diff --git a/premake5.lua b/premake5.lua
index 065463a48..8e304478e 100644
--- a/premake5.lua
+++ b/premake5.lua
@@ -243,6 +243,7 @@ solution("xenia")
   include("src/xenia/gpu/null")
   include("src/xenia/gpu/vk")
   include("src/xenia/gpu/vulkan")
+  include("src/xenia/helper/sdl")
   include("src/xenia/hid")
   include("src/xenia/hid/nop")
   include("src/xenia/hid/sdl")
diff --git a/src/xenia/app/premake5.lua b/src/xenia/app/premake5.lua
index fb316f840..02eb180ce 100644
--- a/src/xenia/app/premake5.lua
+++ b/src/xenia/app/premake5.lua
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ project("xenia-app")
     "xenia-gpu-null",
     "xenia-gpu-vk",
     "xenia-gpu-vulkan",
+    "xenia-helper-sdl",
     "xenia-hid",
     "xenia-hid-nop",
     "xenia-hid-sdl",
diff --git a/src/xenia/apu/sdl/premake5.lua b/src/xenia/apu/sdl/premake5.lua
index 995b128dd..8f0e9ab61 100644
--- a/src/xenia/apu/sdl/premake5.lua
+++ b/src/xenia/apu/sdl/premake5.lua
@@ -7,8 +7,9 @@ project("xenia-apu-sdl")
   kind("StaticLib")
   language("C++")
   links({
-    "xenia-base",
     "xenia-apu",
+    "xenia-base",
+    "xenia-helper-sdl",
     "SDL2",
   })
   defines({
diff --git a/src/xenia/apu/sdl/sdl_audio_driver.cc b/src/xenia/apu/sdl/sdl_audio_driver.cc
index c7fe9bd42..a16e9e5d1 100644
--- a/src/xenia/apu/sdl/sdl_audio_driver.cc
+++ b/src/xenia/apu/sdl/sdl_audio_driver.cc
@@ -13,9 +13,7 @@
 
 #include "xenia/apu/apu_flags.h"
 #include "xenia/base/logging.h"
-#if XE_PLATFORM_WIN32
-#include "xenia/base/platform_win.h"
-#endif  // XE_PLATFORM_WIN32
+#include "xenia/helper/sdl/sdl_helper.h"
 
 namespace xe {
 namespace apu {
@@ -31,7 +29,6 @@ SDLAudioDriver::~SDLAudioDriver() {
 };
 
 bool SDLAudioDriver::Initialize() {
-  XELOG_SDL_INIT()
   SDL_version ver = {};
   SDL_GetVersion(&ver);
   if ((ver.major < 2) || (ver.major == 2 && ver.minor == 0 && ver.patch < 8)) {
@@ -41,6 +38,9 @@ bool SDLAudioDriver::Initialize() {
         ver.major, ver.minor, ver.patch);
   }
 
+  if (!xe::helper::sdl::SDLHelper::Prepare()) {
+    return false;
+  }
   if (SDL_InitSubSystem(SDL_INIT_AUDIO) < 0) {
     return false;
   }
diff --git a/src/xenia/base/logging.h b/src/xenia/base/logging.h
index 32f31709a..d9fde04a0 100644
--- a/src/xenia/base/logging.h
+++ b/src/xenia/base/logging.h
@@ -119,40 +119,6 @@ void XELOGFS(const char* format, const Args&... args) {
   xe::logging::AppendLogLineFormat(xe::LogLevel::Info, 'F', format, args...);
 }
 
-// Redirect SDL_Log* output (internal library stuff) to our log system.
-// Can't execute this code here without linking SDL2 into all projects.
-// Use this macro everywhere SDL_InitSubSystem() is called.
-#define XELOG_SDL_INIT()                                              \
-  {                                                                   \
-    SDL_LogSetOutputFunction(                                         \
-        [](void* userdata, int category, SDL_LogPriority priority,    \
-           const char* message) {                                     \
-          const char* msg_fmt = "SDL: {}";                            \
-          switch (priority) {                                         \
-            case SDL_LOG_PRIORITY_VERBOSE:                            \
-            case SDL_LOG_PRIORITY_DEBUG:                              \
-              XELOGD(msg_fmt, message);                               \
-              break;                                                  \
-            case SDL_LOG_PRIORITY_INFO:                               \
-              XELOGI(msg_fmt, message);                               \
-              break;                                                  \
-            case SDL_LOG_PRIORITY_WARN:                               \
-              XELOGW(msg_fmt, message);                               \
-              break;                                                  \
-            case SDL_LOG_PRIORITY_ERROR:                              \
-            case SDL_LOG_PRIORITY_CRITICAL:                           \
-              XELOGE(msg_fmt, message);                               \
-              break;                                                  \
-            default:                                                  \
-              XELOGI(msg_fmt, message);                               \
-              assert_always("SDL: Unknown log priority");             \
-              break;                                                  \
-          }                                                           \
-        },                                                            \
-        nullptr);                                                     \
-    SDL_LogSetAllPriority(SDL_LogPriority::SDL_LOG_PRIORITY_VERBOSE); \
-  }
-
 #else
 
 #define XELOGDUMMY \
@@ -169,8 +135,6 @@ void XELOGFS(const char* format, const Args&... args) {
 #define XELOGKERNEL(...) XELOGDUMMY
 #define XELOGFS(...) XELOGDUMMY
 
-#define XELOG_SDL_INIT() XELOGDUMMY
-
 #undef XELOGDUMMY
 
 #endif  // ENABLE_LOGGING
diff --git a/src/xenia/helper/sdl/premake5.lua b/src/xenia/helper/sdl/premake5.lua
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fd13bd5aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/xenia/helper/sdl/premake5.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+project_root = "../../../.."
+include(project_root.."/tools/build")
+
+group("src")
+project("xenia-helper-sdl")
+  uuid("84b00ad3-fba3-4561-96c9-1f9993b14c9c")
+  kind("StaticLib")
+  language("C++")
+  links({
+    "SDL2",
+  })
+  defines({
+  })
+  includedirs({
+  })
+  local_platform_files()
+  sdl2_include()
diff --git a/src/xenia/helper/sdl/sdl_helper.cc b/src/xenia/helper/sdl/sdl_helper.cc
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..921df4517
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/xenia/helper/sdl/sdl_helper.cc
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+/**
+ ******************************************************************************
+ * Xenia : Xbox 360 Emulator Research Project                                 *
+ ******************************************************************************
+ * Copyright 2020 Ben Vanik. All rights reserved.                             *
+ * Released under the BSD license - see LICENSE in the root for more details. *
+ ******************************************************************************
+ */
+
+#include "xenia/helper/sdl/sdl_helper.h"
+
+#include "xenia/base/assert.h"
+#include "xenia/base/logging.h"
+
+namespace xe {
+namespace helper {
+namespace sdl {
+bool SDLHelper::is_prepared_ = false;
+
+bool SDLHelper::Prepare() {
+  if (is_prepared_) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  is_prepared_ = true;
+
+  is_prepared_ &= SetHints();
+  is_prepared_ &= RedirectLog();
+
+  return is_prepared_;
+}
+
+bool SDLHelper::SetHints() {
+  bool suc = true;
+
+  // SDL calls timeBeginPeriod(1) but xenia sets this to a lower value before
+  // using NtSetTimerResolution(). Having that value overwritten causes overall
+  // fps drops. Use override priority as timer resolution should always be
+  // managed by xenia. https://bugzilla.libsdl.org/show_bug.cgi?id=5104
+  suc &= SDL_SetHintWithPriority(SDL_HINT_TIMER_RESOLUTION, "0",
+                                 SDL_HINT_OVERRIDE) == SDL_TRUE;
+
+  return suc;
+}
+
+bool SDLHelper::RedirectLog() {
+  // Redirect SDL_Log* output (internal library stuff) to our log system.
+  SDL_LogSetOutputFunction(
+      [](void* userdata, int category, SDL_LogPriority priority,
+         const char* message) {
+        const char* msg_fmt = "SDL: {}";
+        switch (priority) {
+          case SDL_LOG_PRIORITY_VERBOSE:
+          case SDL_LOG_PRIORITY_DEBUG:
+            XELOGD(msg_fmt, message);
+            break;
+          case SDL_LOG_PRIORITY_INFO:
+            XELOGI(msg_fmt, message);
+            break;
+          case SDL_LOG_PRIORITY_WARN:
+            XELOGW(msg_fmt, message);
+            break;
+          case SDL_LOG_PRIORITY_ERROR:
+          case SDL_LOG_PRIORITY_CRITICAL:
+            XELOGE(msg_fmt, message);
+            break;
+          default:
+            XELOGI(msg_fmt, message);
+            assert_always("SDL: Unknown log priority");
+            break;
+        }
+      },
+      nullptr);
+  // SDL itself isn't that talkative. Additionally to this settings there are
+  // hints that can be switched on to output additional internal logging
+  // information.
+  SDL_LogSetAllPriority(SDL_LogPriority::SDL_LOG_PRIORITY_VERBOSE);
+  return true;
+}
+}  // namespace sdl
+}  // namespace helper
+}  // namespace xe
diff --git a/src/xenia/helper/sdl/sdl_helper.h b/src/xenia/helper/sdl/sdl_helper.h
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..43504be20
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/xenia/helper/sdl/sdl_helper.h
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+/**
+ ******************************************************************************
+ * Xenia : Xbox 360 Emulator Research Project                                 *
+ ******************************************************************************
+ * Copyright 2020 Ben Vanik. All rights reserved.                             *
+ * Released under the BSD license - see LICENSE in the root for more details. *
+ ******************************************************************************
+ */
+
+#ifndef XENIA_HELPER_SDL_SDL_HELPER_H_
+#define XENIA_HELPER_SDL_SDL_HELPER_H_
+
+#include "SDL.h"
+
+namespace xe {
+namespace helper {
+namespace sdl {
+// This helper class exists to independently use SDL from different parts of
+// xenia.
+class SDLHelper {
+ public:
+  // To configure the SDL library for use in xenia call this function before
+  // SDL_InitSubSystem() is called.
+  static bool Prepare();
+  static bool IsPrepared() { return is_prepared_; }
+
+ private:
+  static bool SetHints();
+  static bool RedirectLog();
+
+ private:
+  static bool is_prepared_;
+};
+}  // namespace sdl
+}  // namespace helper
+}  // namespace xe
+
+#endif  // XENIA_HELPER_SDL_SDL_HELPER_H_
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/xenia/hid/premake5.lua b/src/xenia/hid/premake5.lua
index e0148d9c7..152887e2b 100644
--- a/src/xenia/hid/premake5.lua
+++ b/src/xenia/hid/premake5.lua
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ project("xenia-hid-demo")
     "imgui",
     "volk",
     "xenia-base",
+    "xenia-helper-sdl",
     "xenia-hid",
     "xenia-hid-nop",
     "xenia-hid-sdl",
diff --git a/src/xenia/hid/sdl/sdl_input_driver.cc b/src/xenia/hid/sdl/sdl_input_driver.cc
index fa3057cfd..470892588 100644
--- a/src/xenia/hid/sdl/sdl_input_driver.cc
+++ b/src/xenia/hid/sdl/sdl_input_driver.cc
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include "xenia/base/clock.h"
 #include "xenia/base/cvar.h"
 #include "xenia/base/logging.h"
+#include "xenia/helper/sdl/sdl_helper.h"
 #include "xenia/hid/hid_flags.h"
 #include "xenia/ui/window.h"
 
@@ -58,7 +59,6 @@ SDLInputDriver::~SDLInputDriver() {
 }
 
 X_STATUS SDLInputDriver::Setup() {
-  XELOG_SDL_INIT()
   if (!TestSDLVersion()) {
     return X_STATUS_UNSUCCESSFUL;
   }
@@ -66,6 +66,9 @@ X_STATUS SDLInputDriver::Setup() {
   // SDL_PumpEvents should only be run in the thread that initialized SDL - we
   // are hijacking the window loop thread for that.
   window_->loop()->PostSynchronous([&]() {
+    if (!xe::helper::sdl::SDLHelper::Prepare()) {
+      return;
+    }
     // Initialize the event system early, so we catch device events for already
     // connected controllers.
     if (SDL_InitSubSystem(SDL_INIT_EVENTS) < 0) {