PS3 RetroArch v0.9.7 Multi-system Game Emulator is Released

39w ago - Following up on their previous releases, today PlayStation 3 homebrew developers Themaister and Squarepusher (aka Twin Aphex) have officially updated the PS3 Multi-system Game Emulator known as PS3 RetroArch to version 0.9.7 followed by v0.9.8 Beta 2, Beta 3 and Final with the changes below.

Download: RetroArch.PS3.v0.9.7.FOR.CFW.PS3 (20.00 MB) / RetroArch.PS3.v0.9.7.FOR.DEX.PS3 (91.56 MB) / RetroArch.PS3.v0.9.7.FOR.CFW.PS3 (Mirror - 19.81 MB) / RetroArch.PS3.v0.9.7.FOR.DEX.PS3 (Mirror - 89.42 MB) / Doom / Doom 2 / TNT / Plutonia Covers for multiMAN / Super Grafx Covers 2D Box Covers for multiMAN (Place them in the same folder as your WAD files) / GIT / SVN / RetroArch PS3 CEX 3.41-4.30 v0.9.7 / RetroArch-PS3-CFW-0.9.8-Beta2.pkg / Retroarch-PS3-CFW-0.9.8-Beta2-Kmeaw.pkg / RetroArch-PS3-CFW-0.9.8-beta2-Kmeaw.pkg (3.55) / RetroArch-PS3-CFW-0.9.8-Beta2.pkg (3.41) / RetroArch-PS3-CFW-0.9.8-Beta3.pkg / RetroArch-PS3-CFW-0.9.8-Beta3a.pkg / RetroArch Package Signed for 4.30 by deank (delete your old one before installing) / RetroArch v0.9.8 Beta 3 Unofficial Standalone Systems (3.55-4.21 CFW) / RetroArch v0.9.8 Beta 3 Unofficial Standalone Cores (4.30 CFW) / RetroArch v0.9.8 Beta 3 Unofficial Standalone Cores (3.55-4.21 CFW) by STLcardsWS / Original RetroArch Browser Module Activity via gDrive / RetroArch PS3 CFW 3.55 v0.9.8 Final (29 MB)

Changes from the previous v0.9.6 official release:

• Added Core: Mednafen_Wswan
  ---Bandai WonderSwan
  ---Bandai WonderSwan Color
  
• Added Core: Mednafen_PCE_fast
  ---Turbo GrafX 16 / PC-Engine
  ---Turbo GrafX CD / PC-Engine CD
  ---Super GrafX
  
• Core Update: Genesis_plus_gx
  --- Sega CD Support Added
  
• Added: multiMAN compatibility to all libretro cores
  
• Various changes under the hood and to the GUI.
  

From the PS3 NFO File:

RETROARCH PS3 - 0.9.7

RetroConsole Level: 2
Author: Themaister, Squarepusher/Twin Aphex

HOW TO INSTALL THIS

ON DEBUG (DEX) PS3

Put the PKG file 'retroarch-ps3-v0.9.7-dex.pkg' on your USB stick, put it in your PS3. Go to the PS3 XMB - go to the Game tab - Select 'Install Packages', and install the PKG file.

ON CFW P3

Put the PKG file 'retroarch-ps3-v0.9.7-cfw.pkg' on your USB stick. Put it in your CFW PS3. Go to the PS3 XMB - go to the Game tab - select 'Install Packages', and install the PKG file.

NOTE: The official release no longer supports Geohot/Wutangzra CFWs. If you must use them, you have to do pkg_finalize on the PKG to install it.

HOW TO USE THIS

On first startup, RetroArch will select one of the dozen or so emulator/game cores. The name of the core currently loaded will be shown at the top side of the screen.

You can now select a ROM that this core supports and load it in the Filebrowser.

To select a different core in the menu - press Select to go to the Settings screen. From here, go to the 'Retro tab', and select 'Default emulator core'. Press X to go to a filebrowser where you can select a different core. Press X to confirm, then exit RetroArch. Start up again to boot up to the new emulator core.

To change to a different core ingame - press R3 to bring up the 'Quick Menu'. Select 'Change libretro core'. Press X to go to a filebrowser where you can select a different core.

INGAME CONTROLS

During ingame operation you can do some extra actions:

• Right Thumb Stick - Down - Fast-forwards the game
  
• Right Thumb Stick - Up - Rewinds the game in real-time ('Rewind' has to be enabled in the 'Settings' menu - warning - comes at a performance decrease but will be worth it if you love this feature)
  
• RStick Left + R2 - Decrease save state slot
  
• Rtick Right + R2 - Increase save state slot
  
• RStick Up + R2 - Load selected save state slot
  
• RStick Down + R2 - Save selected save state slot
  
• L3 + R3 - Go back to 'Menu'/'Quick Menu'
  

WHAT IS RETROARCH?

RetroArch is a modular multi-system emulator system that is designed to be fast, lightweight and portable. It has features few other emulator frontends have, such as real-time rewinding and game-aware shading.

WHAT IS LIBRETRO?

Libretro is the API that RetroArch uses. It makes it easy to port games and emulators to a single core backend, such as RetroArch.

For the user, this means - more ports to play with, more crossplatform portability, less worrying about developers having to reinvent the wheel writing boilerplate UI/port code - so that they can get busy with writing the emulator/porting the emulator/game.

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?

Right now it's unique in that it runs the same emulator cores on multiple systems (such as Xbox 360, PS3, PC, Wii, Xbox 1, etc).

For each emulator 'core', RetroArch makes use of a library API that we like to call 'libretro'.

Think of libretro as an interface for emulator and game ports. You can make a libretro port once and expect the same code to run on all the platforms that RetroArch supports. It's designed with simplicity and ease of use in mind so that the porter can worry about the port at hand instead of having to wrestle with an obfuscatory API.

The purpose of libretro is to help ease the work of the emulator/game porter by giving him an API that allows him to target multiple
platforms at once without having to redo any code. He doesn't have to worry about writing input/video/audio drivers - all of that is supplied to him by RetroArch. All he has to do is to have the emulator port hook into the libretro API and that's it - we take care of the rest.

PLAYSTATION3 PORT

The PS3 port of RetroArch is one of the most developed console ports of RetroArch.

A couple of unique features RetroArch PS3 boasts that is not commonly found anywhere else:

• Game-aware shading in every emulator now (*)
  
• Real-time rewinding
  
• More shader features (motion blurring, etc)
  
• Switching between emulator cores seamlessly, and ability to install new libretro cores
  

Included with RetroArch PS3 are a bunch of shaders - including the latest versions of the popular xBR shader. It is possible to use two shaders simultaneously to get the best possible graphical look.

* Check out Opium2k's manual shaders for Zelda 3 and others - you can find DLC packs for RetroArch at this site: code.google.com/p/retro-arch/

EMULATOR/GAME CORES BUNDLED WITH PS3 PORT

The following emulators have been ported to RetroArch and are included in the PS3 release of RetroArch.

• Final Burn Alpha (Arcade - various) [version 0.2.97.26]
  
• FCEUmm (Nintendo Entertainment System) [recent SVN version]
  
• Gambatte (Game Boy | Super Game Boy | Game Boy Color) [version 0.5.0 WIP]
  
• Genesis Plus GX (Sega SG-1000 | Master System | Game Gear | Genesis/Mega Drive | Sega CD) [version 1.7.0]
  
• SNES9x Next (Super Nintendo/Super Famicom)
  
• VBA Next (Game Boy Advance)
  
• Prboom (for playing Doom 1/Doom 2/Ultimate Doom/Final Doom - Doom WADs)
  
• Mednafen PCE Fast (PC Engine/PC Engine CD/Turbografx 16)
  
• Mednafen Wonderswan (WonderSwan/WonderSwan Color/WonderSwan Crystal)
  

All of the emulators listed above are the latest versions currently available. Most of them have been specifically optimized so that they will run better on PS3 (some games would not reach fullspeed without these optimizations).

WHAT EXTENSIONS ARE SUPPORTED BY EACH CORE

• Prboom WAD|wad
  
• SNES9x Next smc|fig|sfc|gd3|gd7|dx2|bsx|swc|zip|SMC|FIG|SFC|BSX|GD3|GD7|DX2|SWC
  
• Genesis Plus GX md|smd|bin|gen|zip|MD|SMD|bin|GEN|ZIP|sms|SMS|gg|GG|sg|SG|cue|CUE
  
• VBA Next GBA|gba
  
• FCEUmm nes|NES|unif|UNIF
  
• Gambatte gb|gbc|dmg|zip|GB|GBC|DMG|ZIP
  
• Final Burn Alpha zip|ZIP
  
• Mednafen PCE pce|PCE|cue|CUE
  
• Mednafen Wonderswan ws|WS|wsc|WSC
  

ZIP SUPPORT

FOR EACH CORE (except for Final Burn Alpha)

There are three modes -

EXTRACT ZIP TO CURRENT DIR: When you press 'X' on a ZIP file in the File Browser, its contents will be extracted to the current directory. From there, you can load the RMO and play.

EXTRACT ZIP TO CURRENT DIR AND LOAD FIRST FILE: When you press 'X' on a ZIP file in the File Browser, its contents will be extracted to the current directory. The first ROM that was extracted from the ZIP file that is a ROM will be loaded automatically.

EXTRACT ZIP TO CACHE DIR: When you press 'X' on a ZIP file in the File Browser, its contents will be extracted to the /dev_hdd1/ partition. From there, you can load the ROM and play.

WARNING: Savestates and SRAM files that have been created by loading ROMs from the cache dir this way will be removed after RetroArch has been closed.

FOR FINAL BURN ALPHA

Selecting a ZIP file from the Filebrowser will load that game directly.

Troubleshooting

If you find that RetroArch no longer works for whatever reason, there is a way to get it back to work -

• Remove retroarch.cfg from the 'SSNE100000' folder, then start up again. The Libretro management service in RetroArch should automatically pick a random libretro core and write this to the config file.
  

What can you expect in the future?

• An official Android port of RetroArch (no, no App Store 'fee' - 'free' as in beer AND as in libre - will be the focal point of RetroArch 0.9.8)
  
• Port of NxEngine to libretro - runs Cave Story (PC version is already done, runs on big-endian consoles but has too many bugs to be playable)
  
• Port of MAME 0.72 to libretro
  
• Port of VICE to libretro
  
• Port of ScummVM to libretro
  
• More emulators, more games that will run on RetroArch
  
• Lots of other crazy ideas that might or might not pan out
  

Credits

• Mudlord for his Waterpaint/Noise shaders.
  
• Hyllian for the xBR shader.
  
• Opium2k for the nice manual shaders (bundled with PS3 release).
  
• Deank for assistance with RetroArch Salamander on CFW PS3s and Multiman interoperability.
  
• FBA devs for adopting the libretro port.
  
• Ekeeke for help with the Genesis Plus GX port.
  
• ToadKing for having done a lot of work on RetroArch Wii.
  
• Freakdave for helping out with the Xbox 1 port.
  

Websites

• Twitter: twitter.com/libretro
  
• Source: github.com/libretro
  
• Homepage: libretro.org
  
• Opium2K DLC for RetroArch: code.google.com/p/retro-arch/
  
• IRC: #retroarch (freenode)
  

Update: Below are some unofficial stand-alone builds as well from STLcardsWS:

Download: Standalone PKGs / RetroArch v0.9.7 (All Cores in One) / PS3 Emulator Uniform Pack v1.8 (Contains Images for Systems not emulated on the PS3 by Blackotoo)





Important Notes:

• These Standalone Emulators are not multiMAN/mmCM Compatible. (by making them standalone it breaks this feature)
  
• These are Unofficial PKGs (However each core is from the official 0.9.7 release except IMAMe4all)
  
• IMAME4all: This libretro core was made by the RetroArch developers but it was never officially released for the PS3 as they have plans for a better MAME port in the future. So any issue that arise from this core will not be fixed or attended to as it was scrapped for the PS3)
  
• MAME 0.37b5 Romset is required
  
• Saving/Loading is broken and will not be fixed
  
• Some Games on the 0.37b5 romset will not work (part of the reason why this older port was scrapped for the PS3)
  

Paths:

These are the Content IDs for each standalone if you want to use different images & sounds.

• SSNE99999 = RetroArch-Wonderswan
  
• SSNE88888 = RetroArch-SNES
  
• SSNE77777 = RetroArch-NES
  
• SSNE66666 = RetroArxch-Gameboy
  
• SSNE55555 = RetroArch-TurboGrafx16
  
• SSNE44444 = RetroArch-GameboyAdvance
  
• SSNE33333 = RetroArch-Genesis
  
• SSNE22222 = RetroArch-FBalpha (arcade)
  
• SSNE11111 = RetroArch-IMAME4all
  
• SSNE12121 = RetroArch-SG-1000
  
• SSNE13131 = RetroArch-Game Gear
  
• SSNE14141 = RetroArch-Master System
  
• SSNE15151 = RetroArch-Turbo Grafx CD (aka TurboDuo)
  
• SSNE16161 = RetroArch-Super Grafx
  
• SSNE17171 = RetroArch-Sega CD
  
• SSNE65432 = RetroArch prBoom
  
• SSNE54321 = RetroArch Neo-Geo
  

Credits/Thanks:

• SquarePusher (for his continued work on the PS3 port of RetroArch)
  
• Blackotoo (for making a great Uniformed Images for all the emulators)
  
• Aldostools (for all his great tools that made this process very easy)
  
• pete_uk (for all his unofficial compiles of RetroArch)
  

RetroArch PS3 CFW v0.9.8 Beta 2 Changelog: Latest build: 21/11/2012

RetroArch 0.9.8 BETA2 - Commit: github.com/Themaister/RetroArch/tree/897167789f935d0adf5c7f51a1bc39b7b810f4e8

Included Cores:

• Snes9x Next - Super Nintendo
  
• FCEU_MM - Nintendo Famicom / NES
  
• Gambatte - Gameboy & Gameboy Color
  
• VBA Next - Gameboy Advance
  
• Final Burn Alpha v0.2.97.26 - Arcade
  
• PR-Boom - Doom, Doom 2 etc.
  
• Genesis-Plus-GX 1.7 - Sega Genesis / Megadrive, Master System, Game Gear, SG1000 & Sega CD / Mega CD Mednafen_PCE_fast -
• NEC PC-Engine / Turbo Grafix 16 & CD, Super Grafx
  
• Mednafen_wswan - Bandai Wonderswan
  

Bugs & Issues

• iMame4All - REMOVED, NO LONGER SUPPORTED
  

If you find any bugs, please report them in this thread.

Notes:

• Final Burn Alpha - Based on version 0.2.97.26. Make sure you have the right ROMs or you will have problems.
  
• Genesis-Plus-GX - Sega CD Emulation requires a sega cd bios in the same folder as your ISO / BIN files. The BIOS ROM files be named BIOS_CD_J.bin (Japan), BIOS_CD_U.bin (US) and BIOS_CD_E.bin (Europe)
  
• Mednafen_PCE - PCEngine / Turbo Grafix CD Emulation requires the PCE CD BIOS to be in the same folder as the ROM you are trying to load. It needs to be named SYSCARD3.PCE
  
• SEGA CD audio is fully functional now
  

This compile has been tested by myself on 4.21 REX. It is signed for 3.40 so should work on any CFW.

RetroArch PS3 CFW v0.9.8 Beta 3a Changelog: Latest build: 30/11/2012

RetroArch 0.9.8 BETA 3a - Commit: github.com/Themaister/RetroArch/commit/78d0edc4aa0125c1c8dbfe10c5f69fe59e741497

Included Cores:

• Snes9x Next - Super Nintendo
  
• FCEU_MM - Nintendo Famicom / NES
  
• Gambatte - Gameboy & Gameboy Color
  
• VBA Next - Gameboy Advance
  
• Final Burn Alpha v0.2.97.26 - Arcade
  
• PR-Boom - Doom, Doom 2 etc.
  
• Genesis-Plus-GX 1.7 - Sega Genesis / Megadrive, Master System, Game Gear, SG1000 & Sega CD / Mega CD
  
• Mednafen_PCE_fast - NEC PC-Engine / Turbo Grafix 16 & CD, Super Grafx
  
• Mednafen_wswan - Bandai Wonderswan & Wonderswan color
  
• Mednafen_VB - Nintendo Virtual Boy
  
• Mednafen_Neopop - NeoGeo Pocket & Pocket Color
  
• Mednafen_PSX - Playstation 1
  

Bugs & Issues

• iMame4All - REMOVED, NO LONGER SUPPORTED
  

If you find any bugs, please report them in this thread.

Notes:

• Final Burn Alpha - Based on version 0.2.97.26. Make sure you have the right ROMs or you will have problems.
  Genesis-Plus-GX - Sega CD Emulation requires a sega cd bios in the RetroArch system folder (/dev_hdd0/game/SSNE10000/USRDIR/system). The BIOS ROM files be named BIOS_CD_J.bin (Japan), BIOS_CD_U.bin (US) and BIOS_CD_E.bin (Europe)
  
• Mednafen_PCE - PCEngine / Turbo Grafix CD Emulation requires the PCE CD BIOS to be in the same folder as the ROM you are trying to load. It needs to be named SYSCARD3.PCE
  
• Mednafen_PSX - Only runs at 18 - 25 FPS & will not perform better without a dynarec. Requires the following BIOS files in the
• RetroArch system folder: scph1001.bin, scph5500.bin, scph5501.bin, scph5502.bin & scph7502.bin.
  

This compile should work on all CEX firmwares, except for GEOHOT and WUTANGRZA.

RetroArch v0.9.8 Beta 3 (Unofficial) Stanalones by STLcardsWS (linked above) stated the following as well:

This time around I created standalones for each system as well just for each core. Would not use both just one or the other but you could use both if you wanted to but i see no point. Example (Systems)

• Sega Genesis
  
• Super Nintendo
  
• Turbo Grafx
  
• Arcade
  

Example (Cores)

• genesis_plus_gx
  
• SNES9x_next
  
• Mednafen_PCE-fast
  
• fb_alpha
  

Important Notices:

1.) These are Unofficial Standalones Emulators. They are unofficial because they use the latest unofficial compile and then they are split up into standalones from the official setup.

2.) These Standalone Emulators are not multiMAN/mmCM Compatible. (Booting Roms from multiMAN will not work (official 0.9.7 does), Return to multiMAN does work). You can have this installed alongside the official installation as well.

New Cores Added from 0.9.7 Stanadlone

• Menafen_VB (Nintendo Virtual Boy)
  
• Mednafen_Neopop (Neo Geo Pocket / Color)
  
• Mednafen_PSX (PSone - Limited playabality runs at 18-25 FPS, can only improve with a dynarec)
  

Title ID's

System TitleID's
Standalone Cores TitleID's
Credits / Thanks

• Squarepusher aka Twinaphex: for the PS3 port of RetroArch and the work he has done on this great emulator. Also for giving me the okay to release these standalones.
  
• Pete_uk: for all his unofficial compiles of RetroArch.
  
• Aldostools: for creating such a great tool set which makes this process very easy.