Performance and interface fixes
ARMSX1 0.1.6 introduces a new backend core intended to address several performance and interface problems. The release notes report that frame-rate drops have been fixed and that games should run at a full 60 frames per second. They also report fixes for slowdowns across all resolution settings.
Runahead is likewise reported to run at 60 frames per second in this build. Runahead processes additional frames ahead of the current input, a technique commonly used to reduce perceived input delay. The release notes do not guarantee the same result on every device or game, and they say the fixes were tested on two devices.
The update also fixes button scrolling within the user interface and slow ROM scanning. These changes target both navigation and the time spent finding game files before launching them.
Multi-disc games get new controls
M3U disc playlists should now swap discs correctly instead of opening the file browser. Version 0.1.6 also adds a hotkey assignment for swapping discs from M3U playlists or from disc files themselves.
M3U files can group the disc files for a multi-disc game. With the new mapping, users can assign a control for changing discs while playing, rather than relying on the file browser each time a disc change is needed.
HD options combine video and display resolution
The Video menu now includes HD 2, HD 3 and HD 4 options for games. The release recommends HD 3 as the preferred setting.
The selected HD option also changes the display resolution. ARMSX1 treats these settings as a combined configuration for compatibility, so the HD label is not an entirely separate image-quality control. Users should account for the associated resolution change when selecting an option.
Dual-screen support and cheat tools
Version 0.1.6 adds dual-screen support, initially called out for Crash Team Racing. The release notes say that support for more games will be added later, so this feature should be regarded as an initial implementation rather than a promise of dual-screen behavior across the full PlayStation library.
The emulator now includes a cheat database in its user interface. Cheats can be toggled on and off, and a download button allows additional cheat data to be added without waiting for an application update. A separate hotkey assignment can be used for cheat controls during gameplay.
Some custom cheats supplied with the project are marked experimental because they have not been tested across every map or game area. The notes use the first Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater as an example. They describe the cheats as safe for the device, but their behavior throughout a game is not presented as fully verified. The planned custom cheats are for offline play.
PlayStation emulator background
ARMSX1 is a PlayStation emulator fork rebuilt around a native FSUI shell and SDL2-hosted frontends. The project lists desktop, Android, iOS, UWP, WebAssembly and PSVita targets. The supplied 0.1.6 package is an Android APK, so its availability does not establish that the same packaged build was released for every listed host.
The emulator includes CPU, DMA, GPU, SPU, MDEC, GTE and timer components, along with CD-ROM loading, memory cards, BIOS selection and PS-X EXE boot support. Its interface also provides screenshot capture, logging controls, VSync and fast-forward options.
Supported disc formats listed by the project include BIN/CUE, single-track BIN, ISO, CHD and ZIP archives containing a supported game image with its companion files. CHD handling includes mixed-mode metadata, pregaps and postgaps, audio byte order and Q subchannel data. The 0.1.6 notes do not announce a new disc-image format.
CPU and graphics architecture
ARMSX1 provides a cached CPU engine as its default and an interpreter engine for diagnostics. The cached path stores decoded instruction handlers but still performs a real bus fetch and opcode check for each emulated instruction. Writes invalidate matching entries, including cached and uncached address aliases.
Neither CPU engine generates native code, uses executable memory or relies on host threading behavior. These implementation details describe how the emulator runs its PlayStation CPU model; they are separate from the Android-specific performance claims in the 0.1.6 release notes.
The GPU uses a software PlayStation rasterizer and keeps 16-bit VRAM authoritative. Presentation can use SDL software rendering or an optional accelerated SDL mode. In the accelerated mode, changed VRAM scanlines are uploaded to an SDL texture, while PlayStation rasterization remains in use. If an accelerated SDL renderer is unavailable, the project falls back to software rendering.
Release details
ARMSX1 0.1.6 was published on October 14, 2026, under the release tag 0.1.6. The supplied package is named ARMSX1-0.1.6.apk.
The release notes ask users to report bugs through the ARMSX1 support channel because the fixes were tested on two devices. Users should also remember that experimental cheats may not remain active throughout every map or gameplay situation, and that changing the HD option changes the display resolution as well as the video setting.
