Ryujinx is organized as a Visual Studio solution with multiple C# projects, each serving a specific purpose in the emulation stack. This page provides a comprehensive overview of the project structure and key directories.
Solution Overview The Ryujinx solution (Ryujinx.sln) contains over 30 projects organized into logical groups:
Core Emulation : CPU, GPU, HLE, MemoryGraphics : GPU backends, shader translation, texture handlingAudio : Audio rendering and backend implementationsInput : Input abstraction and driver implementationsUtilities : Common libraries, generators, and toolsApplication : Main UI applicationTesting : Unit tests and test utilities
Core Projects These projects form the foundation of the emulator:
ARMeilleure CPU Emulation Core JIT compiler for ARMv8 instruction translation to native code
Ryujinx.Cpu CPU Interface Wrapper and interface layer for ARMeilleure
Ryujinx.HLE High-Level Emulation Operating system and system services emulation
Ryujinx.Memory Memory Management Virtual memory manager and memory operations
ARMeilleure Path : src/ARMeilleure/The CPU emulation core that translates ARM instructions to host machine code.
ARMeilleure/ ├── CodeGen/ # Native code generation (x86/x64) ├── Common/ # Shared utilities and constants ├── Decoders/ # ARM instruction decoders │ ├── A32/ # ARMv7 32-bit instructions │ └── A64/ # ARMv8 64-bit instructions ├── Instructions/ # Instruction implementations │ ├── InstEmit.cs # Instruction emission │ └── ... ├── IntermediateRepresentation/ # Custom IR definitions ├── Translation/ # Translation and JIT compilation │ ├── Cache/ # PPTC cache implementation │ ├── Translator.cs # Main translation orchestrator │ └── ... ├── State/ # CPU state and register management └── Optimizations.cs # Optimization passes
Key Files :
Translation/Translator.cs: Main JIT translation orchestratorDecoders/Decoder.cs: ARM instruction decoder entry pointCodeGen/X86/CodeGenerator.cs: x86/x64 code generationOptimizations.cs: IR optimization configuration
Ryujinx.HLE Path : src/Ryujinx.HLE/High-level emulation of the Switch operating system and services.
Ryujinx.HLE/ ├── HOS/ # Horizon OS emulation │ ├── Kernel/ # Kernel implementation │ │ ├── Process/ # Process management │ │ ├── Threading/ # Thread scheduling │ │ ├── Memory/ # Kernel memory management │ │ ├── Ipc/ # Inter-process communication │ │ └── SupervisorCall/ # System call (SVC) handlers │ ├── Services/ # System services (IPC servers) │ │ ├── Am/ # Application Manager │ │ ├── Audio/ # Audio services │ │ ├── Fs/ # File System services │ │ ├── Hid/ # Human Interface Devices │ │ ├── Nifm/ # Network Interface Manager │ │ └── ... │ ├── Applets/ # System applets │ │ ├── SoftwareKeyboard/ │ │ ├── Controller/ │ │ ├── Error/ │ │ └── ... │ └── Horizon.cs # Main OS initialization ├── FileSystem/ # Virtual file system ├── Loaders/ # Game loaders (NSP, XCI, NSO, NRO) ├── Debugger/ # GDB stub for debugging └── Switch.cs # Main emulator orchestrator
Key Files :
Switch.cs: Central class that orchestrates all emulation componentsHOS/Horizon.cs: Horizon OS initialization and managementHOS/Kernel/KernelContext.cs: Kernel context and resourcesLoaders/Processes/ProcessLoader.cs: Load and start applications
Ryujinx.Memory Path : src/Ryujinx.Memory/Low-level memory management and virtual address translation.
Ryujinx.Memory/ ├── MemoryBlock.cs # Large memory allocation ├── VirtualMemoryManagerBase.cs # VM manager base ├── AddressSpaceManager.cs # Address space management ├── MemoryManagement.cs # Platform-agnostic memory ops ├── MemoryManagementUnix.cs # Unix/Linux memory operations ├── MemoryManagementWindows.cs # Windows memory operations ├── Tracking/ # Memory tracking for GPU cache └── Range/ # Memory range utilities
Key Interfaces :
IVirtualMemoryManager: Interface for memory operationsMemoryBlock: Platform-specific memory allocation
Graphics Projects The graphics subsystem is split into multiple projects for modularity:
Ryujinx.Graphics.Gpu High-level GPU emulation and command processing
Ryujinx.Graphics.GAL Graphics Abstraction Layer interface
Ryujinx.Graphics.OpenGL OpenGL 4.5+ renderer implementation
Ryujinx.Graphics.Vulkan Vulkan renderer implementation
Ryujinx.Graphics.Shader Maxwell shader decompiler and translator
Ryujinx.Graphics.Texture Texture format handling and conversion
Ryujinx.Graphics.Gpu Path : src/Ryujinx.Graphics.Gpu/Maxwell GPU emulation and high-level graphics management.
Ryujinx.Graphics.Gpu/ ├── Engine/ # GPU engines │ ├── GPFifo/ # Command FIFO processing │ ├── Threed/ # 3D engine (main graphics) │ ├── Twod/ # 2D engine (blits, copies) │ ├── Compute/ # Compute engine │ ├── Dma/ # DMA engine │ └── MME/ # Macro engine ├── Image/ # Texture and image management │ ├── TextureCache.cs # Texture caching │ ├── TextureManager.cs # Texture lifecycle │ └── ... ├── Memory/ # GPU memory management │ ├── MemoryManager.cs # GPU virtual memory │ └── Buffer/ # Buffer management ├── Shader/ # Shader management │ ├── ShaderCache.cs # Shader caching │ └── DiskCache/ # Persistent shader cache ├── GpuContext.cs # Main GPU context ├── GpuChannel.cs # Command submission channel └── Window.cs # Presentation and swap chain
Key Features :
Command buffer processing
GPU state management
Texture caching and management
Shader compilation and caching
GPU memory virtualization
Ryujinx.Graphics.GAL Path : src/Ryujinx.Graphics.GAL/Graphics Abstraction Layer - a unified interface for different graphics APIs.
Ryujinx.Graphics.GAL/ ├── IRenderer.cs # Main renderer interface ├── IPipeline.cs # Graphics pipeline operations ├── ITexture.cs # Texture interface ├── IProgram.cs # Shader program interface ├── ISampler.cs # Sampler interface ├── IWindow.cs # Window/swapchain interface ├── Capabilities.cs # Backend capability queries ├── Format.cs # Texture and buffer formats └── Multithreading/ # Thread-safe wrapper
Backend implementations:
Ryujinx.Graphics.OpenGL : OpenGL 4.5+ implementationRyujinx.Graphics.Vulkan : Vulkan 1.1+ implementationMetal via MoltenVK : Metal backend on macOS
Ryujinx.Graphics.Shader Path : src/Ryujinx.Graphics.Shader/Maxwell shader binary decompiler and translator.
Ryujinx.Graphics.Shader/ ├── Decoders/ # Shader instruction decoders ├── Translation/ # Shader translation │ ├── Translator.cs # Main shader translator │ ├── Optimizations/ # Shader optimizations │ └── Transforms/ # IR transformations ├── CodeGen/ # Target code generation │ ├── Glsl/ # GLSL code generator │ └── Spirv/ # SPIR-V code generator ├── IntermediateRepresentation/ # Shader IR └── StructuredIr/ # High-level structured IR
Supported Output :
GLSL : For OpenGL backendSPIR-V : For Vulkan backendMSL : Metal Shading Language (via SPIR-V cross)
Ryujinx.Graphics.Texture : Texture decompression (ASTC, DXT, BCn)Ryujinx.Graphics.Device : GPU device abstractionRyujinx.Graphics.Host1x : NVIDIA Host1x interfaceRyujinx.Graphics.Nvdec : Video decoding hardware emulationRyujinx.Graphics.Nvdec.Vp9 : VP9 video decoderRyujinx.Graphics.Nvdec.FFmpeg : FFmpeg-based video decodingRyujinx.Graphics.Vic : Video Image CompositorRyujinx.Graphics.Video : Video decoding infrastructureSpv.Generator : SPIR-V bytecode generation library
Audio Projects
Ryujinx.Audio Core audio emulation and rendering
Ryujinx.Audio.Backends.SDL3 SDL3 audio backend (default)
Ryujinx.Audio.Backends.OpenAL OpenAL audio backend
Ryujinx.Audio.Backends.SoundIo libsoundio audio backend
Ryujinx.Audio Path : src/Ryujinx.Audio/Ryujinx.Audio/ ├── Renderer/ # Audio rendering │ ├── Dsp/ # DSP effects │ ├── Server/ # Audio server │ └── ... ├── Integration/ # HLE integration ├── Backends/ # Backend interfaces ├── Input/ # Audio input (microphone) ├── Output/ # Audio output └── AudioManager.cs # Audio system coordinator
Features :
Multiple audio stream mixing
3D audio and effects
Sample rate conversion
Low-latency rendering
Ryujinx.Input Input abstraction layer
Ryujinx.Input.SDL3 SDL3 input driver implementation
Path : src/Ryujinx.Input/Ryujinx.Input/ ├── IGamepad.cs # Gamepad interface ├── IKeyboard.cs # Keyboard interface ├── IMouse.cs # Mouse interface ├── IGamepadDriver.cs # Driver interface ├── Motion/ # Motion/gyro support ├── Assigner/ # Input assignment └── HLE/ # HLE integration
Supported Devices :
Xbox controllers
PlayStation controllers (DualShock 4, DualSense)
Nintendo controllers (Pro Controller, Joy-Con)
Generic DirectInput/XInput gamepads
Keyboard and mouse
System Services (Horizon) The Ryujinx.Horizon project implements Switch system services.
Path : src/Ryujinx.Horizon/Ryujinx.Horizon/ ├── Sdk/ # Nintendo SDK implementations │ ├── Fs/ # File system SDK │ ├── Account/ # Account SDK │ ├── Friends/ # Friends SDK │ ├── Applet/ # Applet SDK │ └── ... ├── Audio/ # Audio service ├── Friends/ # Friends service ├── Arp/ # Application Registry ├── Bcat/ # Background Content Asymmetric Transfer ├── Lbl/ # Label (backlight) ├── Prepo/ # Play Report ├── Ptm/ # Power Management └── ServiceTable.cs # Service registration
Related Projects :
Ryujinx.Horizon.Common : Common types and utilitiesRyujinx.Horizon.Generators : Source generators for servicesRyujinx.Horizon.Kernel.Generators : Kernel-related generators
Utility Projects
Ryujinx.Common Shared utilities, logging, configuration
Ryujinx.HLE.Generators Source generators for HLE services
Ryujinx.SDL3.Common SDL3 bindings and utilities
Ryujinx.UI.LocaleGenerator Localization generation tool
Ryujinx.Common Path : src/Ryujinx.Common/Shared utilities used across all projects.
Ryujinx.Common/ ├── Configuration/ # Configuration management ├── Logging/ # Logging infrastructure ├── Memory/ # Memory utilities ├── SystemInterop/ # Platform interop ├── Utilities/ # General utilities │ ├── EmbeddedResources.cs │ ├── JsonHelper.cs │ └── ... ├── Collections/ # Custom collections └── GraphicsDriver/ # GPU driver detection
Key Features :
Application configuration
Multi-target logging (console, file)
Platform-specific utilities
JSON serialization helpers
Resource embedding
Application Project Ryujinx Path : src/Ryujinx/The main application UI built with Avalonia (cross-platform UI framework).
Ryujinx/ ├── UI/ # User interface │ ├── ViewModels/ # MVVM view models │ ├── Views/ # UI views │ ├── Controls/ # Custom controls │ └── Windows/ # Application windows ├── Assets/ # UI assets and resources ├── Config/ # Configuration UI ├── Input/ # Input configuration UI └── Program.cs # Entry point
Features :
Game library management
Settings and configuration UI
Controller configuration
Title/DLC/update management
Mod management
Save data management
Testing Projects
Ryujinx.Tests Main unit tests for core functionality
Ryujinx.Tests.Memory Memory management tests
Ryujinx.Tests.Unicorn CPU tests using Unicorn engine
Ryujinx.ShaderTools Shader testing and development tools
Build and Validation Ryujinx.BuildValidationTasks Path : src/Ryujinx.BuildValidationTasks/MSBuild tasks for build-time validation and code generation.
Purpose :
Validate code patterns
Enforce coding standards
Generate build metadata
Directory Structure Summary Ryujinx/ ├── src/ │ ├── ARMeilleure/ # CPU emulation (JIT) │ ├── Ryujinx/ # Main UI application │ ├── Ryujinx.HLE/ # High-level emulation │ ├── Ryujinx.Cpu/ # CPU interface │ ├── Ryujinx.Memory/ # Memory management │ ├── Ryujinx.Common/ # Shared utilities │ ├── Ryujinx.Graphics.Gpu/ # GPU emulation │ ├── Ryujinx.Graphics.GAL/ # Graphics abstraction │ ├── Ryujinx.Graphics.OpenGL/ # OpenGL backend │ ├── Ryujinx.Graphics.Vulkan/ # Vulkan backend │ ├── Ryujinx.Graphics.Shader/ # Shader translation │ ├── Ryujinx.Graphics.Texture/ # Texture handling │ ├── Ryujinx.Graphics.*/ # Other graphics projects │ ├── Ryujinx.Audio/ # Audio core │ ├── Ryujinx.Audio.Backends.*/ # Audio backends │ ├── Ryujinx.Input/ # Input abstraction │ ├── Ryujinx.Input.SDL3/ # SDL3 input driver │ ├── Ryujinx.Horizon/ # System services │ ├── Ryujinx.Horizon.*/ # Horizon utilities │ ├── Ryujinx.*.Generators/ # Source generators │ ├── Ryujinx.Tests*/ # Test projects │ ├── Spv.Generator/ # SPIR-V generator │ └── ... ├── docs/ # Documentation ├── distribution/ # Distribution files ├── .github/ # GitHub workflows ├── Ryujinx.sln # Visual Studio solution ├── Directory.Build.props # Common build properties ├── Directory.Packages.props # NuGet package versions └── README.md # Project readme
Project Dependencies The dependency flow generally follows this pattern:
Most projects depend on Ryujinx.Common for shared utilities and logging.
Build Configuration Directory.Build.props Common MSBuild properties shared across all projects:
Target framework (NET 8.0+)
Language version (C# 12)
Nullable reference types
Warning levels and suppressions
Directory.Packages.props Centralized NuGet package version management using Central Package Management (CPM).
Key Dependencies :
LibHac : Switch file system and cryptoSilk.NET : Cross-platform window/input/graphicsAvalonia : Cross-platform UI frameworkConcentus : Opus audio codecLibVpx : VP9 video codecFFmpeg : Video decoding
Next Steps
Architecture Overview Return to the high-level architecture overview
Contributing Guide Learn how to build and contribute to Ryujinx
