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Nintendo - Game Boy Advance (mGBA)

Background

mGBA is an emulator for running Game Boy Advance games. It aims to be faster and more accurate than many existing Game Boy Advance emulators, as well as adding features that other emulators lack. It also supports Game Boy and Game Boy Color games.

The mGBA core has been authored by

  • endrift

The mGBA core is licensed under

A summary of the licenses behind RetroArch and its cores can be found here.

BIOS

Required or optional firmware files go in the frontend's system directory.

Warning

In order for the BIOS to be used, the 'Use BIOS file if found' core option must be set to On.

Filename Description md5sum
gba_bios.bin Game Boy Advance BIOS - Optional a860e8c0b6d573d191e4ec7db1b1e4f6
gb_bios.bin Game Boy BIOS - Optional 32fbbd84168d3482956eb3c5051637f5
gbc_bios.bin Game Boy Color BIOS - Optional dbfce9db9deaa2567f6a84fde55f9680
sgb_bios.bin Super Game Boy BIOS - Optional d574d4f9c12f305074798f54c091a8b4

Extensions

Content that can be loaded by the mGBA core have the following file extensions:

  • .gb
  • .gbc
  • .gba

RetroArch database(s) that are associated with the [Core name] core:

Features

Frontend-level settings or features that the mGBA core respects.

Feature Supported
Restart
Saves
States
Rewind
Netplay
Core Options
RetroAchievements
RetroArch Cheats
RetroArch SaveRAM Autosave Interval support
Native Cheats
Controls
Remapping
Multi-Mouse
Rumble
Sensors
Camera
Location
Subsystem
Softpatching
Disk Control
Username
Language
Crop Overscan
LEDs

Directories

The mGBA core's library name is 'mGBA'

The mGBA core saves/loads to/from these directories.

Frontend's Save directory

File Description
*.srm Cartridge battery save

Frontend's State directory

File Description
*.state# State

Geometry and timing

  • The mGBA core's core provided FPS is [FPS]
  • The mGBA core's core provided sample rate is 32768 Hz
  • The mGBA core's base width is [Base width]
  • The mGBA core's base height is [Base height]
  • The mGBA core's max width is [Max width]
  • The mGBA core's max height is [Max height]
  • The mGBA core's core provided aspect ratio is [Aspect ratio]

Core options

The mGBA core has the following option(s) that can be tweaked from the core options menu. The default setting is bolded.

Settings with (Restart) means that core has to be closed for the new setting to be applied on next launch.

  • Solar sensor level [mgba_solar_sensor_level] (0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10)

    Can be used by games that employed the use of a solar sensor on their cartridges. E.g.: Boktai games.

  • Allow opposing directional input [mgba_allow_opposing_directions] (OFF|ON)

    Allows opposing directional inputs. Up with Down. Right with Left.

  • Game Boy model (requires restart) [mgba_gb_model] (Autodetect|Game Boy|Super Game Boy|Game Boy Color|Game Boy Advance)

    Runs loaded content with a specific Game Boy model.

    Autodetect will select the most appropriate model for the current game.

  • Use BIOS file if found [mgba_use_bios] (ON|OFF)

    Uses BIOS present in RetroArch's system directory. Look at the BIOS section for more information.

  • Skip BIOS intro [mgba_skip_bios] (OFF|ON)

    The 'Use BIOS file if found' core option must be set to On for proper operation.

    Skips the BIOS intro when a BIOS is present in RetroArch's system directory is used.

Skip BIOS intro - Off

  • Use Super Game Boy borders (requires restart) [mgba_sgb_borders] (ON|OFF)

    Display Super Game Boy borders for Super Game Boy enhanced games.

  • Idle loop removal [mgba_idle_optimization] (Remove Known|Detect and Remove|Don't Remove)

    Optimizes game performance by driving the GBA's CPU less hard.

    Use this on low-powered hardware if its struggling with game performance.

  • Frameskip [mgba_frameskip] (0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7|8|9|10)

    Choose how much frames should be skipped to improve performance at the expense of visual smoothness.

Rumble

Rumble only works in the mGBA core when

  • The content being ran has rumble support. (e.g. Cartridges with a Rumble Pak)
  • The frontend being used has rumble support.
  • The joypad device being used has rumble support.

Joypad

User 1 input descriptors RetroPad Inputs
B
Turbo B
Select
Start
Up
Down
Left
Right
A
Turbo A
L
R
Turbo L
Turbo R
Darken Solar Sensor
Brighten Solar Sensor

Compatibility

Please file game bugs on the issue tracker here

See also

Nintendo - Game Boy Advance

Nintendo - Game Boy (+ Color)