Homebrew Retroarch just got a lot better!

[MarioKartFan]

If you haven’t been following along there has been an open Pull Request for months that significantly impacts the experience of using Retroarch on the 3DS. It was finally merged after three months yesterday.

For the first time, we have a proper bottom screen with save state, load state, and screenshot support. To use it you’ll need to download the latest nightlies.

Under Settings -> Savings you will want to enable screenshots for save states to get the full experience.

A properly configured Retroarch is extremely compelling now for N3DS owners.

 

[ber71]

Boy is RetroArch 1.9.9 going to be a doozy this weekend! On top of HDR for Direct3D 11/12 and AMD FSR support, the RetroArch 3DS port will also be gaining a bottom interactive touchscreen menu for the first time! #RetroArch #3DS pic.twitter.com/RXV3YWd4AS

— libretro (@libretro) September 4, 2021

 

[MetoMeto]

i wish those letters on bottom screen teling me to press arent there....

 

[MarioKartFan]

i wish those letters on bottom screen teling me to press arent there....

There’s already been discussion about having them fade out. But it’s a huge improvement over having a truncated console log.

 

[MetoMeto]

There’s already been discussion about having them fade out. But it’s a huge improvement over having a truncated console log.

It sure is!
Ugh..that log always bothered me, and never understood its purpose.

 

[CrashMidnick]

Awesome !!

 

[wanderindirk]

Does the PCSX core still work ok? I haven't been following this lately and heard that it was broken somehow...

 

[MarioKartFan]

PCSX core works great on nightlies.

 

[Benlo]

This might be a dumb question, but will injections using RetroArch be able to update to this new version? If not will there be a way to update RetroArch within, say, my PS1 injects?

 

[BETA215]

This might be a dumb question, but will injections using RetroArch be able to update to this new version? If not will there be a way to update RetroArch within, say, my PS1 injects?

Most probably, somebody will have to make a new injector program/app. NSUI isn't open source AFAIK, so unless the original dev updates it (not probable tbh), a new utility will have to appear. And that's up to any dev that feels like doing it.

 

[assassinz]

But this is not for original 3DS, right?

 

[BETA215]

But this is not for original 3DS, right?

RetroArch is for all 2|3DS models. Of course, cores will work better on "New" models, and I think work is made towards those models being the main focus of development. But you can try RetroArch on a o2DS/o3DS/o3DSXL and see how their cores run.

 

[MarioKartFan]

There’s already been discussion about having them fade out. But it’s a huge improvement over having a truncated console log.

Well, thanks to @MrHuu, the latest nightlies now fade out the bottom screen after about 6 seconds.

 

[Reploid]

Odd it wasn't around earlier, GUI like that is no brainer for 3ds

 

[MrHuu]

Well, thanks to @MrHuu, the latest nightlies now fade out the bottom screen after about 6 seconds.

Is there by any change someone with an old2ds (not XL) willing to try out the latest builds? I don't have one in my possession.

All 3DS devices are supported, but i like to be sure it works as intended.

 

[UltraSyko]

Does the PCSX core still work ok? I haven't been following this lately and heard that it was broken somehow...

The problem is only with games with multiple CD audio tracks in .CHD format. It was never broken with bin/cue and PBP format. Achievements also don't work in general with any CHDs.

 

[MetoMeto]

wait...is this only for new 3DS? cause i have an old one

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

RetroArch is for all 2|3DS models. Of course, cores will work better on "New" models, and I think work is made towards those models being the main focus of development. But you can try RetroArch on a o2DS/o3DS/o3DSXL and see how their cores run.

arent new 3ds's minority?

 

[BETA215]

Is there by any change someone with an old2ds (not XL) willing to try out the latest builds? I don't have one in my possession.

All 3DS devices are supported, but i like to be sure it works as intended.

I have an o2DS, what do you want to be tested? Tbh I don't use RetroArch much on it because of most cores speed, but I can test whatever you need.

wait...is this only for new 3DS? cause i have an old one

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------


arent new 3ds's minority?

Aren't old3DS users a minority compared to the DS userbase (keeping in mind you can run DS homebrew on DS/DSi/3DS/N3DS)? Yup, definitely.
Is a DS powerful enough to run most cores as intended? Definitely not. Neither an o3DS, or at least that's what devs say.
Try to play a SNES game using SNES9x 2010 core on a New3DS, and you'll see even a New3DS is underpowered to run SNES games.

 

[MetoMeto]

I have an o2DS, what do you want to be tested? Tbh I don't use RetroArch much on it because of most cores speed, but I can test whatever you need.

Aren't old3DS users a minority compared to the DS userbase (keeping in mind you can run DS homebrew on DS/DSi/3DS/N3DS)? Yup, definitely.
Is a DS powerful enough to run most cores as intended? Definitely not. Neither an o3DS, or at least that's what devs say.
Try to play a SNES game using SNES9x 2010 core on a New3DS, and you'll see even a New3DS is underpowered to run SNES games.

i run snes games fine on O3DSXL honestly. it runs at its limit in some games but very smoothly. gba also...no psx ofc.
Anywayy, didnt know that, i guess im gonna need to get my self a N3DS...

 

[BETA215]

i run snes games fine on O3DSXL honestly. it runs at its limit in some games but very smoothly. gba also...no psx ofc.
Anywayy, didnt know that, i guess im gonna need to get my self a N3DS...

Running some games fine doesn't means having 100% compatibility with all games (some with special hardware), nor it being accurate enough. That is SNES running as intended.

I mean, you can play Super Mario All-Stars on an original DS with SNEmulDS, it's playable. By that reasoning SNES works fine on DS, but it doesn't. And it's not dev's fault mainly, there's a hardware limitation to begin with.

GBA emulators don't run fast enough on o3DS, so I guess you're using VC injections or OPEN_AGB_FIRM, and that isn't emulation. Each 3DS has DS and GBA hardware inside, so you're running games natively without any emulation.