RetroArch v0.9.9 Released – where to get it on each platform

RetroArch v0.9.9 has officially been rolled out on all platform targets.

The new platforms that are supported with this release of RetroArch are as follows:

  • iOS (both jailbroken and non-jailbroken – non-jailbroken requires that you are a registered developer and can compile your own copy of RetroArch + cores)
  • Blackberry 10
  • Blackberry Playbook Tablet OS

The other platforms which are already supported by the RetroArch/libretro projects have all received updates (with some pretty extensive changes – more on that in an upcoming blog post).

WHERE TO GET IT

Windows: New users can download 32- and 64-bit flavors of RetroArch and RetroArch-Phoenix from Themaister’s site:

http://themaister.net/retroarch.html

Existing users can/should download the new version through RetroArch-Phoenix’s built-in ‘RetroArch Updater’ utility. (this is the preferred update method for existing users to save massive bandwidth!)

Mac OS X users can download hunterk’s builds from this post on the libretro forum:

http://forum.themaister.net/viewtopic.php?pid=459#p459

Debian/Ubuntu/Mint users can add hunterk’s Launchpad PPA repository to their Synaptic/apt sources:

https://launchpad.net/~hunter-kaller/+archive/ppa

iOS users can find RetroArch iOS in one of Cydia’s default repositories – ZodTTD & MacCiti.

You can also add our own Cydia repository in order to get it, located at:

http://themaister.net/cydia

Most cores will work with both tethered and untethered jailbreaks, but cores that require the use of a dynamic recompiler (dynarec; DeSmuME and PCSX-ReARMed) will require a full, untethered jailbreak to function.

Android users can get the latest version from the Google Play Store. Xperia play controls seem to be wonky, but we hope to have that fixed very soon.

Wii users should use this package:

https://anonfiles.com/file/4536ac12f0071a397b2f1d70672814cf

Blackberry Playbook users should use this package:

http://themaister.net/retroarch-dl/blackberry/playbook/RetroArch-1_0_0_1.bar

Blackberry 10 users should use this package:

http://themaister.net/retroarch-dl/blackberry/bb10/RetroArch-Cascades-1_0_0_1.bar

PS3 users can get the DEX and CEX versions from the usual sources.

Xbox1 and Xbox360 users can get their respective versions from the usual sources.

OpenPandora users can get builds from lifning’s repo:

http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=retroarch.lifning.001

Libretro GL – SceneWalker

The SceneWalker with the Silent Hill 3 Chapel model loaded in. This entire map mostly works correctly.
The SceneWalker with the Silent Hill 3 Chapel model loaded in. This entire map mostly works correctly.

By Squarepusher

Here is the second tech demo by maister made to showcase what is possible with libretro GL. SceneWalker is a heavily modified version of ModelViewer.

Instead of loading ‘character models’, its main purpose is to load in ‘scene models’. Once loaded in, you can then walk around these environments from a first-person perspective. It’s possible to move through environments using either the D-pad and/or the analog sticks. Pressing RetroPad B button allows you to jump – this comes in handy with some models where certain obstacles are preventing you from fully traversing the environment.

A great deal of environments already work within this SceneWalker app – the initial ‘placement’ of your starting position is currently a problem in some models since it is possible for you to be ‘dropped’ inside a void space. This happens for instance with the ‘Devil May Cry 4’ street model which makes it impossible to walk around that map.

Other maps (such as Silent Hill 3’s chapel) work fine on the other hand.

Basic collision detection and gravity has been implemented – it mostly works the part for most models.

Below you’ll find some screenshots of some models that we have loaded into this SceneWalker.

This is the map 'Amnesia Fields' from the PSP version of Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection. The skybox is missing from this model but everything seems to more or less work correctly. There are some popup issues that might or might not be overcome in the future.
This is the map ‘Amnesia Fields’ from the PSP version of Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection. The skybox is missing from this model but everything seems to more or less work correctly. There are some popup issues that might or might not be overcome in the future.
This is the Twisted Corridor map from Alice In Wonderland. There are plenty of places here where if you don't carefully jump on the platforms you can fall into the void.
This is the Twisted Corridor map from Alice In Wonderland. There are plenty of places here where if you don’t carefully jump on the platforms you can fall into the void.
A pub scene from the MMO game Vindictus rendered inside the SceneWalker.
A pub scene from the MMO game Vindictus rendered inside the SceneWalker.
This is the police station main hall scene from Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles. The model uses DDS textures which are currently a stub - hence why there are no textures right now when showing this model.
This is the police station main hall scene from Resident Evil: Umbrella Chronicles. The model uses DDS textures which are currently a stub – hence why there are no textures right now when showing this model.

Platforms

Scene Walker right now runs on:

  • PC (Windows/UNIX/OSX)
  • Android
  • iOS
  • Blackberry QNX (BB10/Playbook)

The maximum supported internal resolution at which you can render the models depends on the platform you’re running Scene Walker on. On the mobile platforms we have consciously decided to set the maximum supported resolution at 1024×768 – this should be the native resolution of the iPad 2/iPad Mini and it is doubtful that even on a powerful tablet you’d have much need for 1080p internal resolution anyway.

On PC 1920×1600 is the maximum internal resolution at which you can render these models.

Like all the non-GL based libretro cores, you can apply any amount of shaders that you want.

Scene Model links

I’m not exactly sure how hard-ball game developers are when it comes to these models – but anyways, there is a lot of source material you can find on the Internet.

Some places that supply them is DeviantArt (search for DeviantArt + XNALara-  that should show up a bunch).

Another site that I’ve found includes a lot of useful models is this one (http://thefree3dmodels.com/). Make sure that when downloading a model form there, that it says ‘OBJ’ or something similar. Models that are not in this format can’t be expected to run right now.