apple: provide option to disable metal argument buffers

config.def.h

@@ -489,6 +489,10 @@
 /* Choose if the screen will be able to write around the notch or not */
 #define DEFAULT_NOTCH_WRITE_OVER_ENABLE false
 
+#ifdef __APPLE__
+#define DEFAULT_USE_METAL_ARG_BUFFERS (!!__builtin_available(macOS 12, iOS 13, tvOS 12, *))
+#endif
+
 /* Enable use of shaders. */
 #ifdef RARCH_CONSOLE
 #define DEFAULT_SHADER_ENABLE true

configuration.c

@@ -1920,6 +1920,9 @@ static struct config_bool_setting *populate_settings_bool(
    SETTING_BOOL("video_gpu_screenshot",          &settings->bools.video_gpu_screenshot, true, DEFAULT_GPU_SCREENSHOT, false);
    SETTING_BOOL("video_post_filter_record",      &settings->bools.video_post_filter_record, true, DEFAULT_POST_FILTER_RECORD, false);
    SETTING_BOOL("video_notch_write_over_enable", &settings->bools.video_notch_write_over_enable, true, DEFAULT_NOTCH_WRITE_OVER_ENABLE, false);
+#if defined(__APPLE__) && defined(HAVE_VULKAN)
+   SETTING_BOOL("video_use_metal_arg_buffers",   &settings->bools.video_use_metal_arg_buffers, true, DEFAULT_USE_METAL_ARG_BUFFERS, false);
+#endif
    SETTING_BOOL("video_msg_bgcolor_enable",      &settings->bools.video_msg_bgcolor_enable, true, DEFAULT_MESSAGE_BGCOLOR_ENABLE, false);
    SETTING_BOOL("video_window_show_decorations", &settings->bools.video_window_show_decorations, true, DEFAULT_WINDOW_DECORATIONS, false);
    SETTING_BOOL("video_window_save_positions",   &settings->bools.video_window_save_positions, true, DEFAULT_WINDOW_SAVE_POSITIONS, false);

configuration.h

@@ -660,6 +660,7 @@ typedef struct settings
       bool video_notch_write_over_enable;
       bool video_hdr_enable;
       bool video_hdr_expand_gamut;
+      bool video_use_metal_arg_buffers;
 
       /* Accessibility */
       bool accessibility_enable;

gfx/common/vulkan_common.c

@@ -2370,6 +2370,13 @@ bool vulkan_context_init(gfx_ctx_vulkan_data_t *vk,
 #ifdef _WIN32
       vulkan_library = dylib_load("vulkan-1.dll");
 #elif __APPLE__
+      /* allow overriding by environment variable; this means restart is required to change */
+      if (!getenv("MVK_CONFIG_USE_METAL_ARGUMENT_BUFFERS"))
+      {
+         settings_t *settings             = config_get_ptr();
+         int use_mab                      = settings->bools.video_use_metal_arg_buffers;
+         setenv("MVK_CONFIG_USE_METAL_ARGUMENT_BUFFERS", use_mab ? "1" : "0", 1);
+      }
       if (__builtin_available(macOS 10.15, iOS 13, tvOS 12, *))
          vulkan_library = dylib_load("MoltenVK");
       if (!vulkan_library)

intl/msg_hash_lbl.h

@@ -4576,6 +4576,10 @@ MSG_HASH(
    MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VIDEO_NOTCH_WRITE_OVER,
    "video_notch_write_over"
 )
+MSG_HASH(
+   MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VIDEO_USE_METAL_ARG_BUFFERS,
+   "video_use_metal_arg_buffers"
+)
 MSG_HASH(
    MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VIDEO_OUTPUT_SETTINGS,
    "video_output_settings"

intl/msg_hash_us.h

@@ -2174,6 +2174,14 @@ MSG_HASH(
    MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_VIDEO_NOTCH_WRITE_OVER,
    "Enable fullscreen over notch in Android and iOS devices"
 )
+MSG_HASH(
+   MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_VIDEO_USE_METAL_ARG_BUFFERS,
+   "Use Metal Argument Buffers (Restart required)"
+)
+MSG_HASH(
+   MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_VIDEO_USE_METAL_ARG_BUFFERS,
+   "Try to improve performance by using Metal argument buffers. Some cores may require this. This may break some shaders, particularly on old hardware or OS versions."
+)
 
 /* Settings > Video > CRT SwitchRes */
 

menu/cbs/menu_cbs_sublabel.c

@@ -1284,6 +1284,7 @@ DEFAULT_SUBLABEL_MACRO(action_bind_sublabel_video_dingux_rs90_softfilter_type,
 #endif
 #endif
 DEFAULT_SUBLABEL_MACRO(action_bind_sublabel_screen_resolution,               MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_SCREEN_RESOLUTION)
+DEFAULT_SUBLABEL_MACRO(action_bind_sublabel_video_use_metal_arg_buffers,     MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_VIDEO_USE_METAL_ARG_BUFFERS)
 DEFAULT_SUBLABEL_MACRO(action_bind_sublabel_video_gpu_index,                 MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_VIDEO_GPU_INDEX)
 DEFAULT_SUBLABEL_MACRO(action_bind_sublabel_video_vp_custom_height,          MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_VIDEO_VIEWPORT_CUSTOM_HEIGHT)
 DEFAULT_SUBLABEL_MACRO(action_bind_sublabel_video_vp_custom_width,           MENU_ENUM_SUBLABEL_VIDEO_VIEWPORT_CUSTOM_WIDTH)
@@ -2621,6 +2622,9 @@ int menu_cbs_init_bind_sublabel(menu_file_list_cbs_t *cbs,
          case MENU_ENUM_LABEL_SCREEN_RESOLUTION:
             BIND_ACTION_SUBLABEL(cbs, action_bind_sublabel_screen_resolution);
             break;
+         case MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VIDEO_USE_METAL_ARG_BUFFERS:
+            BIND_ACTION_SUBLABEL(cbs, action_bind_sublabel_video_use_metal_arg_buffers);
+            break;
          case MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VIDEO_GPU_INDEX:
             BIND_ACTION_SUBLABEL(cbs, action_bind_sublabel_video_gpu_index);
             break;

menu/menu_displaylist.c

@@ -8082,6 +8082,11 @@ unsigned menu_displaylist_build_list(
                      MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VIDEO_NOTCH_WRITE_OVER,
                      PARSE_ONLY_BOOL, false) == 0)
                      count++;
+
+            if (MENU_DISPLAYLIST_PARSE_SETTINGS_ENUM(list,
+                     MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VIDEO_USE_METAL_ARG_BUFFERS,
+                     PARSE_ONLY_BOOL, false) == 0)
+                     count++;
          }
          break;
       case DISPLAYLIST_OPTIONS_REMAPPINGS:

menu/menu_setting.c

@@ -12540,6 +12540,23 @@ static bool setting_append_list(
 #ifdef HAVE_VULKAN
             if (string_is_equal(video_driver_get_ident(), "vulkan"))
             {
+#ifdef __APPLE__
+               CONFIG_BOOL(
+                     list, list_info,
+                     &settings->bools.video_use_metal_arg_buffers,
+                     MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VIDEO_USE_METAL_ARG_BUFFERS,
+                     MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_VIDEO_USE_METAL_ARG_BUFFERS,
+                     DEFAULT_USE_METAL_ARG_BUFFERS,
+                     MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_OFF,
+                     MENU_ENUM_LABEL_VALUE_ON,
+                     &group_info,
+                     &subgroup_info,
+                     parent_group,
+                     general_write_handler,
+                     general_read_handler,
+                     SD_FLAG_NONE);
+#endif
+
                CONFIG_INT(
                      list, list_info,
                      &settings->ints.vulkan_gpu_index,

msg_hash.h

@@ -1466,6 +1466,7 @@ enum msg_hash_enums
    MENU_LABEL(VIDEO_CROP_OVERSCAN),
 
    MENU_LABEL(VIDEO_NOTCH_WRITE_OVER),
+   MENU_LABEL(VIDEO_USE_METAL_ARG_BUFFERS),
 
    MENU_LABEL(VIDEO_SCALE_INTEGER),
    MENU_LABEL(VIDEO_SCALE_INTEGER_AXIS),