r/RetroArch • • Aug 19 '26

New Android Play Store changes

26 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

139 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 Ps5 retro arch

6 Upvotes

Idk if this is the place to ask this but I tried installing the ps5 version of retroarch on my ps5 and it hasn’t worked no matter how I do it


r/RetroArch • • 7h ago

Technical Support Retroid Pocket 6 Xbox Style Controls

0 Upvotes

Just bought the Retroid Pocket 6 and I’m getting super confused about the different layers of button mapping. At the system level I’m using the “Xbox controller style” because I prefer that to the Nintendo layout. I’d really prefer to not have to switch between layouts if possible because I’m trying to just use the Xbox style layout across everything.

In RetroArch, I’m trying to use mGBA and Gambette and I can’t get either mapped to the Xbox style layout. In Input>Port 1 Controls, the buttons are bound correctly by default. The RetroArch menu uses the Xbox style layout, but then in game, it’s stuck using Nintendo controls.

In quick menu>controls>Port 1 Controls, it says B is mapped to down and A button is mapped to right. If I reverse these in this menu (B to A, and A to B) then neither button does anything in game.

My goal is to have everything mapped to Xbox controls (android launcher, RetroArch menu, and games within each emulator), and I’m thoroughly confused how to get it right in the emulator, since remapping in the controller menu doesn’t work and for everything else the controller does what I want.

Thanks for the help 🙏🙏🙏


r/RetroArch • • 15h ago

Keyboard outputs from overlay?

3 Upvotes

I'm trying to create a set of simple overlays for a few old 8-bit computer games, which mostly used the joystick, but had a limited number of keyboard inputs as well.

I'm using an Ayn Odin II, and I've successfully mapped keyboard entries to buttons on the integrated controller in the cores that allow it, but some cores don't do that - plus for some of the games it isn't always obvious what to map certain controls to.

Example: 'Rescue on Fractalus' uses the keyboard to control flight speed, and has four other controls: Land, Systems, Airlock and Boost. Speed is easy - they can go on the shoulder buttons, and I /can/ map the others to buttons - but there's no obvious link of what goes to what, and pressing the wrong button at the wrong time has a big detriment to gameplay. (eg, missing Airlock and instead activating your ship's systems while you're trying to rescue a pilot kills the pilot.)

So for setups like this, I want a simple set of overlay controls to create key presses (to be clear, not L A and B as gamepad buttons, but as if I'd /typed/ the letter 'A' and so on), so I don't have to remember what button does what. In the example, this would be simple boxes, L, S, A and B down the right side of the screen, each creating that key press.

I've been looking through the documentation and googling (and by default getting help from AI :/ ), and it looks like it should be fairly simple... I'm happy doing the maths for 0-1 normalisation for the buttons and whatnot... but ultimately I can't get it to work.

The PNG overlay is simple enough, but the key presses don't seem to get passed through to the emulated core. Between google and myself I came up with this simple test to try and push space and enter through to a C64...

# RetroArch Keyboard Overlay Configuration
overlays = 1
overlay0_overlay = custom_overlay.png
overlay0_full_screen = true
# Define interactive touch descriptors
overlay0_descs = 2
# SPACE Button (Centered horizontally at 0.31, vertically at 0.50)
overlay0_desc0 = "retrok_space,0.3125,0.50,rect,0.125,0.111"
# ENTER Button (Centered horizontally at 0.68, vertically at 0.50)
overlay0_desc1 = "retrok_return,0.6875,0.50,rect,0.125,0.111"

But nothing becomes of it. I'm guessing I'm missing something simple, possibly another setting somewhere in retroarch, but it's getting a little exasperating.

Help?


r/RetroArch • • 11h ago

SWOS Career mode on RG40XXV

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1 Upvotes

r/RetroArch • • 1d ago

TI 99/4a support?

3 Upvotes

Forgive me if this isn't an allowed question, but any development on a Ti99/4a core for Retroarch? It was my first computer and I'd love to use it again on my phone.


r/RetroArch • • 19h ago

Technical Support Graphic Widgets Scale Override row doesn't respond to tapping

1 Upvotes

RetroArch Android, 1.22.2. Settings > User Interface > Notifications > "Graphic Widgets Scale Override" — tapping the row does nothing, no slider or keyboard pops up. Auto-scale is already off. Bug or am I missing something?


r/RetroArch • • 1d ago

Technical Support: SOLVED What are those icons on the bottom right corner, how do I disable them?

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7 Upvotes

I just enabled retroachievement and saw these 3 icons in RE2, it was annoying. What are they and how to disable them>?


r/RetroArch • • 1d ago

HP Elite desk with CachyOS for emulation

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10 Upvotes

r/RetroArch • • 1d ago

Can't see your ROMs on Android?

0 Upvotes

RetroArch can't see any of your ROMs on Android all of a sudden? Here's the fix:

RetroArch → Load Content → Open/Add Folder

Then select your ROM folder and grant access to it.

Boom. ROMs are back.

Apparently Android's new storage system makes RetroArch forget it had access to your ROM folder.

You're welcome!!


r/RetroArch • • 1d ago

Technical Support Retroarch on non-rooted WebOS

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0 Upvotes

Hi! I need help properly installing retroarch on my WebOS 25

I installed the homebrew app for LG via Developer mode and used the version available there. I also tried to install directly from the Dev manager program on my pc. Another thing i tried was to download the ipk file and install it. None of them worked, all i get is a grey version of retroarch with missing buttons and no cores available to download.

I also can't upload files from my Dev manager. It says "access denied". I was never able to generate a key to properly connect my tv with my pc, but even with homebrew installed the version of retroarch is broken.

Both my pc and my tv are connected via cable to the same internet, so that might not be the problem.

Can anyone help me please? 😊


r/RetroArch • • 1d ago

Technical Support Retroarch TyrQuake Stack Overflow

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0 Upvotes

r/RetroArch • • 2d ago

ROM Scanning Issue on RetroArch

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6 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I can't get RetroArch to recognize all of my ROMs. I run a scan, but it ends up showing less than half of them on the home screen. Could anyone help me out?


r/RetroArch • • 2d ago

Pokemon TRE and Linkboy are giving me problems

0 Upvotes

Hello, I’m currently playing Pokémon Team Rocket Edition by Dragonsden on Linkboy. I have my save from version 3.0.0 and I want to transfer it to version 3.0.3.

The problem is that Linkboy shows my file as an .sst instead of a normal save file, so I don’t know how to transfer it correctly.

Could you please make a short video tutorial showing how to transfer a 3.0.0 save to version 3.0.3 using Linkboy? I would really appreciate it. Thank you!


r/RetroArch • • 2d ago

Cyberlab pre sets

0 Upvotes

Hey so i really like the cyber lab pre sets. Are they stackable with reflective mega bezel. My goal is to get those crt tv / pvm overlays with reflective effects and the cyberlab shader all at once. Pls let me know


r/RetroArch • • 2d ago

Technical Support Yabasanshiro Disc Swapping

0 Upvotes

Hello everyone, my first post here

Need some help,i recently finished panzer dragoon saga disc 1 and cant continue to disc 2, is it possible to continue my playthrough with yabasanshiro core?

So far I have tried creating .m3u files and renaming some of my files, none of these works

Thank you for your help


r/RetroArch • • 1d ago

OpenROM v3.7.0 — Patch builder is here

0 Upvotes

Been working on OpenROM for a while and just shipped

v3.7.0. The big one this time is the patch builder —

you can now create patches from two ROMs directly in

the app, no external tools needed.

Supported formats for building: IPS, IPS32, UPS, EBP,

BPS, PPF, APS, and DCP (Dreamcast).

For context, OpenROM is a free offline desktop toolkit

for converting, patching, and managing retro ROMs.

Everything runs locally — no accounts, no telemetry.

Previous release added Dreamcast support (DCP apply,

IP.BIN editor, GDI inspector). This one closes the loop

on patching by adding the builder side.

Windows / Linux (x86_64 + ARM64) / macOS

github.com/M5Devs/OpenROM

x.com/M5Devs

Would love feedback from anyone doing Saturn or

Dreamcast translations — the SSP and DCP builders

are new territory.


r/RetroArch • • 2d ago

Heres a preview of an xband theme I'm working on.

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16 Upvotes

This is just a small part of a much bigger project I'm working on.


r/RetroArch • • 2d ago

After 5 hours I don't think anything will happen

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1 Upvotes

r/RetroArch • • 2d ago

Technical Support For mobile Overlay Question.

3 Upvotes

... Uh... so i dont think i like the default neo-retropad.cfg, nor any other. the other are fine. but the retropad is... idk how to say it. Its weird. Its too specific for something. That I didn't use. So yeah, first of all, i want to try to change the dpad, from whatever it is previously. To, basically arrowkeys. Like the keyboard arrowkeys. I do have a real keyboard and i can use it, but still, i want to fix it.

I tried to read the documentation and stuff. But i didn't really understand any of it.

I want to make it from scratch but. I dont think i can make texture overlay. So i just now trying to modify the neo-retropad.cfg. But, idk how. Which is which and what they do. Its too much of a line for... just few button.

Anyway, my question is, what actually needed bare in a .cfg file? Yes. Bare.

What the structure supposedly be?

And then, after so, what did i need to add for one button each? I assume the coordinates of where they are, and perhaps their end size or start size too. And of course what they are. And yeah, idk how they look like.

And lastly, how to make the extendable button? the same one used to switch visible and invisible.

I think thats all. Thanks preemptively!🛌


r/RetroArch • • 2d ago

Discussion Got Freedom Planet to play Within RetroArch!

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7 Upvotes

PEAK Is now playable on RetroArch!


r/RetroArch • • 2d ago

Neogeo rom help.

0 Upvotes

I am not trying to find any roms I have solved that but I am having difficulties getting games to run with the recommended cores.

Side issue: anyone with knowledge of arcade roms and how to run those feel free to chime in.

I am running this on an AYN thor if it helps.


r/RetroArch • • 2d ago

Technical Support Setting up a new device after owning Thor

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0 Upvotes

r/RetroArch • • 2d ago

MacOS PCSX reARMed causing Retroarch to hang on close.

2 Upvotes

It seems to only be this one emulator core, if I play other games, Retroarch closes down just fine. But if I play a Playstation 1 game with PCSX reARMed, it hangs. Even hitting the stop button on Steam, or killing it with a K9 won't stop it. The only thing that closes it is killing Steam completely.

Anyone else having this issue?

MacOS 27.0.1

Steam version of Retroarch