While fixed-function OpenGL was theoretically possible, we only ever provided a test core for it, and we had an unwritten agreement in general that OpenGL usage in Libretro cores should be non-fixed function. The only requirements for using OpenGL in your core was that you would adhere to at least OpenGL 2.x on the desktop and/or OpenGL ES 2.0 on mobile. So being able to target OpenGL (ES and non-ES) as a developer in your libretro core was a great and convenient way to make cross-platform code that would run on most platforms. This coincided with Android and iOS ports appearing for RetroArch, and this was before the platform holders all decided to go their own separate ways and start targeting their own APIs. OpenGL hardware rendering was added as an option to the Libretro API back in 2013. However, because software rendering has to be handled by the CPU, is only really practical for older games/emulators emulating older 2D-based systems.

This is truly platform and hardware-agnostic, and for most systems that do not use any kind of 3D rendering and have little to gain from moving over to hardware-accelerated graphics APIs this is the preferable strategy. Libretro as an API started out in 2010/2011 only allowing for software rendered graphics. You will be able to use either Direct3D 11 (on Windows), OpenGL or Vulkan renderers with the PPSSPP core.

While it should be noted that this is still in an experimental stage, there is already a core that will be taking advantage of this - the PPSSPP libretro core, which has recently been upstreamed thanks to Ali Bouhlel and Henrik Rydgard, the original developer. In addition to being able to use Vulkan and/or OpenGL for hardware rendering, you can now also use Direct3D 11 inside your cores!

We, as the developers of RetroArch and Libretro, are proud to announce that yet another new option is available to developers who are using the Libretro API.

Retroarch ppsspp android text input