[XMB] [Vulkan] Menu freezes with any shader pipeline activated, under certain conditions

[toao1985]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• This is a bug in RetroArch frontend
• I have searched the existing issues

Description

If you're using menu driver XMB and video driver Vulkan, there's a chance the RetroArch menu will freeze if you have any shader pipeline effect actived (ribbon, snow, etc) when you perform certain actions, like changing video shaders or just browsing within the quick menu. When the freeze does occur, it spouts the same error message in the log:

[INFO] [Vulkan]: QueuePresent failed, destroying swapchain.
[INFO] [Vulkan]: Got 3 swapchain images.
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 2048x2048 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 2048x2048 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 2048x1080 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 64x68 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 82x68 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 1317x1080 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 1317x1080 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 1317x1080 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 1317x1080 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Updating framebuffer size 256x240 (format: 37).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Updating framebuffer size 256x240 (format: 43).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Updating framebuffer size 256x1080 (format: 43).
[INFO] [Vulkan]: QueuePresent failed, destroying swapchain.
[INFO] [Vulkan]: Got 3 swapchain images.
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 2048x2048 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 2048x2048 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 2048x1080 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 64x68 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 82x68 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 1317x1080 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 1317x1080 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 1317x1080 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 1317x1080 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Updating framebuffer size 256x240 (format: 37).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Updating framebuffer size 256x240 (format: 43).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Updating framebuffer size 256x1080 (format: 43).

It keeps happening until I switch from fullscreen to windowed. I can go back to fullscreen after without any problems, as long as I don't trigger the freeze.

Naturally, the issue does not occur if shader pipeline effects are disabled.

Expected behavior

The user should be able to seamless navigate and perform actions within the RetroArch menu while a shader pipeline effect is activated.

Steps to reproduce the bug

1. Set your menu driver as XMB.
2. Set your video driver as Vulkan.
3. Restart RetroArch, for those to take effect.
4. Enable any shader pipeline effect (ribbon, snow, etc).
5. Load some content.
6. Try to change video shaders a little, using the option inside the quick menu (do not use hotkeys for that). You may need to keep loading them a little.
7. Menu freeze happens (RetroArch itself does not hang).

Version/Commit

1.21.0 (Git 05f94af)

Bisect Results

No response

Present in the nightly version

Yes, this is reproduced in the nightly build

Platform & operating system

Linux Mint 22.1 (x64), based on Ubuntu 24.04

Affected Cores

All cores

Environment information

• Window manager: X11
• Affected video driver: Vulkan
• Installed through AppImage

Relevant log output

[sonninnos]

Can't repro on Windows.

[toao1985]

I suppose it may affect only the Linux build. I tested with another distro, another machine, and the results were the same. If another Linux user could also test this, it would be appreciated.

[gouchi]

I can't reproduce the issue on Linux with Nvidia driver on Xorg using AppImage 1.21.0.

Can you try to make a test with self build ?

sudo -i
apt update && apt install build-essential && apt build-dep retroarch
exit
cd ~/Downloads
git clone https://github.com/libretro/RetroArch.git
cd RetroArch
./configure --enable-vulkan && make -j$(nproc)
./retroarch -v

Thank you.

[toao1985]

I'm sorry. I tried my best, but couldn't compile it. Tried to fetch the dependencies, but apt keeps giving me an error. Forgive me, I'm not an experienced user.

On the other hand, I'm using an AMD Gpu, that may be the reason. The freeze happens if I keep switching between shaders, always inside the menu, never outside. Sometimes I need to keep doing it, since it doesn't happen at first. Besides that, I can only think of adding that I also use shaders from other folders beyond the stock shaders_slang. I don't know if this matters.

Edit: I also have "Automatic Frame Delay" activated.

[gouchi]

I'm sorry. I tried my best, but couldn't compile it. Tried to fetch the dependencies, but apt keeps giving me an error. Forgive me, I'm not an experienced user.

Please provide some log so that we can help you.

[toao1985]

Thank you for your patience! I'll post both a log about the freeze and the error I get when trying to compile.

RetroArch freezing when shader pipeline is activated

To generate a cleaner log, I did exactly that:

1. Opened RetroArch
2. Loaded some content
3. Tried to change shaders
4. The menu froze
5. I immediately closed RetroArch (pressed "esc" key twice).

The log below represent the steps above:

shader pipeline freeze.txt

My shader pipeline effect of choice was ribbon (not simplified). I'm also using automatic frame delay. Important to notice that:

• Even though the menu freezes, the application itself is not halted. Going from fullscreen to windowed restores functionality, for example.
• When I generated the log, the freeze happened immediately, but it's not always the case. Sometimes, I need to load between many different shaders, or go back and forth navigating the menus, or invoking and dismissing the menu until it happens.
• From all of my testing, I cannot reproduce the freeze if shader pipelines effects are disabled, that's why I suspect of them.

---

Error when trying to compile RetroArch

The command giving me trouble is apt build-dep retroarch. It throws me the following error: You must put some 'deb-src' URIs in your sources.list.

I looked online and found a fix in the form of editing the configuration file located in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubuntu.sources. However, there's no "ubuntu.sources" file there, so I'm clueless of what to do. Perhaps that's because I'm using Linux Mint and, even though it's based on Ubuntu, there's some differences between them.

---

Once again, I'm thankful for your patience and time in properly guiding me. If there's any app, command or feature to generate better logs, please let me know so I can generate more useful output. Thanks!

[sonninnos]

Why mention "automatic frame delay" at all if disabling it won't fix the problem? And does the selected shader matter, since the log indeed is full of looping

[INFO] [Vulkan]: Got 3 swapchain images.
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 2048x2048 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 2048x2048 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 2048x1080 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 64x68 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 82x68 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 1317x1080 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 1317x1080 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 1317x1080 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Creating framebuffer 1317x1080 (max 1 level(s)).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Updating framebuffer size 256x240 (format: 37).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Updating framebuffer size 256x240 (format: 43).
[INFO] [Vulkan filter chain]: Updating framebuffer size 256x1080 (format: 43).
[INFO] [Vulkan]: QueuePresent failed, destroying swapchain.

[toao1985]

I just mentioned because it was something I changed from the default value (it was originally disabled), so I wasn't sure if it was relevant or not. About the shader, do you mean it might be caused by specific ones? For the log, I just picked a custom preset I made using crt-royale, but I've had the freeze with many others. Do you want me to test a certain shader to better locate the problem?

Edit: correct spelling mistake.

[sonninnos]

Pretty easy to be sure if it is relevant or not by testing it on and off, and if it freezes with "many others" then you already tested others, so it won't matter either.

[gouchi]

I looked online and found a fix in the form of editing the configuration file located in /etc/apt/sources.list.d/ubuntu.sources. However, there's no "ubuntu.sources" file there, so I'm clueless of what to do. Perhaps that's because I'm using Linux Mint and, even though it's based on Ubuntu, there's some differences between them.

You have a tool called Software Sources (Administration section) which will allow you to enable source code repository.

[toao1985]

Great! It compiled seamlessly! Thank you a lot for showing me that tool. It was so easy.

So, now, my RetroArch is version 1.21 (Git 58dcece), build date of 2025-07-26. Unfortunately, the freeze still persists. It's a minor issue and seems to be happening only to me, so I will just disable shader pipeline effects for now. RetroArch is constantly improving, so I'm sure a future update will solve the issue, as it normally tends to happen.

I'm grateful for all your patience and for teaching me more about troubleshooting and compiling both gouchi and sonninnos. Wish you both all the best!

[nfp0]

I have this exact issue since I updated to RetroArch 1.21.0 on Arch Linux (KDE Wayland). I am using the Vulkan driver.

I can reproduce this issue easily after a few seconds/minutes just navigating the main menu, even without opening any game or shaders.

As soon as it freezes, this starts getting spammed in the log:

[INFO] [Vulkan]: Got 2 swapchain images.
[INFO] [Vulkan]: QueuePresent failed, destroying swapchain.
[INFO] [Vulkan]: Got 2 swapchain images.
[INFO] [Vulkan]: QueuePresent failed, destroying swapchain.
[INFO] [Vulkan]: Got 2 swapchain images.
[INFO] [Vulkan]: QueuePresent failed, destroying swapchain.
[INFO] [Vulkan]: Got 2 swapchain images.
[INFO] [Vulkan]: QueuePresent failed, destroying swapchain.
[INFO] [Vulkan]: Got 2 swapchain images.
[INFO] [Vulkan]: QueuePresent failed, destroying swapchain.

RetroArch is not fully frozen, as I can still close it by pressing Escape twice.

Please tell me if I can help with any additional info.

[toao1985]

nfp0, are you also using an AMD GPU? I am, and the issue happens. Gouchi, on the other hand, uses Nvidia and it doesn't happen to him.

[nfp0]

@toao1985 Yes that is correct. I am using an AMD Radeon RX 6800 with the Mesa drivers.

I also forgot to mention that I am using the XMB menu. Haven't tested the others.

[sonninnos]

XMB is the only menu with a shader pipeline.

Edit: And indeed I have Nvidia + Windows.