GameSir's GameFusion software has a curious head start on AAA emulation

Porting popular games from one platform to another often takes a lot of work, whether from developers reworking the game or software emulation doing it on the fly. Dedicated gamers have enjoyed Windows-default titles on the best gaming phones for years, at a sacrifice of frame rates and graphics quality. The Snapdragon 8 Elite system-on-a-chip inside many upcoming flagships aims to change that, even as gamers watch the downfall of Nintendo Switch emulation .

Several content creators have recently been spotted playing games like Grand Theft Auto V and Assassin's Creed: Rogue at up to 60 FPS, something unheard of in the Android space. Realme Vice President Chase Xu touted the GT7 Pro 's ability to run AC: Rogue at a consistently impressive frame rate (Realme via @MishaalRahman ). But something's fishy.

How PC-on-Android emulation is suddenly so good

It's a little more complicated than it seems

The videos demonstrating this impressive emulation performance use phones running the Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, apparently the Realme GT7 Pro. To be clear, software like Winlator and the Box64 emulator beneath its hood have supported graphics-intensive titles like GTA V for years, even on older chips like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The frame rates and quality weren't up to what we see now.

What kind of supercharged software are these phones running? It can't be an updated Winlator implementation because there isn't a relevant driver for the SD 8 Elite. We'd also be surprised if it could nearly double performance compared to the SD 8 Gen 2 without some restructuring. Curiously, some of the videos use the FPS counter from DXVK, a popular DirectX-to-Vulkan translation layer.

One more subtle clue links the high-performance videos from content creators and Realme's VP. At some point in every one, the tester slaps a GameSir mobile controller on the phone and goes to town at 50 FPS. These aren't only technical demonstrations. These videos are GameSir ads, and possibly in an even more focused way than you think.

GameFusion, a new emulator from GameSir

The software at the heart of this surprisingly complex situation

At the moment, you'll find zero official information about the unreleased GameFusion Android emulator . The only major references are found on the SD 8 Elite-touting videos (as well as a few suspiciously well-informed social media comments). We don't know many details, but we see some interesting circumstances.

Qualcomm's software division made sure the SD 8 Elite shipped with day-one upstream Linux kernel support . In theory, developers could leverage that in different ways to increase emulation performance. Expanding compatibility can improve results as much as raw performance can by giving developers more effective tools.

However, the rumor is that the upcoming GameFusion emulator may not use the full Linux kernel. It could be a true Android emulator . This would bypass the need for resource-intensive Box64 translation and open the possibility of support for proprietary drivers for high-performance mobile hardware like the latest Snapdragon and Dimensity SoCs. A ground-up, Android-default codebase would explain GameFusion's apparent lead over competing emulators .

What does GameSir have to do with any of this?

Popular Android game controllers from Razer, Turtle Beach, and GameSir.

The consistent placement of GameSir controllers in these videos was probably no accident. It also may have been more than just a chance to get people's eyes on them. Roughly three years ago, GameSir was associated with the developers of EggNS, a Nintendo Switch emulator. EggNS was accused of ripping off code from the now-defunct, open source Yuzu. Further functional evidence indicates the accusations may have been true.

If that assertion is correct, the subscription fees required to use EggNS violated Yuzu's GNU GPL v3 open source license. Alternatively, certain GameSir controllers worked as a form of EggNS hardware key, eliminating the need to pay for a subscription.

GameSir's involvement may or may not have constituted a violation of the license. We aren't here to serve as arbiters. We only want to get to the bottom of this mystery. Based on a video sourced from Chinese site BiliBili, GameSir's GameFusion has been in beta for months. The original site to break this (no longer available) report, called Mobiltelefon, also claimed the project was partly based on unfinished work for the now-halted Cassia emulator project.

There's little reason to suspect foul play today. Cassia's former developers are aware of GameFusion's existence, as it's seen considerable discussion on Cassia's Discord server. Former dev ByLaws went so far as to praise the skill of EggNS developers, who are assumed to be the same GameSir-linked programmers behind GameFusion. This tie-in would explain why we have yet to see GameFusion videos employing anything but a GameSir controller.

Interestingly, the videos also share the Realme GT7 Pro as a platform. There's always the possibility of a tie-in there, but it doesn't seem like Realme would benefit as much as GameSir from the niche emulator community's attention. Until GameFusion is released publicly, there's no way to know what's happening.

What's the point?

Always be aware of what you're watching, for one thing

Dedicated emulation devices like the Retroid Pocket 4 Pro typically offer a more streamlined experience than common open source apps at the cost of performance.

We don't know much about GameSir's new emulator, but we do know a few things.

• GameSir legitimately makes some of the best Android gaming controllers.

• GameFusion delivers better performance than any PC-to-Android emulator. It isn't based on Winlator or other popular emulators.

• This impressive performance only comes alongside the use of a GameSir controller. We have yet to see another controller brand used with the software, although some videos show touchscreen use with no controller attached.

• GameFusion is closed source, and functioning copies have only been distributed to a few content creators and industry figures.

• GameSir previously worked with a proprietary emulator, and that one was accused of violating its source material's GNU GPL v3 open source license.

Then there's the speculation, much of which is extrapolated from the collection of hard and circumstantial evidence.

• The Snapdragon 8 Elite is probably critical to using GameFusion at peak performance, possibly due to the baked-in upstream Linux support.

• GameFusion may require the use of a GameSir controller for full functionality.

• Whether GameFusion developers used any in-progress code from Cassia, Cassia's former developers don't seem to mind.

The reality is that GPL open source licenses don't have much in the way of teeth, and outrage surrounding their violation is usually limited to a highly niche community. Still, this underscores some fascinating intricacies in the world of grassroots programming and the dedication to software emulation. Who knows? Maybe Nvidia and its reported Arm PC CPU aims will restructure the market and lead to a new golden age of software cross-compatibility.

What to know about GameFusion

It certainly looks enticing

An increasing number of fun titles are getting their own sanctioned Android ports.

GameSir, Realme, and Qualcomm (and Linus Torvalds, for that matter) make great products. The upcoming GameFusion emulator will bring AAA PC games to high-end phones in a never-before-seen way. Even if it does require a specific controller, GameSir's are great and cost less than any phone using a Snapdragon 8 Elite.

It's an interesting, exciting time to be a fan of Android emulation. We could be weeks from seeing blockbuster titles on handhelds far smaller than Linux-based machines like the Steam Deck. In theory, that could inspire a resurgence of once-mourned Android gaming phones , assuming the powerful emulation software remains on the up-and-up, and there's no reason right now to believe otherwise.