# RetroDECK v0.9.0b - Captain Comeback

<img src="../../../wiki_images/logos/rd-logo-box.png" width="600">

**Release Date: 2025-XX-XX** 

## Short summary:

```
Thanks for your patience 
A Sea Shanty
New Lighter Manifest & Framework changes
RetroENGINE - Run with RetroDECK
Launch with games via CLI
Steam Rom Manager & Steam Sync
PortMaster
Ruffle
New RetroDECK ES-DE Theme
New Website 
RetroDECK Classic (Zenity) Configurator updates
Emulators / Engines / Systems updates
Other Changes
```

---

## Thanks for your patience 

We appreciate the community's patience while waiting for this update.


---

## Do we get any banger Patch Music for 0.9.0b? 

How about a Sea Shanty about Captain Comeback meeting his friends the Port Master and the Train Driver (SRM).

[Captain Comeback's Shanty](https://soundcloud.com/lazorne/captain-comebacks-shanty/s-n7hBgem7imz)


---


## New Lighter Manifest & Framework changes

We have spent several months rewriting various aspects of RetroDECK, resulting in about `1300+` commits since the last release. During this time, we have:

- Reduced the application size by around `600MB`.
- Decreased the build time from `3.30` hours to about `1` hour.
- Transitioned from a monolithic build approach to a modular one, where each component is built separately and then integrated into RetroDECK.
- Migrated RetroDECK to an organization on GitHub, which now hosts the new modular structure. 
- Total folder and pathing restructure of a the entire project that reduced several layers of subfolders. 
- Reworked the `pre_build_automation script`, adding new features.
- Improved logging.
- Implemented changes for the future Godot version of the Configurator.
- Enabled the RetroDECK Framework to pick up logged-in Steam profiles for systems like SRM.
- Created a new dependency and library manager called `Libman` 🦸. 

This work will also continue in upcoming major updates, as we want to make the build system more dynamic and easy.

<img src="../scott.jpg" width="300"> 

---


## RetroENGINE - Run with RetroDECK

<img src="../../../wiki_images/systems/retroengine/re-appselect.png" width="500"> 

RetroDECK can be used as a headless engine to run your games. 

On the Linux Desktop (or desktop mode), we have added the option to associate, run, and open various game files directly with RetroDECK. 

This also includes the ability to launch games via the CLI.

This feature has been requested by the wider development community outside of RetroDECK (and maybe a few Linux Wizard Grognards that only want to use CLI for everything).

We can't wait to see what other developers do with it.

**Quote from Discord User:**

*"Whoa! That is a lot of text for saying you can now double click on game files and they open"*

**Read more here:**

[RetroENGINE - Guide](../../wiki_system_guides/retroengine/retroengine-guide.md)


---

## Steam Rom Manager & Steam Sync

<img src="../../../wiki_images/logos/srm-logo.png" width="100">

RetroDECK is now shipping with [Steam Rom Manager](https://steamgriddb.github.io/steam-rom-manager/) and the ability to Sync your games to Steam aka `Steam Sync` built-in. 

**Note: Flatpak Steam Not Yet Supported**

We have not yet added support for the Flatpak version of Steam.


**What is Steam Rom Manager?**

Steam Rom Manager is a bulk game importer and artwork manager for Steam.

It adds separate games to Steam, incorporates artwork from [SteamGridDB](https://www.steamgriddb.com/) , and configures the RetroDECK Steam Input layouts. 


**What is Steam Sync?**

`Steam Sync` is a RetroDECK feature that uses Steam Rom Manager to Sync your favorite games in ES-DE to Steam. 

**Read more here:**

[Steam Rom Manager - Guide](../../wiki_system_guides/srm/srm-guide.md)


---

## New Feature - PortMaster

<img src="../../../wiki_images/logos/portmaster-logo.png" width="100">

RetroDECK is now shipping with [PortMaster](https://portmaster.games/). 

![type:video](PortMaster.mp4)

### What is PortMaster?

PortMaster is a simple GUI tool designed to make downloading and installing game ports for Linux devices easy and self-contained within RetroDECK, allowing it to auto-update.

One of its goals is to avoid installing or upgrading any existing OS libraries for any ports. Any ports that need a particular non-standard library are maintained within the ports' folder and made available specifically to that port during execution.

**Read more here:**

[PortMaster - Guide](../../wiki_system_guides/portmaster/portmaster-guide.md)

---

## New Feature - Ruffle

<img src="../../../wiki_images/logos/ruffle-logo.svg" width="200">

Ruffle is a Flash Player emulator written in Rust. 

<img src="../helicoptergame.jpg" width="600">

<img src="../madness.jpg" width="600">

**Read more here:**

[Ruffle - Guide](../../wiki_emulator_guides/ruffle/ruffle-guide.md)

---

## New RetroDECK ES-DE Theme

We have released the first version of our own RetroDECK ES-DE theme! 

<img src="../RetroDECKESDE1.webp" width="600">

<img src="../RetroDECKESDE2.webp" width="600"> 

The theme is inspired by the Mini Banner theme made for Launchbox and the ES-DE-Mini theme made for ES-DE. Our RetroDECK theme can be seen as a remix of these themes.

The original themes were created by:

`Weestuarty`, `DerSchlachter` and `Dan Patrick`.

The RetroDECK theme features:

- RetroDECK inspired colors and graphics.
- Different types of submenus and layouts compared to Mini Banner & ES-DE-Mini.
- Icons for RetroDECK features like PortMaster.


The new theme is made by: `Weestuarty`

---

## New Website

<img src="../website.png" width="600">


We soft launched it earlier, but it's officially a part of this update! Have you discovered the hidden games yet?


--- 

## RetroDECK Classic (Zenity) Configurator

<img src="../../../wiki_icons/retrodeck/icon-configurator.svg" width="120">


**Changes:**

- The two BIOS Checkers tools have been combined into a single tool.
- Renamed `Open Emulator` to -> `Open Emulator / Component` to account for Steam Rom Manger, GZDoom and other systems.

**Added:** 

- Backported the new Godot Configurator BIOS list. The `BIOS Checker` now supports more then double the amount of BIOS.
- Added Steam Rom Manger (SRM) to the `Open Emulator / Component` and `Reset` menu. 

**Fixes**

- Various compression improvements commits and bugfixes by `Cohee` to the compression tool.

<img src="../bioschecker.png" width="1000"> 

--- 

## Emulators / Engines / Systems

All components have been updated to a later version:

- All Emulators
- All Engines 
- All Systems
- Retroarch & Cores 

The following are the highlighted changes that go beyond a regular update.

--- 

### ES-DE

<img src="../../../wiki_images/logos/es-de-logo.png" width="100">

[ES-DE: Changelog](https://gitlab.com/es-de/emulationstation-de/-/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md)


**Note:** 

The new update brings a lot of exciting features, including language support. For more details, you can refer to the changelog above. 

By default, ES-DE will set the language to match your system locale if a translation is available.

If you wish to change the language, you can do so by navigating to `ES-DE Configurations` -> `UI Settings` -> `Application Language`.

**Changes:** 

- Favorites collection is now enabled by default on ES-DE.
- The ES-DE settings are now under a submenu in the ES-DE frontend to prevent the menu from becoming too crowded - `ES-DE Configurations`.


**Added:** 

- Added support for the Panda3DS and LRPS2 RetroArch cores in ES-DE.

**Fixed:** 

- The scraper was set to `Europe` instead of `World`.


**Known Issue:** 

- The `ES-DE Configurations` submenu in RetroDECK's ES-DE doesn't support translations yet. We hope to implement all translations in the future.

--- 

### Duckstation:

<img src="../../../wiki_images/logos/duckstation-logo.png" width="100">


**Changes:** 

- Marked as (Legacy) due to licensing changes.

**Bugfix:**

- Fixed an issue where the Hotkeys in some scenarios were not correctly applied 

**Update:** 

- Updated to the last version before the licensing change.

--- 

### Ryujinx:

<img src="../../../wiki_images/logos/ryujinx-logo.svg" width="100">

**Changed:** 

- Marked as (Legacy) as the emulator has stopped its development.

--- 

### RPCS3

<img src="../../../wiki_images/logos/rpcs3-logo.png" width="100">


**Added:** 

- More hotkeys are now supported, such as Open In-game Menu.

--- 

### RetroArch

<img src="../../../wiki_images/logos/retroarch-logo.png" width="100">


**Added:**

- Experimental N3DS core: Panda3DS.
- Experimental PlayStation 2 core: LRPS2.


--- 

### Dolphin / Primehack:

<img src="../../../wiki_images/logos/dolphin-logo.png" width="100">


**Fixed:**

- Aspect ratio was configured for the Steam Deck resolution and not set to Auto.


--- 

### GZDoom:

<img src="../../../wiki_images/logos/gzdoom-logo.png" width="100">


**Added:**

- A warning message if the user has filenames with exotic symbols used by the `.doom` files.

---

## Other Changes

<img src="../../../wiki_icons/pixelitos/accessories-notes.png" width="70">

- `other_licenses.txt` fixed some broken links and added more licenses.
- `retrodeck_credits.txt` updated the credits.