Next release will be WatermelonDS!

This release is focused on RetroAchievements stability, Hardcore achievement reliability, leaderboards, and new offline achievement provider options.

This will also be the last release using the current melonDualDS name.

The next release will introduce a new interface, a new icon, and a new experimental Vulkan feature called FastPath. FastPath is designed to significantly improve performance at high internal resolutions, even up to 8x in some cases.

However, FastPath will be experimental. If you want the most stable and accurate experience, closer to real Nintendo DS behavior, it is recommended to keep FastPath disabled when it becomes available. It will be especially useful for devices with slightly weaker chipsets, or for users who want to get the most performance and battery efficiency possible.

For RC5, the focus is not Vulkan, UI changes, or general emulator fixes. This release is mainly about making RetroAchievements more stable, more reliable, and more flexible.

What’s New

1. RetroAchievements Hardcore stability

This release brings complete stability improvements for:

• RetroAchievements login/session behavior
• Achievement unlocks
• Hardcore achievement tracking
• Leaderboards
• RetroAchievements UI state
• Pending achievement synchronization

This makes melonDualDS RC5 the only melonDualDS release currently approved by the RetroAchievements team for earning achievements in Hardcore Mode.

If you want to earn Hardcore achievements with melonDualDS, this is the recommended version to use.

2. RAOfflineProxy integration

melonDualDS now supports RAOfflineProxy as an offline achievements provider.

RAOfflineProxy can be used to earn casual RetroAchievements while offline and sync them later when you are back online.

RAOfflineProxy website:

https://raofflineproxy.com/

Please note:

Hardcore Mode is disabled while using RAOfflineProxy.

This is expected behavior. RAOfflineProxy is intended for offline casual achievement use.

How to Switch to RAOfflineProxy

1. Open Settings.
2. Open RetroAchievements.
3. Select Offline achievements provider.
4. Choose RAOfflineProxy.
5. Start RAOfflineProxy before launching a game.
6. Restart the current game session if it was already running.

Hardcore is disabled while using RAOfflineProxy.

How to Switch Back to melonDualDS Offline

1. Open Settings.
2. Open RetroAchievements.
3. Select Offline achievements provider.
4. Choose Built into melonDualDS.
5. Restart the current game session.

Existing melonDualDS offline progress and pending submissions are preserved when switching providers.

3. Better Hardcore disconnect recovery UI

This release improves the experience when playing in Hardcore Mode and the device temporarily loses connection.

If you start an online Hardcore session and then disconnect, the UI now shows exactly how much progress has not been synchronized yet.

You can also synchronize directly from that UI, helping avoid losing Hardcore achievements after a temporary connection issue.

This should make Hardcore sessions much safer when using unstable Wi-Fi, mobile hotspots, handheld devices, or any setup where the connection can drop for a short time.

About the Next Release

0.7.0 RC5 is the final release using the current melonDualDS name.

The next release will move to the new identity, including:

• A new name
• A new interface
• A new icon
• A new experimental Vulkan path called FastPath

FastPath is designed to improve performance significantly, especially at high internal resolutions such as 4x, 6x, or even 8x depending on the device and game.

FastPath may also help users with less powerful chipsets, or users who want to improve battery life by reducing GPU overhead.

However, FastPath will be experimental.

If you want the most stable and accurate Nintendo DS experience, it is recommended to keep using the regular rendering path when FastPath becomes available.

Next Development Focus

The next release will also focus on resolving the currently open issues in the repository.

The goal is to continue improving the overall Nintendo DS experience by addressing reported problems, polishing the new interface, and making the emulator more reliable across different Android devices.

Thank you to everyone reporting issues, testing RetroAchievements, and helping improve melonDualDS.

Reporting Issues

When reporting RetroAchievements issues, please include:

• Device model
• Android version
• Game title
• Whether Hardcore Mode was enabled
• Whether RAOfflineProxy was used
• Whether the issue happened online or offline
• Whether the issue involved achievements, leaderboards, login, pending submissions, or synchronization
• Steps to reproduce
• Screenshots or logs, if possible

Thank you for testing and supporting melonDualDS.