We're happy to announce that Beetle VB has been added to RetroArch Steam as core DLC!

An emulator for a portable handheld console released in the mid '90s. It was a virtual reality handset console, and one of the first to showcase stereoscopic 3D graphics.

Link to the new DLC is here -
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1844870/RetroArch__Beetle_VB/

The user guides can be found here -
https://docs.libretro.com/library/beetle_vb/

We're happy to announce that Beetle Cygne has been added to RetroArch Steam as core DLC!

Emulates a handheld game console from the late '90s. It had a D-pad on each side and could be held in both horizontal and vertical orientation.

Link to the new DLC is here -
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1843660/RetroArch__Beetle_Cygne/

The user guides can be found here -
https://docs.libretro.com/library/beetle_cygne/

We're happy to announce that EasyRPG has been added to RetroArch Steam as core DLC!

EasyRPG Player allows you to play compatible RPG games from within RetroArch.

Compatible RPG games are:

• RPGM 2000
  
• RPGM 2003

EasyRPG Player is part of the EasyRPG Project.

Link to the new DLC is here -

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1222638/RetroArch__EasyRPG/

The user guides can be found here -
https://docs.libretro.com/library/easyrpg/

We're happy to announce that Beetle PCE has been added to RetroArch Steam as core DLC!

Comes in three versions:

• Beetle PCE
  
• Beetle PCE Fast
  
• Beetle Supergrafx

Beetle PCE is a slower, accuracy-oriented version.

Beetle PCE Fast is a faster but less accurate version.

Beetle Supergrafx is based on Beetle PCE Fast but emulates the Supergrafx.

Link to the new DLC is here -

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1843610/RetroArch__Beetle_PCE/

The user guides can be found here -
https://docs.libretro.com/library/beetle_pce_fast/
https://docs.libretro.com/library/beetle_sgx/

RetroArch 1.9.14 has just been released.

The article can be read in full here:
https://www.libretro.com/index.php/retroarch-1-9-14-release

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

This post is an edited version of the article on our website, and it only includes changes relevant to the Steam version (and associated DLC). If you'd like to read the complete untouched article, visit this link here.

The emulating mailbox infrastructure is very hacky and needs a rethink to be able to properly support screenshots. Emulating mailbox is pretty nasty to begin with and should be considered a hack. The next version might have a setting to allow you to disable mailbox emulation entirely. Mailbox emulation as it is only takes effect in fullscreen mode.

We have been busy since 1.9.13! The following cores have been added:

• Caprice32
  
• RACE
  
• gpSP
  
• Prosystem
  
• Beetle PSX
  
• UAE
  
• VICE
  
• bsnes

RetroArch Steam now has 26 cores in total, and the 27th is about to be added soon, EasyRPG! Please look forward to future announcements of more cores coming to Steam soon.

Netplay has received plenty of improvements thanks to the efforts of Cthulhu. We have a lot more prepared for the next version, so consider this a prelude to the main event.

• Added setting to allow/disallow players other than the host from pausing the game.
  
• Added a sublabel for netplay max connections.
  
• Changed unknown commands to be ignored instead of forcing a disconnection.
  
• Fixed port override macro from not being set immediately after the port setting.
  
• Fixed memory leaks.
  
• Show passworded rooms on lobby. Small improvement to the lobby viewer – it should now make a distinction between passworded rooms and non-passworded rooms.
  
• uPnP: Fixes more memory leaks
  
• uPnP: Added a task_queue_wait to prevent executing two nat tasks at once, so it’s also thread safe now
  
• uPnp: Fix UPNP port mapping failed error – switch to a permanent lease time, but request it to be removed when we do netplay_free

For the next version, we will finally address the relay MITM server issues.

* Keyboard support has been fixed. The problem was caused by changing the driver lookup point. The deferred lookup resulted in the WIIU trying to treat the keyboard as a gamepad which …
didn’t work. This change short-circuits at the connection event by ignoring mouse &
keyboard connection events.

As mentioned before, as part of Project IO, we are going over every core and performing some basic quality control checks. This already resulted in numerous Quality of Life enhancements to cores. Not all of the improvements listed below can be attributed to Project IO, but it’s fair to estimate over 90% of them are.

• Updated to use VFS instead of straight file I/O (ProjectIO)
  
• Core option sublabel adjustments
  
• Audio detection for AutoLoadWarp
  
• More moderate tape warp detection
  
• Press play on tape change
  
• Mapper additions
  
• Dupecheck for disk append
  
• More distinguishable light gun cursor
  
• Diskwarp audio detection correction
  
• Mute Datasette with Autoloadwarp
  
• Diskwarp audio detection improvement
  
• Autoloadwarp automuting fixes
  
• Fix sound muting on rewind
  
• Add Automatic Zoom Mode
  
• Aspect toggle correction
  
• Touch pointer cleanups

Add automatic Crowdin synchronization
Mapper 196: Support IRQ for The Ancient & Modern Heroes
Mapper 319: Use hp898f.c only for the old incorrect UNIF bank order, and 319.c for all NES 2.0 ROMs. Add CNROM mode and solder pad switch to the latter.
Mapper 57: Change default DIP for YH-xxx Olympic multicarts, always reset to menu
Mapper 178: Always reset to menu.
CNROM/UNROM: Only emulate bus conflicts when explicitly specified by NES 2.0 header
Added support for mapper 383
Add UNROM modes and two-chip variant to mapper 242
Add Realtec 8099 PCB support to mapper 236

• Add automatic Crowdin synchronization

• Add automatic Crowdin synchronization

• Add core options to change crosshair color + remove light gun warnings
  
• Add automatic Crowdin synchronization

• Fix base height. This system only have one resolution depending on if it is NTSC or PAL. Before it was even worse because it was always reporting a hardcoded 320×240 which is totally wrong, so better to output the correct one even if it is also hardcoded.

Previously, the core was susceptible to crackling audio, particularly when using low frontend audio latency settings.

This is because the core was handling audio output suboptimally. At the set audio sample rate, the frontend expected between 1097 and 1098 audio samples per frame – but the core was sending samples in multiples of 256. This means that the audio output becomes ‘desynchronised’ with retro_run() – sometimes 1024 samples will get sent to the frontend for the current frame, sometimes 1280 as the core either falls behind or overcompensates. As a result, when the frontend tries to synchronise on audio, jitter can occur – and if the frontend audio buffer is small (when using low latency values), it can sometimes run dry or reach capacity, causing crackling.

1.9.14 modifies audio handling such that the correct expected number of samples is sent to the frontend in proper synchronisation with retro_run(). This greatly improves audio quality, even on the notoriously crackly Mother 3.

To demonstrate the effect of this, here are a couple of figures measured from the core on a Linux desktop with an audio latency setting of 64 ms, averaged over 5k frames:

Time spent close to audio buffer underrun:

* Current master: 8.68 %
* With this PR: 2.37 %

In addition, a Miyoo port has also been added.

• Move audio callback to the main thread (fixes the longstanding hang issues when using OpenGL)
  
• 64ms on desktop isn’t enough due to excess buffering going on in this emulator. Set default to 128ms instead for now.
  
• Different audio approach is necessary due to the following: it sets a fixed framerate of 60, then sends either too many or too few audio samples per frame in order to force the frontend to run at the correct speed (.e.g. making the frontend run in slow motion for games that run at 30fps) – this is undesirable for libretro, we want a consistent amount of audio samples per batch.

Caprice32: [event] changed mouse pointer to absolute position
Caprice32: [event] better first the default mouse mode code.
Caprice32: [KoS] little fix to avoid render problem on WiiU
Caprice32: Should work now on WiiU
Caprice32: [KoS] changed to RETRO_DEVICE_ID_POINTER_PRESSED
Caprice32: [dsk] clean base
Caprice32: [fdc,slots] new loader endian compatible WIP
Caprice32: [loader] compatible wiiu basic loader.
FBNeo: (libretro) xybots remapping
FBNeo: (libretro) llander remapping
FBNeo: megadrive update from gab75
FBNeo: nes update from gab75
FBNeo: gijoe: all clones have a 4 players mode
FBNeo: gaelco: modernize driver, fix thoop stg. 4 crash
FBNeo: atarivad, fix runahead w/some games using this
FBNeo: tempest: add some hacks
FBNeo: msx update from gab75
FBNeo: d_taitof2.cpp: add Majestic Twelve – The Space Invaders Part IV (US)
FBNeo: batman, more drums volume, vad offset, ssriders oops
FBNeo: xmen6p, note about resetting
FBNeo: In Your Face (inyourfa), fix priority
FBNeo: ssriders, fix # of players
FBNeo: speccy update c/o gab75
FBNeo: galaxian, update pisces date
FBNeo: 7z: fix cpp ODR (second attempt)
FBNeo: spectrum fix 48k’s ay
FBNeo: vector, underp mode change
FBNeo: video, less derpy mode changes for megadrive, etc
FBNeo: grdnstrm: also fix clones’s dips
FBNeo: grdnstrm: fix dips
FBNeo: sms: update Voyage – A Sorceress Vacation to 1.05
FBNeo: ssv, buffer spriteram for every game in driver
FBNeo: d_namcos2.cpp: added Mirai Ninja (Japan, set 2) [Corrado Tomaselli]
FBNeo: d_cps1: marked forgottnj as a prototype, it’s an unfinished version of the game
FBNeo: d_hyperpac.cpp: added New HyperMan (3-in-1 with Cookie & Bibi & Hyper Man) (set 2) [jordigahan]
FBNeo: d_cps1.cpp: Fixed 2 players mode DIP switch for sf2cejx and sf2hfj.
FBNeo: spectrum update from gab75
FBNeo: williams, add Playball!, fix lottofun
FBNeo: lua: fix window not opening after closing a game w/lua console opened
FBNeo: cbombers, undrfire: impl. contrast/luma settings as recommended by Tatsuya79
FBNeo: ssv, experimental lag fix plus fix pastelis 2p split screen mode
FBNeo: d_m107.cpp: hiscore support
FBNeo: ssv, add spritebuffering to stmblade to fix lines in stage 6, cleanup a little
FBNeo: experimental cheat fix for midway (mk/umk3/etc) games
FBNeo: md, updates from gab75
FBNeo: megadrive palette fix (0 bit ignored)
FBNeo: sys16b doesnt have highlights, only shadows. i think? revert if breaks something
FBNeo: add ktiger2p [DsNo]
Genesis Plus GX: Fetch translations & Recreate libretro_core_options_intl.h
mGBA: Add automatic Crowdin synchronization
PPSSPP: Reimplement audio
Picodrive: Fix loading of SMS/GG ROMs
Picodrive: sound, fix ym2612 ladder effect, add option
Picodrive: 32x, fix DMA mem-2-mem copying for big endian
Picodrive: sound, add ym2612 channel clipping, ladder effect
Picodrive: sms, set non-TMR images to region Japan
SameBoy: Update the SameBoy core with latest changes
SameBoy: Add GB_is_cgb_in_cgb_mode
SameBoy: Add memory write callback, optimize memory access with likely/unlikely
SameBoy: Add a safe memory read API
SameBoy: Initial MBC7 support
SameBoy: Mouse controls for MBC7
Yabause/Kronos: Add automatic Crowdin synchronization

• ANDROID/PLAYSTORE: Implement MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission
  
• ANDROID/PLAYSTORE: Bump up SDK level to 30 to comply with Play Store policies
  
• AUDIO/MIXER: Increase sample buffer padding
  
• CHEEVOS: Disallow achievements when spectating netplay
  
• CHEEVOS: Fix need-to-activate achievement logic for non-hardcore
  
• CHEEVOS: Don’t queue rewind re-init if already on main thread
  
• CHEEVOS: Ignore unofficial achievements unless setting is enabled
  
• CHEEVOS: Use SSL host when available
  
• CHEEVOS: Validate hashes for secondary discs in multi-disc games
  
• CHEEVOS: Ensure placard is initialized on main thread when game has no achievements
  
• CHEEVOS: Audit achievement settings defaults and visibility
  
• CHEEVOS: Show error message when no password provided
  
• CHEEVOS: Use widget for game loaded achievement progress
  
• CONFIG: Honor config_save_on_exit when Reboot/Shutdown is called
  
• DISK CONTROL: Focus on current content entry in Disk Control append/insert
  
• FRAMEDELAY: Auto Frame Delay Improvements – swap interval handling, D3DX handling, and delay target resets also on core restart. It should now work with high refresh rates and also with Direct3D 10/11/12 drivers
  
• INPUT/GYRO/ACCELEROMETER/ANDROID: Re-enable Gyroscope & Accelerometer when RetroArch resumes or regains focus
  
• INPUT/HID: Fix gamepad disconnect on unrecognized HID device
  
• LAKKA: Patch to fix keyboard typing
  
• LAKKA: CD-ROM eject menu item
  
• LAKKA/BLUETOOTH: Add option to remove pairing
  
• LAKKA/SWITCH: Disable rumble gain
  
• LAKKA/SWITCH: Disable cpu scaling, uses its own CPU governor
  
• LOGGING: Logging cleanups. A bunch of unifications and reformattings (capitalizations, dots, quotes, prefixes etc). Also added a few missing things, such as Run-Ahead error logging and LED interface init logging when it is enabled.
  
• NETPLAY: Networking – should not print country for a local lobby
  
• NETPLAY: Added setting to allow/disallow players other than the host from pausing the game.
  
• NETPLAY: Added a sublabel for netplay max connections.
  
• NETPLAY: Fixed port override macro from not being set immediately after the port setting.
  
• NETPLAY: Show passworded rooms on lobby
  
• NETWORK: Make HTTP header parsing case insensitive
  
• NETWORK/UPNP: Fixed memory leaks
  
• NETWORK/UPNP: Added a task_queue_wait to prevent executing two nat tasks at once, so it’s also thread safe now
  
• NETWORK/UPNP: Switch to a permanent lease time, but request it to be removed when we do netplay_free. Switch to a permanent lease time, but request it to be removed when we do netplay_free.
  
• NETWORK/UPNP: Only use a single interface for UPnP, return on the first one found instead of iterating over all of them and opening them one by one
  
• OVERLAYS: Revert changes
  
• RETROFW: Add OSS audio
  
• VIDEO/ROTATION: Always return false if rotation can’t occur. RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_SET_ROTATION should return false when rotation has been forcefully disabled in frontend, that way the core can decide if aspect ratio should be rotated or not for vertical games. Useful for FBNeo for instance.
  
• VULKAN: Avoid hard crash when capturing screenshot in emulating mailbox.
  
• WIIU: Make wiiu_gfx_load_texture code safer
  
• WIIU: Fix keyboard support.

1.9.14

ANDROID/PLAYSTORE: Implement MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission
ANDROID/PLAYSTORE: Bump up SDK level to 30 to comply with Play Store policies
AUDIO/MIXER: Increase sample buffer padding
CHEEVOS: Disallow achievements when spectating netplay
CHEEVOS: Fix need-to-activate achievement logic for non-hardcore
CHEEVOS: Don’t queue rewind re-init if already on main thread
CHEEVOS: Ignore unofficial achievements unless setting is enabled
CHEEVOS: Use SSL host when available
CHEEVOS: Validate hashes for secondary discs in multi-disc games
CHEEVOS: Ensure placard is initialized on main thread when game has no achievements
CHEEVOS: Audit achievement settings defaults and visibility
CHEEVOS: Show error message when no password provided
CHEEVOS: Use widget for game loaded achievement progress
CONFIG: Honor config_save_on_exit when Reboot/Shutdown is called
DISK CONTROL: Focus on current content entry in Disk Control append/insert
FRAMEDELAY: Auto Frame Delay Improvements – swap interval handling, D3DX handling, and delay target resets also on core restart. It should now work with high refresh rates and also with Direct3D 10/11/12 drivers
INPUT/GYRO/ACCELEROMETER/ANDROID: Re-enable Gyroscope & Accelerometer when RetroArch resumes or regains focus
INPUT/HID: Fix gamepad disconnect on unrecognized HID device
LAKKA: Patch to fix keyboard typing
LAKKA: CD-ROM eject menu item
LAKKA/BLUETOOTH: Add option to remove pairing
LAKKA/SWITCH: Disable rumble gain
LAKKA/SWITCH: Disable cpu scaling, uses its own CPU governor
LOGGING: Logging cleanups. A bunch of unifications and reformattings (capitalizations, dots, quotes, prefixes etc). Also added a few missing things, such as Run-Ahead error logging and LED interface init logging when it is enabled.
NETPLAY: Networking – should not print country for a local lobby
NETPLAY: Added setting to allow/disallow players other than the host from pausing the game.
NETPLAY: Added a sublabel for netplay max connections.
NETPLAY: Fixed port override macro from not being set immediately after the port setting.
NETPLAY: Show passworded rooms on lobby
NETWORK: Make HTTP header parsing case insensitive
NETWORK/UPNP: Fixed memory leaks
NETWORK/UPNP: Added a task_queue_wait to prevent executing two nat tasks at once, so it’s also thread safe now
NETWORK/UPNP: Switch to a permanent lease time, but request it to be removed when we do netplay_free. Switch to a permanent lease time, but request it to be removed when we do netplay_free.
NETWORK/UPNP: Only use a single interface for UPnP, return on the first one found instead of iterating over all of them and opening them one by one
OVERLAYS: Revert changes
RETROFW: Add OSS audio
VIDEO/ROTATION: Always return false if rotation can’t occur. RETRO_ENVIRONMENT_SET_ROTATION should return false when rotation has been forcefully disabled in frontend, that way the core can decide if aspect ratio should be rotated or not for vertical games. Useful for FBNeo for instance.
VULKAN: Avoid hard crash when capturing screenshot in emulating mailbox.
WIIU: Make wiiu_gfx_load_texture code safer
WIIU: Fix keyboard support.

We're happy to announce that Beetle PSX has been added to RetroArch Steam as core DLC!

Beetle PSX is a heavily modified fork of Mednafen's PSX module to the libretro API. It can be compiled in C++98 mode.

Notable additions in this fork are:

1. PBP and CHD file format support, developed by Zapeth
   
2. Software renderer internal resolution upscaling, implemented by simias
   
3. Vulkan and OpenGL renderers
   
4. High-resolution texture replacement
   
5. PGXP
   
6. Dynamic recompilers for increased performance

Link to the new DLC is here -
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1222630/RetroArch__Beetle_PSX/

The user guide can be found here -
https://docs.libretro.com/library/beetle_psx/

We're happy to announce that Prosystem has been added to RetroArch Steam as core DLC!

The ProSystem emulator is an A7800 emulator. It was originally written in C++ using the Windows API and DirectX. It runs the ANTSC and PAL TV standards. It was originally written by Greg Stanton and then updated by others. For libretro it has been rewritten in C and made more portable, along with some additional enhancements.

Link to the new DLC is here -

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1227481/RetroArch__ProSystem/

The user guide can be found here -

https://docs.libretro.com/library/prosystem/

We're happy to announce that gpSP has been added to RetroArch Steam as core DLC!

gpSP is one of the fastest emulators of a very popular 32bit handheld game console released in the early '00s. It was originally made for that console's biggest competitor, quite a feat at the time and as a result it is very hard to beat in terms of performance. It has also recently seen numerous improvements over the original release by dedicated contributors who keep improving this emulator.

Link to the new DLC is here -

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1227468/RetroArch__gpSP/

The user guide can be found here -

https://docs.libretro.com/library/gpsp/

We're happy to announce that Caprice32 has been added to RetroArch Steam as core DLC!

Caprice32 is a software emulator of the CPC 8-bit home computer series that were manufactured by the British company between 1984 and 1993. The hardware has great features, like an operating system, CP/M and a HIRES display mode of 80-column. Its custom Gate-array and CRTC chips, exclusively designed, allows scroll effects, custom graphics modes, overscan, and many more.

The emulator faithfully imitates the CPC464, CPC664, CPC6128, CPC6128+ and GX4000 models. By recreating the operations of all hardware components at a low level, the emulator achieves a high degree of compatibility with original CPC software.

Link to the new DLC is here -
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1227454/RetroArch__Caprice32/

The user guide can be found here -
https://docs.libretro.com/library/caprice32/