A major frontend overhaul for iPhone and iPad
ARMSX2 iOS 2.6.0 was released on October 2, 2026, as version iOSv2.6.0. The update requires iOS 17.4 or newer and substantially changes how the PlayStation 2 emulator is controlled outside games. A connected controller can now operate the Games, BIOS and Settings tabs, pause-menu panels, per-game settings, shader and texture-pack pages, game menus, pop-ups, RetroAchievements and license screens.
The D-pad or left stick moves focus, the right stick scrolls, and holding a direction accelerates navigation. Cross selects while Circle goes back. In the game library, Square opens a game's menu and Triangle marks it as a favorite. Settings also remembers the last page, selected option and scroll position when moving between tabs or returning from a game, making longer configuration screens easier to revisit.
Controller behavior is adjustable from the appearance settings. Users can change the focus box's style and color, glowing corners and orbs, while an optional setting allows L2 and R2 to switch menu themes. The update also adds controller button hints, stick inversion, instant deadzones and per-game controller skins. Skins can be selected from the library or pause menu, previewed before use and optionally matched by controller serial number.
Macros and OrbitKeys expand controller use
Controller macros are available near the top of Settings under Game Controller. Select plus Start opens the pause menu, Start plus R2 performs a quick save, and Start plus L2 performs a quick load. Start combined with the D-pad changes game speed and fast-forward behavior, while Start plus Circle reverses the latest save-state action. These combinations can be reassigned to other buttons.
Macros read the D-pad rather than the analog stick, and their buttons are not passed through to the emulated game. That prevents a macro combination from accidentally adding extra in-game input. ARMSX2 also includes OrbitKeys, a controller-operated keyboard with grid and QWERTY layouts for renaming games, save slots and themes, as well as signing in to RetroAchievements.
Auto-save and Undo replace risky save-state prompts
Save states have been rebuilt around a clearer pause-menu interface. Eight numbered slots appear first, followed by Auto-save and Quick Save. Each entry shows when it was created and how long the session had been running, with the newest entry marked Latest. Existing saves from slots 9 and 10 remain available as Older Slot 9 and Older Slot 10, so the migration does not move or overwrite them.
Instead of repeatedly asking for confirmation, ARMSX2 now offers Undo after saving over a slot, loading or deleting one. The Undo message remains visible for five seconds by default, and the duration can be changed from one to ten seconds in Settings under Emulator and Save States. The row menu can rename, lock or delete a slot; locked slots cannot be overwritten or removed.
Auto-save is enabled by default and runs every ten minutes of play, with five-, 15- and 30-minute intervals available. It also saves when stopping, switching games, resetting or returning to the menu. To avoid replacing a useful state while briefly checking a game, automatic saving is skipped during the first two minutes after starting a game or loading a state. At five percent battery while unplugged, ARMSX2 saves immediately and then continues saving every minute until the device is charged. Skipped automatic saves are recorded in logs/emulog.txt.
The update also addresses several cases where saving could be misleading or damaging. Operations taking longer than a second were previously reported as failures and could write to another game's slot; failed saves could also empty the slot. Those problems are fixed, and a save interrupted by the app closing is restored at the next launch. Folder-based memory cards are written when leaving the app, reducing the chance of losing the latest in-game save after iOS backgrounds the application.
Shaders and texture packs arrive on iOS
Version 2.6.0 adds RetroArch slang shaders running through Metal. More than 800 presets can be browsed through a searchable, folder-based catalog, or users can get the complete slang pack for broader preset support. Packs can also be installed from a ZIP archive or folder.
Multiple shaders can be stacked in a chosen order, and individual entries can be hidden without removing them. Parameters can be adjusted with a live preview using touch or a controller. Users can save custom presets, remove packs and presets, and assign different shader configurations to individual games. If a preset fails to load or compile, the interface reports the problem and offers a retry.
Texture packs receive a dedicated page in Settings and a separate per-game configuration page. Packs can be downloaded from the shared catalog, imported from ZIP or TAR.ZST archives and removed later. ASTC packs load natively through Metal, while the texture cache is sized according to the memory iOS makes available to the app. Downloaded packs are excluded from iCloud backups. Texture replacement and texture-dumping controls have moved from Graphics into the new texture-pack area.
AirPlay keeps controls on the phone
AirPlay now separates the game display from the phone interface. The emulated game and its on-screen display appear on the television, while the virtual gamepad and menus remain on the phone. While browsing menus, the television shows “Please select a game.” Gyro aiming and layout input continue to come from the phone rather than the television screen.
A redesigned library, pause menu and settings experience
The pause menu now includes Game Controller, Shaders, Controller Skin, Per-Game Settings, Cheats, Speed and Change Disc. Game Info, Change Disc and Cheats & Patches open as translucent panels, and connected-controller shortcuts appear along the bottom. On phones in landscape orientation, the menu retains its two-column layout.
The game library's new Layout controls provide a live preview for card size, spacing, glass effects and text. Game names, information, favorite marks and the Games title can each be hidden. Portrait and landscape layouts are saved independently, and rotating the device preserves the current position.
The redesigned game menu is centered on cover art and places Play, Resume or Stop beside it. It also provides Game Info, per-game settings, custom skins, cheats and patches, cover management, renaming and favorites. Its color can be drawn from the cover, or that behavior can be disabled under Appearance. Now Running can optionally show a blurred image of the active game's cover behind Resume and Stop.
Per-game settings have been rebuilt for iPhone portrait, iPhone landscape and iPad. Back, Close and Save remain visible, and leaving with unsaved changes prompts the user to apply or discard them. Changes can be tested while a game runs: ARMSX2 creates a hidden temporary state, applies the setting and returns to the same moment afterward without altering save slots. New per-game choices include Disable Depth Emulation, shaders and texture packs.
Themes, sound and accessibility options
The release adds glass, metallic, pastel, retro and animated theme presets, including Purple Milk, Ender Pearl-Pul and Heny Blue. Custom themes can use separate colors for different interface elements, receive their own names and be imported or exported as JSON. A Theme Gallery is included, while wallpaper settings now cover resolution, detail and frame rate, with a lighter mode for when the phone runs hot.
Menu music and sounds can be replaced independently and have separate volume controls. An audiopack.zip file can be imported from the ARMSX2 folder. User-interface haptics and game rumble use separate strength settings, with game rumble adjustable up to 200 percent. The status bar can also be controlled separately for the intro, menus and games.
The update supports StosDebug as a JIT enabler alongside StikDebug. A logo.png file placed in the PRESETS folder can replace the Boot BIOS button and optionally bounce over the wallpaper. On a fresh installation without JIT, the menus turn crimson as a warning and return to their normal appearance once JIT is available. More screens now have translations, including the cheats manager, skin browser and controller overlay VoiceOver labels, although some new 2.6.0 text remains English-only.
