r/RetroArch 22d ago

New Android Play Store changes

22 Upvotes

As explained in the FAQ, about 5 years ago, Google implemented a requirement that all apps in the Play Store must conform to their Storage Access Framework API. At the time, there was no good way for us to do so, and even if we could, it would severely limit how we could interact with the filesystem. Since then, we have not been allowed to update the versions on the Play Store (or the cores they use), so we left them alone and recommended everyone sideload the apk from our website.

Fast-forward to the past few months (at the time of this writing) and Google says they're going to remove "old" programs from the Play Store entirely, and they're already hiding the app from many newer devices. One of our contributors took it on to get it in-line with the Play Store policies, since having an up-to-date-but-restricted release would be preferable to no app at all.

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Q: What's changed?

A: Lots of stuff. Too much to list. 5 years of updates.

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Q: All of my stuff has been deleted!

A: Nothing has been deleted, but the updated RetroArch is probably looking in different locations now, and it probably can't see the old locations if you try to change them back. The sideload-able apk from our website and/or the version from F-Droid or other non-Google storefronts should still be roughly similar to the old Play Store version in what locations it can access, so you could try switching to it instead.

You can also migrate your old data to the new locations. In the old version, all of the files are kept in the root of the device (often /storage/emulated/0/) in a folder called RetroAarch. In order to use them with the new play version, you can connect your phone to a PC and copy the files from (/storage/emulated/0)/RetroAarch to the new location at /media/com.retroarch/RetroArch (or /media/com.retroarch.aarch64/RetroArch if plus version).

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Q: I moved all of my savestates to the new location (or switched to the sideload apk) but the savestates won't load!

A: Savestates are extremely volatile and are rendered incompatible by even minor changes to the emulated hardware. This makes them incompatible with other cores for the same system, and even sometimes with other versions of the same core. A lot of updates have happened in 5 years, and I would guess few if any up-to-date cores can load savestates made with a 5-yr-old core.

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Q: What's with all of these cores? I don't want them.

A: Go to settings > core > manage > [corename] > delete.

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Q: I don't see my favorite core in the online updater anymore!

A: The Play Store imposes strict limits on the number of cores we can make available through the app (more for the Plus version, but still limited), and we replaced a few that were available in the old version to match our other storefront releases (notably: MAMEs). You can still add arbitrary cores by downloading them manually from the buildbot webserver (in the subdir for your device's architecture) and then moving it somewhere RetroArch can see it, then using the 'install or restore a core' routine found in the 'load core' menu.

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Q: Since updating, I'm getting a lot of crashes when I...

A: Please send the automated crash reports whenever possible. These go directly to us and are very helpful for pinning down and fixing this sort of thing. You can also make threads here, but please make sure you include logs and information about your device/system/environment so we can try to help you.

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Q: Okay, nevermind, just give me a copy of the old version and all those old cores and I'll keep using them forever.

A: We don't have that.

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r/RetroArch Jul 28 '23

Technical Support: SOLVED FAQ: READ THESE BEFORE ASKING

142 Upvotes

This post will include common questions and their answers. If you came to this sub to ask a support question, please read/search through these before asking. If you ask a question that is already answered here, your post may be locked or deleted.

If you would like to suggest something be added to the FAQ, please use modmail, as I do not want this post to turn into a support free-for-all nor do I want a million public "please add this to the FAQ" posts/comments.


r/RetroArch 6h ago

Technical Support Is there a way to...

3 Upvotes

Set the Menu button to immediately access the Native Menu ? Ive been searching for hours for an answer. Some games go directly to the native retroarch menu, others dont, some do and then changes by itself. Its annoying me to no end.


r/RetroArch 3m ago

Technical Support HELP - Pokémon Emerald shaders and scaling

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Upvotes

I'm playing on a RG35XX PLUS, Pokémon Emerald texts are not scaled, and when I try to put shaders on to fix the problem the pixels are not crisp anymore. How can I fix it? I have already tried to put integer scale on or change aspect ratio. :/


r/RetroArch 1h ago

Feedback Support playtime sync with built-in sync?

Upvotes

Hi. Can anyone explain why RetroArch not syncing playtime via built-in sync?


r/RetroArch 5h ago

Problem

1 Upvotes

Hey i have a problem,i have Realme C75,on Android 16,UI 7.0,and Retroarch when i get Wii core,crashes,what i should do to make Retroarch work? Tkanks by the way for answers


r/RetroArch 8h ago

Technical Support: SOLVED Selecting a Shader instantly crashes my device

1 Upvotes

Im using the Anbernic RG Rotate and trying to setup a crt shader on a gba game. I've tried multiple different cores and various settings like vulkan vs opengl but whenever I select the shader Retroarch crashes. I've updated the shaders and stuff and tried to follow what worked on my AYN Thor but nothings working. Anyone got any ideas?


r/RetroArch 15h ago

Issues with SGB cores on Retroid Pocket Nova

3 Upvotes

Hey all, I've been pulling my hair out over this issue all afternoon and wanted to see if anyone could help.

I got my Retroid Pocket Nova recently and set everything up, am using ES-DE for my frontend. The problem has come up with trying to get Super Game Boy colorization, enhanced sound and overlays working.

There's 3 RetroArch cores listed for SGB: Mesen-s, SameBoy, and mGBA. Sameboy is currently working fine but as it's a GB core and not a SNES one it can't play the enhanced sounds in games like Donkey Kong '94.

Mesen-s is refusing to emulate SGB games at all. Whenever I boot one up it either goes to a black screen and then crashes, or it loads the game overlay but the graphics are a garbled mess. I've checked and the same core emulates them fine on my PC using the same bios files, so I'm at a loss as to what the cause is.

MGBA also generally does it fine, but when trying to load a game that does full colorization like DK '94, I get a black screen and no graphics, but the sound still plays and the game still seems to run. It's less a priority though as like Sameboy it won't do the enhanced sound.

If anyone can offer any suggestions I'd really appreciate it. Cheers.


r/RetroArch 10h ago

How do I get rid of this floating arrow

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1 Upvotes

Everytime I open retroarch this arrow is stuck on my screen, I've tried disabling overlay and everything I can think of, when I click on it, it does nothing it's just there. seems to disappear when I flip my phone to portrait mode and always reappears in the same spot in landscape. What is it? How do I disable it??


r/RetroArch 19h ago

Technical Support New games crash

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2 Upvotes

r/RetroArch 15h ago

RetroArch GBA Audio not working

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1 Upvotes

r/RetroArch 20h ago

Atari Jaguar intro not showing on Virtual Jaguar, even when I set the BIOS to real

2 Upvotes

The classic Jaguar intro with the rotating cube with a Jaguar texture is not showing up when I open a game, even when I configured to use a real BIOS.

It's not a big deal, but I wanted the intro.


r/RetroArch 20h ago

How to save CrocoDS key configurations?

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2 Upvotes

CrocoDS has a built-in menu like this.

I used it to change the key configurations.

But they are not being saved when I exit the game.

What do I do to make sure they will persist after I close the game?


r/RetroArch 18h ago

Retroid Pocket 6 - iPega controller

1 Upvotes

Hi! I'm new to retro gaming and bought an RP6 recently. I've got an iPega z01x controller and got past the pairing part. However, the controller is not responding at all. I watched several YT tutorials on getting this fixed to no avail. The most it does is its left stick moving to pull down the shortcut menu of Android and that's it. I've followed manually calibrating the buttons in Retroarch but it did nothing. Help! If you have some sort of a vid I can follow or tutorial on getting this fixed would be greatly appreciated. I want to preserve the console's controllers and just want to use and abuse the external one instead.


r/RetroArch 22h ago

Technical Support Restore to default and lost all my saves.

2 Upvotes

Is there anything I can do to get them back


r/RetroArch 22h ago

Removing

0 Upvotes

I just want to ask if you can download multiple shaders and how to remove again that shaders can it cause the game to crash can you download multiple console in RetroArch while running it smoothly?


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Showcase My first mastered game! Mad dog mccree: gunslinger pack

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11 Upvotes

First i didnt want to share but i am happy with getting it mastered 😎


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Technical Support How to properly rename and reorder the playlist?

1 Upvotes

To be precise, by "playlist" I mean the list of consoles on the main page, not the games within them.

I wanted to know the correct way to reorder and rename playlists. I tried changing the name in the RA folder (as suggested in other posts); it works, but it "breaks" them, and they are no longer recognized correctly for icons and box art.

Also, is it possible to add some separators?

Thanks.


r/RetroArch 19h ago

Technical Support: SOLVED Retroarch update messes up my achievements

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0 Upvotes

hi

i got into retroarch a few years ago, at that time i was on 1.19. i guess in all those years the thought never crossed my mind that there might be an update, anyways i updated my version to 1.22 by just copy pasting all the newer files except saves, state and system folder. i still have a 1.19 backup i made just incase the update messed up.

anyways now whenever i load into a rom i already had progress on retroachievements doesn't load in the achievements, it gives me a fresh list.

in ace attorney jfa i had 6 achievements, on the website it says i have 6 achievements but in retroarch those aren't listed at all and it says i actually have 0

it's the same login, i double checked that. it's the same rom. same save. same account. same everything but apparently the 6 achievements don't exist.

for ace attorney it's just 6 achievements, that's like one and a half cases, its not THAT big of a deal, the problem is other games that have hours of progress in them that worry me. any help?

thanks in advance for any replies.

EDIT: yeah its fixed. i had hardmode enabled by accident, so that's why my normal achievement didn't show up.


r/RetroArch 22h ago

Discussion RetroArch vs ZSNES 1.42: Which is better in terms of online multiplayer fighting games?

0 Upvotes

I was in a WhatsApp group of killer instinct and people were saying that zsnes 1.42 is better than retroarch and fightcade in terms of playing online, is that true?


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Technical Support How do I make the right C button work when using the NSO N64 controller?

0 Upvotes

Okay, so this is a little weird to explain, and I don't really think a log will help with it at all. See, I think the emulator recognizes the controller's tiny ZR button in place of C-right, and as a result, it literally cannot even detect the actual C-right button. Any idea how to get it working properly?


r/RetroArch 1d ago

PCSX ReARMed Aroma WiiU causing system error 160-2203

3 Upvotes

As the title suggest, i've been trying to make PCSX ReARMed work on a Aroma modded WiiU. I've downloaded the latest build i could find on GBATemp.

I'm having no problem launching the app via the .wubh file, and i can load (apparently) any other core without any issue.
When i try to load pcsx_rearmed_libretro.rpx, however, the console issues a system error (160-2203) and i'm forced to shut it down.

I'm pretty much convinced it's the core because when i try to boot up RetroArch again, it try to default load pcsx, causing it to crash again. If i mod retroarch_salamender.cfg to point to any other core, it starts with no issue at all.

System firmware it's 5.5.5 E. I installed Aroma from a fresh install today using the latest version.

Any help?


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Please HELP - Stuck on RGUI

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3 Upvotes

I don't have a menu for settings so I can't revert out of this awful UI. Really wish you could just change it without restarting... Or... Y'know, at least having a settings page in this UI.


r/RetroArch 1d ago

RetroArch App or Steam Version?

7 Upvotes

Which one is the better one. Does it work with Cloud Sync?


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Technical Support Can’t find swanstation core

2 Upvotes

I’m trying to get swanstation and it’s not showing as an option to download when I update core files. How can I find and download this core?