Hi everyone!
This is a smaller update but it focuses on those little interruptions that can get between you and your game. We have improved recovery when a cartridge read or save fails, made returning from Pause more predictable, and added better handling for picture problems during startup.
A smoother trip into and out of your game
- More resilient cartridge loading: Playback OS now retries a temporary save verification failure. If the read still fails or your Operator disconnects after a retry, loading stops with an error instead of continuing with incomplete data.
- A way back when saving fails: If a cartridge save fails while leaving a game, the Pause menu and its controls return alongside the error message, so you can try again. Retrying also avoids relying on data from the failed save attempt.
- Resume without an extra button press reaching your game: The Back button, used to close Pause, is now kept out of gameplay. Your next press works normally.
- More reliable game exit: Fixed a shutdown path that could leave the interface waiting while the game was closing.
Better recovery when the picture gets stuck
If display effects cannot start or repeatedly fail, Playback OS can switch to a simpler picture mode instead of leaving you waiting. We have also improved display recovery on Linux when the game window changes.
You can use Select + Start to open Pause once the game is running, even if its first picture has not appeared yet.
Small changes that feel better every day
- Predictable volume steps: Volume adjustments now always lands on the next five percent mark.
- More consistent descriptions: Game descriptions keep a readable, consistent text size and use more of the available space. Settings and other description panels use matching text sizes too.
- Clearer reports when something goes wrong: Different failures are now easier for us to distinguish. That helps investigating the problems you report.
Keep the reports coming
We are still investigating reports of freezes and unresponsive controls, including in Steam Deck Gaming Mode. This update improves recovery in several situations, but we have not yet confirmed the cause of every reported problem.
If something goes wrong, please tell us your operating system, Playback OS version and BuildID, game, controller and connected Operators, along with the steps that led to it. Mention whether the Operator and cartridge were already connected when you started the app. On Steam Deck, let us know whether you were using Gaming Mode or Desktop Mode. A short video showing the problem is also welcome.
Help us track any issue down with verbose logs
Verbose logs give us more detail about what happened during your session. You can collect them on Windows, macOS and Linux, including SteamOS:
- Enable verbose logging: In your Steam Library, open Playback OS then Manage (Cogwheel icon) → Properties... → General → Launch Options and write
%command% --verbose
in the field. Exit Properties to save. - Reproduce the problem: Launch Playback OS and repeat the steps that caused it. If the app freezes, leave it open for at least 30 seconds before closing it so the diagnostics have time to record the stall.
- Find the logs: Close Playback OS, then open the log folder for your system using the instructions below. On SteamOS, switch to Desktop Mode first.
- Send the affected session: Before launching Playback OS again, compress the newest run-... folder into a ZIP and send it to us with your report. Include the whole folder so the logs and build details stay together.
- Turn verbose logging off when finished: Remove
%command% --verbose
from Launch Options.
The default log locations are:
- Windows: Press Win + R, paste
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Epilogue\PlaybackOS\logs
and press Enter. - macOS: In Finder, choose Go → Go to Folder, paste
~/Library/Application Support/Epilogue/PlaybackOS/logs/
and press Enter. - Linux / SteamOS: Open your file manager, press Ctrl + L, paste
~/.local/share/Epilogue/PlaybackOS/logs/
and press Enter. On SteamOS, the file manager is Dolphin.
Thanks for helping us make Playback OS more dependable. Grab your favorite controller and enjoy your next session!
— The Epilogue Team