the others. Tested with two copies on one PC: a Warzone round on Avalanche and a Horde wave.
• Campaign co-op for 8 or 10 players (experimental). PC Options > Multiplayer > Co-op players now offers 8 and 10. Eight copies on one PC joined one campaign; long sessions with that many players have not been tested yet.

Fixes

• First start after an update no longer looks frozen. When the saved shaders have to be rebuilt, the window keeps responding and its title shows "compiling shaders N/M". Thanks to @Flippage for the report. The first start after a graphics change can still take a few minutes on the title screen; let it finish.
• Horde over System Link no longer crashes the host when the wave starts (the game asked for high scores and a mute list the emulation did not answer).

Known issues

• Every player needs this release. System Link sessions changed, so 0.3.0 is not expected to play with older versions.
• Motion blur shows repeated copies in fast turns and vehicles. That is the game's own 4-sample motion blur, which looks sharper here than on a TV at 720p. Turn it off in PC Options > Game quality > Motion blur if you prefer.
• One automated run hit a GPU timeout (TDR) in chapter 23 on the RX 7800 XT; three later runs did not. If it happens to you, please attach the newest gow2_*.log.
• Acts 2 to 5 load and play in every chapter (a scripted minute in each of the 29), but have not been played start to finish.
• Android: the native renderer's Vulkan path is included but off by default (gow2_native_renderer = "on" to try it); it draws the hospital correctly on a Galaxy S25 Ultra at 44-48 fps.

Downloads

• gow2-recomp-0.3.0-win64.zip: Windows 10/11 x64, DirectX 12. No game files: you need your own copy of Gears of War 2.
• gow2-recomp-0.3.0-android-arm64.apk: experimental Android build.