mGBA is a new 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.

Up-to-date news and downloads can be found at mgba.io.

your roms should go in VitaDefilerClient/Documents/GBA

Features:

Officially supported ports for the Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and PlayStation Vita
I/O viewer
Booting of multiboot images
Customization of GIF recording
Libretro: Cheat code support
Support for GLSL shaders
ROM information view
Support for VBA-style cheat codes
Savestates now store creation timestamps
Key autofire
Libretro: Allow blocking opposing directional input
OpenEmu core for OS X
Libretro: Settings for using BIOS and skipping intro
Libretro: Customizable idle loop removal
Implemented cycle counting for sprite rendering
Cleaner, unified settings window
Added a setting for pausing when the emulator is not in focus
Customizable paths for save games, save states, screenshots and patches
Controller hotplugging
Ability to store save games and active cheats within savestates

Bugfixes:

ARM7: Fix sign of unaligned LDRSH
ARM7: Fix decoding of some ARM ALU instructions with shifters
Debugger: Fix watchpoints in gdb
GBA: Fix warnings when creating and loading savestates
GBA: Fix Iridion II savetype
GBA BIOS: Fix misaligned CpuSet
GBA Cheats: Fix cheats setting the Action Replay version
GBA Hardware: Fix GPIO on big endian
GBA Memory: Fix DMA register writing behavior
GBA Memory: Fix DMAs triggering two cycles early
Libretro: Fix aspect ratio
Qt: Fix some potential crashes with the gamepad mapping
Qt: Fix keys being mapped incorrectly when loading configuration file
Util: Fix PowerPC PNG read/write pixel order
Util: Fix excessive memory allocation when decoding a PNG
VFS: Fix VFileReadline and remove _vfdReadline

Misc:

All: Improved PowerPC support
All: Fix some undefined behavior warnings
ARM7: Combine shifter-immediate and shifter-register functions to reduce binary size
Debugger: Convert breakpoints and watchpoints from linked-lists to vectors
GBA: Implement bad I/O register loading
GBA: Allow jumping to OAM and palette RAM
GBA BIOS: Finish implementing RegisterRamReset
GBA Config: Add “override" layer for better one-time configuration
GBA Input: Consolidate GBA_KEY_NONE and GBA_NO_MAPPING
GBA Memory: Use a dynamically sized mask for ROM memory
GBA Memory: Implement several unimplemented memory access types

Bugfixes:

ARM7: Fix decoding of Thumb ADD (variants 5 and 6)
Debugger: Fix GDB breakpoints
GBA: Fix losing IRQs when CPSR I bit isn’t cleared
GBA: Fix filehandle leak with savegames
GBA: Timer 0 cannot be count up
GBA: Count up timers should not count themselves
GBA Memory: Fix mirror on non-overdumped Classic NES games
GBA Memory: Fix ldm {pc}
GBA Savedata: Fix savedata sync timer
GBA Savedata: Only unmap savedata if present
GBA Serialize: Savestates now properly store prefetch
GBA Video: WIN0/1 take priority over OBJWIN
GBA Video: Fix out-of-order OBJWIN
PSP2: Fix GPU crash while exiting
PSP2: Fix VSync
PSP2: Fix accelerometer range
PSP2: Actually load screen mode setting
PSP2: Fix gyroscope direction
PSP2: Delete threads after they return
PSP2: Fix mapping/unmapping from not at 0
Qt: Fix bug in software renderer scaling
Qt: Fix hanging key press after disabling autofire
Qt: Fix being unable to pause manually when using auto-pausing
SDL: Fix axes being mapped wrong
Util: Fix realloc semantics in utf16to8
Util: Fix inserting too many items into a hash table
VFS: Fix uninitialized varaible reading from 7z
VFS: Fix reading multiple files from a 7z archive
Wii: Fix framelimiting after a slowdown
Wii: Fix garbage flash at startup
Misc:

3DS: Use blip_add_delta_fast for a small speed improvement
3DS: Allow UTF-16 filenames
3DS: Port to using citro3D
3DS: Use system font for menus
3DS: Attempt to use Core 2 for threads
3DS: Adjustable filering
3DS: 3D banner
All: Add QUIET parameter to silence CMake
All: Faster memory read/write
ARM7: Support forcing Thumb mode via MSR
ARM7: Flush prefetch cache when loading CPSR via MSR
ARM7: Clean up instruction decoding for future expandability
Debugger: Support register and memory writes via GDB stub
Debugger: Add software breakpoint support to gdb
FFmpeg: Full support for libavcodec 56+
GBA: Better debug logging if event processing breaks
GBA Audio: Force audio DMAs to not increment destination
GBA BIOS: Use custom ArcTan, not relying on OS
GBA Hardware: Clean up dead code in GBP
GBA Memory: Optimize stalling behavior
GBA Memory: Optimize Load-/StoreMultiple
GBA Savedata: Add realistic timing for EEPROM
GBA Serialize: Savestates now store if CPU was halted
GBA Video: Remove old slow path fallback
GBA Video: Optimize sprite drawing
GBA Video: Optimize mode 0 rendering
GBA Video: Optimize compositing cases slightly
GUI: Screenshot dimensions are now passed through
GUI: Add back logging
GUI: Only reload config if manually saved
GUI: Increase scrolling speed
OpenGL: Log shader compilation failure
OpenGL: Add texSize uniform
Qt: Make -g flag work in Qt build
Qt: Simplify OpenGL context creation
Qt: Thread startup improvements
Qt: Make audio channel/video layer options shortcut mappable
Qt: Remove some C99isms from C++ code
Qt: Remove default autofire mappings
Qt: Make reseting when pasued frame-accurate
Qt: Rearchitect game closing codepath
PSP2: Use system font for menus
PSP2: Add rumble for PS TV
PSP2: Add fit-to-height screen mode
PSP2: Sync files per descriptor
PSP2: Allow UTF-8 filenames
PSP2: Screenshots are now saved into the Photo Gallery
PSP2: Stop underclocking when menuing
SDL: Increase default audio buffer size to 1024 samples
SDL: More responsive rumble
Util: Add Vector GetConstPointer
Util: Add rtrim
Util: Add endswith
VFS: Improve zip file detection
Wii: Add pixelated resample filter
Windows: Add native VDir support
Util: Add PRIz macro for libc versions that don’t support %z

Bugfixes:
Core: Fix importing save games as read-only
FFmpeg: Fix encoding AAC
GB: Fix invalid STOP behavior on Game Boy Color
GB: Initialize audio properly
GB: Properly clear KEY1 bit 0 when switching speeds
GB: Properly unload save files when unloading a ROM
GB, GBA: Fix emulator hardlocking when halting with IRQs off
GB MBC: Fix MBC7 when size is incorrectly specified
GB MBC: Fix RTC access when no save file is loaded
GB SIO: Don’t auto-clock external shift clock
GB Video: Setting LYC=LY during mode 2 should trigger an IRQ
GB Video: Fix video frames getting missed when LCDC is off
GB Video: Clear screen when LCDC is off
GBA Cheats: Fix holding onto pointers that may get invalidated
GBA Cheats: Fix key-activated CodeBreaker cheats
GBA Cheats: Fix uninitialized memory getting freed when saving
GBA Hardware: Improve Game Boy Player rumble behavior
GBA Memory: Fix several unused I/O register read values
GBA Savedata: Fix loading savestates with 512Mb Flash saves
LR35902: Fix events running with the wrong cycle active
Qt: Fix “close” button on Overrides view
Qt: Fix saving overrides
Qt: Fix directory set unloading when replacing the ROM
Qt: Fix patch loading
Qt: Fix crash when saving an override if a game isn’t loaded
Qt: Fix showing default display driver as OpenGL (force 1.x)
SDL: Attach rumble in SDL frontend
Util: Fix PNG identification on files too small to be a PNG

Misc:
All: Only update version info if needed
All: Split out install locations for Libretro and OpenEmu
FFmpeg: Encoding cleanup
GB: Reset active region when reloading ROM
GB Memory: Initialize RAM pattern for GBC
GB Video: Improved video timings
Qt: Manage window sizes slightly better
Qt: Remember scale option independent of core dimensions

Bugfixes:

• All: Fix fullscreen config option being ignored
  
• ARM7: PSR mode bits should not get sign extended
  
• GB: Fix audio not being deinitialized
  
• GB: Fix crash when masking savedata
  
• GB: Properly initialize sramRealVf variable
  
• GB Audio: Fix serialization of channel 3 and NR52 properties
  
• GB Audio: Reset envelope timer when reseting sound channel
  
• GB MBC: Fix SRAM dangling pointer with RTC games
  
• GB MBC: Fix initializing MBC when no ROM is loaded
  
• GB Memory: Fix patching ROM bank 0
  
• GB Memory: Fix starting HDMAs during mode 0
  
• GB Memory: Fix HDMA5 value after DMA completes
  
• GB Video: Initialize LCDC in renderer
  
• GB Video: Hblank IRQs should mask LYC=LY IRQs
  
• GBA: Fix IRQs firing after already being cleared
  
• GBA: Only unhalt CPU if appropriate bit is set in IE
  
• GBA: Add savegame override for Crash Bandicoot 2
  
• GBA BIOS: Fix MidiKey2Freq BIOS reads
  
• GBA BIOS: Fix invalid CpuSet not setting BIOS prefetch
  
• GBA Cheats: Fix GameShark ROM patches
  
• GBA I/O: Mask off WAITCNT bits that cannot be written
  
• GBA Memory: Fix misaligned BIOS reads
  
• GBA Memory: Fix VCOUNT being writable
  
• GBA Video: Fix out of bounds sprite transforms
  
• Libretro: Fix unterminated SET_INPUT_DESCRIPTORS
  
• Libretro: Fix disabling BIOS
  
• Libretro: Fix Game Boy savestates and audio
  
• Qt: Fix changing resolution of software renderer
  
• Qt: Fix setting overrides
  
• Qt: Fix cut off tiles and alignment issues in tile viewer
  
• Qt: Only reset window dimensions when first shown
  
• Qt: Fix Qt Multimedia audio driver on big endian
  
• Qt: Fix Apply button for key and controller configurations
  
• VFS: Fix resizing memory chunks when not needed
  
• Windows: Fix Unicode directory handling
  

Misc:

• GB, GBA: Prevent loading null ROMs
  
• GB Audio: Initialize wave RAM to GBC values
  
• GB Memory: Reset ROM bank when loading a ROM
  
• PSP2: Improved controller rumble
  

Currently, about 80% of the DS’s hardware is implemented, and many games are fully playable. However, the software rasterizer for the 3D graphics is still very slow. This release should help those interested in finding bugs contribute to medusa before 0.1 is released, but it is not recommended for actual playing of games.

Some of the more important features that are still missing are:

• Savestates
  
• Several graphical features including edge marking, toon shading and fog
  
• Some audio features such as the square wave and noise channels
  
• Microphone support
  
• HLE BIOS and firmware
  

A more comprehensive and up-to-date list can be found in the readme.

Meanwhile, many popular games have pretty serious issues:

• Mario Kart DS races run at half speed
  
• The World Ends With You locks up during the new game intro
  
• Pokémon Diamond/Pearl/Platinum have a lot of graphical issues affecting battles
  
• Pokémon Black/White have graphical issues during the battle transition
  
• Some graphics are missing in New Super Mario Bros. and WarioWare: Touched!, among other games
  
• Star Fox Command’s text is illegible
  

Bugfixes:

• Core: Fix ROM patches not being unloaded when disabled (fixes mgba.io/i/962)
  
• 3DS: Fix opening files in directory names with trailing slashes
  
• LR35902: Fix watchpoints not reporting new value
  
• GB MBC: Fix MBC2 saves (fixes mgba.io/i/954)
  
• GB Memory: HDMAs should not start when LCD is off (fixes mgba.io/i/310)
  
• GB Memory: Fix OAM DMA blocking regions (fixes mgba.io/i/1013)
  
• GB Video: Only trigger STAT write IRQs when screen is on (fixes mgba.io/i/912)
  
• GBA: Fix some GBA ROM misdetection (fixes mgba.io/i/978)
  
• GBA: Fix SharkPort saves for EEPROM games
  
• GBA Audio: Increase PSG volume (fixes mgba.io/i/932)
  
• GBA BIOS: Fix incorrect exit condition in LZ77
  
• GBA Cheats: Fix PARv3 slide codes (fixes mgba.io/i/919)
  
• GBA Cheats: Fix slide codes not initializing properly
  
• GBA DMA: ROM reads are forced to increment
  
• GBA Hardware: RTC accuracy improvements
  
• GBA I/O: Fix writing to DISPCNT CGB flag (fixes mgba.io/i/902)
  
• GBA Memory: Fix copy-on-write memory leak
  
• GBA Memory: Partially revert prefetch changes (fixes mgba.io/i/840)
  
• GBA Savedata: Fix crash when resizing flash
  
• GBA Video: Force align 256-color tiles
  
• GBA Video: OBJWIN can change blend params after OBJ is drawn (fixes mgba.io/i/921)
  
• PSP2: Fix issues causing poor audio
  
• Python: Fix package directory
  
• Qt: Fix locale being set to English on settings save (fixes mgba.io/i/906)
  
• Qt: Fix opening in fullscreen (fixes mgba.io/i/993)
  
• Wii: Fix screen tear when unpausing
  
• Wii: Fix various setup and teardown drawing issues (fixes mgba.io/i/988)
  

Misc:

• 3DS: Scale font based on glyph heights (fixes mgba.io/i/961)
  
• GB MBC: Remove erroneous bank 0 wrapping
  
• GBA: Improve multiboot image detection
  
• PSP2: Use system enter key by default