System: Add 'Fast Forward Memory Card Access' option

Does what it says on the tin.

src/core/fullscreen_ui.cpp

@@ -4016,6 +4016,10 @@ void FullscreenUI::DrawConsoleSettingsPage()
                               "may vary between games."),
                     "BIOS", "FastForwardBoot", false,
                     GetEffectiveBoolSetting(bsi, "BIOS", "PatchFastBoot", Settings::DEFAULT_FAST_BOOT_VALUE));
+  DrawToggleSetting(bsi, FSUI_ICONSTR(ICON_FA_SD_CARD, "Fast Forward Memory Card Access"),
+                    FSUI_CSTR("Fast forwards through memory card access, both loading and saving. Can reduce waiting "
+                              "times in games that frequently access memory cards."),
+                    "MemoryCards", "FastForwardAccess", false);
   DrawToggleSetting(
     bsi, FSUI_ICONSTR(ICON_FA_MEMORY, "Enable 8MB RAM"),
     FSUI_CSTR("Enables an additional 6MB of RAM to obtain a total of 2+6 = 8MB, usually present on dev consoles."),
@@ -8980,8 +8984,10 @@ TRANSLATE_NOOP("FullscreenUI", "Failed to load shader {}. It may be invalid.\nEr
 TRANSLATE_NOOP("FullscreenUI", "Failed to save controller preset '{}'.");
 TRANSLATE_NOOP("FullscreenUI", "Fast Boot");
 TRANSLATE_NOOP("FullscreenUI", "Fast Forward Boot");
+TRANSLATE_NOOP("FullscreenUI", "Fast Forward Memory Card Access");
 TRANSLATE_NOOP("FullscreenUI", "Fast Forward Speed");
 TRANSLATE_NOOP("FullscreenUI", "Fast Forward Volume");
+TRANSLATE_NOOP("FullscreenUI", "Fast forwards through memory card access, both loading and saving. Can reduce waiting times in games that frequently access memory cards.");
 TRANSLATE_NOOP("FullscreenUI", "Fast forwards through the early loading process when fast booting, saving time. Results may vary between games.");
 TRANSLATE_NOOP("FullscreenUI", "File Size");
 TRANSLATE_NOOP("FullscreenUI", "File Size: %u MB (%u MB on disk)");

src/core/memory_card.cpp

@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
-// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019-2024 Connor McLaughlin <stenzek@gmail.com>
+// SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2019-2025 Connor McLaughlin <stenzek@gmail.com>
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0
 
 #include "memory_card.h"
 #include "host.h"
-#include "system.h"
+#include "system_private.h"
 
 #include "util/imgui_manager.h"
 #include "util/state_wrapper.h"
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ bool MemoryCard::Transfer(const u8 data_in, u8* data_out)
       {
         DEV_LOG("Reading memory card sector {}", m_address);
         m_checksum = Truncate8(m_address >> 8) ^ Truncate8(m_address) ^ bits;
+        System::OnMemoryCardAccessed();
       }
       else
       {
@@ -178,6 +179,7 @@ bool MemoryCard::Transfer(const u8 data_in, u8* data_out)
         INFO_LOG("Writing memory card sector {}", m_address);
         m_checksum = Truncate8(m_address >> 8) ^ Truncate8(m_address) ^ data_in;
         m_FLAG.no_write_yet = false;
+        System::OnMemoryCardAccessed();
       }
       else
       {

src/core/settings.cpp

@@ -420,6 +420,7 @@ void Settings::Load(const SettingsInterface& si, const SettingsInterface& contro
   memory_card_paths[0] = si.GetStringValue("MemoryCards", "Card1Path", "");
   memory_card_paths[1] = si.GetStringValue("MemoryCards", "Card2Path", "");
   memory_card_use_playlist_title = si.GetBoolValue("MemoryCards", "UsePlaylistTitle", true);
+  memory_card_fast_forward_access = si.GetBoolValue("MemoryCards", "FastForwardAccess", false);
 
   achievements_enabled = si.GetBoolValue("Cheevos", "Enabled", false);
   achievements_hardcore_mode = si.GetBoolValue("Cheevos", "ChallengeMode", false);
@@ -698,6 +699,7 @@ void Settings::Save(SettingsInterface& si, bool ignore_base) const
     si.DeleteValue("MemoryCards", "Card2Path");
 
   si.SetBoolValue("MemoryCards", "UsePlaylistTitle", memory_card_use_playlist_title);
+  si.SetBoolValue("MemoryCards", "FastForwardAccess", memory_card_fast_forward_access);
 
   si.SetStringValue("ControllerPorts", "MultitapMode", GetMultitapModeName(multitap_mode));
 

src/core/settings.h

@@ -322,6 +322,7 @@ struct Settings : public GPUSettings
   bool bios_fast_forward_boot : 1 = false;
   bool enable_8mb_ram : 1 = false;
   bool memory_card_use_playlist_title : 1 = true;
+  bool memory_card_fast_forward_access : 1 = false;
   bool pio_switch_active : 1 = true;
   bool pio_flash_write_enable : 1 = false;
   bool pcdrv_enable_writes : 1 = false;

src/core/system.cpp

@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ static constexpr float PRE_FRAME_SLEEP_UPDATE_INTERVAL = 1.0f;
 static constexpr const char FALLBACK_EXE_NAME[] = "PSX.EXE";
 static constexpr u32 MAX_SKIPPED_DUPLICATE_FRAME_COUNT = 2; // 20fps minimum
 static constexpr u32 MAX_SKIPPED_TIMEOUT_FRAME_COUNT = 1;   // 30fps minimum
+static constexpr u8 MEMORY_CARD_FAST_FORWARD_FRAMES = 30;
 
 namespace {
 
@@ -263,6 +264,7 @@ struct ALIGN_TO_CACHE_LINE StateVars
   bool turbo_enabled = false;
 
   bool runahead_replay_pending = false;
+  u8 memory_card_fast_forward_frames = 0;
 
   u32 skipped_frame_count = 0;
   u32 last_presented_internal_frame_number = 0;
@@ -2140,6 +2142,14 @@ void System::FrameDone()
   Timer::Value current_time = Timer::GetCurrentValue();
   GTE::UpdateFreecam(current_time);
 
+  // memory card fast forward
+  if (s_state.memory_card_fast_forward_frames > 0)
+  {
+    s_state.memory_card_fast_forward_frames--;
+    if (s_state.memory_card_fast_forward_frames == 0)
+      UpdateSpeedLimiterState();
+  }
+
   // Frame step after runahead, otherwise the pause takes precedence and the replay never happens.
   if (s_state.frame_step_request)
   {
@@ -3523,7 +3533,7 @@ void System::UpdateSpeedLimiterState()
 {
   DebugAssert(IsValid());
 
-  s_state.target_speed = IsFastForwardingBoot() ?
+  s_state.target_speed = (IsFastForwardingBoot() || s_state.memory_card_fast_forward_frames > 0) ?
                            0.0f :
                            (s_state.turbo_enabled ? g_settings.turbo_speed :
                                                     (s_state.fast_forward_enabled ? g_settings.fast_forward_speed :
@@ -3931,6 +3941,15 @@ bool System::IsSavingMemoryCards()
   return false;
 }
 
+void System::OnMemoryCardAccessed()
+{
+  if (!g_settings.memory_card_fast_forward_access)
+    return;
+
+  if (std::exchange(s_state.memory_card_fast_forward_frames, MEMORY_CARD_FAST_FORWARD_FRAMES) == 0)
+    UpdateSpeedLimiterState();
+}
+
 void System::SwapMemoryCards()
 {
   if (!IsValid())

src/core/system_private.h

@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ void DisplayWindowResized();
 /// Updates the internal GTE aspect ratio. Use with "match display" aspect ratio setting.
 void UpdateGTEAspectRatio();
 
+/// Called on card read/write, handles fast forwarding.
+void OnMemoryCardAccessed();
+
 /// Immediately terminates the virtual machine, no state is saved.
 void AbnormalShutdown(const std::string_view reason);
 

src/duckstation-qt/consolesettingswidget.cpp

@@ -51,6 +51,8 @@ ConsoleSettingsWidget::ConsoleSettingsWidget(SettingsWindow* dialog, QWidget* pa
   SettingWidgetBinder::BindWidgetToBoolSetting(sif, m_ui.fastBoot, "BIOS", "PatchFastBoot", false);
   SettingWidgetBinder::BindWidgetToBoolSetting(sif, m_ui.fastForwardBoot, "BIOS", "FastForwardBoot", false);
   SettingWidgetBinder::BindWidgetToBoolSetting(sif, m_ui.enable8MBRAM, "Console", "Enable8MBRAM", false);
+  SettingWidgetBinder::BindWidgetToBoolSetting(sif, m_ui.fastForwardMemoryCardAccess, "MemoryCards",
+                                               +"FastForwardAccess", false);
   connect(m_ui.fastBoot, &QCheckBox::checkStateChanged, this, &ConsoleSettingsWidget::onFastBootChanged);
   onFastBootChanged();
 
@@ -92,6 +94,9 @@ ConsoleSettingsWidget::ConsoleSettingsWidget(SettingsWindow* dialog, QWidget* pa
        "to use a larger heap size for "
        "this additional RAM to be usable. Titles which rely on memory mirrors may break, so it should only be used "
        "with compatible mods."));
+  m_dialog->registerWidgetHelp(m_ui.fastForwardMemoryCardAccess, tr("Fast Forward Memory Card Access"), tr("Unchecked"),
+                               tr("Fast forwards through memory card access, both loading and saving. Can reduce "
+                                  "waiting times in games that frequently access memory cards."));
 
   dialog->registerWidgetHelp(m_ui.cpuExecutionMode, tr("Execution Mode"), tr("Recompiler (Fastest)"),
                              tr("Determines how the emulated CPU executes instructions."));

src/duckstation-qt/consolesettingswidget.ui

@@ -48,14 +48,21 @@
           </property>
          </widget>
         </item>
-        <item row="0" column="1">
+        <item row="1" column="0">
          <widget class="QCheckBox" name="fastForwardBoot">
           <property name="text">
            <string>Fast Forward Boot</string>
           </property>
          </widget>
         </item>
-        <item row="1" column="0">
+        <item row="0" column="1">
+         <widget class="QCheckBox" name="fastForwardMemoryCardAccess">
+          <property name="text">
+           <string>Fast Forward Memory Card Access</string>
+          </property>
+         </widget>
+        </item>
+        <item row="1" column="1">
          <widget class="QCheckBox" name="enable8MBRAM">
           <property name="text">
            <string>Enable 8MB RAM (Dev Console)</string>