ARMSX1 0.1 Released: A New PS1 Emulator for Android

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The team behind ARMSX2 has announced ARMSX1, a brand-new PlayStation 1 emulator for Android. Its first public release, version 0.1, is now available.

Although PlayStation emulation on Android is already well established, with excellent options like DuckStation, ePSXe, and RetroArch, it’s always exciting to see a new emulator enter active development. Rather than trying to reinvent PS1 emulation, ARMSX1 aims to offer a modern alternative built from the ground up with a polished interface and an impressive feature set, even in this very first release.

A feature-rich first release

Much of the emulator’s user facing functionality was implemented by contributor @jpolo1224 (among others), while the core emulation work evolves. Despite being an early release, ARMSX1 already includes:

• Modern Jetpack Compose interface shared with ARMSX2.
• Game library with grid and shelf views, automatic cover art, and folder support.
• Custom themes, accent colours, and background images.
• Guided first-run setup for BIOS and game folders.
• Fully customizable on-screen controls with layout editor.
• Memory card manager and built-in keyboard.
• Live language switching without restarting the emulator.
• Detailed performance overlay showing FPS, CPU/GPU usage, frame timing, DMA, SPU, and more.
• Hardware renderer with internal resolution scaling up to 8×.
• Both OpenGL ES and Vulkan rendering backends.
• Support for custom Vulkan drivers through adrenotools, including Turnip drivers.
• Experimental PGXP support to reduce the original PlayStation’s polygon wobble.
• Aspect ratio options, custom aspect ratios, and an optional widescreen hack.
• Texture replacement for high-resolution texture packs.
• librashader support for RetroArch shader presets, including CRT effects.
• RetroAchievements support with profiles, statistics, and in-game unlock notifications. Hardcore Mode is not yet supported.
• Save states with thumbnails and memory card synchronization warnings.
• Per-game GameShark cheat support.
• Full physical controller support with button remapping.
• BIOS skipping for faster startup.
• Configurable fast-forward speed and audio.
• Discord Rich Presence integration.

Version 0.1 also includes numerous low-level emulation features, designed to improve game compatibility and accuracy.

• Correct audio timing, fixing missing sound effects in games such as Metal Gear Solid.
• GPU fixes that resolve graphical issues in titles like Xenogears.
• Multiple CD-ROM timing and streaming improvements.
• Controller and memory card communication fixes affecting games including Spyro.
• Improvements to DMA handling, GPU register behavior, SPU registers, and other hardware details.
• Profile-guided optimization (PGO) for improved overall performance.

Still an early project

Version 0.1 is an early preview of what’s to come. While the feature list is surprisingly extensive, emulator compatibility will continue to improve as development progresses. DuckStation remains the benchmark for PlayStation emulation on Android, but it’s encouraging to see another actively developed project join the scene.

One known issue affects the optional widescreen hack, which can cause missing geometry near the edges of the screen in some games, most notably Crash Bandicoot. The option is disabled by default and can simply be turned off if visual glitches appear.

Where to get it

For now, you can get ARMSX1 exclusively on GitHub, meaning you will have to sideload the APK file manually as long as you are running Android 10 or later.

GitHub