Random: Smash Ultimate Rollback Netcode Mod “Proof Of Concept” Up And Running On Switch

Back in 2020, in a Famitsu column

Masahiro Sakurai and his team suggested considering rolling back the netcode for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate but apparently failed due to adverse side effects. While we’ve seen rollback support in other fighting games on the Switch. There is one software engineer known on Twitter as “had” who has been working on his own Smash Bros. Rollback netcode for some time now. for Switch emulators.

As noted by Event Centers, this talented individual has now showcased his rollback mod running on a modified Nintendo Switch. Showing off a “cross-platform” online match with an emulated version of the game. This was achieved on the Switch by running the Skyline plugin system. Which apparently allows users to upload custom code to games.

It’s just a “proof of concept” for now, and according to the creator, there’s still a lot to overcome:

“The video is a technical proof of concept…I’m not saying your expectations should be lower, but rather moderate.”

For those unfamiliar with the network fallback code, here is our own previous rundown:

… a rollback network code (as opposed to a latency based network code) is often favored by fighting game fans for a more enjoyable and faster online experience. Latency-based network code delays game state updates until player input is received from anywhere in the world it was sent from, and is therefore very sensitive to network fluctuations and often results in chugging for both players – far not ideal in a fighting game.

Conversely, the rollback network code works differently;

it logs the receipt of the input and adjusts (or “rolls back”) the concurrent game state of each player to match. This can cause players to “teleport” when receiving new input, and can also cause de-sync between each player’s games, but overall provides a smoother online experience.

In its current state, if you want to run something like this on your own system, you’ll need a modified switch, and even then there are associated risks.

If we hear any important news about this project, we will let you know. What do you think of the above demo? Comment below.