Azahar Version 2126.1 Release Candidate 1

Azahar 2126.1 RC1, an open-source 3DS emulator based on Citra, has been released with several key updates. Save states are now version-locked, preventing crashes from loading incompatible states. Texture handling issues and Vulkan crashes have been fixed, improving game performance. The internal resolution scaling cap has been raised to 18x, and numerous bugs affecting multiplayer sessions, audio, and lag in character select screens have been resolved. Other enhancements include improved motion control sensitivity and merged AppImages for Linux. The emulator’s build environment has transitioned to an LLVM+Clang setup, ensuring better stability and performance. Download links are provided for various platforms.

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Azahar 2126.1 RC1 has been launched. This is an open-source 3DS emulator project founded on Citra.

Azahar changelog:
All
Save states are now tied to the version of Azahar they were generated with. | @PabloMK7 #2394
Attempting to load a save state from a different version of Azahar will now trigger an error message that clarifies this limitation and specifies the version of Azahar that the save state was originally created with. It will recommend temporarily downgrading to recover progress using in-game save functionality if needed.
This does not limit save state functionality compared to earlier behavior. Previously, loading a save state from an older version of Azahar would lead to the emulator crashing. Now, a message is displayed instead.
Resolved an issue where texture surfaces could be removed while in use, particularly at higher internal resolution settings. | @Wunkolo #2407
This adjustment solves Vulkan-related crashes in various games and scenarios, notably when starting missions in Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate.
The maximum internal resolution scaling option has been raised from 10x (4000×2400) to 18x (7200×4320). | @72374 #1906
Introduced a fix for a crash in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Danger of the Ooze when using the Vulkan renderer due to improper handling of an unusual rasterizer cull mode value. | @PabloMK7 #2396
Fixed a problem causing significant lag in the character select screen for Super Smash Bros 4. | @PabloMK7 #2412
Addressed an issue leading to excessive lag in Mini Mario & Friends: Amiibo Challenge when walking on diagonal surfaces. | @PabloMK7 #2412
Corrected a regression that caused the 3DS friends menu to crash upon opening. | @PabloMK7 #2412
Resolved a crash that might occur during multiplayer sessions due to thread-unsafe logic. | @PabloMK7 #2405
Introduced enhancements to GPU command list processing, resulting in a time saving of 0.5-1ms per frame, on average. | @PabloMK7 #2318
Implemented geometry shader output register banking, improving many SEGA 3D Classics games without requiring per-game patches. | @PabloMK7 #2338
The cited games still have other rendering issues that need addressing in future emulator versions.
Fixed floating point denormal accuracy, alleviating various rendering problems in multiple games. | @Wunkolo #2350
Resolved an issue causing linear filtering to be forced on with specific drivers, primarily on Android devices using Adreno. | @PabloMK7 #2445
Fixed a problem where the 3DS Internet Browser would freeze due to incorrect core rescheduling behavior. | @PabloMK7 #2370
Improved emulated audio handling to eliminate crackling sounds when an audio source’s volume is adjusted. @Grayforz2468 #2409
A notable example is that the Home Menu no longer features crackling music.
Addressed an issue where HLE audio emulation produced crackling sounds in games that updated looping PCM16 buffers during playback. | @Angelico2102 #2454
This fix is confirmed to resolve audio issues in “Inazuma Eleven 3”.
Resolved a Vulkan renderer issue regarding the handling of disabled cubemap texture units. | @Wunkolo #2406
This adds over a fix previously applied to the OpenGL renderer in an earlier update.
Fixed an invalid memory access problem linked to uds beacons, potentially resolving unidentified issues in certain multiplayer games. | @PabloMK7 #2403
Windows (MXE)
Fixed a crash that could occur when launching any app using the Vulkan renderer on the MXE build. | @OpenSauce04 #2392
Addressed an issue where frame pacing might be inconsistent when using the MXE build. | @OpenSauce04 #2392
Desktop
Reduced the minimum motion control sensitivity value from 0.01 to 0.001. | @ParadiseOfMagic #2383
Linux
The Wayland and non-Wayland AppImage have now been merged back into a single binary, which includes Wayland support. This is due to the original crash issue that caused the split being fixed. | @OpenSauce04 #2458
Implemented a measure to help prevent a missing application icon with certain desktop environment setups. | @Kyuyrii #1727
Android
Upgraded the target Android SDK from Android 15 (35) to Android 17 (37). | @OpenSauce04 #2416
Fixed various edge-case crashes related to surface handling, which could occur during game boot, screen rotation, app suspension, or save state loading. | @PabloMK7 #2425
Resolved an issue causing debug builds of Azahar on Android to crash immediately due to a configuration validation logic error. | @PabloMK7 #2398
Fixed a problem where, if a 3DS application closed itself or faced a fatal error, and the user selected “Abort”, the emulator would crash instead of returning to the application menu. | @PabloMK7 #2399
Addressed an issue leading to Azahar crashing if a save state was loaded after being started from a third-party frontend. | @PabloMK7 #2452
Fixed a problem causing Azahar to crash if initial setup hadn’t been performed and a third-party launcher attempted to start it. | @PabloMK7 #2452
Resolved various issues/inaccuracies related to string translation tagging. | @OpenSauce04
macOS
Enabled Liquid Glass interface elements on macOS 26. | @OpenSauce04 #2429
Fixed an issue in macOS 27 where connecting to local network devices like a real 3DS would constantly fail (e.g., Artic Base, system files setup). | @OpenSauce04 #2428
libretro
“Stereoscopic 3D Mode” and “Stereoscopic 3D Depth” settings are now present for the libretro core. | @XenuIsWatching #2339
Updated the NDK version utilized to build the Android libretro core to 29.x
Technical
The MXE build is now compiled using an LLVM+Clang based environment, replacing the previous GCC-based one. | @OpenSauce04 #2392
A massive thanks to @kleisauke, who has maintained an unofficial LLVM MXE plugin in a GitHub repository for about a year and a half with minimal recognition. Without their contributions, implementing this change would have taken significantly longer.
Added copyright years to all source code license headers. | @PabloMK7 #2415
Implemented a workaround for a current MSVC compiler bug. | @PabloMK7 #2410
Introduced a new CMake option CITRA_ADDRESS_SANITIZE. | @PabloMK7 #2402
FreeBSD
When building on FreeBSD, the system libusb is now always utilized, as it is bundled with the OS. | @sonphantrung #2281