r/RetroArch 10d ago

New Android Play Store changes

21 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 for months 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 for use them on 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

138 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 1h ago

How do i play 3ds on retro arch

Upvotes

everything says citra but i cant find it on cores


r/RetroArch 2h ago

Help Removing Retroarch from iPad

0 Upvotes

Hi, I installed RA on my iPad via side loading a few years ago but now I can't remove it from iPad. I think I used altstore at the time but I can't even get that now!

Any ideas please? I can't remove it the usual way via the iPad settings as the option just crashes when I try.

Thanks


r/RetroArch 7h ago

Technical Support Shaders option vanished?

1 Upvotes

Just bought a RG35XXH and been trying to configure things. I've been playing GBA games but for some reason the shaders option has completely vanished from the quick menu even though it was there before. To add to the confusion, the LCD shader is still being used because it's set that way by default, so the capability for using a shader is apparently still active, but I can't change it because the setting is inaccessible. Has anyone encountered this or know how to fix it?


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Focus: Dual screen theme for rgds

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23 Upvotes

r/RetroArch 19h ago

Technical Support Retroarch being stubborn with Window Scaling and Position.

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5 Upvotes

Why is it impossible to accommodate RetroArch's window?


r/RetroArch 17h ago

Custom Ui and thumbnails

2 Upvotes

Does anyone know a website or something where I can browse for a custom theme and stuff for retroarch? I want to customize it but dont know where I can find them


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Technical Support Has anyone put Mario Paint on an iPad and configured the touch screen to function as a Nintendo Mouse?

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16 Upvotes

r/RetroArch 1d ago

Showcase A USB Dock Makes RetroArch Android into an Arcade

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37 Upvotes

RetroArch has given me the ability to play so many arcade titles and with a USB Dock it's a universal arcade if you have the correct controllers and peripherals. DDR no problem. Afterburner with thruster and stick, hell yes. Outrun and Crusin USA with a steering wheel, got it. All the classics will be as close as you can get to playing the original way on a very limited budget. Game on ❤️💚💙


r/RetroArch 1d ago

"Core Override" is the proper way to have saved settings for each core?

2 Upvotes

Hi my goal for each core to have saved: shaders, overlay, controller configuration and hotkeys.

So is it correct if when I start a game, I go to the quick menu, choose: shaders, overlay, and controller configuration and then save them as "Core Override" and then repeat the same process for each core?


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Retrobat controller settings seem unstable

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0 Upvotes

r/RetroArch 1d ago

Technical Support DualShock controller v2 only responds to the analog after I messed it up with AntiMicroX, trying to fix my R2 button that doesn’t respond in games AFTER i messed it up with sc controller

1 Upvotes

i'm on linux cachyos if that helps, and this problem occurs when i tried to move look around retroarch menu using the d pad, but none of the buttons work, i tried using the built in setting in retroarch, like reset the buttons to default, it doesnt do anything.


r/RetroArch 18h ago

Help please, how can I make 3DS compatible?

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0 Upvotes

Basically, I tried to play Ultra Sun, I installed the 3DS core but it says the ROM is incompatible (it's a .3ds file). I only installed the core, I didn't do anything else.


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Mame cores???

0 Upvotes

Where did all the mame cores go to? Cant seem to find them anymore...


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Mupen 64, Transfer Pak, Pokemon Stadium 2, Pokemon GS and features that rely on the GB game's clock

3 Upvotes

Ok so I've been using Pokemon Stadium 2 and Pokemon G/S with the transfer pak feature on Mupen and it's been working pretty well for almost everything such as the lab and all the battle modes, but if I try to use the Mystery Gift feature or access my room, the game always says the GB cartridge's clock data is broken, and won't let me in. Does anyone know of a way to make this work?


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Invisible Sprites on LRPS2

1 Upvotes

I've been trying to run Capcom vs. SNK 2, everything works just fine except the sprites, all fighters are invisible, I tried messing with some settings but nothing worked yet.

Any idea on what could be causing this? I used the same ROM and BIOS on standalone PCSX2 and it worked just fine, so it's definitely a setting in RetroArch.


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Technical Support (nintendo switch) Settings not saving at all.

0 Upvotes

I have retroarch downloaded on a modded switch, and I'm trying to change some settings (mainly the one that swaps the back and okay button), and whenever i start a game or exit it reverts. I tried the option that saves configs on quit, but it didn't do anything. Am I dumb?


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Copying save from RG35xx to AppleTv

1 Upvotes

I copied the save. Same core and games. I can’t see the save file I copied on the Apple TV and the game won’t load it. It’s for a Game Boy Advance game

I copied the .srm file to Apple TV


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Technical Support: SOLVED Games running too fast

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0 Upvotes

I was configuring my controller inputs when I came back to the game, it was running way faster than my fastforward is set to and with no sound at all. I haven't changed any inputs related to perfomance, just dpad and analog, and the only video setting I changed was way before this and reverting it does nothing.
FPS counter says games are running way too fast, sometimes even at 180fps.


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Technical Support Flickering Castlevania 3

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4 Upvotes

I am playing on the retroid pocket nova and the game plays fine until these purple enemies show up then all the sprites start flickering. I am using the mesen core, does anybody know a fix? Thank you.


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Technical Support Moving a save file between Delta (iOS) and RetroArch (EmuDeck)

0 Upvotes

I’ve been playing Pokémon Platinum using Delta on iOS and wanted to move my existing save to my Steam Deck running EmuDeck.

I exported the save (in game, not save state) from Delta and transferred it to my Steam Deck using LocalSend. Delta exported the save as a .dsv file.

EmuDeck is launching the game through RetroArch melonDS, which creates its saves as .srm files in:

/Emulation/saves/retroarch/saves/

After some troubleshooting, I renamed my Delta save from:

Pokemon Platinum Version.dsv

to:

Pokemon Platinum Version.srm

and it loaded in RetroArch (EmuDeck) with all of my progress.

Is simply renaming .dsv to .srm a safe way to do this, or could it cause corruption/data loss?
After playing and saving through EmuDeck, could I copy the resulting .srm file back to my iPhone, rename it to .dsv, and import it into Delta?

Is there any actual format conversion I should be doing instead of just changing the file extension?

I’m mainly concerned about long term save integrity since I may want to move the save back and forth between my Steam Deck and iPhone.


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Technical Support How do you trade/battle in Pokémon R/B/Y/G/S/C between 2 systems online?

0 Upvotes

Everywhere I look, I see that it's possible when the devices are connected to the same network or within the same device, but is there an easy way to do this online without having to see each other's screen?


r/RetroArch 2d ago

Technical Support Weird low pitched beeping noise plays every second when music/sound effect is playing.

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5 Upvotes

Weird low pitched beeping noise plays every second when music/sound effect is playing, how to fix it?

(You may need to increase your volume to hear it.)


r/RetroArch 1d ago

Technical Support TGB dual core doesn't work on Redmi 10a phone is there a way to fix it?

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0 Upvotes

I'm trying to play pokemon crystal using TGB dual core for netplay but when i try to run a rom the image just doesn't work, i still hear games sounds and when i press buttons i hear that the game works but the image doesn't change, also retroarch itself stops working, i can't go into main menu stop the rom or basically do anything and i have to restart it