RetroArch's success is down to a team of spirited and enthusiastic volunteers who have given up their time and talent to produce something which - amongst other things, as De Matteis is keen to point out - connects players with the games of yesterday. This is a major feature since so many emulators traditionally have built-in 3 to 4 frames of input lag, which impacts your enjoyment." "A major distinguishing feature of FPGA retro hardware is normally that input latency is so much lower verses traditional emulation, but with RetroArch, there is no such issue. "It has next-frame response time, which means that in terms of input latency, under the ideal setup, you can make RetroArch have zero frames of input, practically indistinguishable from real hardware," explains De Matteis. "RetroArch/Libretro is a frontend/backend project that seeks to create its own ecosystem of software that runs as dynamically pluggable code."ĭespite having not been created with retro gaming expressly in mind, RetroArch has nevertheless become the go-to download for many fans of old-school games for a variety of reasons. "Contrary to how most people perceive it, RetroArch is not an emulator in the traditional sense," explains Daniel De Matteis, software developer and current lead of both RetroArch and Libretro. It has become one of the most respected means of playing old games on modern hardware it's available on Android, Windows, Mac, Linux and (unofficially, thanks to the efforts of industrious hackers) the Nintendo Switch. One of the more recent emulation success stories is the freely-available RetroArch, a downloadable frontend which works in conjunction with backend application Libretro. Emulation has done an excellent job of preventing this grim future, but ironically the new-found commercial success of this burgeoning sector could end up crippling its long-term prospects. The fast-moving nature of the games industry and the dizzying number of different consoles, each with their own unique technical specifications and foibles, once led some experts to ominously predict that unlike music, TV and film - mediums which can be easily transferred from format to format as new storage technologies appear - video games were in danger of being locked in the past, fenced-off behind the peculiarities of their host hardware. On top of that, we've seen vintage games appear on a myriad of digital storefronts, most notably the Nintendo Virtual Console and Switch eShop, the latter of which has been getting fresh Neo Geo games each and every month since launch thanks to Japanese company Hamster. Companies like Nintendo and Sega are reconnecting players with their heritage via products such as the SNES Classic Edition and the smartphone-based Sega Forever range, while a flood of third-party companies like Analogue, Hyperkin, Retro-Bit and AtGames are manufacturing clone systems which offer a means of playing original cartridges with creature comforts such as HD output, save states and much more besides. Article taken from 's arguably never been a better time to play older games. Out of respect we will not have the comments online for this one. If you're struggling with mental health we urge you to seek help through friends, family and other specialised services like National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (US) / Mind (UK) and you can find more resources across different countries here. Near's work will live on, and they asked that we remember them for their work and dedication to the emulation community. Later that same day, respected security consultant and hacker Hector Martin posted on Twitter a Google Document file to explain that Near has died. The Twitter post was very alarming and painted a concerning picture of their declining mental health. This wasn't just in early life but across the internet too from the likes of 4chan and later a site called Kiwi Farms. In the early hours of June 27, Near (whose real name is Dave and identifies as non-binary) posted a very concerning thread on Twitter, explaining how they've suffered their whole life from bullying, harassment and more. Please be aware the following links have some disturbing content that touches on bullying, suicide and more. Near has a long history in the emulation scene, working with others and often alone to create some really important software focused on accuracy and also contributions to translating some really popular titles. The highly respected developer known as Near, creator of emulators like bsnes, higan and more has died.
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