Several Issues & Questions

General
#1

File: RetroArch-1.7.3-x64-setup OS: Windows 10 Pro Controller: iBuffalo USB Gamepad (BSGP815GY)

  1. When installing RetroArch, the default installation file path is “C:\Users[username]\AppData\Roaming\RetroArch” (no quotes). While installing it to that folder works, I don’t want to do that. Almost every program I have ever encountered does not install to there, and most of them install to the following file path: “C:\Program Files (x86)” (no quotes). However, when I try to install it there, it doesn’t actually install. The setup concludes that the installation was successful, but no actual files were created in that folder, nor were they created in the default file path. When “removing” the program via Control Panel, I receive the following message: “An error occurred while trying to uninstall RetroArch 1.7.3. It may have already been uninstalled. Would you like to remove RetroArch 1.7.3 from the Programs and Feature list?”. Long story short, it’s clear to me that the program was never installed, and I don’t understand why. I understand I can just install it to the default file path, but I don’t want to. Any ideas or suggestions on what to do? Any idea why this won’t work? Any help would be appreciated.

  2. When setting up the inputs for my USB gamepad, no matter what I do, the buttons don’t behave properly within the RetroArch UI (haven’t tested within a ROM, but that is not my concern at the moment). Below, I will list how each button functions (this is true for if I manually define the button configuration, or leave at the defaults):

-A: Goes back a menu item (return) -B: Selects menu item (confirm) -X: Either brings up a search function, or jumps to the bottom of the menu category (jumping to the bottom does not work properly ever time) -Y: Jumps to the top of the menu category -Up: Up -Down: Down -Left: Left -Right: Right -Start: Closes RetroArch -Select: Brings up information about menu item -L: Jumps to the top of the menu category -R: Jumps to the bottom of the menu category (does not work properly every time)

TL;DR The A and B buttons are reversed, which is the biggest concern I have (although, with regard to the other buttons, some perform either flat-out weird functions or fail to work properly). What is going on here? Any ideas or suggestions for this? I am aware that I can just use the keyboard to perform these functions (arrow keys, enter, and backspace), but it’s obviously not ideal. This program just strikes me as broken and incomplete (Start should not just close the program instantly, and I can’t figure a way to get rid of the search function whenever I accidentally bring it up).

  1. When/if I finally get this program working fine, would someone be able to recommend which cores I should install for each system? I want to run the best possible cores for each systems; my PC should be able to run anything (CPU: i7 6700K, RAM: 16 GB DDR4, GPU: GTX 1070).
#2

I can’t answer all of this, but:

In the menu, Settings | Input | Menu Swap OK & Cancel Buttons may well be the toggle you’re looking for; it’ll swap the A and B buttons.

Do they behave consistently, at least? This might be something helped by switching to another joypad driver in Settings | Driver | Joypad Driver but it’s kind of up to your gamepad on that one.

It’s a work in progress, and given the nature of its development – volunteer basis, open source, &c. – that progress will be distributed a bit unevenly. For those of us not particularly gifted in the art of code, there’s a topic specifically for making suggestions on what to focus on next.

“Best possible” is hard to say in some cases, given how different cores will have different functionality, but a couple personal recommendations:

  • NES: Mesen is, as far as I can tell, the current darling for accuracy.
  • SNES: Snes9X is your best bet. Sure, higan Accuracy is essentially 100% accurate… but with a high CPU usage cost that can become very apparent if you want to use RA’s fast-forward, rewind, or run-ahead features.
  • GB/C: Gambatte is what I’ve been using without trouble.
  • Gen/MD: Genesis Plus GX covers the bases here.
  • PSX: Beetle PSX HW is almost certainly the one you want if you’ll be tinkering with higher resolutions and the like, and it can be put in full software rendering mode if needed.
#3

The installation issue comes down to permissions. It shouldn’t go there because Program Files isn’t user-writeable.

#4

I don’t understand what you mean. Almost every other program I have ever installed, by default, installs to C:\Program Files (x86), and I’ve never had an issue with a program installing there. When you say there is an issue with “permissions”, and it isn’t “user-writeable”, I’m finding it difficult to see where the issues are, exactly? Again, it’s not the end of the world that I can’t install where I want to, but it’s certainly inconvenient when I’m trying to find the .exe file for RetroArch and have to remember it exists on its own, while most of my other programs can handily be found in the same folder.

#6

Sameboy is the most accurate GB/GBC core mGBA is the most accurate GBA core Both are recent and actively developed

Mupen for N64 Just plain “MAME” over the many other versions

I have been wondering how accurate Sega emulation is as there hasn’t been much attention there.

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#7

genplusgx is very accurate and very fast. Blastem (no core available at this time) passes more test ROMs, but there shouldn’t be a noticeable difference in games.

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#8

about the installation issue: happened to me. if the program does not have permission to access the program files, why the software allows the user to install there? when trying to install retroarch there, the wizard warns you nothing, the direct x is downloaded and even shortcuts are created pointing nowhere. it probably leaves frags of something that were not fully installed but can’t be undone, unless you format the system. as said, it’s not the end of the world. but it’s also not cool.

#9

So I had this issue.

I read in here it was a permission issue.

Nobody gave a solution though.

So I uninstalled using IObit uninstaller just incase and then reinstalled with the setup file running as administrator this time.

It worked. Hope it helps.