mGBA

Overview

mGBA is an emulator for the Game Boy Advance (GBA). An emulator is a program that imitates a game console so that its games can run on your computer. mGBA has been developed since 2013 and aims to be both fast and accurate. It also plays Game Boy and Game Boy Color games.

It is a good choice for a complete beginner: it works without any extra console file, it is light enough for old computers, and its menus are simple. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux.

Key words explained

• ROM: a file that is a copy of a game cartridge. GBA ROM files usually end in .gba, Game Boy ones in .gb or .gbc. mGBA can also open them inside a .zip or .7z archive.

• BIOS: a small program stored inside the real console that starts it up (it shows the boot logo and provides basic functions to games). mGBA includes its own replacement, so you do not need the real one.

• In-game save: the save you make using the game's own menu, like on the real console. It is stored in a file with the .sav extension.

• Save state: a snapshot of the whole emulator at one precise moment, which you can restore at any time. It is an emulator feature that the real console did not have.

• Hotkey: a keyboard key that triggers an emulator action (for example fast-forward) instead of a game button.

• Frame rate: how many images per second are shown. The GBA runs at about 60 per second.

• Integer scaling: enlarging the picture only by whole multiples (2x, 3x, 4x...) so pixels stay sharp.

• Shader: a small program that changes how the picture looks, for example to imitate the original screen.

• Portable mode: all settings are kept in the same folder as the program instead of in your user folder.

System requirements

mGBA runs on most computers from the last decade, according to its FAQ. The official FAQ lists Windows 7 or newer, macOS and Linux. The current download page offers builds for macOS 10.13 or newer (plus a legacy build for 10.9 or newer), and the Windows builds come in 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

For the picture, mGBA needs OpenGL 1.1 or newer; OpenGL 3.2 or newer is needed for shaders and some advanced features. OpenGL is a way for a program to talk to your graphics card. Any recent computer has it. To check your Windows version, press the Windows key, type winver and press Enter.

What you need

• The mGBA program, from the official site. It is free.

• Your own games, as ROM files copied from your own cartridges. mGBA does not provide games, and this site does not explain where to get them.

• A BIOS is optional. mGBA has a built-in replacement that runs nearly every game. If you want the real boot animation, you can use a BIOS dumped from your own console and select it in the settings.

• A controller is optional. The keyboard works, but a gamepad is more comfortable.

Installation

Get mGBA only from its official download page. Pick the build that matches your system.

1. Windows, installer: download the installer .exe, run it and follow the screens. Settings are then stored in %APPDATA%/mGBA.

2. Windows, portable: download the .7z archive and extract it into a folder (a .7z file needs a program like 7-Zip to open). Run mGBA.exe from that folder. Settings are stored in that same folder, so you can move it to a USB stick.

3. macOS: download the .dmg file, open it and drag mGBA into your Applications folder. If macOS blocks the first launch, open System Settings > Privacy & Security and allow the app there.

4. Linux: download the AppImage, make it executable (right-click the file > Properties > Permissions, or run chmod +x on it), then double-click it. Builds for several Ubuntu versions and the source code are also offered. Your distribution may provide its own mGBA package too.

Do not put your games in a protected folder such as Program Files on Windows: saving can fail there (see Common problems).

First setup

The first launch shows an empty window. Nothing else is required, but these steps make life easier.

1. Map your controls. Open Settings > Controllers (the name may differ slightly between versions). Controls are what link a key or gamepad button to a GBA button. Click the box next to a GBA button, then press the key or button you want to use. Many gamepads are mapped automatically.

2. Optional: add a BIOS. Open Settings > BIOS and select the BIOS file dumped from your own GBA. If you do nothing, the built-in replacement is used.

3. Open a game: choose File > Load ROM and select the game file, or drag the file onto the mGBA window.

4. It worked if the game starts and you hear sound. If not, go to Common problems.

Adding your games

mGBA has no game library to fill. Put your game files in a folder of your choice, outside Program Files, and open them with File > Load ROM. The in-game save will be created in the same place. Games must come from cartridges you own and dump yourself. See the official FAQ for questions about dumping and compatibility.

mGBA can also apply patches (IPS, UPS and BPS files) for translations or fan changes. A patch must be placed next to the game with the same name.

Controls

These are the default keyboard keys, according to the official README. You can change them all in Settings > Controllers.

• A button: X

• B button: Z

• L shoulder button: A

• R shoulder button: S

• Start: Enter

• Select: Backspace

• Fast-forward (turbo): hold Tab

• Rewind: hold the backquote key

• Save state: Shift plus F1 to F9. Load state: F1 to F9 (nine slots).

If a direction seems stuck on a gamepad, go to Settings > Controllers: the FAQ explains that a device can be misdetected, and that you can clear wrong inputs for the D-pad with the clear buttons next to each box.

Graphics and performance settings

Most of these are found in the Settings window or in the View and Emulation menus. Names can vary a little between versions.

• Window size and integer scaling: scaling the picture by whole numbers keeps pixels sharp. Use it if the picture looks blurry or uneven on a large screen.

• Shaders: they imitate the look of the original screen. The original GBA screen was darker and less saturated than modern displays, so a colour-correcting shader can look closer to what players saw. Shaders need OpenGL 3.2 or newer. Change only if you like the result.

• Frame blending: some games flicker sprites on purpose, relying on the slow screen of the real GBA. If a game flickers, try enabling it.

• Sync to audio / Sync to video: these decide what keeps the game at the right speed. The FAQ recommends leaving Sync to audio on. If the game runs too fast, make sure Fast forward is not enabled in the Emulation menu and that one of the sync options is checked.

• Display and audio driver: the way mGBA outputs the picture and the sound. Change them only if you get a black or white screen (see Common problems).

Saves

There are two kinds of saves. The in-game save works exactly like on a real cartridge: you use the game's own save menu, and mGBA writes it to a .sav file. mGBA detects the save type of each game by itself.

A save state is made by the emulator. Use the File menu (or the hotkeys above) to save and load a state in one of nine slots. It is handy before a hard moment, but do not rely on it alone: also use the game's own save, because a state can stop working after the emulator is updated.

To back up, copy the .sav files (and state files) to another place. Where the .sav file lives is the folder of the game by default. The .sav file is a common format that many other GBA emulators can read.

Updating

Download the new version from the official download page and install it over the old one (installer) or extract it in a new folder (portable). With the portable build, copy your config.ini and qt.ini files into the new folder to keep your settings.

Common problems

• The game does not save. Cause: the folder is write-protected, often under Program Files. Fix: move the game to a normal folder such as Documents. The FAQ notes that saves made from Program Files can end up in a VirtualStore folder.

• White screen when loading. Fix, from the FAQ: change the audio driver; if that fails, enable Sync to video and disable Sync to audio.

• Black screen when loading. Fix, from the FAQ: change the display driver from OpenGL to OpenGL (Force 1.x) or Software.

• The game runs too fast. Fix: uncheck Fast forward in the Emulation menu and keep Sync to audio or Sync to video checked.

• Stuttering picture or sound. Fix: try another audio driver or change the sync and audio buffer settings.

• A direction is stuck, or the wrong button reacts. Cause: a device is misdetected as a controller. Fix: Settings > Controllers, clear the wrong inputs.

• Sprites flicker. Fix: enable frame blending.

• A game still refuses to run properly. Try the real BIOS dumped from your own console in Settings > BIOS, then read the FAQ.

Going further

• mGBA official site

• Downloads

• FAQ

• Source code and README

• Other options: Pizza Boy A on Android, RetroArch with the mGBA core, or ares.