Emulation Archives

BetaBeacon

June 4, 2025

Dolphin emulator hits a milestone as the full Wii catalog is now playable

Dolphin emulator release 2506 includes improvements to address audio stuttering on lower-end machines, fixes for frame pacing issues, new anisotropic filtering options for graphics, ability to emulate games beyond 60fps, full compatibility with GameCube and Wii catalogs, and new features for Android users.

AppWizard

June 3, 2025

Nintendo Switch Parental Control app gets a huge update ahead of a Switch 2 summer

Nintendo has released an updated version of its Parental Control app, available on the Play Store, featuring a redesigned interface and enhanced functionality. The app now includes comprehensive parental controls for GameChat, allowing parents to manage their children's communication and video chat interactions. Parents can also extend gaming sessions on the Switch or Switch 2 by increments of five, fifteen, or thirty minutes, or disable time limits entirely. The update introduces GameChat on the Switch 2, featuring a "C" button for initiating chats and a camera accessory for enhanced virtual interactions. Additionally, Nintendo is addressing potential emulation issues on Android devices with a planned "Game Key Card."

BetaBeacon

June 3, 2025

Forget PS3, you can already emulate these PS4 games

The ShadPS4 emulator has expanded its compatibility list, allowing users to play popular titles such as Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition and Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2. The emulator is still in early stages, with potential graphical glitches and crashes, but marks a significant achievement in PS4 game emulation on Windows.

BetaBeacon

May 28, 2025

RedMagic 10S Pro joins growing Android trend of PC game emulation

Chinese manufacturers are developing Windows emulators for Android gaming, with RedMagic set to launch a gaming-focused Android smartphone with a pre-installed Windows emulator for playing PC games. Xiaomi is also developing a Windows-to-Android emulator called WinPlay Engine, which supports Steam and minimizes GPU performance loss. These emulators could potentially compete with WinLator and support controllers, mice, and keyboards for gameplay.

AppWizard

May 27, 2025

RedMagic 10S Pro plays full PC games natively with built-in Windows emulator

The RedMagic 10S Pro features a built-in Windows emulator, allowing users to play full-fledged Steam or Epic Games titles on a smartphone. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Leading Version chip, achieving over 3 million benchmark points. The device has a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 144 Hz refresh rate and 2,000 nits peak brightness. It includes an active cooling system, LPDDR5T RAM, and UFS 4.0 storage for optimal performance. The shoulder buttons operate at 520 Hz for responsive controls, and the battery capacity is 7,050 mAh for the Pro variant and 7,500 mAh for the Pro+ with 120 W fast charging. The RedMagic 10S Pro is priced at approximately 4,000 CNY in China, while the Pro+ variant is around 3,000 CNY.

Winsage

May 27, 2025

Windows on Arm vs Intel: Which laptop platform is right for you?

The Windows laptop market has shifted towards devices powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, moving away from traditional Intel and AMD architectures. This initiative, known as Windows on Arm, has produced notable products like the Asus ZenBook A14 and Dell XPS 13, which are praised for their performance in AI applications and impressive battery life. These devices can run Intel-based applications through an emulation layer called Prism, which translates x86-64 code into ARM64 instructions, allowing compatibility with non-native software. While they perform well for office tasks and some creative applications, limitations exist in gaming and high-demand software due to the need for specific drivers and graphics performance. Currently, the market features three Windows on Arm processors: Snapdragon X Elite, X Plus, and X. Pricing for these laptops often exceeds ,000, making Intel and AMD options more appealing for budget-conscious consumers.

AppWizard

May 26, 2025

REDMAGIC 10S Pro gaming phone supports PC games (thanks to emulation and an overclocked Snapdragon 8 Elite processor)

The REDMAGIC 10S Pro is a gaming phone available in China for 4,999 CNY, set to launch globally on June 5, 2025. It features a pre-installed PC emulator for playing select Windows games, powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Leading Edition processor with speeds up to 4.47 GHz and a RedCore R3 Pro chip for enhanced haptic feedback and audio quality. The phone includes an ICE-X cooling system, RGB lighting, and various configurations ranging from 12GB of RAM with 256GB storage to 24GB of RAM with 1TB storage. It has a 6.85-inch display with a resolution of 2688 x 1216 pixels, an adaptive refresh rate of 44 Hz, and peak brightness of 2,000 nits. The device is equipped with a 7500 mAh battery supporting 120W rapid charging, stereo speakers, and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port. Specialized gaming features include a 2500 Hz touch sampling rate and shoulder triggers with a polling rate of 520 Hz. The camera setup consists of dual 50MP rear cameras and a 16MP front camera. There are two versions: the standard model with 12GB/256GB or 16GB/512GB and 80W charging, and the REDMAGIC 10S Pro+ with 120W charging, available in 16GB/512GB or 24GB/1TB configurations. Both models have dimensions of 163.4 x 76.1 x 8.9mm and weigh 229 grams.

BetaBeacon

May 24, 2025

No English release? These fan-translated games are worth emulating

- Fans have been clamoring for an English version of Mother 3 since its release in 2006 - Enthusiasts translated the game into English and released a patch in 2008 - Game Boy Advance emulation is easy on Android phones and TV boxes - Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden was fan-translated for the PS1 - Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere had a different version in Japan with more content - Policenauts, directed by Hideo Kojima, was fan-translated years after its release - Tear Ring Saga, a spiritual successor to Fire Emblem, received an English translation patch in 2016 - King's Field, Monster Hunter, Namco x Capcom, and Marvelous are other Japan-only games that received fan translations.

BetaBeacon

May 24, 2025

Red Magic 10S Pro Series Brings Full PC Game Emulation to Android: Check Out Specifications, Display, Performance and More

Red Magic is launching the 10S Pro series with impressive specifications including a tall display with a 95.3% screen-to-body ratio, a 144Hz refresh rate, Snapdragon 8 Gen Elite Leading Version SoC, up to 24GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, a 7,500mAh battery with 120W fast charging, a thermal management system, and a built-in PC emulator.

Winsage

May 20, 2025

Microsoft Makes Individual Developer Accounts Free Next Month

Microsoft is removing all onboarding fees for individual developers to publish applications on the Microsoft Store, effective next month. This change allows developers to publish without a credit card, making the platform more accessible. Company accounts will still incur a fee, but individual developers can utilize the built-in developer mode on Windows 10, 11, and Xbox consoles to create unsigned applications. The Microsoft Store will also see improvements in discovery, delivery, and user acquisition processes. While developer mode is popular for running emulation software, it remains limited by the deprecated UWP application platform, affecting Xbox console applications.