Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.
Ever wanted to emulate other systems on an Amiga? Never thought it was possible? Well, an Amiga RetroArch build is in development!
If you could choose two things in the world of retro gaming that don’t go together, RetroArch — the popular emulation suite — and the Amiga might be paired up, listed under “never the twain.” After all, while RetroArch features a good selection of emulators, it also includes Amiga emulation. You just wouldn’t see it happening.
Yet, RetroArch is coming to accelerated and PowerPC Amigas!
Let’s just clarify: I’m not talking about an Amiga emulation core for RetroArch — that’s been done. No, I’m talking about a version of RetroArch that runs on enhanced Amiga hardware!
Following the amazing news that The Settlers II Gold Edition is coming to the Amiga, developer Steffen Haeuser (whose previous work in the Amiga scene includes porting Quake II) has shared some information about this project.
RetroArch Amiga for AmigaOS4, MorphOS, and WarpOS
Steffen is expecting the AmigaOS4 and MorphOS builds of RetroArch to release first, and although there is a 68k version (based on the Amiga’s original chipset with acceleration), this is likely to come later due to current sound issues. Once complete, these Amiga RetroArch builds will provide emulation to a number of consoles including Atari Jaguar, SNES, NEO-GEO, and others.
Distribution will be free download via Aminet, OS4Depot, and MorphOS Storage. Currently, you can access beta versions with a PayPal donation.
Steffen has shared some demos on YouTube, including this one of RetroArch running under OS4 on PowerPC x5000 hardware.
Demos of RetroArch on MorphOS running on Mirari PowerPC hardware and on WarpOS (on an A4000) have also been uploaded. The list of supported cores changes slightly depending on the Amiga type, but you can add PlayStation and various generations of MAME and a few other emulation cores to the platforms mentioned above.
Work has also started on an AROS version (that’s an Amiga-based OS for standard x86 PCs). You can support (and get beta access) to the Amiga RetroArch by contacting Steffen to make a donation — check this forum post for details.
Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through those links. This comes at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support!
Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.
