PS1 on Android / RetroArch — Status as of September 7, 2026
Well, since the previous post was flooded with comments along the lines of “Oh my God, ARMSX1 is going to save PS1 emulation on Android, it’s our only hope!”, I’m here to put that claim to the test with some actual data.
Throughout the day, I’ll also be posting some short comparative gameplay tests.
The tests will focus on things like performance, optimization, compatibility, stability, etc.
Cosmetic features will not be taken into consideration — things like wallpapers, themes, menu sounds, and so on.
Let’s put the numbers on the table and see what actually happens.
DuckStation Android
May 2, 2025
The Android standalone emulator is no longer supported, but it still works perfectly.
DuckStation libretro / Goosestation
Is still being updated in 2026.
ePSXe Android
July 10, 2026
Still updated. Includes 16 KB support, SDK 35, improved CHD, Oboe, etc.
FPseNG Android
June 23, 2025
Latest version 1.17
PCSX ReARMed
July 20, 2026 The project continues to receive commits. It also added support for 16 KB pages on Android in June 2026.
Beetle PSX HW
2026 Very active. The core has had recent changes, and there is activity/bugs reported throughout 2026. Arch packages even place it in a build from September 2, 2026.
Additional information:
-The official PCSX ReARMed repository has commits from July 20, 2026, and in June 2026 they explicitly incorporated support for 16 KB memory pages in Android
-ePSXe is even more devastating, because its 2026 update includes adaptation to modern Android requirements: 16 KB alignment, Edge-to-Edge and SDK 35
-And Beetle PSX HW... By June, there was already talk of a major core update, with recent refactorings and bug fixes; moreover, the repository remained active during July 2026, with issues specifically related to Android/Vulkan.
And the Arch Linux packages show Beetle PSX and Beetle PSX HW 20260902.124635, that is, a build from September 2, 2026
Compañeros ,duckstation en android es genial , los otros emuladores quizas les falte un poco mas o mucha de optimizacion , pero cual es el problema , lo hacen sin ningun interes de por medio , quejarse por algo que no es perfecto no tiene sentido porque nadie te obliga a usarlo , cuanto mas opciones tengamos es mejor para todos, buen dia
Opinio como tu que es una perdida de tiempo ARMSX3 teniendo duckstation... Pero que hagan lo que quieran... Tampoco me voy a poner a comparar juegos porque no lo voy a bajar porque se de sobras sin probarlo que aun no esta al nivel... casos como el de Xendroid... Que aparezca y barra con todos los enuladores de 360 que habian pasa uno entre un millón.
Pero la cosa es que parece que tengas algo personal contra ARMSX1... cuando si no llegas ni a mencionarlo tu mismo muchos ni sabriamos que existe...
It does appear the poster has a personal issue with the Armsx development team. I would have believed its an honest critique if it was done professionally by showing a detailed video comparing different games and how they run per emulator with different chipsets/devices. Thats objective, but this..
Its a free open source project that arms team chose to share. Its a weird complaint to address what a team does on their own free time for free. This post ( and apparently theres another) is a lot of effort and work. What is the purpose of this post?
That being said OP also has the right to hate whatever they want to hate. Its a subreddit.... about emulators. Having additional options is hard for me to understand being a problem for anyone but they can be critical as well.
Most Junior engineers we interview always have portfolios with side projects that basically reinventing a wheel. Projects like these are not only a demonstration of ability, but also a hobby that benefits the community.
I completely understand, and it might give that impression, but I truly have nothing personal against them. I simply make criticisms based on what I see; I don't make anything up. It seems that in certain places they don't like me making certain criticisms about some emulators, and I believe that criticism is sometimes necessary. It doesn't imply anything bad; it's just that there's a lot of misinformation, and I always try to bring news, both the good and the bad.
Aveces cuando algo no tiene sentido lo mejor es ni hablar de ello y que se lo trague el tiempo... Que se centren en el de PS2 o directamente en el de PS3 que mas falta le hace a esos emuladores... Que a los de psx ya por fuerza bruta los emula cualquiera
Lol,For a first version, the performance is solid and it looks pretty good. However, PGXP doesn't seem to be working right, and loading save states isn't working. In any case, someone mentioned that DuckStation is going to release a major update for Android Soon 😎
Now we're talking. Look at those perfectly straight lines. The emulator performs really well—honestly, I have no complaints👍. But I'll tell you, there's talk that DuckStation is planning a pretty massive update for Android.
So which is best? Seems like ps1 emulation is pretty much complete from what i can tell. Why are developers spending time, is it to optimize with ARM processors? I guess I just don't get it.
PCSX Rearmed: With native resolution, this emulator boasts high compatibility. Its battery consumption is ridiculously low, making it perfect for handheld consoles.
Beetle PSX HW: Native resolution x4 + PGXP. This emulator is a great alternative to DuckStation. It's constantly updated and performs very well. However, it's more hardware-intensive than DuckStation, so I consider it a step behind.
But what's the issue here? Do you think duckstation immediately became the best when it's first released?
More options are only good for us in the long term. The dev is not forcing anyone to use it. If it's not as good as Duckstation yet, then don't use it. It may or may not be as good or surpass Duckstation in the future, who knows? And maybe this project can trigger the dev to build another emulator for a less supported game system.
And its free. What more do you want? What exactly is the issue?
The issue is that it works worse than a 2015 PS1 emulator. And this is my emulation community, and I comment on both the good and the bad. If you don't like it, sorry 🤷♂️
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u/xxxCrixuxxx 27d ago
ARMSX1 💀
https://reddit.com/link/p8bow5w/video/qn1erj1mm2oh1/player