📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Citron, Popular Switch Emulator, Is Gone But It’s Not Nintendo’s Fault

https://retrohandhelds.gg/citron-popular-switch-emulator-is-gone-but-its-not-nintendos-fault/

Citron, the popular Switch emulator, has mysteriously disappeared — and no, Nintendo isn’t (directly) to blame.

Just days after releasing the “Pathfinder” update and teasing iOS support and Gamebanana mod integration, Citron’s website, GitHub, GitLab, and Discord vanished overnight. The timing sparked immediate panic: Was Nintendo finally pulling the plug? Turns out, nope — this was internal drama of the worst kind.

According to a post on r/Citron, the shutdown ties back to a messy fallout involving Eden (another Switch emulator) and someone named Zephyron. A leaked file dubbed “citron files” reportedly exposed private info — full name, location, and internal conflict details — related to a past cease-and-desist over unauthorized donations and leadership claims. After quieting down for a year, tensions flared again — and Citron’s admin team apparently imploded.

Meanwhile, Ryubing, a maintenance-focused fork of Ryujinx, also quietly announced it’s stepping away — though unlike Citron, its code remains available.

The takeaway? Back up your emulators before the next one vanishes. And maybe don’t trust anyone who says “just one more update…” — especially when the future’s as unstable as a Citron Nightly build.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Lazuli Is A New Rust-Based GameCube Emulator

https://retrohandhelds.gg/lazuli-is-a-new-rust-based-gamecube-emulator/

Lazuli: The Rust-Powered GameCube Emulator That’s Actually Worth Watching

Forget duct tape and hope—Lazuli, a brand-new GameCube emulator written in Rust, is building something cleaner and more modern than most legacy ports. Created by solo developer vxpm as a hobby project, Lazuli already boots several titles—including Super Mario Sunshine—and homebrew apps. Yes, it’s early (textures glitch, FPS stutters), but the foundations? Solid.

Here’s why it’s exciting:

• Modern stack: Uses Cranelift for PowerPC JIT, a custom vertex JIT, wgpu for rendering (hello, cross-platform!), and CPAL for audio.
• Open & portable: Binaries exist for Linux and Windows; macOS support is just a PR away thanks to Rust/wgpu.
• Ambitious roadmap: Not stopping at GameCube—Wii emulation is already on the horizon.

The YouTube demo shows Mario swimming (slowly), but it’s a real demo of a commercial game running on custom code—not just a boot screen. For emulation nerds, tinkerers, or Rust fans: this is one to star on GitHub and check back weekly. It’s not your daily driver yet—but it might be soon. 🏗️🎮

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

GameHub Coming To macOS, In Some Capacity

https://retrohandhelds.gg/gamehub-coming-to-macos-in-some-capacity/

GameHub Heads to macOS — But Don’t Pop the Champagne Just Yet 🥂

GameSir is eyeing Apple Silicon with its GameHub app — an Android staple that acts like a controller hub and (allegedly) emulates Windows/Steam games on mobile. Now, it’s officially coming to macOS “soon,” promising features like AI upscaling, graphics tweaks, and Steam integration — all from a single app.

But here’s the catch: GameSir is tight-lipped about how it’ll pull this off. No mention of Wine, Proton, or streaming tech — just buzzwords like “PC emulator” and a beefy settings panel that hints at performance magic under the hood. And while macOS gets the full treatment, iOS remains off-limits: GameHub on iPhone/iPad is strictly a controller calibrator, no PC emulation in sight.

Compare that to existing tools like Whisky (Proton wrapper for Mac), native ports, or even a DIY Windows VM — and GameHub’s appeal is clear: convenience. One app, minimal setup. The trade-off? Closed-source black box, vendor lock-in, and total reliance on GameSir’s updates (and patience during bug fixes).

If you’re deep in the handheld/Mac hybrid scene and want couch-friendly Steam access with minimal friction? Worth watching. If you’re after rock-solid compatibility or open-source control? Maybe hold off — or just spin up Whisky. 🛠️

No release date announced.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

PS3 Emulation Hits 73% Playable, With 98% In-Game

https://retrohandhelds.gg/ps3-emulation-hits-73-playable-with-98-in-game/

PS3 Emulation Just Got Serious — 73% Fully Playable, 98% In-Game

Emulation’s holy grail just got a little less mythical: RPCS3, the open-source PS3 emulator, has hit a massive milestone. A staggering 73.06% of the PS3 library is now “Playable” — meaning you can boot, play, and finish games without major roadblocks. Another 25.12% are “Ingame,” where they run through menus and gameplay but may stumble on glitches or performance hiccups. Combined? 98.18% of PS3 games now get past the title screen — that’s almost the entire catalog, down to the last obscure indie release or niche JRPG.

What’s holding up the final stretch? Mostly PlayStation Move junk. Of the 62 remaining “Intro” titles (boot but crash before gameplay), 46 rely on Move controllers — a clunky peripheral whose motion tracking and input quirks are proving stubborn for emulators to nail. But here’s the kicker: this isn’t about core performance anymore. It’s about edge cases — niche peripherals, odd control schemes, or ultra-specific hardware dependencies.

That means if you’ve been waiting for PS3 emulation to mature before building a retro handheld or mini PC setup? The wait’s over. The PS3 is no longer a gamble — it’s now a strategic addition to any emulation-powered library. At this pace, “when,” not “if,” is the only question left. 🎮🚀

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

RIP Hideki Sato, The Father of Sega Hardware

https://retrohandhelds.gg/rip-hideki-sato-the-father-of-sega-hardware/

RIP Hideki Sato: The Quiet Architect Behind Sega’s Golden Age

Hideki Sato—Sega’s unsung hardware visionary, the man who helped design nearly every iconic console from the SG-1000 to the Dreamcast—has passed away at 75. Known as the “Father of Sega Hardware,” he shaped not just machines, but generations of gamers.

Sato joined Sega in 1971, just as arcade gaming was exploding. He led engineering for the SG-1000 (launched the same day as Nintendo’s Famicom!), the Genesis/Mega Drive—which gave Sega its 16-bit edge—and even the bold, colorful Game Gear handheld. His technical foresight helped Sega punch above its weight against Nintendo and Sony alike.

Later, he guided the Saturn and Dreamcast projects, ensuring that even as Sega shifted from manufacturing, his philosophy—fun first, innovation always—remained central. After leaving Sega in 2008, he taught the next wave of engineers, passing on not just circuit diagrams, but a spirit of playful ambition.

His legacy? Every time you heard that Genesis startup chime or felt the satisfying click of a Master System controller—you were feeling Sato’s hand at work. Rest in power, Hideki-san. The pixels will remember you.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Homebrew Dev Recreates Minecraft on Saturn

https://retrorgb.com/homebrew-dev-recreates-minecraft-on-saturn.html

Homebrew Hero Builds Minecraft on Sega Saturn—Yes, That Saturn

Forget emulation: a homebrew wizard has actually built Minecraft from scratch for the Sega Saturn. Developer Frogbull pulled off the impossible—porting one of gaming’s most beloved voxel-based sandboxes onto hardware that peaked in the 1990s—and it’s already playable (if very early).

The prototype runs on modified Saturn hardware using Frogbull’s own clever optimizations and the Z-Treme Engine, wrapped in Sega’s low-level SGL graphics library. No fancy PC power here: just raw ingenuity to squeeze out performance on a 28.6MHz CPU and 2MB RAM. The result? A creative-mode sandbox with nine block types, infinite skies/oceans (well… simulated), and full audio—including that iconic music loop—plus floating movement via shoulder buttons. No mining, crafting, or collision yet… but it’s moving.

What’s next? Bigger worlds (thanks to a 4MB RAM cartridge), more block types, and—eventually—survival mechanics. With community support from devs on SegaXtreme Discord cheering him on, Frogbull may just deliver the Saturn’s most ambitious homebrew yet: a full-on tribute to a modern classic.

💡 Fun fact: He stores each block in just 4 bits—giving him 16 possible IDs (one is air). Smart, efficient—and a testament to why Saturn homebrew still thrives decades later.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

Architecture of Consoles Book #4: The Handheld Club

https://retrorgb.com/architecture-of-consoles-book-4-the-handheld-club.html

Hot New Release: “The Handheld Club” – A Love Letter to Portable Gaming

Rodrigo Copetti’s Architecture of Consoles series just hit its fourth volume—“The Handheld Club”—and it’s a beautifully packed tribute to five iconic portable systems: the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable.

If you’ve ever geeked out over the engineering wizardry behind handhelds (or just loved staring at their sleek casings), this is your jam. Copetti doesn’t just talk about these devices—he dissects them, with schematics, teardown photos, and deep technical insights that are equal parts scholarly and wildly cool.

Available in hardcover ($50), paperback ($30), or eBook ($10), each version is a joy to hold—or scroll through. (Yes, even the eBook looks stunning.) And while all his work is free online, grabbing a physical copy supports an amazing creator—and gives your bookshelf that nerd-chic glow-up it’s been begging for.

👉 Check it out here

📚 Bonus: His whole series is worth collecting—especially if you dig the hidden stories behind hardware history.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

Amazon Wins $6 Million in Damages Against Pirated DVD Stores, Plus Domain Takeovers

https://torrentfreak.com/amazon-wins-6-million-in-damages-against-pirated-dvd-stores-plus-domain-takeovers/

Amazon Wins $6 Million + Seizes Pirate DVD Domains in Landmark Anti-Piracy Win

In a major win for content creators—and a stark warning to bootleggers—Amazon has been awarded $6.075 million in damages against a network of pirate DVD sellers, with the added bonus of seizing eight domains and locking down their infrastructure.

The culprit? A China-linked operation using sites like dvdshelf.com.au, dvds.trade, and dvd-wholesale.com to peddle counterfeit discs—especially of Amazon originals like Fallout, The Rings of Power, and The Boys—masquerading as official releases. Even though some titles were never released on DVD, the pirates sold them anyway, tricking consumers and violating Amazon’s IP rights.

Despite being served in April 2024, the defendants ignored the court. So Amazon pushed for—and received—a default judgment this week in U.S. District Court, granting not only massive statutory damages but also a sweeping injunction.

Here’s what else the ruling includes:

• Domain transfers: GoDaddy, Drop.com.au, and top-level registries (like Verisign and Nominet UK) must hand over the eight domains to Amazon.
• Hosting shutdowns: Providers must suspend and administratively lock the sites.
• Future-proofing: The injunction can expand to cover new domains if the same crew pops up elsewhere.

While collecting cash from offshore defendants is unlikely, the real victory lies in cutting off their digital lifelines—a smart, strategic escalation in Amazon’s ongoing anti-piracy campaign. 🎬🚫

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Pokémon Lazarus Gets Its Biggest Update Since Launch

https://retrohandhelds.gg/pokemon-lazarus-gets-its-biggest-update-since-launch/

Pokémon Lazarus V2.0: The Biggest Update Yet is Here—and It’s a Delight

Remember Pokémon Lazarus, the GBA ROM hack that reimagines the Pokémon world through a Greek myth lens, complete with GBC-style pixel art and a whole lot of passion? Well, creator Nemo622 just dropped Version 2.0, and it’s packed with fan-requested upgrades, fixes, and very fun additions.

🔥 Headliners:

• ✨ Six new Mega Evolutions, including four original designs (Typhlosion, Carracosta, Aurorus, Tyrantrum) plus Mega Crabominable and Golisopod—yes, the latter two were pulled from Legends Z-A leaks and now feel very real.
• ⚖️ Several existing Megas got rebalanced: Mega Raichu X is now Electric/Fighting, Heliolisk gets Drought + Fire typing, and Greninja’s Protean is now once-per-battle (a smart nerf for balance).

🔍 DexNav gets a full rebuild:

• Start with 4 rerolls per encounter (Shiny Charm adds +2 each).
• Chain bonuses stack aggressively: 100 chains = +10 rerolls.
• Maxed Search Level (100) gives +2 more.

Yes, shiny hunting is now less soul-crushing.

🎮 QoL upgrades:

• Disable level caps? Done.
• Swap Pokémon balls from the bag menu? Finally.
• That infamous low-health beep? GONE—thank the heavens.
• Dragapult evolves at 48 instead of 60, TM21 is now Acid Spray (not Frustration), and a new `BATTLEPASS` cheat unlocks battle items.
• Also fixed the cursed Raging Bolt freeze bug at Pokémon Centers.

The full update is live on Nemo622’s site and Ko-Fi—saves from v1.x carry over seamlessly. Whether you’re a veteran player or just discovering Lazarus, this update makes it the most polished—and fun—Greek-inspired Pokémon hack yet. 🏛️⚡

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Bonus Level: Sony Addresses The State Of Play

https://retrohandhelds.gg/bonus-level-sony-addresses-the-state-of-play/

Sony’s State of Play Was a Massive Info Dump — Here’s What Actually Matters

Forget “teasers”—Sony’s latest State of Play felt like a full-blown PlayStation Expo in under 90 minutes. Over an hour of announcements packed with remakes, sequels, and wild new IPs (yes, even tactical octopus infiltration), it was a reminder: PlayStation’s 2025 slate is already stacking up like a shelf of limited-edition controller bundles.

The Heavy Hitters:

• God of War gets a remake of the original Greek trilogy and a surprise 2D spin-off, Sons of Sparta, dropping same-day on PS5.
• Silent Hill: Townfall flips the script with first-person gameplay and a portable CRT TV that lets you rewind time and solve puzzles mid-horror—because why just scare people when you can rewind their despair?
• John Wick is finally getting a game that actually feels like the movies (gun-fu, driving, Continental lore)—and Saber’s working directly with the filmmakers.

Surprise & Quirky Gems:

• Darwin’s Paradox: You play as an octopus infiltrating underwater bases. Yes, an octopus. Ink clouds, camouflage, tentacle-based stealth—it’s Metal Gear Solid, but with eight arms.
• Yakoh Shinobi Ops: A four-player stealth action game where failing means an unstoppable Pursuer ends your run early. Think Hotline Miami meets Metal Gear, but with more ninja tricks and less bullets.
• Mina the Hollower: Yacht Club’s Link’s Awakening homage, but with Game Boy aesthetics and 25+ bosses. A PS5 demo drops tomorrow—set your alarms.

The Verdict:

This wasn’t just a showcase—it was a shot across the bow to competitors. Sony’s going all-in on variety: co-op, remakes, radical IPs, and fan-service remasters—all while quietly building a 2025 lineup that might actually deliver on its promise of “something for everyone.” Whether that translates to actual hits? Still TBD. But the ambition? Undeniable.

—

Bonus: PlayStation Plus got 5 new games, including Spider-Man 2 and Wall-E. Because why not give you everything except the kitchen sink?