Performance and Overclock Settings in SCCM Retro

Every game in SCCM Retro has its own Performance settings, where you pick how hard the console pushes for that title and turn on emulator tweaks. Light systems can run cool and quiet, and demanding ones can get a speed boost. This guide covers where those settings live, when to use them, and how to save them per game or for a whole system.

Where to find it

On the grid, press A on a game to open its menu, then choose Performance settings.

Per-game Performance settings with an Overclock profile picker and emulator tweaks

Overclock profiles

The Power section at the top of Performance settings has an Overclock profile picker. Profiles range from stock, low clocks meant for light games up to higher clocks for demanding emulators. As an example, an “Overclock” profile raises the CPU and GPU for heavier systems like 3DS, Wii, and PS2. If you don’t choose one, each game starts on the default profile for its system, so you only need to touch this when a game wants more or less.

You do not need to know exact numbers. Pick a higher profile for a demanding game and a lower one for a light one. Keep in mind that the clocks actually available to you depend on your console and its overclock setup. See the Overclocking Setup guide if you want to tune your console’s RAM and CPU as well.

Emulator tweaks

Below the profile picker are per-game and per-emulator options. A Stats overlay toggle shows live CPU and GPU speed and temperature over the game, so you can confirm a profile actually took effect and watch for throttling.

Emulator specific options let you trade quality for speed. For GameCube and Wii (Dolphin), for example, there is a VBI skip toggle, an internal resolution setting to render sharper than native, and a fog toggle. Other systems have their own relevant options, such as internal resolution upscales.

Note: CPU-bound games gain nothing from a lower internal resolution, since the bottleneck is not the GPU. Lean more towards other performance settings or a higher overclock for better performance.

When to use what

  • Light 8 and 16 bit systems: leave the profile low. Cooler, quieter, better battery.
  • Demanding systems (Wii, PS2, N64, 3DS): use a higher profile.
  • If a game runs hot or drains battery fast, step the profile down.
  • If a game stutters, step the profile up, or lower the internal resolution.

Saving your settings

Changes save for that game automatically as you make them, there is no separate save button to press. To apply a setting to a whole system, use the save as default option on the Performance screen (for example “save as Wii default”). That becomes the default for games on that system that do not already have their own settings.


SCCM Retro Guides


Was this guide helpful? Consider donating to support development of new content, software, and guides.

Support This Guide

Need a modchip installed? Place an order or learn how to ship your console.

Leave a Comment