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PLAYSTATION EMULATOR CORE
Beetle PSX
Beetle PSX is the Libretro core port/fork of Mednafen's PlayStation (PS1) module. It prioritizes accuracy and a software renderer; a separate Beetle PSX HW core provides hardware-accelerated rendering (OpenGL/Vulkan) with different visual tradeoffs. The core runs inside Libretro frontends such as RetroArch and supports common PS1 image formats and memory‑car
WHY IT MATTERS
Why use Beetle PSX?
Beetle PSX offers an accurate Mednafen-based PS1 implementation with features important to preservation and correctness: software-rendered graphics that closely match original hardware, PGXP subpixel fixes, CHD/PBP support, robust disk control, and flexible savedata compatibility. Use the HW variant if you need GPU-accelerated rendering (OpenGL/Vulkan) and potentially higher performance.
BEST FOR
Best for
Users who want high-accuracy PS1 emulation inside a Libretro frontend (RetroArch) on desktop platforms; people who need features like PGXP, CHD/PBP support, and faithful software rendering. The HW core is the more practical choice if your device benefits from hardware rendering.
The people behind Beetle PSX
History and provenance
Beetle PSX is a standalone Libretro port/fork of Mednafen's PSX module. The core is maintained in the libretro organization and carries the Mednafen Team authorship and GPLv2 licensing. The Libretro documentation describes Beetle PSX as a Mednafen PSX port and documents notable additions (CHD/PBP support, software renderer upscaling, PGXP). A separate Beetle PSX HW core was made to provide hardware-accelerated rendering options (OpenGL/Vulkan).
What Beetle PSX supports
- Windows (via RetroArch)
- macOS (via RetroArch)
- Linux (via RetroArch)
- Android (Beetle PSX HW widely available via RetroArch on Android)
Download and availability
OFFICIAL DOWNLOADS
Get Beetle PSX
Beetle PSX cores are distributed as Libretro cores and are most commonly installed through a Libretro frontend such as RetroArch using the frontend's Core Updater / Online Updater. Official documentation and the core repository are hosted on the Libretro docs site and GitHub; RetroArch's Online Updater downloads the compiled core builds for your platform.
Get Beetle PSX ↗DOCUMENTATION
Official documentation
Read the official configuration, compatibility, and troubleshooting material before changing advanced options.
Read official documentation ↗Beetle PSX setup guide
Setup note: This guide covers practical setup in a Libretro frontend (example: RetroArch). It assumes you will install the core via the frontend's Core/Online Updater, and that you will provide any required system BIOS files yourself (these are not included). Follow each step and consult the core's documentation if you need more detail.
- 1) Install a Libretro frontend (RetroArch): Download and install RetroArch (or another Libretro-compatible frontend) for your platform. Use the platform's official RetroArch distribution and verify it runs before proceeding.
- 2) Install Beetle PSX / Beetle PSX HW core: Open RetroArch, go to Online Updater (or Core Updater / Core Downloader), then select and download 'Beetle PSX' and/or 'Beetle PSX HW'. On many platforms the HW core is listed separately as Beetle PSX HW. If you prefer manual installation, obtain core binaries from the libretro buildbot or the core's GitHub releases and place them in RetroArch's cores directory, then refresh RetroArch's core list.
- 3) Place BIOS/firmware files in the frontend's system directory: Beetle PSX supports user-supplied PlayStation BIOS files and will fall back to OpenBIOS if none are provided, but many games require real BIOS files for full compatibility. Put BIOS files into RetroArch's system directory (configured under Settings → Directories → System). The core documentation lists recognized filenames and notes the 'Override BIOS' core option for region-free alternatives; enable 'Override BIOS' if you use an alternate bios file.
- 4) Prepare game images and cue sheets: Beetle PSX expects a cue sheet (.cue) for CD images. For a single-track BIN you can create a simple .cue pointing to the .bin. For multi-disc games, create separate .cue files and, for easier disc swapping, a .m3u that lists the discs in order. Supported content formats include .cue, .toc, .m3u, .ccd, .pbp, .chd and raw images.
- 5) Load content and select the core: In RetroArch, use Load Content and open the .cue (or .m3u). If prompted to select a core, choose Beetle PSX (or Beetle PSX HW). If a core was already associated, you can instead use Quick Menu → Disk Control to swap discs or Load New Disk for manual changes.
- 6) Configure important core options: Open Quick Menu → Options to set Beetle PSX core options. Notable options documented by the core include 'Skip BIOS' (keep it off for correct PAL copy-protection handling), 'Override BIOS' (use a single region-free bios file), and internal GPU resolution / software renderer scaling. For the HW core, choose between OpenGL and Vulkan renderers depending on platform and driver support—Vulkan is recommended by the docs when available to reduce graphical glitches seen with OpenGL.
- 7) Memory cards, saves and states: Beetle PSX supports both Libretro savedata (.srm) and Mednafen .mcr formats. By default Memcard slot 0 uses the Libretro .srm naming scheme and slot 1 uses Mednafen naming. Save and state files are written to the frontend's configured Save and State directories. To import saves from other emulators, rename files to the expected format or use the core's options.
- 8) Advanced: CHD, PBP, PGXP: Beetle PSX supports CHD and PBP containers and includes PGXP subpixel precision fixes. Use CHD for compressed image libraries where supported. Consult the core documentation for specific compatibility notes and known issues.
Software reminder: Beetle PSX does not include commercial games, copyrighted BIOS/firmware, or other copyrighted content. You must supply BIOS files and game images yourself in accordance with applicable law and ownership rights.
Sources and further reading
Detailed guides and tutorials
Explore step-by-step guides for Beetle PSX as they are published.
Use Beetle PSX on Android
An Android ARM64 Libretro build exists for Beetle PSX. Run the core through RetroArch for Android; the standalone desktop download and Android core may have different menus and features.
Emulates: PlayStation.
Verified Android core build ↗ · Browse all Android emulators →