The size of RetroArch package is each year bigger

RetroArch
#1

Hello. I have RetroArch 1.3 installed on a phone since 2015. The apk is about 36 MB. The new versions are bigger than 200 MB. Many devices have limited storage. I noticed that what makes it too big is xmb, shaders and database. I think RetroArch should increase its modularization.

The database is the biggest directory and it includes all platforms supported by RetroArch. I think it would be better if the database of each platform were downloaded from the repository instead of being included in the apk like what is done with cores. The database is required for specific features that many people don’t use. It also contains platforms that most people will never emulate.

Specific graphical files, such as XMB, could be downloadable as well.

I also noticed that it has too many shaders. I actually prefer playing old games on a mobile device without shaders because the small screen is better for low-res games. On PC, I have problems to find a good shader in the long list. I think the less popular shaders should be downloadable.

2 Likes
#2

I agree with both points (database and shaders). Personally, I don’t use RetroArch on a mobile device but I think it would be nice just to have the most popular/compatible cores included (1 for each platform). Also, have the ability to download additional cores (ones that would have been included/tested). As a person new to Lakka/RetroArch, I think this would make things easier for them.

Regarding shaders, maybe the same as cores (most popular for each platform) and again the option to download additional if needed. Personally, there seems like too many but appreciate the choice offered.

:slight_smile:

#3

Can’t compress slang bezels heh. Shaders are only a few kb that don’t increase size much, probably all of them are 2-3 mb. Then who knows which are the “less popular” to remove?

Your 1.3 doesn’t have any slang so no bezels too, that’s why is smaller.

You can download apk yourself, open with some archive manager then remove what you don’t need I guess. In your case and needs, all shaders.

1 Like
#4

Not that modularization is a bad suggestion, but honestly, what is 200mb? What device is so cramped today that this is a large amount of storage? I can’t think of a program that hasn’t increased in size at least a bit over the years, and most by a lot. I’m not sure if it would be worth the effort for that much of a size savings… but I’m just some guy, I could be wrong.

#5

Some old low end 2015 phones came with 8gb and after format that was 6-6,5. OS install is full of junk and retroarch decompress should be many hundreds of mb, so final free space should be very little. 16gb and up should have no problem

#6

historically, this means “the ones I don’t personally care about” lol

but srsly, OP could check out the F-Droid package. It comes with only enough to bootstrap the system by downloading things from the online updater.