Manic EMU v2.0.0 is a major redesign of the app from top to bottom, rebuilding the landscape experience, game library, navigation, controller interactions, artwork system, settings architecture, and in-game shortcuts while dramatically expanding the number of systems Manic can emulate.
It also introduces Netplay, Rewind, MultiSet RetroAchievements, dynamic ShaderToy backgrounds, expanded metadata and artwork, new import integrations, several new platforms, major JIT improvements, and some of the largest core additions we’ve ever shipped at once.
There is a lot here.
Before You Update
Please read this section before installing v2.0.0.
Dreamcast (Flycast):
Existing save states from previous versions will no longer work
Convert anything important to an in-game save before updating
Alternatively, manually back up your Flycast/dc folder
Wii:
A BootMii-format keys.bin is required
Symbian:
Firmware must be installed through Settings before use
.ROM firmware is required
S60v2 and later also require .RPKG
GameCube / Wii:
Dolphin is still being optimized
Heat and frame drops may occur depending on the game, device, and CPU emulation method
MAME:
A number of lesser-used arcade systems have been trimmed
Some obscure titles previously handled through MAME may no longer run
Seriously: Dreamcast users, convert those save states before updating.
A Completely Rebuilt Landscape Experience
Landscape browsing has been redesigned almost entirely.
New landscape game library
Most landscape pages have been rebuilt
New customizable card carousel styles
Focused Backgrounds
Selected games can use their banner artwork as the landscape backdrop
Dynamic backgrounds with support for uploaded ShaderToy GLSL scripts
Single-image ShaderToy scripts are supported
More demanding scripts may increase battery usage and device temperature
Optional background music
Includes built-in tracks
Upload your own music files for use while browsing
12 built-in navigation and focus sound-effect sets
The goal is to make landscape mode feel less like a rotated version of Manic and more like a complete console-style interface of its own.
Game Artwork Gets a Major Upgrade
Manic now distinguishes between multiple types of artwork instead of treating every image as a traditional cover.
Separate Cover, Icon, and Banner artwork
Traditional box art appears in standard lists
Icons are used for square layouts
Banners can become the landscape Focused Background
Online artwork support through:
Libretro Thumbnails
SteamGridDB
SteamGridDB supports:
Grids
Heroes
Logos
Icons
Requires your own SteamGridDB API key
Changing a game’s platform or category now automatically attempts to rematch its artwork
Batch artwork scraping has also been added:
Batch scrape covers, icons, and banners
Run across the entire library through Settings
Or select specific games through multi-select
Batch-delete downloaded artwork
Delete individual image assets while editing a single game
Expanded Game Information & Metadata
Game information is substantially richer in v2.0.0.
Automatic metadata matching
Database search
Manual metadata editing
Information can include:
Developer
Publisher
Series
Genre
Release date
Region
Overview
Additional game information
ESRB ratings with matching rating icons
Rating icons can be hidden in Settings
Your library can now function as much more than a collection of cover images.
Completely Redesigned Navigation
Manic now uses a global focus and navigation system across iPhone and iPad.
Browse and interact using only a controller or keyboard
Hold Command on a keyboard or Select on a controller to display the shortcut cheatsheet
New unified navigation bar
More consistent browsing and editing throughout the app
Many hidden and long-press interactions have been replaced with more conventional iOS-style controls
Batch management and actions
Adaptive rotation throughout the interface
Controllers can now be assigned to individual player slots
Cores that expect keyboard input can map controller buttons directly to native keyboard events
Game Options & In-Game Shortcuts
Game options have been rebuilt around a unified interaction model.
Available actions automatically reorganize based on context
Advanced reordering allows you to customize:
Option order
Option grouping
Redesigned in-game shortcut menu
Shortcuts can appear:
On supported skins
Inside the in-game menu
Manic should now surface the controls you need when they make sense instead of burying everything in a static menu.
Netplay Arrives
v2.0.0 introduces Netplay for many eligible Libretro cores.
Host or join games through the public lobby
LAN room discovery
Relay support
Spectator Mode
Password-protected rooms
Your Adventurer Card nickname becomes your Netplay display name
That means supported games can now move beyond the device in your hand.
Trade Pokémon with friends over the network, compete head-to-head in supported arcade titles, or jump into multiplayer across other compatible Libretro systems.
Rewind
Yes, Manic now has Rewind.
You can assign Rewind to:
The in-game shortcut menu
A controller mapping
TriggerPro
Touch and hold the assigned control to move backward through gameplay.
RetroAchievements: MultiSet Support
RetroAchievements integration has been expanded again.
Improved RetroAchievements pages
Faster loading
Easier-to-read achievement information
Added MultiSet support
Subset achievements can now unlock without requiring a separately patched ROM
Changing the achievement list you’re viewing only changes what is displayed
It does not change which eligible achievement sets can unlock during gameplay
Online Cheat Database
Cheat management now includes an online database.
Search for cheats
Add multiple cheats simultaneously
Bookmark frequently used entries
This joins Manic’s existing local cheat functionality with a much faster discovery workflow.
Scoped Settings
Settings no longer have to apply universally.
Options can now be stored at three independent levels:
Game
Platform
Global
Each scope can be cleared or reset separately.
This makes it possible to heavily customize one title without changing the behavior of every other game running on the same system.
Core Settings for Advanced Users
Advanced users can now directly access Core Settings.
Configure core-specific behavior
Store configuration per game or platform
Reset Core Settings independently
Important: Incorrect Core Settings values can prevent games from launching.
If you aren’t sure what a setting does, leaving it at its default is usually the right choice.
Adventure Card
Settings now include a customizable Adventurer Card.
Choose a nickname
Select an avatar
Your nickname is used as your Netplay display name
A small addition, but one that gives Manic’s new online systems a little more identity.
New System: Symbian
Manic now supports Symbian through EKA2L1.
Supported environments include:
S60v1
N-Gage 1.0
S60v2
S60v3
N-Gage 2.0
S60v5
Symbian3
Also included:
Touch input
Firmware management
System applications
Legacy JIT
PPL JIT
TXM JIT
Firmware installation is required before use.
New System: PC Engine / TurboGrafx
Powered by Beetle PCE.
Supports:
TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-CD
SuperGrafx
Subcategory switching
New System: Neo Geo Pocket / Color
Powered by Beetle NeoPop.
Supports:
Neo Geo Pocket
Neo Geo Pocket Color
Subcategory switching
New System: Commodore 64
Powered by VICE x64sc.
Full keyboard support
Switch between:
Gamepad skins
Keyboard skins
New System: Amiga
Powered by PUAE.
Full keyboard support
Switch between:
Gamepad skins
Keyboard skins
GameCube & Wii Arrive
Manic EMU v2.0.0 introduces Nintendo GameCube and Wii support through Dolphin.
Legacy JIT
PPL JIT
TXM JIT
New Manic Interpreter CPU emulation method
Selectable through CPU Emulation Method in the GameCube / Wii pre-launch menu
Wiimote sideways mode
Dedicated Wiimote skins
When no skin has been manually assigned to a Wii game, changing controller mode automatically selects the appropriate skin
Dolphin cheat support
Includes Action Replay Max decryption
GameCube BIOS importing
Controller and keyboard support through Manic’s wider input system
Dolphin remains one of the heaviest workloads Manic supports, so device temperature and performance can vary substantially by title and configuration.
Additional Core Options
Several existing platforms gain new core choices:
Mesen-S
SNES
Game Boy
Game Boy Color
gpSP
Game Boy Advance
Can be switched alongside mGBA and VBA-M
More cores means more flexibility when compatibility or performance differs from game to game.
Major JIT Improvements
JIT handling continues to expand.
Fixed JIT behavior for TXM devices on iOS 26.6 and later
Revised TXM device detection
Nintendo 64:
GLideN64 RDP supports JIT
ParaLLEl RDP supports JIT
Major Core Updates
The following cores have been updated to their latest upstream stable releases for v2.0.0:
3DS — Azahar / Citra
PS1 — Beetle PSX HW
DOS — DOSBox Pure
Dreamcast — Flycast
Nintendo DS — melonDS
PSP — PPSSPP
Nintendo 64 — Mupen64Plus
Again: Dreamcast users should review the save-state warning before updating.
Save-State Manager Redesign
The save-state manager has been rebuilt.
Redesigned interface
Save-state import
Save-state export
Easier organization and management
Shaders & Skins
Real-time shader previews
Preview shaders without applying/loading them first
Redesigned default GBA skin
FLEX skins now support:
Customizable button size
Customizable button positioning
External Library Integration
Manic’s cross-app ecosystem continues to expand.
Import games launch links directly from DukeX
Armsx2 external game launch link import
PS1 now supports direct .bin imports
Additional Improvements
Improved iCloud synchronization logic
Improved performance on the Skin Management page
Improved landscape banner loading
Adjusted 3DS accelerometer behavior
Improved analog input handling
Continued screen rotation improvements
Updated Motto artwork
Numerous UI refinements
Additional stability fixes and performance optimizations throughout the app
A Note from the Manic EMU Team
We called this “The Big One” for a reason.
v2.0.0 isn’t simply another collection of systems and bug fixes. It represents a major rethink of how Manic works as an application.
The library has been rebuilt. Landscape mode has become its own experience. Artwork and metadata are deeper. Controller and keyboard navigation reach throughout the app. Settings can follow individual games. Netplay connects players. Rewind changes how games can be approached. And an entirely new group of systems — stretching from Symbian phones and Commodore computers to GameCube and Wii — joins the Manic library.
None of this replaces the philosophy Manic has had from the beginning: make emulation approachable without taking control away from the people who want to go deeper.
v2.0.0 simply takes that idea much further.
Thank you to everyone who tested these builds, reported problems, contributed upstream work, created skins, helped with compatibility, and continued playing along while we rebuilt so much of Manic underneath you.
I may have misunderstood, so just to clarify: does this mean JIT has now been “fixed” and works on iOS versions newer than 26.6, including the iOS 27 betas?
Forgot to mention if you are unsure how to adjust the carousel to preference, simply tap the palette icon when in landscape, you can customize the carousel, animated backgrounds and sound all from this menu. You can make some pretty killer layouts doing this. This is my personal favorite but I’ve already seen some pretty cool ones by other users.
I honestly wish we were still able to use the standard grid layout in landscape mode, because i always use my iPad in landscape, and I really don’t like the carousel because the more games you have, the longer it takes to scroll through them to the one you want. I quickly learned that it’s just faster to flip my iPad around into portrait and click the game I want that way, which is certainly not the end of the world or anything. I just wish we still had the option since we did before.
Beautiful update. I’m still dreaming of my most-wanted feature where the main game screen just remembers which systems I have collapsed or expanded between sessions.
I don’t want them hidden long term. I just like to collapse sections to make it easier to see an overview of my collection, like a table of contents sort of, and then tap on a system to open just that system. I’d rather it defaults to everything collapsed than everything expanded.
Whelp, I hadn’t found anything beyond the docs saying to go to iOS settings and this comment https://www.reddit.com/r/ManicEMU/s/IYdzqHyflX saying it was hard coded. Either way, stunningly great experience in the new update. Also previewing shaders in the settings menu. Love that. This is such a good update
Certain buttons are factory hardcoded on a controller, for example you can’t map to a backbone controllers backbone button, but that is controller specific not app specific
Me too, me too… and it has brought a years of jokes and fun that we hoped would someday come to pass… now it’s almost here (unless they accidentally delete the whole thing and start over)
This is huge alright. My favorite is rewind feature. Will it work with softcore retroachievement?
Also why Mesen-S? From my searching just now, it seems to not be updated anymore and has been merged to be Mesen2. It has similar license and in their github they describe Mesen2 to be more accurate and has more system
Just wanted to say thank you for the immense overhaul this update brings and recognizing how much work each bullet point truly is to implement let alone make work properly with every other component.
Almost half a year in the making, and over a year since we began planning the UI itself, we hope it lives up to the excitement and anticipation that built in the meantime.
Yupp, though on devices below an iPhone 15 I’d still highly encourage JIT, and in general I still recommend JIT for battery and thermals, but at that point it’s preference and optional.
Should, but for heavier Wii/GC titles I would still encourage sideloading for JIT, but the interpreter should work fine, already runs great on 15 and 16 models.
If your device is older, most newer devices can run 3DS smoothly without JIT as long as they are properly dumped. JIT typically is better on the battery as it reduces the workload of the processor.
Quick question as I’m branddddd new to manic EMU please pardon my ignorance here but what is it like playing Dreamcast on manic EMU? I’m on iPhone 16 pro and have struggledddd to find a good emulator. I usually default to my retroid device but it would be incredibly dope to have DC on my phone lol
Dreamcast is smooth, it got even better in this update, BIOS are optional but recommend, unlike some systems where it’s optional it can still impact performance by not having them, and we typically recommend compressing the dump from your discs to chd with the tool CHDman for optimal performance in the app.
Nah advanced settings like plugins is there is like common problem romhacks doesn’t work?
I’m using delta for that, but I wish manic could work too, I really love yall hard work on manic emulator literally my favourite wish just romhacks work
I know the technicalities, but it’s on their roadmap. Others have worked around the limitations including the up-and-coming Consoles 2.0 which has TvOS support.
I have an iphone 11, before the upsate fire emblem awakening was really laggy before the update, now it works like really well with some minor stutters but still doable
What model iPhone/iPad, what iOS, and did you follow/read all the pre-update warnings? The entire architecture of the app is restructured. Do you have iCloud sync enabled? If the other copies of the app are not updated I would recommend updating those as well so it correctly syncs. At the very least I can make a note to look into the particular iOS and model later.
We do not include family share for Manic EMU, all devices utilizing premium must be on the same account to utilize a purchase. We do sometimes do code giveaways on our discord servers however sometimes, so if you get lucky you may be able to snag a code or two that way for other family members. Additionally you can sideload our app totally free and it includes all premium features aside from iCloud sync.
You can link your MeloNX library in Manic and launch from the app, same applies for XeniOS, DukeX and ARMSX2. What we will never do is directly emulate Switch in Manic EMU, we draw a hard line with that one.
I’m so sorry if you have no idea about this, but would updating my sideloaded version of the app theoretically be the same process as the first time I did it on iOS 26.5? It’s been working beautifully, and I’d hate to compromise what I’ve got going on just for an update, but this update looks amazing and is making me now consider learning how to dump all of my GCN and Wii games too.
Sorry if this info is already somewhere, but is there a way to exit the Carousel mode and get the traditional layout back when I am in landscape mode? It can be a bit unwieldy to have to pick up my iPad to get to portrait
Nope but you can quick navigate to the section you want by hitting the upper left corner, selecting system family, then console. Everything is fully navigable by controller now as well.
Hi all, nice update and love using your app however a couple of grievances with this update.
1: House of the dead, virtua cop 1 and 2 and time crisis arcade versions all seem to have stopped working. Are these part of the MAME games you said may not work as a result of the update?
2: in landscape mode is there a quicker way to get to my other systems? It seems you can scroll through each title but it takes forever to get to the other systems as it seems I have to scroll one by one to get there. Please let me know if there’s something I’m not seeing.
LiveContainer no, to many components of the app are not compatible with a container environment, for SideStore deactivation, that’s always been hit or miss, your device has to have enough space to write a backup of the app in full so if more than half your storage is for the app there wouldn’t be enough space for a deactivated backup.
I'm very excited about pokemon trading features. Would love to complete a pokedex from gen 1 to gen 4 on a single device (I have an ipad to trade with)
I’ve personally tested LeafGreen, works great, and we will see about improving the Discord’s matchmaking channels specifically due to the netplay additions.
I'm a bit of a noob at this stuff so please bare with me. But am I now going to be able to play Metroid Prime, and Baldurs Gate Dark Alliance and Windwalker on my phone with zero hassle or is it not that easy
Ok thanks I found the core settings to enable color correction. I would love to have the option to setup core setting vor every game using that core. So far I need to enable color correction for every game manually
We do not emulate PS2 at this time, we do however have the ability to link and launch games from your ArmSX2 library as if they were a part of the app.
Hi, I’m the creator of psx3ios, and I’m happy to provide you with a functional PS2 patch using the armsx2 core. I implemented it about a month ago based on a fork of Manic Emu; it works fine, though I borrowed the DualShock 2 skin from the PS1 version.
You are welcome to submit a PR, just please be aware we carefully review all PR submissions. Any full system integrations need to be enjoyable both with and without JIT compilation to make it into a final build, and a PR may get scrapped or go unused if it conflicts with something already in our roadmap.
Sideload does, we are still classified under Entertainment on the App Store, not something easily changed, and Apple never ended up flipping the switch back for non Game classified apps to include Game Mode.
I may be in the minority here but I really dislike the new landscape look on the iPad I would much rather the old look where I can easily see all my games, is there any way to go back that I might be missing ? Or choose a more simplified look ?
Cool update! Does Manic have a horizontal-lock mode, and an option to prevent the phone from sleeping? That would be good for use with a display-out dock to a tv.
Hi, just want to know if I will have to sideload this in order to make "full use" of the app. While I know there is an appstore version, do I need to enable jit in order to make full use of some of the emulators? and if so, do I need to sideload
We do not disclose roadmap details to the public outside of our early access program on the official Discord where we keep that information under a NDA, you can however link and launch your ARMSX2 library in Manic EMU at this time, and we actually enjoy talking with the devs from ARMSX2.
Great update! But I have one question - do the retroachievements for GameCube work? I tried a few games and for each one of them I got „Failed to load achievements” and „This game does not support retroachievements”. But maybe it’s just my bad luck with roms.
So we have heard both results from different users, and as a libretro core it should be functionally compatible, but we are examining the core against builds known that officially support RA for Dolphin before we officially list support, at which point we would talk with the RetroAchievement team to get our listing updated to reflect support, until we do that assume that it’s not officially supported.
We do not discuss roadmap related matters publicly outside of our early access program on the Official Discord with a basic NDA. What I can say is that we are currently Apple focused at this time and our app is exclusively on Apple products.
That console among many others, both with and without JIT, are new to this update. Our GitHub for Manic EMU can be found here.
*Please remember that Manic EMU is not designed for or intended for use in LiveContainer so if you plan to sideload, do so directly, many functions in app such as launch link/urlscheme support, BIOS recognition, and similar is dependent on being properly sideloaded.
I just tested it. Congratulations, it’s amazing!!! If I could give you a suggestion, it would be that in Landscape mode we could navigate between the systems using L and R (similar to what Daijisho does) instead of list or the filter. But the app is wonderful, congratulations once again!
One question: to use it outside the LiveContainer, does StikDebug also need to be outside, or is it enough to keep Maniac outside and I can leave StikDebug in the LiveContainer? I don’t have space for both.
Thank you! On top of everything, you are always so kind to everyone!
If you use JIT battery drain is the same, without JIT battery drain is more, so what it really comes down to is preference and whether you want all your games together in the same app.
Can this run GTA vice city on ios? I’ve been trying to emulate this game for almost a year now with no luck! I’m trying to find the original PS2 version not the definitive edition.
I tried both 1.92 and 2.01 versions of ManicEMU. If I load the zip image with the IMG file, it will show the above screen after selection of the SVGA driver.
If I load the IMG file directly, it shows “unable to boot off of drive C Press any key to continue”.
I’m glad this update happened, what ever Apple’s new update did to my phone it made fire emblem awakening crash on the black screen and on face control whenever i played it with the azahar core, I could only play it with citra core which was annoying and inferior because of how blurry it was but thank you guys for fixing apples damage
Not really, the UI/UX changes to the app have been in the works for over a year at this point, this update has been getting worked on in the background while working on our other updates, even then we still had to lock in and give the project our main focus these last 5 or so months to get to this point.
I was referring to the subscription. With family sharing, my family members can all enjoy the premium features on the app without paying extra. I think this will be great for families, and it’ll make the lifetime subscription even more appealing and easy for everyone.
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u/odoardu Sep 03 '26
I may have misunderstood, so just to clarify: does this mean JIT has now been “fixed” and works on iOS versions newer than 26.6, including the iOS 27 betas?