[StrangePan][1.1.87] VSync not applied

[litty]

Between 1.1.80 and 1.1.81, something has changed about the VSync setting! It looks like it's not being applied as intended on my intel macbook in 1.1.81.

As early as 1.1.81, and as recent as 1.1.87, I am seeing screen tearing at the top of the screen that is reminiscent of VSync not being enabled. It is most apparent when the character/map is moving around. The screen tearing is not any better or worse when VSync is enabled or disabled.

In 1.1.80, I am not seeing any screen tearing when VSync is enabled. When disabled, I see the exact same screen tearing I see in 1.1.81.

I'm loading the same map in all versions, and running around the same part of the map briefly. Attached are logs and screenshots for 1.1.80 and 1.1.81, as well as the save file being loaded in both versions.

I tried to capture a video of the tearing, but the screen tearing magically disappears when I'm recording with macOS's built-in screen recorder. I can take a video with my phone if that would be helpful...

Maybe related to the SDL upgrade?

[Vel]

I've got the same issue. It really looks like VSync is not applied. It worked a week ago or so. Seems to be caused by the new version.
Toggling VSync on or off does not change anything. Anything else I can try?
Is there an easy way to downgrade factorio with Steam?

[litty]

Is there an easy way to downgrade factorio with Steam?

Very easily

Right click Factorio in your left-land library list, click properties, click betas, then select the version you want.

1.1.80 is the latest version where vsync works for me.

[StrangePan]

Hello litty,

Thank you for the information you've provided so far. We did update SDL in 1.1.81, and SDL indeed changed how it implemented vsync. However, I'm still having difficulty reproducing this issue. Could you provide a little bit more information?

1. Since you are unable to record the tearing using a screen recorder, do you think you could capture the screen tearing with an external camera, such as a smart phone? This will help me better understand exactly what you're seeing and when you see it.

2. Are you able to upgrade your OS version? Sometimes that can solve these graphical problems. Either way, I am going to attempt to downgrade one of our machines and try to reproduce the issue that way.

[litty]

Thanks for the response, most certainly:

1. Attached is a zip with two recordings from an external device, one from 1.1.80 and one from 1.1.81.

2. I probably ought to anyway

Can my machine be of service for debugging? I can hold off on upgrading if you want to run any tests with it, etc.

[StrangePan]

Thanks for the videos! This definitely look like some form of screen tearing.

Regarding upgrading your own machine, feel free to do as you see fit. It would be interesting for me to learn whether or not an OS upgrade fixes the problem. Otherwise, it may be a few weeks before you'd be able to verify any sort of fix we find.

[rikisa]

I experience the very same Issue on linux (Manjaro Xfce, Linux 6.5, proprietary nvidia driver) as well. The tearing appeared in previous versions, but could be fixed with "Force full Composition Pipeline" option. But this does not fix the issue anymore.

Can provide full specs and logs if needed.

[Rseding91]

Did anything ever develop with this?

[yanik557]

It still seems to be the case as its happening on my end.

And it seems to be a game issue, rather than a VSync issue, i've forgotten that screen tearing was a problem ever since upgraded my gear.

Especially since in my case, i've been able to capture it on a screenshot, so my screen perfectly displays a frame that the game teared itself.

[StrangePan]

Investigating further, it seems that macOS's implementation of OpenGL vsync had issues in macOS versions 10.14, 10.15, 12, and possibly other versions. Various SDL changes tried to patch and work around the issues, but sometimes even those weren't enough. It seems that OS updates may eventually fix the issue, but that might not be possible for everyone.

So if you are no longer experiencing vsync problems on OpenGL, great. If you are, feel free to comment the macOS and Factorio versions you're using. Also, we have a potential fix in the works; I will update this thread again with instructions when it is done.

[Oleg_7777776]

Investigating further, it seems that macOS's implementation of OpenGL vsync had issues in macOS versions 10.14, 10.15, 12, and possibly other versions. Various SDL changes tried to patch and work around the issues, but sometimes even those weren't enough. It seems that OS updates may eventually fix the issue, but that might not be possible for everyone.

So if you are no longer experiencing vsync problems on OpenGL, great. If you are, feel free to comment the macOS and Factorio versions you're using. Also, we have a potential fix in the works; I will update this thread again with instructions when it is done.

Good afternoon! I’ve been playing Factorio on a MacBook M3 Pro with maxed-out graphics settings, except for sprites being disabled (paranoia ).
macOS Sequoia 15.4, Factorio version 2.043. Total playtime is around 2,400 hours. Native resolution and native rendering are enabled.

A few days ago, I installed Bob’s mods for 2.0, along with Helmod (no other mods). Early in the game, I noticed slight stuttering when the engineer ran past fires/trees. I didn’t pay much attention since FPS/UPS stayed at 60/60 (though the counter started jumping erratically between 59.8 and 60.3, inducing epilepsy). Later, as the factory grew, the subtle stuttering/jittering became noticeable inside the factory. I’d never had such issues before (Space Age (SA) release doesn’t count, as they fixed it afterward).

The micro-stutters began to really annoy me. I installed SA, loaded old saves with all planets unlocked, but the jittering remained, and the counter was still going crazy between 59.8–60.3. I downgraded Factorio to 2.07 and started a new game—same stuttering.

I accidentally fixed it: disabling vertical synchronization (v-sync) made the game perfectly smooth, with stable 60/60 FPS/UPS and no fluctuating numbers.

Seems the issue stems from macOS updates. I checked forums, and the only relevant thread was yours, so I decided to share my findings. I’m now playing with v-sync off and waiting for a macOS update to hopefully resolve this.

If needed, I can provide all data. In-game debug stats stay within normal ranges regardless of v-sync, so the problem likely lies with macOS.

[StrangePan]

2.0.45 adds Metal as a supported graphics backend on all Macs running OS X 10.11 or later. In addition to improved loading and runtime performance, enabling the Metal backend should fix a few OpenGL-related issues, including this one.

To enable the Metal graphics backend, go to Settings > Graphics and set "Graphics backend" to "Metal (experimental)". Click confirm and restart Factorio.

Once Metal is enabled, the vsync setting should work as expected. However, if you still experience problems with vsync while Metal is enabled, please update this thread.