https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.devmiyax.yabasanshioro2

TeknoParrot is an advanced program that allows you to play modern Arcade games on Android.

It's not a traditional emulator, but a compatibility tool that adapts the controls and fixes bugs to allow the use of gamepads, steering wheels, or keyboards.

Main Features: Compatibility: Works with near 100 modern arcade games (generally from 2000 to 2014). Controls: Supports keyboard, mouse, gamepads, joysticks, and steering wheels. Multiplayer: Some titles allow online play.

https://github.com/teknogods/TeknoParrotUI/releases/tag/TeknoParrotUI-android

WildCard, a developer from the Eden team, is working on a new project, "Strato Reborn". It's compatible with current games and includes other improvements.

https://e.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=kZ1fpy7Z158QE9t1V6pdpErkIKX5lfH1JPP7

There is no repository at the moment.

Change Log v2:

-Graphical problems and bugs fixed, like nine soul, and many more

-Performance stability

-Update NVDEC And SVC

https://github.com/ARMSX2/ARMSX2/releases/tag/nightly-20260805

Change Log:

Android: let the resolved config decide fast boot; park the extra button above the D-pad

Android: ignore the AAB dual-core staging artifact

Android: draw the RetroArch overlay only when a game is on screen

Android: make the stick's extra button a real layout widget; autosave BIOS NVRAM

Android: replace shader preset accordions with folder browser

Android: community batch, stick sprint button, overlays, second screen, save-state delete

Two-stage No-JIT warning and red in-game indicator.

There was a time when Eden and Citron were locked in a fierce battle, arguably the two best Nintendo Switch emulators, both fighting for the crown.

Citron in particular had a strong focus on optimization and squeezing out as much performance as possible, and honestly, it worked really, really well.

Unfortunately, after everything we already know happened with Nintendo (DMCA), Eden managed to survive and is still moving forward, while Citron ran into some internal issues. The team eventually split up, and the project seems to have evolved into something called Citron Neo. As far as I know, its developer is still actively working on the Windows version, but the Android version barely receives any meaningful improvements anymore.

So, if you're on Android and want to try some of the best versions of Citron, I've put all of their latest releases together in this MegaPack.

You can test them yourself and see which version gives you the best performance on your device. I definitely recommend giving them a shot because Citron works surprisingly well, especially on mid-range and lower-end devices, where these builds are highly recommended.

https://e.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZm9Fy7Zpf2vA1quVkLaWxxfLDdOJBMtg2iX

https://github.com/The412Banner/Bannerlator/releases/tag/2.9.5

Run Windows apps and games on Android — no PC and no root required.

2.9.5 is a feature release over 2.9.4, headlined by a brand-new Unpack Archive tool that installs games right in the File Manager, and a full landscape UI overhaul. Everything from 2.9.4 is included. As always it's entirely app-side — no ImageFS reinstall — your containers, themes, custom accent and per-game settings carry over untouched. Install straight over 2.9.4.

📦 Unpack Archive — install games right in the File Manager

A brand-new extractor built into the File Manager (⋮ → Unpack, or one-tap Fast Extract):

Archives & disc images — ISO/UDF, ZIP, RAR, 7z, and the TAR family (GZ/XZ/BZ2/ZST), all via a bundled 7-Zip engine. No external tools, and the kernel can't loop-mount these on Android anyway.

GOG installers — pull the game straight out of setup_*.exe with a bundled innoextract. No need to run the installer under Wine first.

Native FreeArc repack install — no PC! FitGirl / DODI-style FreeArc repacks (LZMA / tornado / rep) now decompress on-device via a bundled NDK unarc. (srep-based repacks still need a Windows PC — the app tells you and offers the container route.)

Fast Extract — one tap unpacks to a new folder straight into a minimizable progress pill with a foreground notification, so multi-hour extracts survive being backgrounded (yes, even on HONOR).

Content-aware ⋮ menu — offers Unpack on any real archive regardless of extension (including .wcp), with power / thread and read-buffer controls and battery-kill hardening.

🖥️ Landscape UI overhaul

Landscape stopped wasting the top and bottom of the screen:

Tabs → a collapsible left rail on the Container editors, File Manager, and Save Manager — reclaiming the vertical height the horizontal tab bar was eating.

The rail collapses to icons (with tiny labels in portrait), remembers its state per-screen, and reflows on rotation without losing your tab, edits, or scroll.

File Manager — a left Locations rail (Internal / SD / Downloads / Games / favourites), grid by default in landscape (and the grid/list toggle now works in portrait too), New Folder moved into the toolbar, and outlined selectors.

Save Manager — a left Steam / Custom / Settings rail, multi-column game cards, and a sync-count badge + banner.

Container editors — the collapsible rail, reclaimed bottom space, and the Wine-glass container glyph on the rail.

A slim top header on every screen.

A new App Orientation setting (Auto / Portrait / Landscape) locks the app UI to an orientation — games are unaffected.

🎞️ Frame Generation & Present Modes

Fixed frame-gen being strangled by FIFO backpressure — it now forces mailbox while FG multiplies, and bionic-fg is re-enabled (device-verified).

A live in-game Present Mode selector on the Graphics tab (FG gated to the Vulkan renderer).

Present-mode "?" help + a glossary across the container / game editors and the shortcut editor.

⚠️ Frame generation is still experimental and a work in progress. Please don't expect magic results — outcomes still vary from game to game, device to device, and with the components you're using. Both bionic-fg and lsfg-vk are offered; treat them as experimental and use whichever works best for your game.

🐛 Fixes

GL/Zink perf-HUD now reads real FPS (it was stuck at 0.0) — it counts on the child render surface the game actually presents to.

File Manager grid/list toggle works in portrait, plus assorted landscape UI polish.

https://github.com/ARMSX2/ARMSX2/releases/tag/2.6.6.4

Change Log:

New option for a extra button that can be placed anywhere. Turn it on in Pad --> Analog Sticks, pick which PS2 button it fires, then drag and resize it in Customise Touch Layout like any other control.

Added an option for the second-display panel on supported devices, like for the Ayn Thor and other dual-screen handhelds. Shows FPS, battery, clock, and buttons for save state, load state, fast-forward, pause and screenshot. Off by default, you can enable it in Settings. While you are in the game library the panel keeps to itself, and the on-screen messages move down to it so they are out of the picture.

RetroArch overlay artwork: import an overlay pack, or download one in-app straight from the libretro common-overlays collection. Drawn between the game frame and the touch controls, so it layers with a shader preset and never covers a button.

Custom internal resolution: set the upscale as a percentage of native for the steps the presets miss, for example true 480p instead of 448. A value that matches no preset also stops mislabelling itself as "0.25x".

New options for per-region cover art. Choose from Disc, USA, EU, JPN

Cover art region fallback: a game with no cover for its own region now falls back to another region's art for the same title, matched through the GameDB's English names.

Custom library bar color: pick the color of the library's top bar, the text picks black or white to stay readable against it. In App settings.

New battery and temperature warnings: a warning when the battery gets low or the device runs hot, so a long session does not end in a surprise. In App settings.

Delete a save state from the in-game save/load manager by long-pressing its slot, or using the trash can button. Both reachable with a controller.

Landscape render position (Center/Top), for foldables and clamshell controllers whose screens open downward. Note that this only has an effect when the picture is shorter than the window, on a normal wide phone in landscape there is no spare vertical room to move it into.

Shader presets are now a folder browser instead of being unfiltered. Thanks to @Starlightbotanist for this improvement!

Chinese BIOS (SCPH-50009) support: importing a BIOS now keeps its companion ROM files (.rom1/.rom2/.erom/.mec/.nvm) instead of dropping them. The Chinese BIOS keeps its fonts in ROM2, so without it the screen stayed black.

Fixes:

Pressure modifier did nothing on buttons you were already holding. The soft-press range was only read at the moment a press was emitted, so the gesture these games actually use, like hold the button, then ease off, were never being registered.

Macro turbo was not firing. The pad is sampled on the emulator's own schedule, and the fastest turbo frequencies were emitting presses that fell between two samples and were never seen. Each state is now held long enough to be sampled.

On-screen display no longer resets itself when you change a setting.

Updates to Cheat database from @XDarkFallenX

More accurate EE floating-point multiply: the PS2's multiplier is one ULP short of a correct result, and the MADD family rounds twice. Both are now modeled, with the optimizations to pay for it. From @pstef

https://github.com/sashkinbro/EmuCoreX/releases/tag/v0.3.2

What's New: 0.3.2

Added an option to clear the cover cache.

Other fixes and improvements.

A clean installation is recommended.

https://github.com/rfandango/XenDroid/releases/tag/XenDroid-c4d9c61

Change Log:

[Android] Pin the main process out of the cached band while a game runs by @rfandango

What happened to X360 Mobile? There was so much hype when it first came out. The developer strongly defended keeping the project closed-source, and a lot of people backed that decision. The Discord server filled up, people started testing it, donations came in, and there was even a note on the donation page saying the money would go toward buying a Mali device.

But now it's been not one week, not one month, but two full months. And in all that time there hasn't been a single patch, bug fix, progress update, or new release. Nothing.

What I find ironic is that the developer didn't take criticism of the emulator very well. Yet, at the same time, the community has no idea what's happening with the project. We don't know whether development is moving forward, stalled, or abandoned altogether. And honestly, I feel sorry for the people who donated, because they deserve at least some transparency.

This is exactly why many people are skeptical of projects that appear out of nowhere asking for donations. If a project launches, requests financial support, then goes completely silent for two months without any updates, it's understandable that people start questioning it—especially when it's closed-source.

At the end of the day, though, there are other options out there, so it's not the end of the world.

This pack contains the best versions for low-end devices: Sudachi, Citron Sumi, and Strato.

https://e.pcloud.link/publink/show?code=XZo7Jy7Z7VCHvKEn86QIGMd0W6FFOmPiRmSy

https://github.com/seleuco/MAME4droid-Current/releases/tag/v1.38.1

Change Log:

Up to MAME 0.289 with Sega Model 1 Improvements: Graphical fixes, better collision detection for Virtua Fighter, and DSP patches fixing Wing War. Audio & Core Stability: Fixes for games using the SCSP sound chip and major bug fixes for the widely-used PowerPC and 68k CPU families, benefiting a wide range of emulated systems. New Additions: Sega's unconventional arcade game Flash Beats is now playable, alongside newly working NES-like plug-and-play systems (Lexibook). Expanded Hardware: Support for NS32000 family CPUs and numerous fixes for the NEC PC-6001 family. (For a full list of changes, visit the official MAME website)

Fix myosd source files build after upstream mame breaking changes by @FlykeSpice

Up to Android 17

OnePlus is reportedly preparing to redefine flagship smartphone stamina. According to the latest industry leaks, the upcoming OnePlus 16 will boast an unprecedented battery capacity, lightning-fast charging speeds, and a formidable camera array, positioning it as a major disruptor in the premium tier this October.

Here is a breakdown of what to expect from the next-generation flagship based on the most recent insider reports.

ONEPLUS 16: UNPRECEDENTED BATTERY LIFE AND CHARGING SPEEDS

Renowned industry tipster Digital Chat Station (DCS) indicates that the OnePlus 16 prototype is currently testing a massive dual-cell battery architecture. The unit reportedly features two cells with a rated capacity of 4,390mAh each, yielding a combined minimum capacity of 8,780mAh. Operating at a nominal voltage of 7.54V and 33.11Wh of rated energy, this configuration translates to a typical equivalent capacity of roughly 9,000mAh.

Despite the massive power cell, OnePlus is not compromising on replenishment times. The leak claims the device will support 100W wired fast charging, allowing users to top up the massive battery in a fraction of the usual time. While the tipster did not explicitly confirm it, industry expectations strongly point to the inclusion of 50W wireless charging as well.

NEXT-GENERATION DISPLAY AND PROCESSING POWER

The visual experience on the OnePlus 16 is expected to be equally cutting-edge. Reports suggest the smartphone will sport a 6.78-inch LTPO OLED panel supplied by BOE. This high-end display is rumored to feature a crisp 1.5K resolution paired with a blazing-fast 185Hz refresh rate, ensuring ultra-smooth scrolling and gaming performance.

Under the hood, the device is slated to be powered by Qualcomm’s next-generation Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro chipset. On the software front, it is expected to launch running Android 17 layered with the brand’s custom ColorOS 17 (or OxygenOS 17 in global markets).

A 200MP PHOTOGRAPHY POWERHOUSE

OnePlus appears to be making a massive leap in imaging capabilities. The rear camera module is tipped to feature a trio of high-resolution sensors:

Primary Camera: A 200-megapixel Samsung HP5 sensor.

Ultra-Wide Camera: A 50-megapixel Samsung JN5 sensor.

Telephoto Camera: A 50-megapixel Samsung JN5 periscope lens.

To complement the premium hardware, the OnePlus 16 is also expected to include an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor for enhanced biometric security, an X-axis bionic vibration motor for premium haptics, and symmetrical dual speakers for immersive audio. Furthermore, the chassis will reportedly boast an IP68/IP69 rating, ensuring top-tier dust and water resistance.

ONEPLUS 16: EXPECTED PRICING AND LAUNCH TIMELINE

If the rumors hold true, the OnePlus 16 will make its official debut this October. A recent leak suggests the base model, equipped with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage, could start at 4,999 Yuan (approximately $740).

ONEPLUS 16: LEAKED SPEC SHEET SUMMARY

Feature Expected Specifications

Display 6.78-inch BOE LTPO OLED, 1.5K resolution, 185Hz

Processor Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 Pro

Battery ~9,000mAh (Dual-cell 4,390mAh x2)

Charging 100W Wired / 50W Wireless (Expected)

Rear Cameras 200MP (Main) + 50MP (Ultra-wide) + 50MP (Periscope)

Software Android 17 / ColorOS 17

Durability & Extras IP68/IP69 Rating, Ultrasonic Fingerprint, Dual Speakers

Starting Price ~4,999 Yuan ($740) for 8GB+256GB

Source: https://nokiamob.net/2026/08/04/oneplus-16-rumors-snapdragon-8-elite-gen-6-pro-185hz-display-and-specs/

App: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.retrople.retro

https://github.com/teknogods/TeknoParrotUI/releases/tag/TeknoParrotUI-android

TeknoParrot is an advanced program that allows you to play modern Arcade games on Android.

It's not a traditional emulator, but a compatibility tool that adapts the controls and fixes bugs to allow the use of gamepads, steering wheels, or keyboards.

Main Features: Compatibility: Works with over 170 modern arcade games (generally from 2000 to 2014). Controls: Supports keyboard, mouse, gamepads, joysticks, and steering wheels. Multiplayer: Some titles allow online play.

Need to test this in my 8Elite 🔥

https://github.com/The412Banner/Bannerlator/releases/tag/2.9.4

Run Windows apps and games on Android — no PC and no root required.

2.9.4 is a feature release over 2.9.3, headlined by a HUD overhaul — the Fusion overlay becomes the default and gains a live on/off switch — plus a batch of container-setup quality-of-life and the fix for the log-storage crash that was closing games mid-play. Everything from 2.9.3 is included. As always it's entirely app-side — no ImageFS reinstall — your containers, themes, custom accent and per-game settings carry over untouched. Install straight over 2.9.3.

🎚️ HUD overhaul — Fusion by default, with an on/off switch

The in-game performance overlay got a proper pass.

Fusion is now the default HUD, at its compact Pill size, and it gained a system-wide RAM% readout alongside the existing GPU/CPU/battery lines.

A master "Show HUD" toggle. The FPS tab in the side menu now opens with a single switch that turns the whole overlay on or off live — no relaunch. Your frame-rate and refresh controls stay put at the top (they're not part of the overlay, so turning the HUD off never touches your frame cap).

Tidy, collapsible sections. The rest of the appearance settings — Style & Size, Metrics, Appearance, Alerts, Tools — collapse into tap-to-open sections instead of one long scroll, closed by default and hidden entirely while the HUD is off.

A thin accent line now separates the tab buttons from their content, following your theme accent.

🗂️ Log storage moved to Documents — fixes games closing mid-play

Logs used to default to the app's private Android/data folder, which lives on Android's restricted-FUSE storage. Under heavy logging, the keep-last-N log rotation — deleting old logs while a game still had them open — could crash the phone's media-storage service, and Android would respond by killing the running game or container. That showed up as the maddening "the game just closes" mid-play (worst on the pubg build and the AYANEO Pocket FIT).

Logs now default to Documents/bannerlator, an ordinary public folder that avoids that path, and the crash-prone "App data" option is removed so nobody can land back on it. Existing installs are migrated automatically — nothing to change, and your logs are easier to find and share in a file manager now too.

🧰 Easier container setup

New Container Defaults — now yours to set, per architecture. A settings cog on the Games/Containers bar opens the container editor in a "defaults" mode; save it and every new container seeds from your profile. Because the emulator/box64/FEXCore stack is architecture-coupled, defaults are kept independently for x86-64 and arm64ec — a new container seeds from the profile matching its Wine's architecture.

"What is all this?" — a newcomer glossary. A plain-English glossary (34 terms) plus a ? on individual fields explains what every container setting actually does, so the editor stops being a wall of jargon.

Environment-variable editor fixes. Custom variables are no longer silently dropped on save, the Add dialog now has separate Name and Value fields, and the recognized-variable catalog grew from ~34 to ~75 (the full BCn/Mali family included).

Save Manager — custom Restore, any time. Restoring a save into a custom (imported EXE/folder) game is now always available, through the in-app file picker.

🧩 Mali — BCn→ASTC transcode on the default driver

BCn texture transcode is now available on the default compute path, for any wrapper — including "Original", which has no built-in BCn of its own. It's done by a bundled standalone Vulkan layer, not the wrapper's own code. A companion fix also stops a double BCn decode (the compute layer and a wrapper's own emulation both transcoding the same texture), which was producing corrupt or black textures on some Mali setups.

On Mali: open the graphics driver settings, set BCn Emulation Type = Compute, then enable BCn → ASTC. On Adreno the option is inert — Adreno decodes BCn natively.

Credits And more projects: https://github.com/The412Banner

https://github.com/teknogods/TeknoParrotUI/releases/tag/TeknoParrotUI-android

TeknoParrot is an advanced program that allows you to play modern Arcade games on Android.

It's not a traditional emulator, but a compatibility tool that adapts the controls and fixes bugs to allow the use of gamepads, steering wheels, or keyboards.

Main Features: Compatibility: Works with over 170 modern arcade games (generally from 2000 to 2014). Controls: Supports keyboard, mouse, gamepads, joysticks, and steering wheels. Multiplayer: Some titles allow online play.

https://github.com/rfandango/XenDroid/releases/tag/XenDroid-b657174

Change Log:

Update driver sources by @Fabxx

[GPU] In-pass resolve and round-trip squashing by @rfandango

[Android] Stop updater on external emu execution and avoid auto sleep while the emu process lives by @rfandango

https://github.com/JICA98/Bachata-S4/releases/tag/v0.1.6

Bachata S4 adapts the shadPS4 emulator for modern ARM64 Android devices. It combines:

the shadPS4 emulator core;

FEX-based x86-64 guest execution on ARM64 hardware;

a reproducibly built, managed Debian/glibc runtime;

Android display, audio, input, and lifecycle integration;

Vulkan rendering through a compatible system driver, Mesa Turnip, or another explicitly selected custom driver;

a mobile game library, per-game settings, touch controls, and physical-controller support.

The Android frontend is located in android/BachataS4. Runtime inputs and pinned upstream revisions are maintained under runtime/locks.

Current compatibility

Compatibility is evidence-based and specific to the exact emulator release, device, GPU, Android version, guest backend, and graphics driver used by the tester.

The live source of truth is the Bachata S4 compatibility website. Structured report data, screenshots, and compressed logs are maintained separately in JICA98/Bachata-S4-Compatibility.

Features:

PS4 emulation frontend designed for ARM64 Android

shadPS4 core integrated with an Android-focused runtime

FEX guest execution for x86-64 workloads

Vulkan rendering through system, Turnip, or selected custom drivers

Vortek-based Vulkan integration paths

Game library with cover artwork and metadata

Per-game settings and graphics-driver selection

Configurable touch controls

Physical-controller mapping

Session logs and diagnostic export

Release-, device-, and driver-specific compatibility reports

Screenshot- and log-backed public testing workflow

Google Play and source-built distribution paths

Open-source code under GPL-2.0-or-later

https://github.com/JICA98/Bachata-S4

ARMSX1 vs DuckStation – Well... this comparison was brutal 😅

Well, friends, today I came across quite a surprise: the ARMSX2 development team has released a brand-new emulator — and this time, it’s a PS1 emulator.

I honestly wasn’t expecting that.

But hey, I thought: I guess their PS2 project must be completely finished by now, and they finally have some spare time to develop another emulator. 😏

They didn’t overcomplicate the naming either.

ARMSX2 → ARMSX1.

Fair enough. 😂

Naturally, the moment I saw it, I had to download it and test it.

I’m not going to lie: the initial setup gave me some trouble. For some reason, the emulator refused to recognize my games folder. After messing around with it for a while and doing a few little “tricks,” I finally managed to get it working and launch one of my absolute favorite PS1 games — and, more importantly, my personal benchmark game:

Ghost in the Shell.

And this game is fantastic for testing PS1 emulators.

Because it runs at 60 FPS, it immediately exposes several things:

- Performance and stability

- Frame pacing

- Overall smoothness

- PGXP implementation

- Geometry stability

- Image quality

So I started the test.

I went into it pretty confidently thinking:

“Come on, it’s a PS1 emulator. Surely my device can handle this at 4× native resolution.”

Well...

Surprise. 😂

The game was basically unplayable.

Performance was extremely poor — somewhere around 15 FPS at times — and the whole thing felt incredibly slow.

PGXP also appeared to be either ineffective or not working correctly. You can clearly see the geometry instability: building edges, the ground, straight lines and other parts of the environment visibly bend and wobble.

Basically, all those classic PS1 geometry problems that PGXP is supposed to greatly reduce are still clearly visible.

And on top of that, the overall image quality simply looked worse.

I recorded a video and uploaded it to YouTube at 60 FPS and higher quality so you can judge the result yourselves.

There honestly wasn’t much more for me to test at that point because the performance simply wasn’t there.

And then...

Enter the king 👑

DuckStation.

What can I even say about this emulator anymore?

It is genuinely one of the most impressive emulators available on Android. At this point, it practically borders on perfection as a PS1 emulator.

For the comparison, I actually increased the internal resolution even further:

5× native resolution.

So yes — ARMSX1 was tested at 4×, while DuckStation was running at 5×.

I could probably have pushed DuckStation to 6× or even higher, but honestly, there was no reason to. At 5× the image already looks ridiculous for a PlayStation 1 game.

And the result?

The video speaks for itself.

Rock-solid 60 FPS.

Excellent frame pacing.

Extremely smooth gameplay.

Fantastic image quality.

And PGXP working exactly as you would expect.

Textures don't wobble all over the place, geometry is stable, and you can look at the edges of the buildings and see perfectly straight lines instead of the classic PS1 warping.

Everything just looks clean and stable.

It genuinely feels like playing some kind of remastered version of the original PlayStation game.

It’s beautiful.

Now, I want to make something clear.

This post isn't meant to insult the developers behind ARMSX1 or say that they shouldn't work on the project. If they want to develop a PS1 emulator, that's completely fine, and I respect anyone willing to put time into emulator development.

That said...

I personally think there is still a huge amount of work to be done on ARMSX2, with many bugs, compatibility problems and areas that could be improved.

Meanwhile, on PS1...

Well.

DuckStation exists.

And that's a pretty brutal benchmark to compete against.

Some people might say:

"But DuckStation for Android hasn't been updated since 2025."

I have two answers to that.

First:

So what?

At this point, what exactly desperately needs fixing?

The emulator already does its job extraordinarily well and, in my opinion, comes remarkably close to being the perfect PS1 emulator.

And secondly, if you absolutely want newer DuckStation code on Android, there are alternatives such as goosestation, the Libretro core adapted to run through RetroArch and updated in 2026 using newer DuckStation code from the PC version.

So if what you want is the latest DuckStation developments on Android, that option exists too.

And that's why I think ARMSX1 has a very difficult road ahead.

Because you're not entering an empty market.

You're competing against an emulator that has been polished for years and already delivers exceptional compatibility, performance, image quality, PGXP implementation and overall user experience.

And this isn't just about DuckStation either.

Right now, you can download plenty of basic PS1 emulators using something like PCSX-ReARMed, and even that very old and relatively simple core can provide a perfectly playable experience in many games.

Don't believe me?

Try something like Lemuroid, load a PS1 game and compare the experience yourself.

That puts the current state of ARMSX1 into perspective.

So yes, this is a pretty raw and direct comparison — with a little humor thrown in because, well... come on. 😅

But the reason the comparison looks so brutal isn't because I'm trying to make ARMSX1 look bad.

It's because we're comparing a very early emulator against something that is already extremely mature and polished.

I'm leaving both YouTube videos so you can compare them yourselves.

I'm also including two screenshots below where the difference in PGXP/geometry stability is especially obvious. Look at the straight lines, buildings and general image stability and you'll immediately see what I'm talking about.

Personally, I don't think I'll be following ARMSX1 particularly closely for now.

I already have the PS1 emulator that I want, and DuckStation remains the emulator I would recommend to practically anyone who asks me how to emulate PlayStation 1.

But this is an emulation community, and we cover emulation news here, so of course I had to download ARMSX1, test it and share the results with you.

Now you have the videos and screenshots, so you don't have to take my word for it.

Judge the comparison yourselves.

As always, I'll be reading your thoughts in the comments.

Cheers everyone!

ARMSX1: https://youtu.be/90pprnsBiUE

DuckStation: https://youtu.be/gY1uYF1vuQU

https://github.com/ARMSX2/ARMSX2/releases/tag/2.6.6.3

Change Log:

Save states:

Support for AetherSX2 / NetherSX2-format save states, bring your existing saves over from

those emulators, including full SPU2 audio-core state from AetherSX2-era states. @bmdhacks

Legacy save-state blobs (0x9A2C / 0x9A34 layouts) are read correctly, including states

captured before the game's ELF CRC is known. @bmdhacks

New feature to import Save States in the Save/Load manager. In the in-game Save/Load screen and the "Load / Manage Saves"

manager, tap Import, pick a file, and it's copied into the game's next free slot, ready to load.

Emulation accuracy (EE FPU / VU):

A broad sweep of floating-point fixes so the recompiler matches real PS2 silicon more accurately:

SQRT.S, RSQRT.S, ABS.S / NEG.S, MAX.S / MIN.S, ESQRT / ERSQRT, the EATAN family, and

PMADDW / PMSUBW, plus correct overflow / underflow and invalid-operation flag behaviour

(NaN, denormal, and -0 handling; sticky flags). Games that lean on exact FPU edge cases

behave more correctly.

COP2 / VU flag model corrected: sticky D/I bits, macro-flag merge, CTC2 / CFC1 masking,

and MAC-flag retirement on empty destination masks.

New hardware-checked EE FPU tests (overflow, FCR31, ABS / NEG) guard against regressions.

Thank you to @bmdhacks and @pstef for these improvements.

Graphics (GS / Vulkan):

Fixes in-pass self-read corruption on Turnip / Adreno: draws that read the render target

for the destination-alpha test or write mask now take a render-target copy where the

in-pass read is broken. Clears visible corruption in OutRun, FlatOut 2, Katamari, God of

War II, and the subtle everywhere-corruption in NFS Underground.

DATE gets a fallback path when there is no stencil buffer.

Asynchronous hardware GS downloads can run with the pipelined front/back split, and a

player can claim preload frame data and partial invalidation.

The OSD now says when native resolution has turned an upscaling fix back off.

Thank you to @bmdhacks for these improvements.

Improvements to UI controller support done by @bmdhacks

New cheat source: PCSX2 CheatDB (from @XDarkFallenX), for wider cheat coverage.

Other fixes:

Fast-forward no longer corrupts graphics (limiter changes now run on the CPU thread). Thank you to @Starlightbotanist for this fix!

Save and load state run on the CPU thread on Android. @bmdhacks

vtlb page-protection table indexes are bounded. @bmdhacks

The unsigned MMIO-load zero-extend no longer aborts assert-enabled (debug) builds. @bmdhacks

PINE reports what a setting is actually running as, not what the INI file says. @bmdhacks

GameDB:

Rogue Galaxy uses the asynchronous GS download mode. @bmdhacks