Vircon32 joins libretro/RetroArch

Written by: Carra

Hi! I’m Carra and I created Vircon32, a new game console. My Vircon32 core was recently integrated into RetroArch, so I thought this could be a good opportunity to talk about both the console itself and my overall experience creating a Libretro core.

What is Vircon32?

Vircon32 is a 32-bit virtual console that I designed from scratch. This console has been designed to be as simple as possible (to keep it accessible), but retaining enough features to allow for interesting games to play.

It is based on the 32-bit generation of home consoles (PSX, N64 and Saturn) but it has some modern “quality of life” features, like a 16:9 screen. In terms of power you could roughly think of Vircon32 as a PSX, but with no 3D capabilities. This console focuses on 2D instead, since even a minimal 3D engine would add too much complexity for a simplified machine like this.

If you are wondering how Vircon32 games look like, here are some screenshots.

Game screenshots from Vircon32

Game screenshots from Vircon32

Why did I do this?

Classic consoles are quite convenient to play: just insert the game! I’d love to have more new, retro-style games, but making games for old consoles can be quite challenging. This is because even something as basic as an NES is actually quite more complex than we think (and way more complex than Vircon32!).

Another option would be “fantasy consoles”. There are quite a few, but sadly most of these get abandoned early or have no games. And the most successful ones (Pico-8 and TIC-80) are too retro for the taste of most players. In my case I’d rather have polished, full-fledged games than experiment with 8-bit restrictions.

Game screenshots from Pico-8 (left) and TIC-80 (right)

Game screenshots from Pico-8 (left) and TIC-80 (right)

Libretro: Going universal

I’d like Vircon32 and its games to be enjoyed by as many people as possible. To this end the console and its games are free and open source. But this is not enough: getting to play Vircon32 should be easy. And for that I need it to be playable in as many platforms as possible.

I was able to make my emulator work in Windows, Linux and Mac. But not everyone will use a PC. What about smartphones and tablets? What about emulation handhelds? For that type of compatibility the easiest way was to develop a Libretro core.

What Libretro can do for you

Libretro is a programming interface. Its overall concept is simple: there is a front-end acting as a manager that will load and run “apps” called cores. Each core is a back-end that will exchange a series of messages with that front-end. Front-ends will take care of most system-specific tasks (initialization, timing, event handling…) and that makes cores much more platform-independent than regular programs.

There are several widely used systems with Libretro front-ends: RetroArch, Kodi, EmuVR… and they usually work on a wide range of platforms. This means that just having a Libretro core can make your content available in many different systems. And from a user’s perspective you also gain the benefit of convenience, since they can access tons of content all from the same place.

Last but not least, working as a Libretro core can give you access to several extended features. Some of them, like screen filters, come totally free. And with relatively low extra effort you can add things like savestates, rewind or netplay.

Vircon32 integrated in EmulationStation

Vircon32 integrated in EmulationStation

How hard is it to make a core?

This may vary for everyone, so I will write about my own experience. I believe that if you have some experience in programming, especially games, you should not find it hard to understand the Libretro API and the concepts is uses. However, be warned that the learning curve can get steep at the beginning until you find out where to start and get the general idea of how a core works.

There does not seem to be any good introductory guide showing a general explanation of how a core works, and the basic flow of messages for a minimal core. Other than a couple of samples at Github, most API features are only explained on the code comments in libretro.h. But of course libretro.h is huge, so all that info can be relatively useless for you until you know what to look for.

Also, keep in mind that many of those comments explain the feature but don’t tell how a core is supposed to use it. You will be expected to look at other cores and “reverse-engineer” what you need to do. Know, however, that most cores are quite complex. It won’t easy to isolate what you are looking for, and you can never be sure if a particular core is doing things the intended way, or using a weird hack.

Getting integrated in RetroArch

Creating a core is useful, but most users won’t actively go find and download your core. They expect to either have the cores they need preinstalled, or be able to download them automatically within RetroArch. You can have that getting your core integrated into RetroArch repositories. But know that this can take a substantial amount of extra work and time.

First you will need to have an online code repository that can be mirrored. You will also have to adapt your build system and learn about the YAML templates that libretro uses. After that, get ready for a good amount of testing. How much will depend on how many different systems you want your core to support. You will also need to prepare a core info file and get it merged. Along the process you may be talking with a few different people for each part of the process, but you can get help from them as well.

In my case, integration was a harder process than usual because I was not trying to integrate a new core for an existing console (like say, some new Game Boy core). Instead I wanted to add a whole new game system to RetroArch, and this involves some extra steps: a game database, thumbnails, the bios when needed, etc.

Build process for RetroArch’s cores: the Libretro Buildbot

Build process for RetroArch’s cores: the Libretro Buildbot

Road for the future

The current Vircon32 core is already compatible with all console games, but in terms of features it is still pretty basic. In time I plan to add a few more advanced features to it. Must haves for me are frameskipping and savestates. Eventually, if possible, it would be nice to also have rewinding and netplay.

About the console itself, the most important areas are already finished: the design is final, it is fully documented and there are working emulators and development tools. Even if all of these can be expanded and improved, the most clear path for Vircon32 to improve is to have more games, and better games!

Also on Steam

The core is also available on Steam here.

Geolith emulator ported to libretro

We have the pleasure of announcing a great new emulator core, the Neo Geo emulator Geolith. The upstream author of the Jolly Good Emulation project broke out this core and ported it to libretro to make it available to as many users as possible, and we’re happy to welcome it into the fold.

Historically, Neo Geo emulation has fallen under the general ‘arcade’ umbrella and has been handled very capably by FBNeo and MAME. However, arcade emulation is significantly more complex than the console emulation that most users are accustomed to (with ever-changing ROMsets consisting of many tiny files in strangely named zip files to keep up with; specific jargon, like “parent ROMs” and “non-merged sets”; and additional files that sometimes go alongside the game ROMs and sometimes need to live in other places), and this added complexity can be enough of a hurdle that some users struggle to have a good experience with all of the bells and whistles they have come to expect.

This is exactly where Geolith stands out, as it uses static, one-file-equals-one-game ROMsets in the .NEO format developed for the NeoSD, and also used by the FPGA-based MiSTer Neo Geo core (note: Geolith is NOT compatible with ROMs in the MAME/FBNeo zip format). So, if you have dumped your games to be compatible with those devices, they should benefit from full libretro database support and all that entails. That is, simple, one-click scan-and-import into a properly named playlist (with properly named games; you’ll see ‘Art of Fighting’ instead of ‘aof’ without any esoteric fiddling with DATs and so forth), with appropriate icons and boxart/thumbnails automatically applied. This separate, dedicated database and playlist makes it easier to find the games you want to play with less time devoted to setup.

Users who cleared the complexity hurdle of arcade emulation have grown accustomed to FBNeo’s tight and feature-filled libretro integration, which sets a very high bar for Neo Geo emulation by providing for a fast, accurate and bug-free experience with full support for some of RetroArch’s more finicky but high-value features, such as rollback-based netplay and runahead/preemptive-frames. Geolith’s author has put in the effort to provide a comparable, robust experience, so users don’t have to compromise when using this new core.

We’re still polishing up a few rough edges on the database (about 20% of games don’t pull thumbnails yet). Just make sure you stop by the online updater and update your core info files and databases before you get started, since Geolith uses some stuff that was added after RetroArch’s 1.17.0 stable release.

UPDATE: Geolith core is now available on Steam too!

RetroArch 1.17 – new netplay features

RetroArch 1.17 expands Netplay to support playing multiplayer games that were originally played on two or more separate consoles or computers connected together. This is currently supported by two cores: DOSBox Pure and gpSP.

In DOSBox Pure it is now possible to play DOS and early Windows multiplayer games that used IPX, Ethernet or a modem over the internet.

In gpSP, games that support the Wireless Adapter can also benefit from this feature, although only a subset of games work well at the moment (including Pokemon Fire Red/Green Leaf/Emerald). Those curious about more details can read David G.F.’s article about the gpSP implementation here.

In order to use this new functionality just use the regular Netplay menu, where you can host and/or join netplay games. It works seamless with the existing Netplay feature (including lobbies) with no additional settings required. Make sure however, that you use the same or compatible games, since this won’t be automatically enforced.

RetroArch 1.17.0 release


RetroArch 1.17.0 has just been released.

Grab it here.

Remember that this project exists for the benefit of our users, and that we wouldn’t keep doing this were it not for spreading the love to our users. This project exists because of your support and belief in us to keep going doing great things. We have always prioritized the endusers experience, and unlike others, we have never emburdened them with in-app ads, monetization SDKs or paywalled features, and we intend to continue to do so. If you’d like to show your support, consider donating to us. Check here in order to learn more. In addition to being able to support us on Patreon, there is now also the option to sponsor us on Github Sponsors! You can also help us out by buying some of our merch on our Teespring store!

Changelog

There are more changes than mentioned here, but for the sake of brevity, here is the changes since 1.16.0.

  •  
  • ACCESSIBILITY/TTS: fix target language and missing espeak handling on Linux
  • AI: AI service reworked: performance increase, automatic translation, configurable subtitle placement, and more
  • APPLE: Fix WebDAV crash with digest auth (Cloud Sync)
  • APPLE: Cloud sync fixes – ignore .DS_Store files and re-sync on app foreground
  • APPLE: Don’t re-create default directories
  • APPLE: Show Git information correctly
  • AUDIO/SYNC: Handle Hz skew adjustment for high refresh rates better (BFI, swap interval)
  • AUDIO/MIXER: Separate ffmpeg/mpv and audiomixer conditionals
  • AUDIO/WASAPI: Reworked shared buffer operation for more flexibility, fixed exclusive mode last buffer looping when entering menu
  • CONFIG/OVERRIDES: Fix setting savefile_directory in override file
  • CONFIG: Force fixed locale for numbers
  • CHEEVOS: Upgrade to rcheevos 11.0
  • CHEEVOS: Use rc_client for state management
  • CHEEVOS: Don’t track disc changes when achievements are disabled
  • CHEEVOS: Reinitialize rewind buffer after loading game with achievements
  • CHEEVOS: Inform user when server is unreachable
  • CHEEVOS: Fix crash on first load of game with achievements with threaded video
  • EMSCRIPTEN: Increase chunk size for reads/writes
  • EMSCRIPTEN: Modularize the JavaScript and clean up the web build
  • EMSCRIPTEN: Prefix core name with libretro_ for exports
  • EMSCRIPTEN: replace dashes with underscores in corenames (fix for vitaquake cores)
  • EMSCRIPTEN: Use ZipFS for web player asset bundle
  • EMSCRIPTEN: Change default audio rate to 44100
  • IOS: Fix widget on IOS17
  • IOS: Exit instead of crash on some errors
  • IOS: Fix ios-vulkan-ppsspp
  • IOS: Enable HDR support on IOS
  • IOS: Add option to disable respecting silent mode
  • IOS: Allow ignoring safe area (fullscreen over notch)
  • IOS: Default to not enabling keyboard gamepad
  • IOS: Fix XRGB8888 in GL driver
  • IOS: Allow changing the app icon
  • IOS: Add HAVE_ACCESSIBILITY to iOS builds
  • IOS/TVOS: Create GL context as GLES3 to fix some rendering performance problems
  • INPUT: Fix ghost input when setting RETROK_UNKNOWN
  • INPUT: Default ‘Bind Hold’ to 0 to prevent problems with controllers not resting at null state
  • INPUT: Add a setting to allow turbo d-pad directions
  • INPUT: Don’t save mouse buttons to autoconfig
  • INPUT/MENU: Add option for merging ‘Hotkey Enable’ device types
  • INPUT/mFI: disable secondary_joypad to prevent issues with controllers detected both as HID and mFI
  • INPUT/UDEV: Change event detection to polling in udev_joypad
  • INPUT/WAYLAND: Use unaccelerated pointer motion to prevent mouse dead zone
  • LAKKA: Add new menu options for Switch (overclock, CEC, BT ERTM)
  • LIBRETRO: Add environment command to get playlist path
  • LIBRETRO/NETPACKET: Switch environment call number from 76 to 78 (retire 76 as it was never used by any core). Simplify broadcasts by removing the option to send to all but one client, use an explicit RETRO_NETPACKET_BROADCAST constant instead. Separate explicit flushing and querying of incoming packet into two operations. Enable a core to specify a protocol version string which can get used instead of core version to determine compatibility between two players. Log and notify a separate message when there is a content crc mismatch while using this interface to convey it being less severe
  • MENU: Fix menu analog stick navigation (1.16.0.1)
  • MENU: Add option to find thumbnail images by playlist rom filename (1.16.0.2)
  • MENU: Don’t process menu events while input is being flushed (1.16.0.2)
  • MENU: Prevent proceeding to next bind when single binding (1.16.0.3)
  • MENU: Fix touchscreen menu false positives in case of overlap
  • MENU: Sort playlists ignoring extension (Playstation 2 should come after Playstation)
  • MENU: Treat System Volume Information folder as hidden on all platforms
  • MENU: Add Belarusian language option
  • MENU: Fix savestate thumbnail behavior when navigating back to playlist while content is still running
  • MENU: Fix word wrapped widget length
  • MENU: Add help text to controller drivers
  • MENU: Fix quit on content close option
  • MENU: Fix thumbnails in History for content loaded through Load Content
  • MENU: Flexible thumbnail matching (ROM name – database name – short name)
  • MENU: Remove legacy thumbnail pack downloader
  • MENU/GLUI: Icon corrections
  • MENU/OZONE: Thumbnail related fixes (missing thumbnail bar, fullscreen thumbnail flashing, sidebar focus)
  • MENU/RGUI: Fix text scaling in 16:9
  • MENU/XMB: Background images take precedence over color themes, default image opacity set the same as color theme opacity
  • MENU/XMB: Fix segmentation fault when background image is missing
  • MENU/XMB: Several corrections and cleanups
  • MENU/XMB: Layout/thumbnail fixes – Thumbnail layout adjustments, Header title improvements, Handheld layout adjustments
  • NETWORKING/NETPLAY: Add support for joining MITM servers from command line
  • NETWORKING/NETPACKET: Interface connection flow improvements
  • OSX: Fix mouse support for MelonDS DS on OSX
  • OSX: Option to create a portable build
  • PATCHES: Add support for XDelta-formatted patches.
  • PATCHES: Fix patching for cores that support contentless mode
  • PS2: Fix for no sound
  • PS2: Fix 0-byte logs and add memory stats
  • PSP: Fix memory leak in audio driver
  • RUNLOOP: Frame Rest, experimental sleep feature aiming to lower CPU usage and temperature when using certain CPU hungry vsync modes
  • RPI: Fix videocore + switchres compile failure
  • SCAN: Do CRC check on PSP/PSP(PSN) content
  • TVOS: Enable overlay support
  • VIDEO/BFI: Black Frame Insertion added to DirectX10/11/12. BFI Hz range now covers every 60hz multiple under 1000hz. Variable Strobe length via new ‘Dark Frames’ option, algorithm to auto select ‘decent’ Dark Frames choice.
  • VIDEO/GLSL: Add FinalViewportSize support to GLSL
  • VIDEO/GLSL: Change rotation type to int to maximize compatibility
  • VIDEO: Use video refresh rate instead of core refresh rate for menu frame limiting
  • VIDEO: Limit paused video refresh rate
  • VIDEO: Enforce swap interval 1 in menu if vsync is on
  • WII: Enable Cheevos for Wii builds
  • WIIU: Fix config file and core info reading
  • WIIU: Fix “Up” and “Left” directional input for both Analog sticks for GC Adapter
  • WIIU: Fix 3 USB controllers (NES/SNES/Retrode)
  • WIIU: Fix file descriptor leak
  • WIN32: Prefer D3D11 and WASAPI as default video and audio drivers
  • WIN32: Fix window size when aspect ratio is < 0
  • WIN32: Fix screen resolution always tied to the main monitor
  • WAYLAND: Enable fallback for screensaver inhibit via D-Bus
  • WAYLAND: Introduce wp_fractional_scale_v1 protocol for proper fractional scaling
  • WAYLAND: Update wayland-protocols version to 1.31

Dark Souls Remastered – InfiniDetail mod

This was a fun research sideproject. It did not take any development resources away.

Download this on NexusMods here.

This mod does the following:

  • Reduce/eliminate texture LOD (Level of Detail)
  • Increase draw distances, less pop-in of mappieces and objects
  • Untie special effects/particle effects from mappieces/collisions.

This mod takes a conservative and disciplined approach. It does not seek to alter
the game’s look, it does not add additional lighting, it does not remove spot lights or
remove baked shadows. In other words, it tries to look authentic to the original game,
and yet a still noticeable visual upgrade.

REQUIREMENTS

  • A copy of Dark Souls Remastered (PC version)

HOW TO INSTALL

  1. Extract the contents of the zip archive to the Dark Souls Remastered directory (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\DARK SOULS REMASTERED).
  2. Start Dark Souls Remastered from Steam, or run DarkSoulsRemastered.exe from the install dir.
  3. This will start Dark Souls Remastered with the InfiniDetail mod

MEDIA

See some before/after screenshots here.

Screenshot #1
Screenshot #2
Screenshot #3
Screenshot #4

Full screenshot gallery here.

TODO
* Make more enemies visible all of the time
* Replace more low LOD fake mappieces with full LOD mappieces
* Fix up more rendering oversights from the original game

TOOLS USED
* DSMapStudio

CREDITS
* Fromsoftserve, for his inspirational videos and modding tips.
* DSMapStudio authors for the amazing tool. This mod would not have been possible without it.

FAQ
* Can it be used with DSR Graphics Overhaul mod?
No. DSR Graphics Overhaul by fromsoftserv is a far more ambitious mod that seeks to overhaul the game’s look and modernize it by removing baked shadows and replacing it with dynamic shadows, and also other artistic changes / edits. This mod has a more narrowly defined scope by comparison in that it wants to remain somewhat authentic and at the same time also remove some of the obvious visual rough edges from the original game that probably should have been addressed by the remastered version in the first place.
* How does it affect performance?
This mod can likely be optimized further, consider this a first pass. However, a performance test was done on Steam Deck. It ran at a smooth locked 60fps at the Steam Deck’s native resolution.

WHAT’S NEXT
InfiniDetail mods for Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro were developed alongside this mod, and will appear in the near immediate future.

Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin – InfiniDetail mod

(InfiniDetail) Mappieces rendered which were not visible before

This was a fun research sideproject. It did not take any development resources away.

Download this on NexusMods here.

This mod does the following:

  • Reduce/eliminate texture LOD (Level of Detail)
  • Increase draw distances, less pop-in of mappieces and objects

  • Draw some mappieces that were inside the level files but never rendered ingame

This mod takes a conservative and disciplined approach. It does not seek to alter
the game’s look, it does not add additional lighting, it does not remove spot lights or
remove baked shadows. In other words, it tries to look authentic to the original game,
and yet a still noticeable visual upgrade.

NOTE: Mappieces that have shadow source/target disabled have not been altered.
There will be a second version of the mod in the future that will enable shadow
source for certain mappieces. Enabling it for all mappieces at once did not turn
out to be a good idea, so it has to be done judiciously.
Altered objects meanwhile do have shadow sources enabled

REQUIREMENTS

This mod will not work with vanilla Dark Souls II.

HOW TO INSTALL

Easy mode

  1. Extract the contents of the zip archive to the Dark Souls II: Scholar Of The First Sin directory (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Dark Souls II Scholar of the First Sin\Game).
  2. Start Dark Souls II: Scholar Of The First Sin from Steam, or run DarkSoulsII.exe from the DS2 install dir.
    This will start the InfiniDetail mod with ModEngine (supplied in the zip archive)

Hard mode

There is a way to run this mod without ModEngine too.

  1. Extract the contents of the zip archive to a temporary directory.
  2. Download UXM (https://www.nexusmods.com/sekiro/mods/26)
    Run UXM, point it to the DS2 SOTF exe (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Dark Souls II Scholar of the First Sin\Game\DarkSoulsII.exe). Click on ‘Unpack’ and wait until it’s done. Close UXM.
  3. Take the contents of the ‘InfiniDetail’ directory (see Step 1), and copy them over to the DS2 SOTF directory (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Dark Souls II Scholar of the First Sin\Game).
  4. Run UXM, point it to the DS2 SOTF exe (usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Dark Souls II Scholar of the First Sin\Game\DarkSoulsII.exe). Click on ‘Patch’ and wait until it’s done. Close UXM.
  5. You can now start Dark Souls II: Scholar of The First Sin with the mod applied.

TODO

  • Stop enemies from animating at half rate from a far distance
  • Improve the quality of light shafts
  • Improve cascade shadow render distance (max shadowmap resolution in the game seems to be 4096×4096, would need to be able to go beyond this)

TOOLS USED

  • ACB Editor
  • DSMapStudio

MEDIA

See some before/after screenshots here.

Screenshot #1
Screenshot #2
Screenshot #3
Screenshot #4
Screenshot #5
Screenshot #6
Screenshot #7
Screenshot #8
Screenshot #9
Screenshot #10
Screenshot #11

FAQ

  • Can it be used with DS2 Lighting Engine mod?
    Yes, it works fine. First install the DS2 Lighting Engine mod, then walk through this mod’s installation instructions (How To Install).

WHAT’S NEXT

InfiniDetail mods for Dark Souls Remastered, Dark Souls 3 and Sekiro were developed alongside this mod, and will appear in the near immediate future.

(InfiniDetail) Extended draw distance
(InfiniDetail) Extended draw distance

RetroArch 1.16.0 release


RetroArch 1.16.0 has just been released.

Grab it here.

If you’d like to learn more about upcoming releases, please consult our roadmap here.

Remember that this project exists for the benefit of our users, and that we wouldn’t keep doing this were it not for spreading the love to our users. This project exists because of your support and belief in us to keep going doing great things. We have always prioritized the endusers experience, and unlike others, we have never emburdened them with in-app ads, monetization SDKs or paywalled features, and we intend to continue to do so. If you’d like to show your support, consider donating to us. Check here in order to learn more. In addition to being able to support us on Patreon, there is now also the option to sponsor us on Github Sponsors! You can also help us out by buying some of our merch on our Teespring store!

Changelog

There are more changes than mentioned here, but for the sake of brevity, here is the changes since 1.15.0.

1.16.0

  • 3DS: Update __system_initArgv
  • 3DS: Update SquirrelJME 3DS Core information along with icons.
  • ANDROID: Rewrite input handling to better support AINPUT_SOURCE_STYLUS
  • ANDROID: Prevent the android quick tap mouse click emulation while pressing a button on the on-screen overlay
  • AUDIO: Fast-Forward Audio Resampling
  • AUDIO: Reinit audio on audio sync toggle
  • AUDIO: Count audio samples in stats when rate control is disabled
  • AUDIO/PULSEAUDIO: Support device list for PulseAudio
  • AUDIO/WASAPI: WASAPI Frame Delay fix + cleanups
  • AUDIO/WASAPI/MIDI: Frame Delay correction
  • ARCHIVE/ZIP: Improve ZIP decompression This reduces the amount of memory Retroarch needs to extract a ROM file. It will only need the size of the ROM plus 128KiB to extract the file from the ZIP. Previously it needed as much as twice that amount if the compression ratio was not great. This is useful on memory constrained platforms and has no impact on platforms with plenty of memory. Handles all cases correctly (with and without MMAP, for cores that require fullpath or not, small and big ZIP files).
  • APPLE: Add default keyboard overlay directory to platform_darwin
  • APPLE: Update to MoltenVK 1.2.4
  • APPLE: Don’t include MoltenVK library in Load Core menu list
  • APPLE: Enable AltServer JIT for builds installed by Xcode
  • APPLE: The default pthread stack size on Apple is too small for detect_ps2_game, so increase it
  • CHEEVOS: Upgrade to rcheevos 10.7
  • CHEEVOS: Don’t initialize rcheevos memory unless used
  • CHEEVOS: Add progress tracker widget
  • CHEEVOS: Eliminate leaderboard tracker stutter
  • CHEEVOS: Expand leaderboard visibility settings
  • CHEEVOS: Collapse trackers with same value definition
  • CHEEVOS: prevent frame step when hitting rewind button while paused in hardcore
  • CHEEVOS: disallow video_swap_interval and black_frame_insertion in hardcore
  • CRT/SWITCHRES: Don’t always force core aspect ratio
  • CRT/SWITCHRES: Fix aspect ratio for tate games on a horizontal screen
  • CRT/SWITCHRES: Add PAL threshold option for automatic refresh rate switch
  • CRT/SWITCHRES/KMS: Add KMS modeswitch
  • COMMAND: Make cmd interface more useful for replay information
  • CONFIG: Allow all systems to check for backslashes (Windows) as last slash in path. Improves portable core logic
  • D3D11: Fix memory corruption in d3d11_gfx_init
  • D3D12: Enable blending when drawing the menu
  • D3D12: Move fence signaling out of d3d12_gfx_sync
  • D3D12/LIBRETRO: Add D3D12 HW_render support
  • DOWNLOADS/THUMBNAILS: Prevent directory creation on bogus thumbnail downloads
  • EMSCRIPTEN: Fix Emscripten sleep function/macro
  • EMSCRIPTEN/RWEBAUDIO: Fix RWebAudioInit race condition
  • EMSCRIPTEN/OPENAL: Make openal default audio driver
  • FFMPEG: Fix RetroArch fails to restart streaming when video re-inits and instead starts recording
  • FRAMESKIP: Use refresh rate instead of core fps for frameskip timing
  • INPUT: Combo hold + ‘enable_hotkey’ correction. Fixed issue with having menu toggle hold combo in different button than ‘enable_hotkey’, which caused ‘enable_hotkey’ to also act as menu toggle if held long enough, and simplified and unified duplicate code in start+select holds to a single function.
  • INPUT: input_keyboard_event: Don’t check hotkey binds when device is RETRO_DEVICE_POINTER
  • INPUT: Add input_keymaps_translate_rk_to_ascii() for correct character input to input_keyboard_event
  • INPUT: input_overlay_poll: Delay clearing INPUT_OVERLAY_BLOCKED flag until there is no overlay input (Avoids stray input after osk_toggle)
  • INPUT: Send keyboard events for modifiers before other keys (for correct modifier+key input if hitboxes overlap)
  • INPUT: Remember currently set keyboard mapping bits during same config read, because otherwise customized keybinds can get cleared out of the bits on the next iteration, causing keyboard events to get passed to the core when they should get blocked.
  • INPUT/AUTOCONFIG: Reinit after updating autoconf profiles
  • INPUT/LINUX/UDEV: Log mouse devices in info level
  • INPUT/LINUX/UDEV: First working version of udev driver with touchscreen support and gestures.
  • INPUT/WAYLAND: Add wayland to input driver list
  • INPUT/MENU: move port X binds into retropad binds submenu and add appropriate help text and sublabels to discourage people from messing around in there unnecessarily
  • INPUT/MENU: Add menu icons to ‘RetroPad Binds’
  • INPUT/MENU/OSK: Allow more keyboard actions with menu osk
  • INPUT/REMAP: Remap label fix when no autoconf profile active
  • INPUT/REMAP: Add ‘Save As’ option for remaps and overrides
  • INPUT/OVERLAY: Add overlay parameter to control x/y separation in auto-scale mode
  • INPUT/OVERLAY: Revive/rewrite Keyboard Overlay and OSK Toggle. Add keyboard overlay preset, keyboard submenu, and osk_toggle hotkey. Use overlay caching for osk_toggle.
  • INPUT/OVERLAY: Overlay Caching. Adds overlay_cache_ptr to keep a disabled overlay in memory when it’s expected to be shown again. Most input_overlay_deinit calls are replaced with input_overlay_unload, which caches the overlay unless initing/deiniting core or disabling overlays. Loading a cached overlay is done as a swap, intended for osk_toggle.
  • INPUT/OVERLAY: Add input_overlay_check_mouse_cursor() to preserve show/hide mouse behavior
  • INPUT/OVERLAY: Don’t apply input_overlay_show_mouse_cursor in windowed mode (controlled by mouse grab only)
  • INPUT/REMAPPING: Stop always reseting to defaults on remap delete
  • INPUT/SDL: Fix rumble on PS4/PS5 controllers connected via bluetooth
  • IOS: JIT support in iOS
  • IOS: Use AltKit to try to enable JIT on iOS
  • IOS: Fix thumbnails in history on iOS
  • IOS: Enable option to rumble iOS device instead of controller
  • IOS: Fix including audio/video filters on iOS
  • IOS: Haptic feedback for overlay on iOS
  • IOS: On iOS, stop/start audio on interruptions
  • IOS: Add accelerometer and gyroscope sensors to iOS
  • IOS: iOS needs to targets 13 due to some keyboard emulation, but tvOS does not
  • IOS/TVOS: Rework JIT availability checks
  • IOS/TVOS: When updating playlist with detected core path, used resolved core path
  • IOS/TVOS: Implement memory queries on iOS/tvOS
  • IOS/TVOS: Netplay discovery through bonjour/mdns
  • IOS/TVOS: Improve some log formatting on iOS/tvOS
  • IOS/TVOS: Preliminary MetricKit support on iOS/tvOS
  • TVOS: Fix analog stick handling after adding Siri remote tap support
  • TVOS: Also handle tap events on tvOS
  • TVOS: Back up retroarch.cfg to NSUserDefaults on tvOS.
  • TVOS: tvOS has its own beautiful screensavers and I would like them
  • TVOS: tvOS Siri remote handling
  • TVOS: Fix accidental left/right keypresses on tvOS
  • TVOS/CONFIG: Avoid a crash if there is no backed up config file on tvOS It’s not really usable as a game controller, but it is good for going through the menu as a simple LRUD. This also adds better support for names of mFI controllers, as well as being able to do the expected tvOS behavior of “backing out” of the app.
  • TVOS: AltKit support for tvOS
  • INTL: Fix language detection in Canada to English
  • LANGEXTRA: Enable language autodetect for all builds with LANGEXTRA
  • LIBRETRO: Add new context hardware render enums – enables autodetection of DX12 for PS2 core
  • LIBRETRO: Add API to check JIT availability on iOS
  • LIBRETRO: Allow RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_SET_MEMORY_MAPS also after core startup. Change the comment in libretro.h about the removed limit and handle the environment call during core runtime in RetroArch.
  • LIBRETRO/MICROPHONE: Add new API for microphone support.
  • LIBRETRO: Add new API for querying the device’s power state.
  • LIBRETRO/VFS: Rewrite retro_vfs_file_remove_impl
  • LINUX: Input driver fix 8+ joypads. It was reported that controllers beyond 8 worked only partially (analogs yes, but not buttons), and the found fix was also confirmed.
  • MIDI: Show MIDI output first
  • MENU: Reorganize ‘Saving’ menu
  • MENU: Start directory browsing from current value
  • MENU: Fix menu toggle combo hold with same ‘enable_hotkey’
  • MENU: Add menu scroll home+end actions
  • MENU: Move ‘systemfiles_in_content_dir’ from Saving to Core
  • MENU: Menu navigation acceleration adjustments
  • MENU: Audio synchronization menu cleanup
  • MENU: Menu value label cleanup
  • MENU: Show playlist history/favorites icons by default
  • MENU: Remove advanced option flag from video rotation + orientation
  • MENU: Combine audio resampler menu with audio output menu
  • MENU: Microphone menu cleanup
  • MENU: Add missing menu visibility option for content dir override
  • MENU: Fix menu refresh in action_ok_network
  • MENU: Video settings menu cleanup
  • MENU: Try to declutter Quick Menu
  • MENU: Change network port menu options to ‘allow_input’ mode
  • MENU: Preselect current core in “Set Core Assocation” menu for more carefree usage
  • MENU: Focus back to “Set Core Association” item after returning from the menu instead of first item
  • MENU: Replaced hack fix for focusing the first item after returning from core suggestion “Run” menu after association reset
  • MENU: Fixed setting core association in history/favorites after resetting it and running without setting
  • MENU: Relocate playlist manager core association options to prevent accidental resets with Start
  • MENU: Fraction setting wraparound rounding correction
  • MENU: Add more missing sublabels
  • MENU: ‘Updater Settings’ relocation
  • MENU: Search box usability improvements
  • MENU/RGUI: Implement ‘Remember Selection’ option
  • MENU/RGUI: Fix savestate thumbnail fullscreen cancel action
  • MENU/RGUI: Fix and add toggle for playlist thumbnails
  • MENU/OZONE: Update Dracula theme
  • MENU/OZONE: Return to sidebar from playlist manage quick access
  • MENU/OZONE: Sidebar multiline scrolling
  • MENU/OZONE: Avoid crash if ozone sidebar_index_size is 0
  • MENU/OZONE: Prevent metadata and footer overlap
  • MENU/OZONE: Sublabel width tweak
  • MENU/OZONE: Mouse hover selection fix
  • MENU/XMB: Message/help box adjustments
  • MENU/XMB: XMB menu playlist index bugfix
  • MENU/XMB: Playlist label limit fixes
  • MENU/XMB: Prevent playlist label truncating long items even when right thumbnail is not enabled/visible
  • MENU/XMB: Prevent playlist label length resetting to full width on every item change while thumbnail is pending
  • MENU/XMB: Stop showing playlist entry index outside of playlists
  • MENU/XMB: Fix menu focus issue when returning from “Set Core Association” if playlist index is greater than the previous menu
  • MENU/EXPLORE: Prevent flashing when browsing fullscreen thumbnails
  • MENU/EXPLORE: Match label ticker length behavior with playlists
  • MENU/SOUNDS: Fix certain audio drivers from hanging when menu pause is enabled with menu sounds
  • MENU/SOUNDS: Fix menu sounds stopping after fullscreen toggle / video reinit
  • MENU/QT/WIMP: Cleanup Desktop Menu welcome text
  • MENU/OVERLAYS: Reorder overlay menu
  • MICROPHONE: Add support for microphones.
  • MICROPHONE/ALSA: Add alsa and alsathread microphone drivers.
  • MICROPHONE/SDL: Add sdl2 microphone driver.
  • MICROPHONE/WASAPI: Add wasapi microphone driver.
  • MOBILE: On mobile in portrait mode, don’t override custom viewport
  • NETWORKING: Enhance netpacket interface
  • NETWORKING/NETPLAY: Enable core host to refuse connecting new players to limit the number of connected players
  • NETWORKING/NETPLAY: Enable a core to flush outgoing packets and read incoming packets without waiting for the next frame (can be used for lower latency or blocking reads)
  • OPENDINGUX/RG350: Enable networking for RG350
  • OPENGL/WAYLAND: Add frame callback after egl_swap_buffers to improve latency when max_swapchain <= 2
  • OSD/STATISTICS: Show current video + audio drivers in statistics
  • OSD/STATISTICS: Ensure statistics text is aligned left
  • OSX/MACOS: Fix steam OSX core path
  • OSX/MACOS: Add HAVE_STDIN_CMD support
  • OSX/MACOS: fix mouse grab in windowed mode
  • OSX/MACOS/IOS/TVOS: Enable SSL in macos/ios/tvos builds
  • PLAYLIST: Change default playlist last played time format
  • PS3/PSL1GHT: Add overlay support
  • RUNLOOP: Don’t count frames while paused
  • SERENITYOS: Add SerenityOS to the list of supported operating systems
  • SCANNER: Improve scanner console output
  • SCANNER: More scanner console output coloring
  • SCANNER: Improve CLI scan console output
  • SCANNER: Add content import/scan via CLI
  • SCANNER/PS1: Serial extraction is now considered a failure if PSX.EXE is found, allowing CRC fallback and actually fixing the game scanning
  • VIDEO: Correct rotated core provided aspect ratio
  • VIDEO: Minor adjustments to refresh rate switch behavior
  • VIDEO: Fix windowed viewport with libretro rotation
  • VIDEO/SDL2: Use “nearest” scaling in menus
  • TASKS: Fix corrupt task progress percentage
  • XVIDEO/MENU: Add menu support to xvideo gfx driver, making it usable
  • UWP: Fix modifier keys ( shift, ctrl, alt ) as well as F10 not being detected on the UWP platform
  • VULKAN: Ignore Fast-Forward Frameskip option
  • VULKAN/KHR_DISPLAY: Support screen refresh rate with Vulkan KHR_Display context
  • WIN32: Increase maximum window limit
  • WIN32/WINDOWSXP/MSVC2010: Fix invisible menu display
  • WAYLAND: Remove splash screen
  • WAYLAND: Check for pointer before locking it
  • WAYLAND: Add mouse grab/lock functionality
  • WAYLAND: Get system wayland-protocols path via pkg-config

Server incident resolved

The cause of the intrusion has been found and isolated. We have no indications that other systems including core distribution was accessed, so there is no immediate cause for concern there. Sites should be operational right now and everything should work fine right now.

PSA: If people downloaded RetroArch on Windows earlier today they should check their history for mediafire. Trusted downloads from Libretro always originate from http://buildbot.libretro.com and/or http://bot.libretro.com. We will never upload files to any third party file sharing site.

More to share on this later on.

DirkSimple core added on Steam + RetroArch update

DirkSimple core added to Steam


We added a new core, DirkSimple. This brings the total number of available cores on Steam to 60 now.

DirkSimple is a core written from scratch by icculus, one of the original creators/maintainers of popular open source projects like SDL. It can play some of the 1980s LaserDisc arcade games.

See our Steam article here.

RetroArch 1.15.0 updated

A maintenance update/fix has been pushed for 1.15.0. This replaces the current 1.15.0 version.

New changes:

  • INPUT/AUTOCONFIG: Check for ‘enable_hotkey’ also from autoconf binds
  • LIBRETRO-COMMON/VFS/FILESTREAM: Fixes filestream_vscanf regression
  • MENU/XMB: Horizontal icon animation fix
  • OSD/STATISTICS: Notification font + statistics adjustments
  • OSD/STATISTICS: Finetuned statistics layout to be more compact and aligned
  • OSD/STATISTICS: Group Run-Ahead and Frame Delay as “Latency”
  • OSD/STATISTICS: Try to scale font as small as possible/readable if stats won’t fit
  • OSD/STATISTICS/FONT: Allow reseting notification font with RetroPad Y to “null”, which uses the fallback pixel font
  • OSD/STATISTICS/FONT: Show “Default” instead of empty with default font
  • OSD/STATISTICS/FONT: Start browsing font from assets instead of root
  • WIN32: Ignore window limiting with fixed position. The other resizing part already took this into account, but WM_GETMINMAXINFO did not.

RetroArch now on Windows Package Manager!

Windows 10/11 users now have an even more convenient way of installing RetroArch! RetroArch is now available from the Windows Package Manager (see here).

  • Stables are identical to the ones found on our website/buildbot.
  • They are digitally signed, meaning they pass the Windows Defender SmartScreen Protection. You will not get a warning from SmartScreen when attempting to install RetroArch this way. Useful if you are in a protected environment where your system administrator has locked down your ability to install unsigned third-party applications on your system.

The video will show you how to install it.

First, start up the Command Prompt. You can go the Start Menu and type in ‘Command Prompt’ and then click on it to start it up, or simultaneously press Windows key + R key, and then type in ‘cmd’.

How to search for RetroArch

Once on the command line, you can search for packages to see if they exist. To search for RetroArch, tyep in the following:

winget search RetroArch

Lowercase ‘retroarch’ will work as well. An entry should show up.

How to install RetroArch

Now that we know the package exists on the package manager, we should be able to install this. Simply type on the commandline:

winget install RetroArch

It will now install RetroArch without requiring any user interaction. Note that this version of RetroArch will not attempt to install the DirectX9 SDK in case it doesn’t already exist. We assume on modern Windows you will use the Direct3D 10/11/12 or Vulkan/OpenGL drivers anyway.

Once installed, you should be able to find it from the Start Menu as a recently added application.

How to uninstall RetroArch

Uninstalling RetroArch once installed is similarly easy. Simply type the following on the commandline:

winget uninstall RetroArch

RetroArch’s presence on app stores

Our aim with RetroArch is to be available on as many storefronts and outlets as possible. We have made some impressive progress over the years.

  • RetroArch is available on Steam for Windows and SteamOS/Linux (see here).
  • RetroArch is available on the Windows Package Manager for Windows 10/11 (see here).
  • RetroArch is available on the Google Play Store for regular Android devices (see here). A Plus version with additional features is also available here.
  • RetroArch is available on the Huawei AppGallery for Huawei branded Android devices (see here).
  • RetroArch is available on the Samsung Galaxy Store for Samsung branded Android devices (see here).
  • RetroArch is available on the Amazon App Store for Amazon branded Android devices (see here).
  • RetroArch is available on itch.io (see here).
  • RetroArch is available on Canonical Snapcraft (see here).
  • RetroArch is available on Flathub (see here).
  • RetroArch has a Humble Bundle page (see here).
  • We have even more plans to expand that we cannot talk about yet!

RetroArch now on the Samsung Galaxy Store!


We keep expanding!

We’re happy to announce that RetroArch is now available on the Samsung Galaxy Store! For free, of course.

Q&A

How can I download RetroArch from the Galaxy Store?

The Galaxy Store should be pre-installed by default on Samsung phones. It is a storefront available exclusively for Samsung-branded devices.

Open the app on your device, type in RetroArch in the search bar, and download it from there.

How does this version differ from the Google Play Store version?

The version available on the Galaxy Store is identical to the version you can download from our website.

It has a couple of big advantages over the Google Play Store version:
* There is no set core limit. For RetroArch Plus on the Play Store, it is up to 127 cores that can be installed. We have to hand-pick these cores specifically so that users can install them on the Google Play Store.
* Cores are distributed from the Libretro buildbot infrastructure. There are far more cores available than on the Play Store.

Should I use this version or the Google Play Store version?

On a Samsung phone, you have the choice to choose between either version. Regardless, we highly recommend you use the Galaxy Store version over the Google Play Store version. Reasons are listed above, but on top of that, the Google Play Store version has not been updated for a while because of increasing restrictions and requirements that we haven’t caught up with yet.

Bottom line, we anticipate the Google Play Store version to become more and more nerfed as time goes on unfortunately. There is nothing we can do about this, these are restrictions and limitations imposed by Google to have the software available for distribution on the Play Store. To get a more full-featured version, download the Galaxy Store version.

RetroArch should now be available on the Google Play Store, Amazon App Store, Huawei App Gallery, and Samsung Galaxy Store. No matter what device you are on and which ecosystem you are in, we try to have you covered.

RetroArch 1.10.3 release!


RetroArch 1.10.3 has just been released.

Grab it here.

If you’d like to learn more about upcoming releases, please consult our roadmap here.

Remember that this project exists for the benefit of our users, and that we wouldn’t keep doing this were it not for spreading the love to our users. This project exists because of your support and belief in us to keep going doing great things. We have always prioritized the endusers experience, and unlike others, we have never emburdened them with in-app ads, monetization SDKs or paywalled features, and we intend to continue to do so. If you’d like to show your support, consider donating to us. Check here in order to learn more. In addition to being able to support us on Patreon, there is now also the option to sponsor us on Github Sponsors! You can also help us out by buying some of our merch on our Teespring store!

Core Updates

FBNeo, LRMAME2003 Plus, UAE and VICE have seen the regular weekly updates/improvements. We can’t list all the changes there, so we just suggest you go to the respective Github repositories and check out the chanes there.

LRMAME

LRMAME updated to version 0.242 (latest). LRMAME is now also available for ARM Macs now. You can get it from the Core Downloader.

Nestopia

FourScore support (4 player multitap) has been added for the following games:

  • Spacey McRacey
  • NNNNNN
  • Arkade Rush
  • Justice Duel
  • BMX Simulator
  • Way of the Exploding Fist

PCSX ReARMed

This core has a new auto frameskip mode (based on free audio buffer space).

The Lightrec dynamic recompiler has been updated, and it should fix several crashes and bugs that occurred before. This would only affect users on x86/x86_64 and MIPS architecture processors, as ARM architecture-based systems continue to use the Ari64 dynarec instead.

There has been a GunCon overhaul, the following input descriptors have been added:

  • Add Trigger, Reload, Aux A, and Aux B as mappable buttons in RetroArch menu for players 1 and 2.
  • GunCon trigger, A, and B buttons are mapped to Gun Trigger, Gun Aux A, and Gun Aux B instead of hard coded to left click, right click, and middle click.
  • Force cursor to corner of screen for offscreen reload so that reloading works on all four edges of the screen.
  • Allow Gun Reload RetroArch input to emulate an offscreen shot.
  • Switch gun coordinates from “Pointer” type to “Lightgun” type.

GW (Game & Watch)

The GW (Game & Watch) Libretro core is now available for the MSVC 2005 and 2010 Windows versions. These versions can run on older Windows OS versions than the regular version.

gpSP

The gpSP Libretro core now uses a small translation cache for the Miyoo platform.

Cap32

An emulator of the Amstrad CPC 8bit home computer range. This has seen several improvements.

  • DB: new games from retroachievements
  • UI: added DB icon DSK to status bar
  • DB: you could add direct tokens using $ (for joystick keybinds or cleans)
  • DB: added DB v1 using clean-cpc-db info
  • CORE: added model 664 to allow DSK and BASIC 1.0
  • CORE: detect some configurations from filename
  • VIDEO: minor fixes (requires more work)

SMS Plus GX

The SMS Plus GX Libretro core should now be more stable on RetroArch PSP. We achieve this by avoiding unaligned memory access. Previously, after starting a game, the console would have a tendency to locks itself and shut down.

Other related changes – we replaced ALIGN_LONG with ALIGN_DWORD for Miyoo and RetroFW to match
the standalone versions. This fixes Master System background rendering. It was dropped from 3DS as ARMv6 allows unaligned memory access and defining that macro had no effect anyway. ALIGN_DWORD was dropped from Raspberry Pi (ARMv6/7/8), Classic (ARMv7), OS X non-PPC (x86, ARMv8), Vita (ARMv7) and Switch (ARMv8) as those platforms support unaligned memory access.

Beetle Virtual Boy

Fixed a couple inaccuracies in the VSU modulation emulation, fixing a few sound effects in “Virtual Boy Wario Land”.

Mesen

The Nintendo Entertainment System emulator core has seen a couple of improvements.

Before, the core would upload audio by using the audio batch callback multiple times per frame, unduly ‘stressing’ the frontend audio buffer and leading to poor AV synchronisation.

We now ensure that the audio batch callback is only used once per frame (unless the frontend does not support batches of sufficient size, in which case the samples will be split appropriately).

We also did the following:

  • Sets the default audio sample rate to 48000 Hz. The previous default of 96000 Hz is so high that RetroArch is required to flush the audio driver twice per frame, which is bad for AV synchronisation.
  • Removes the 192000 and 384000 sample rate options, since these are in fact unsupported by the underlying emulator code…

Add 4:3 (Preserved) & 16:9 (Preserved) aspect ratios
Mesen by default preserves the aspect ratio in all cases when cropping the overscan, which results in a difference between the core provided 4:3 and 16:9 ARs, and RetroArch’s own 4:3 and 16:9 ARs, which doesn’t always results in a ideal image (specifically 16:9 on a 16:9 display will look weird when cropping is applied).

We now separate Mesen’s preserved 4:3 and 16:9 ARs into their own selections for the core provided aspect ratio so people can choose whenever or not they want the aspect ratio to be preserved when using either one of the selections as their core provided aspect ratio.

bsnes Mercury/bsnes C++98

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System emulator core has seen a couple of improvements.

Before, the core(s) would upload audio in packets of 64 samples – which means the audio batch callback is used multiple times per frame, unduly ‘stressing’ the frontend audio buffer and leading to poor AV synchronisation.

We now ensure that the audio batch callback is only used once per frame.

REminiscence

This Flashback game engine core has now been added for the Miyoo platform as well.

ScummVM

Several serious crashes should be fixed now as a result of us updating the libco coroutines middleware library.

FCEUmm

This Nintendo Entertainment System emulator core has seen several improvements.

More mapper additions and improvements
Improve mappers 49, 215/258, 340, 341, 351 and 444. Add newly-(re)assigned mappers 294 and 310. Add new mapper 467.

Expose internal audio RF filter option
The core already contains a low pass audio filter designed to recreate the ‘muted’ sound of the NES when connected to a television via the RF modulator – but for some reason this functionality is not enabled/exposed.

We have simply wired it up to a new Audio RF Filter core option. When enabled, the (subjective) improvement in audio quality is quite dramatic. The filter has a negligible performance impact.

(This filter produces the effect discussed here: https://forums.libretro.com/t/lowpass-filtering-for-nes-rf/37258)

Add optional ‘fake’ stereo sound effect
We added a new Stereo Sound Effect core option which may be used to simulate stereo sound by delaying the right audio channel (relative to the left) when upmixing the mono output from the NES. The delay can be configured from 1 to 32 ms.

The effect is identical to the fake stereo currently available in the Mesen core.

minivmac

minivmac is an emulator for the Mini vMac, a miniature Macintosh. We added this core now for ARM Macs. It can be downloaded from the Core Downloader.

Genesis Plus GX

Genesis Plus GX is a Sega Master System/Sega Game Gear/Sega Megadrive/Sega Genesis emulator core.

We are using the low memory codepath now for Miyoo systems. As this platform only has 32MB RAM, like the RS-90.

xRick

The Rick Dangerous game engine core has been added for the Miyoo platform.

Snes9x 2005

This Super NIntendo Entertainment System emulator core has seen several improvements.

Before, the core had bad audio sample pacing:

  • Neither variant of the core sent a number of samples per frame that would match the nominal expected values given by the sample rate and fps set in retro_get_system_av_info()
  • Due to integer rounding errors, the non-plus core always would send too few samples
  • The ‘plus’ version of the core would send the ‘correct’ number of samples, in terms of actual emulation – but this does not tally with the sample rate reported to the frontend. Moreover, the ‘plus’ core would call the audio batch callback twice per frame, which unduly stresses the frontend audio buffer.

As a result, the core had bad audio/video synchronisation, affecting frame pacing.

We fixed several issues:

  • The audio sample rate is now reported as 32040 Hz
  • The non-plus core uses an accumulator to ensure that ‘fractional’ audio samples are accounted for and sent when required
  • The plus core now uploads audio samples only once per frame

In addition, we did the following

  • Fixed three memory leaks that were found in the core
  • Modified the Console Region core option to require a restart (since it has never been possible to change this at runtime…)

Snes9x2005 Non-Plus: Add optional low pass audio filter
Apart from a substantial difference in audio emulation accuracy, probably the most obvious difference between the ‘plus’ and ‘non-plus’ versions of the core is that the latter has an inadequate level of low pass audio filtering, leading to tinny/scratchy sound.

We added a simple optional low pass filter at the output stage of the ‘non-plus’ core. When enabled, audio is more mellow/bassy, and the generated sound is closer to that produced by the ‘plus’ version – with only a negligible increase in performance requirements.

Snes9x 2010

This Super NIntendo Entertainment System emulator core has seen several improvements.

Use audio batch callback only once per frame

Before, the core would upload samples in batches of ~64, which means the audio batch callback is used many (~9) times per frame. This ‘overstresses’ the frontend audio buffer and leads to bad AV synchronisation.

We have fixed the issue by ensuring that the audio batch callback is used to send all available samples only once per frame.

Improve save state efficiency + fix save state size

At present, every time that retro_serialize_size() is called (i.e whenever save states are used), the core determines the save state size by allocating a temporary 5 MB buffer and writing into this an actual save state. Moreover, it then fails to report the actual size correctly due to a bug in the memory stream wrapper code – which means save states are always 5 MB in size. This represents a terrible inefficiency.

Now, the save state size is now calculated independently of regular save state creation. No temporary buffer is required, and there is no need to actually write a save state to memory – and save states now have the correct size (~830 kb)

SwanStation

This Sony PlayStation1 emulator core has been updated.

  • Remove ‘Force Pop’n Mode’ & ‘NeGcon Steering Axis Deadzone’ options

60Hz modes for > 60Hz emulated platforms

Big improvements for WonderSwan, Lynx and PokeMini emulator cores for the majority of systems that don’t happen to have VRR displays!

Beetle WonderSwan

At present the core runs at ~75Hz, matching the native refresh rate of the WonderSwan hardware. This is fine if the core is run on a VRR display (or one that natively supports 75Hz…), but on regular 60Hz panels it can cause issues. In particular, screen tearing is very likely to occur. You can experience this on Linux (when not using a compositor and without vsync forced at the driver level) and on 3DS. The tearing is so bad on 3DS that we would previously consider the core to be unusable on that platform…

We now added a new 60Hz Mode core option, which can be used to force the core to run at 60Hz (actually 60.38Hz, but RetroArch handles this nicely via dynamic rate control). Note that the core still runs at the ‘correct’ speed when this option is enabled – internally, the core is running the nominal ~75 frames per second, but every 5th frame is ‘dropped’. This reduces video smoothness, but then 75Hz on a 60Hz display is not smooth either. More importantly, enabling this option eliminates screen tearing.

In addition, we have also made the following minor changes:

  • The frontend reported framerate is now set correctly in 75Hz mode (previously this was truncated, leading to a slight tendency for the frontend audio buffer to under-run)
  • The internal audio samples buffer has been reduced from a ~64kb (!) static array to a tiny, dynamically created array of just the correct size
  • On 3DS, the video buffers are now allocated in linear memory (for improved performance)
  • The 96000, 192000 and 384000 audio sample rate options have been removed, because they are nonsensical and harm AV synchronisation

Thanks to this 60Hz mode, Beetle WonderSwan is now perfectly playable on RetroArch 3DS. We have enabled this option by default. If you are using a VRR display or if you are running at a native 75Hz resolution and would like to change it back to the native refresh rate, you can just turn this option off in Quick Menu -> Options.

We have also added the core for RetroArch PS2, although it can’t reach fullspeed. It’s debatable whether it’s worth including, but for now we keep it in.

There is also a new optional audio feature. The WonderSwan has a tendency to produce rather harsh/abrasive chiptunes. The low pass audio filter softens and ‘mellows out’ the generated sound.

PokeMini

At present the core runs at 72Hz, matching the native refresh rate of the Pokemon Mini hardware. This is fine if the core is run on a VRR display (or one that natively supports 72Hz…), but on regular 60Hz panels it can cause issues. In particular, screen tearing is very likely to occur. We could experience this on Linux (when not using a compositor and without vsync forced at the driver level) and on 3DS.

We have now added a new 60Hz Mode core option (enabled by default), which can be used to force the core to run at 60Hz. Note that the core still runs at the ‘correct’ speed when this option is enabled – internally, the core is running the nominal 72 frames per second, but every 6th frame is ‘dropped’. This reduces video smoothness, but then 72Hz on a 60Hz display is not smooth either (and few Pokemon Mini games are ‘smooth’ to begin with…). More importantly, enabling this option eliminates screen tearing.

Handy

This Atari Lynx emulator core has seen several big improvements.

Fix frame pacing
Before, this core had entirely broken frame pacing. The core reported a fixed refresh rate of 75Hz to the frontend, but the Lynx (and the internal emulation code) has a variable refresh rate of 0-75Hz; games can render at any rate they please. In retro_run(), the Lynx is always emulated until the next ‘end of frame’ event occurs – if a game renders at e.g. 25 fps, this means retro_run() will actually correspond to (1/25) seconds worth of Lynx runtime instead of the expected (1/75) seconds. In this case, the game is emulated too quickly – but it appears to run at the correct speed in the frontend because the core uploads an ‘oversized’ audio buffer (1/25 seconds worth of samples). RetroArch syncs on audio in such a way that when too many samples are received, the frontend runs in ‘slow motion’ – so the ‘too fast emulation’ + ‘too many audio samples’ effectively cancel out. But the results are awful. This is a significant violation of the libretro API, and it destroys the frontend’s ability to properly synchronise audio and video, and to pace the frames correctly.

We now modified the run loop such that a fixed number of CPU cycles are emulated on each call of retro_run(), corresponding to the actual frontend output video refresh rate (which can be set via a new Video Refresh Rate core option). Thus the Lynx is always emulated at the correct speed, audio is always uploaded in batches of the correct size, and generated video frames are captured and output when available (and when the frontend can accept them).

The default Video Refresh Rate has been set to 60Hz, which provides smooth results for most games (and also eliminates screen tearing on 60Hz displays, which was an issue when the core only reported a 75Hz refresh rate). If a game has a higher frame rate than this (rare, but e.g. the intro and menus of California Games run at the full 75 fps), then ‘excess’ frames will be dropped. Users with 75Hz+ VRR displays can set higher refresh rates to improve video smoothness in these cases.

Improve save state efficiency
Before, the retro_serialize() function determines the save state size by allocating a temporary ~310kb buffer, writing an actual save state into it, then fetching the resultant buffer occupancy. This is terribly inefficient – and retro_serialize() is called 3 times every time a state is saved or loaded…

We modified the serialisation memory stream code to allow a ‘virtual’ save state to be made – no buffer is required, and no data are copied. This means retro_serialize() can now fetch the save state size with no memory allocations and no wasted effort.

Add optional LCD ghosting filter

We added a new LCD Ghosting Filter core option which can be used to apply an LCD ghosting effect by blending multiple successive frames. The number of blended frames can be set from 2-4; using more frames improves the quality of the effect at the expense of increased performance requirements.

LCD ghosting is particularly beneficial for the Lynx because many games run at very low frame rates, and some blurring helps to smooth out the frequently ‘jerky’ screen updates.

RetroArch Updates

See the Changelog below for a detailed breakdown of all the changes that have happened.

One of the biggest changes for Steam users by far is the new Steam Discord Rich Presence support. NOTE: You will need to use the desktop client in order for this to work. It won’t work with the webbrowser client.

Changelog

1.10.3

  • ANDROID: Decouple Play Core dependency to bring app into compliance for F-Droid
  • AI/SERVICE: Disable AI Service setting by default
  • BLUETOOTH/LAKKA: bluetoothctl: add / modify pairing steps
  • CHEEVOS: Disallow manual frame delay setting in Hardcore Mode
  • DATABASE: Serial scanning for Wii now includes WBFS
  • INPUT/MAPPING: Fix offset + crash when clearing input port binds
  • INPUT/MAPPING: Fix saving of ‘Analog to Digital Type’ when configuration overrides are used
  • LOCALIZATION: Add Valencian language option
  • LOCALIZATION: Updates
  • MENU/SETTINGS: Move ‘Show Menu Bar’ under ‘Windowed Mode’ settings
  • MENU/SETTINGS: Add sublabels for ‘Subsystems’ and ‘Input Deadzone/Sensitivity’
  • MENU/SETTINGS: Move ‘On-Screen Notifications’ to top
  • MENU/XMB: Unified the shadow alpha value to a slightly darker one for better readability
  • MENU/XMB: Corrected the option label and sublabel for actual behavior
  • MIYOO: Enable ALSA audio driver and default to it
  • PSP: Take out extra languages/localization, adds about 4/5MB to the binary, and RAM is limited on PSP (32MB and 64MB RAM models)
  • STATIC PLATFORMS: Populate all history list metadata when launching content from playlists
  • STEAM: Introduce Steam Rich Presence
  • VIDEO: Fast-Forward Frameskip improvement
  • VIDEO/THREADED: Stability fixes
  • WINDOWS/WINRAW: Fix multiple light guns
  • WIIU: Fix USB get_device_name(), don’t truncate to three chars

RetroArch 1.10.2 release!


RetroArch 1.10.2 has just been released.

Grab it here.

If you’d like to learn more about upcoming releases, please consult our roadmap here.

Remember that this project exists for the benefit of our users, and that we wouldn’t keep doing this were it not for spreading the love to our users. This project exists because of your support and belief in us to keep going doing great things. We have always prioritized the endusers experience, and unlike others, we have never emburdened them with in-app ads, monetization SDKs or paywalled features, and we intend to continue to do so. If you’d like to show your support, consider donating to us. Check here in order to learn more. In addition to being able to support us on Patreon, there is now also the option to sponsor us on Github Sponsors! You can also help us out by buying some of our merch on our Teespring store!

Highlights

Big improvements for Steam and Steam Deck users


We’re gearing up for Steam Deck, and in the process we are finally starting to turn the RetroArch Steam version into something more than just a plain port (courtesy of Mats).

We came up with a SteamWorks shim that allows RetroArch Steam to interface with the Steamworks API. Mist, our middleware tool, runs in a separate process, runs concurrently wtih RetroArch Steam, and functions as a bridge between this separate process interfacing with Steamworks and the GPL application itself running in an entirely different process. This is 100% GPL compliant and the same approach has been employed by numerous other examples on Steam, including the aforementioned Icculus.

Thanks to Mist, here are some of the big new features for Steam users (and in particular, Steam Deck users):

  • You can now install and uninstall cores directly from inside RetroArch by going to ‘Manage Cores’ from inside the menu. No longer do you have to manually browse Steam with your webbrowser and download random core DLCs for RetroArch, you can do it from within the convenience of the app running itself.
  • On Steam Deck, the native OSK (Onscreen Keyboard) will appear now instead of the RetroArch default OSK. This should give a more seamless experience. We have decided against enabling the Steam OSK with Big Picture since it seems partially broken and instantly dismisses itself (or at least those were our testing results on a Steam Deck).

As a result of these changes, the Steam port is starting to become its own thing rather than just a straightforward no-frills port of the Windows/Linux versions.

Improved audio sample pacing / latency in many cores

Big improvements have been made to several cores concerning improved audio latency and audio sample pacing.

Not only should performance be better, but you should also be able to lower audio latency buffers now while still getting perfect sound.

Here are some of the cores that have received work recently on this front:

  • Cannonball
  • Flycast
  • Gambatte
  • Nestopia
  • Snes9x
  • Snes9x 2002
  • Snes9x 2005
  • Snes9x 2010
  • SwanStation
  • UAE
  • VICE

For example, frame time deviations in a core like Snes9x 2010 are now extremely low with a default 64ms audio buffer. We measured 0.4 to 0.3% deviation, and this figure could likely be optimized even further by fiddling some more with audio buffer latency, or changing the audio driver.

Other measures have also been taken to further improve audio latency. Some cores have been updated now so that audio gets pushed to the frontend (i.e. RetroArch) AFTER the video frame has been uploaded. This is just in case the audio upload blocks for too long due to audio processing and syncing performed by the frontend. Uploading the video frame as soon as possible after the emulation loop is generally a good idea since it potentially avoids unnecessary input latency.

Steps have also been taken in cores to minimise use of the audio batch callback (for example, Tyrquake and Snes9x 2010), leading to better audio sample pacing, less overhead and better overall performance.

For Miyoo users

The following cores have been added for Miyoo platform users:

  • BlueMSX
  • ECWolf
  • FCEUmm

For OpenDingux users

The following cores have been added for OpenDingux platform users:

  • Dinothawr
  • NXEngine
  • XRick

UI/UX improvements


RGUI, MaterialUI and Ozone menu drivers now have new color themes. ‘Gray Dark / Gray Light’ themes have been added.

For XMB users, vertical fade adjustments have been made so that it functions a bit better like the original. Title margin can now also be adjusted, so that the title won’t cut off anymore on display devices with overscan (i.e. CRT TVs).

For RGUI users, 6×10 extended ASCII and Latin Extended A and B fonts have been added. These will enable most Latin alphabets to be displayed in RGUI.

For Ozone users, a thumbnail scaling option has been added (Settings->User interface->Appearance). This option scales the size of the thumbnail sidebar, which in turns means the thumbnails are scaled along with it. It should scale the thumbnails so that they should fill up more screen real estate now in the right sidebar. See the picture below for an example.

Manage Input Remapping Files

1.10.2 adds a new Manage Remap Files submenu to Quick Menu > Controls:

This updates correctly in real-time (the previous save/remove remap menu entries do not…), and only shows relevant options. When removing a remap, existing files are re-scanned and the one with the next highest priority (if found) will be loaded.

In addition, the currently active remap file will be saved automatically when closing content – i.e. it is no longer necessary (or indeed possible!) to save the file manually after each change.

We have also added a new Reset Input Mapping entry under Quick Menu > Controls > Manage Remap Files:

We have also fixed a nasty bug that could cause remap file corruption (incorrect or unwanted entries) when saving a remap after resetting one or more binds.

Prevent ‘global’ configuration of input libretro device type

Before, RetroArch allowed the input ‘libretro device type’ to be set globally per-user. This was nonsensical for a couple of reasons:

  • Input device type has no meaning unless a core is actually running, so the option to set it globally does nothing but confuse users
  • A global device type may be set that is incompatible with cores, leading to disabled input in-game. e.g. setting the global type to ‘RetroPad with Analog’ breaks Beetle PSX, since that is not a valid device type recognised by the core

1.10.2 fixes the issue by:

  • Removing the global option Settings > Input > Port N Controls > Device Type (device type can now only be set while a core is running, via Quick Menu > Controls > Port N Controls)
  • Ensuring that the ‘global’ device type is reset to the default RETRO_DEVICE_JOYPAD on startup and when closing cores (unless a device type override is set via the existing command line interface)

Note that device type is no longer stored in the main RetroArch config file, only in input remap files.

WiiU – Optimize for Gamepad

RetroArch WiiU adds a new option (Settings -> Video -> Output -> Optimize for GamePad). When enabled, it uses a 960p viewport if the user is on either 720p or 1080p (if they’re on 480p, they’re already optimized for GamePad). It defaults to off, so the native TV resolution is still preferred out of the box.

Explanation

The Wii U is a weird case with RetroArch because of the two screens (TV and Wii U GamePad). The Wii U can be configured to output video at 480p, 720p or 1080p (or interlaced equivalents), whereas the GamePad has a native 480-line display. While it is possible to send different images to the TV and GamePad, RetroArch currently sends the same image to both. This creates a bit of a conundrum as 480 does not divide evenly into any of the other available resolutions.

When running 240p content, setting the Wii U to 720p just works, because a 3x integer scale (240*3 = 720) on the TV also happens to be a 2x integer scale (240*2 = 480) on the GamePad. However, when running 480p content, having the Wii U set to 720p will result in a poor image all around, with non-integer scaling from 480->720 on the TV, and then even worse, 480->720->480 on the GamePad.

Running the Wii U at 1080p, you get the worst of all worlds. Absolutely nothing divides evenly into 1080, so no matter what content you’re playing, you’ll need either large borders or a filter/shader to stretch to that non-integer resolution, and putting that 1080p image back on the 480p GamePad makes it even worse again. Many users only use 720p because of the poor results you get from 1080p currently.

By running 1080p with a 960p viewport, you can do things like a 4x integer scale of 240p content which becomes a 2x integer scale on the GamePad, or a 2x scale of 480p content which becomes a 1x native display on the GamePad. Even more exotic resolutions like the Game Boy Advance (160p) are enhanced, with 160 dividing 6x into 960 or 3x into 480. This one change makes 1080p a lot less useless on Wii U.

  • when “Optimize for Gamepad” is OFF: use the system output resolution (previous behavior)
  • when “Optimize for Gamepad” is ON, pick the closest resolution based on the system resolution

And more

Not listed here of course are all the countless improvements made to individual cores since the last version. We might go into more detail on that sometime later, but rest be assured that cores are updated on a daily basis and receive heavy improvements, so keep updating your core library to get the latest benefits at all times!

Changelog

1.10.2

  • 3DS: Add a menu toggle for switching between old and new 3DS speeds, located in the ‘Power Management’ menu. Enabled by default, hidden on old 3DS devices.
  • AUDIO/MIXER: Free audio voices properly
  • CHEEVOS: Update to rcheevos 10.3.3
  • CHEEVOS: Support for Arduboy
  • CHEEVOS: Fix tab sequences in rich presence being turned into t character
  • CHEEVOS: Fix overflow when parsing float value that has more than 9 digits after the decimal
  • CHEEVOS: Fix memory mapping when disconnect mask breaks a region into multiple blocks
  • CORES: Enable manual selection of which cores are displayed in the ‘Standalone Cores’ menu
  • DATABASE/EXPLORE: Added more categories to the Explore menu
  • INPUT: Fix analog stick not working with ‘Unified Menu Controls’
  • INPUT/MAPPING: Add ‘Manage Remap Files’ submenu + automatically save input remaps when closing content
  • INPUT/MAPPING: Add ‘Reset Input Mapping’ option to ‘Manage Remap Files’ menu
  • INPUT/MAPPING: Fix keyboard device remap nulling
  • IOS/IOS13+: Support a toolbar that allows toggling of onscreen keyboard and touch mouse
  • LIBRETRO: RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_SHUTDOWN fix – ensure core is properly unloaded when RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_SHUTDOWN is called
  • LIBRETRO: RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_SHUTDOWN fix – ensure menu stack is properly flushed when RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_SHUTDOWN is called
  • LINUX/MALI FBDEV: Fix segfault switching video threaded from quickmenu
  • LOCALIZATION: Add Czech language support
  • MMAP: Handle disconnect bits on both sides of len
  • MIYOO: Improve CPU architecture and model name identification for Miyoo
  • MENU/SETTINGS: Remove ‘Advanced Settings’ flag from ‘Settings > Core’ menu
  • MENU/MATERIALUI: Add ‘Gray Dark + Light’ themes
  • MENU/RGUI: Add 6×10 extended ASCII and Latin Extended A and B fonts. These will enable most Latin alphabets to be displayed in RGUI.
  • MENU/RGUI: Add ‘Gray Dark + Light’ themes
  • MENU/XMB: Add title margin adjustment
  • MENU/XMB: Vertical fade corrections
  • MENU/OZONE: The size of the thumbnail bar can now be changed though a new option (Settings->User interface->Appearance) up to double its normal size.
  • MENU/OZONE: Add ‘Gray Dark + Light’ themes
  • MENU/OZONE: Add thumbnail scale option
  • HOTKEYS: Added hotkey for toggling sync to exact content framerate
  • HOTKEYS: Prevent log spam when using rewind hotkey with cores that don’t support rewind, if rewind functionality itself is disabled
  • HOTKEYS: Add hotkey for toggling sync to exact content framerate
  • PS3/PSL1GHT: Add RSX graphics support
  • PS3/PSL1GHT: Add libco support
  • PS3/PSL1GHT: Add experimental PSMove support
  • RS90: Optimise layout of sdl_rs90_video
  • STEAM: Use native OSK (Onscreen Keyboard) instead of built-in RetroArch version
  • STEAM: New built-in core DLC downloader
  • STEAM: Swap OK/Cancel buttons by default
  • VIDEO/HDR: Removed redundant copy of buffer in HDR mode if the shader has already a HDR format i.e. R10G10B10A2 (updated Vulkan/D3D11/D3D12 drivers)
  • VIDEO/HDR: Fixed crash when using stock shader and HDR and previous optimisation
  • WAYLAND: Dynamically load libdecor at runtime
  • WAYLAND: Fix splash screen when using xdg_toplevel
  • WAYLAND: SHM anti-collision for the splash screen
  • WAYLAND: Skip splash screen if window is not ready
  • WII: Fix find_connection_entry(): needs unsigned int Otherwise the USB gamepad cannot be found, if VID/PID has leading zero. This issue happened with Retrode gamepad adapter
  • WII: Rework Retrode gamepad implementation to support multi_pad interface
  • WII: Fix – Unplugging and re-plugging now works again
  • WII: vWii- Only gamepad 1 is supported, because multi_pad is currently only relevant in the Wii U implementation
  • WIIU: Implemented the multi_pad interface according to input/connect/connect_wiiugca.c
  • WIIU: Add Optimize for Gamepad option
  • WIIU: Fix USB gamepad support

Lakka 4.0 release

Original article here.

New version of Lakka has been released!

We are happy to announce the new and updated version of Lakka.

Release summary

Changes since version 3.7:

  • Build system based on LibreELEC 10.0.2
  • RetroArch updated to 1.10.1
  • Cores updated to their most recent versions
  • superbroswar: added new libretro core
  • sameduck: added new libretro core
  • Mesa updated to 22.0.0
  • Mainline kernel updated to 5.10.103 (PC, Amlogic, Allwinner, NXP)
  • Raspberry kernel updated to 5.10.95
  • Most ARM devices switched to aarch64
    Rockchip RK3288, RK3328 and RK3399 switched to mainline kernel 5.10.76
  • Added support for additional Allwinner and Amlogic devices (not tested on our side, as we do not own many of these devices)
  • Nintendo Switch: complete rewrite of the port with many fixes and enhancements
  • Tinkerboard and MiQi now use common system RK3288 (hence the change of the image names); you need to place empty file named .nocompat in the /storage/.update folder / Update Samba share
  • Dropped support for RPi4.arm

This is our first release with the updated build system. We tried to port all our changes to this new build system, but we might have missed some of our optimizations and enhancements. Please report us any regression or missing features or drivers via our issue tracker.

Not all platforms have been ported to the new build system yet. For these platforms we have released a maintenance update (3.7.1) with RetroArch and libretro cores updated to the same versions as in 4.0 release. Lakka users with Hardkernel’s Odroid XU3/4, Odroid Go Advance / Super, and Anbernic’s RG351M / RG351P / RG351MP / RG351V devices get update as well.

Known issues

See GitHub for information about currently open bugs and issues and also for possible workarounds for these bugs/issues.

Final notes

You can download the latest release from Lakka download page. If you want to follow the development of Lakka more closely, you can download latest Lakka nightly builds.

If you want to show your support for further development of the Libretro projects and ecosystem, you can learn more here.

Happy retro-gaming!

Libretro/RetroArch New Cores – A5200/WASM4/Arduous/SameCDi/JumpnBump

Libretro and its various contributors have certainly been busy these past few weeks. We bring to you a wide range of new cores, available for use in RetroArch, and/or any other Libretro-compatible frontend.

a5200

The a5200 core is an optimised Atari 5200 emulator based on Atari800 2.0.2. Originally developed for the GCW Zero, it runs full speed on even the weakest hardware (e.g. o3DS) – yet with a design focussed on ease of use and tight libretro integration it provides a simple ‘plug and play’ solution for Atari 5200 content on all platforms. The core debuts with robust input handling (including analog and number pad entry), audio filtering, CRT ghosting effects, an optional internal open-source BIOS and full save state support. Further enhancements are planned over the coming weeks.

WASM-4

WASM-4 is a low-level fantasy game console for building small games with WebAssembly. Game cartridges (ROMs) are small, self-contained .wasm files that can be built with any programming language that compiles to #WebAssembly.

You can now play these games/programs from within RetroArch, or any other Libretro-compatible frontend.

You can find more information at here.

Arduous

A Libretro core for the #Arduboy. The Arduboy is a handheld game console with open source software, based on the Arduino hardware platform.

SAME_CDi

SONY DSC

SAME CDi is a S(ingle) A(rcade) M(achine) E(mulator) for libretro, forked from MAME libretro, which is in turn a fork of MAME. It includes only the Philips CD-i driver, and simplifies the loading of CD content to provide a ‘plug and play’ experience. It emulates exclusively the Philips CD-i game console/settop box device from the early ’90s.

You can find more information at here and here.

Jump ‘n Bump

 

Jump ‘n Bump has finally been ported to Libretro/RetroArch. This is a game for the whole family. You play as a cute fluffy little bunnies and hop on each other’s heads.

At the beginning you are in the menu, where you have to let each active player jump over the tree trunk to enter the play area, and then walk to the right. You will then enter the arena. The aim is to jump on the other bunnies’ heads…

Jump ‘n Bump was originally a DOS game by Brainchild Design, which was open sourced under the GPL license and ported to SDL, and then SDL2.

How to use it
You can play Jump ‘n Bump by loading one of the .DAT files (levels) from Load Content. A fair few of them are available on Libretro/RetroArch’s ‘Content Downloader’.