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Nintendo 64

The Nintendo 64 is a 64-bit fifth-generation console released by Nintendo on June 23, 1996 in Japan; September 29, 1996 in America for $199.99 USD; March 1, 1997 for the rest of the world. One of the last major home consoles to use the cartridge format, unless you count the recent Nintendo Switch as a home console. Probably one of the most complicated pieces of hardware ever devised, utilizing a combination of 64-bit (hence its name) and 32-bit components. Here's a fun article written by Rodrigo Copetti about it.

Emulation for Nintendo 64 is still experimental, and accuracy issues crop up no matter which hardware emulator you use. Be prepared to switch emulator/core on a per-game basis. If you'd like to watch a video explanation of what's explained on this page, check out Batocera Nation's excellent video on how to setup Nintendo 64 in Batocera.

This system scrapes metadata for the “n64” group(s) and loads the n64 set from the currently selected theme, if available.

  • Accepted ROM formats: .z64 .n64 .v64 .zip .7z
  • Folder: /userdata/roms/n64

The N64 emulators don't need a BIOS to function.

Place your Nintendo 64 ROMs in /userdata/roms/n64/.

Mupen64Plus has some trouble loading compressed .zip files. If you cannot load your ROMs, try unzipping them.

File extensions may not necessarily reflect their true contents, but here are the generally accepted formats:

extension format
.bin Binary representation of data on the ROM.
.n64 ROM dump stored in little-endian byte-order.
.N64 ROM dump stored in big-endian byte-order.
.v64 ROM dumps produced by or compatible with the Doctor V64, with data stored in a byte-swapped version of the N64's native byte-order.
.z64 ROM dumps produced by or compatible with the Z64, stored in big-endian byte-order.

There is no practical difference as to which format to use for loading the ROMs in Batocera.

RetroArch (formerly SSNES), is a ubiquitous frontend that can run multiple “cores”, which are essentially the emulators themselves. The most common cores use the libretro API, so that's why cores run in RetroArch in Batocera are referred to as “libretro/(core name)”. RetroArch aims to unify the feature set of all libretro cores and offer a universal, familiar interface independent of platform.

RetroArch configuration

RetroArch offers a Quick Menu accessed by pressing [HOTKEY] + South button (B SNES) which can be used to alter various things like RetroArch and core options, and controller mapping. Most RetroArch related settings can be altered from Batocera's EmulationStation.

Standardized features available to all libretro cores: n64.videomode, n64.ratio, n64.smooth, n64.shaders, n64.pixel_perfect, n64.decoration, n64.game_translation

ES setting name batocera.conf_key Description ⇒ ES option key_value
Settings that apply to all cores of this emulator
GRAPHICS BACKEND n64.gfxbackend Choose your graphics rendering
⇒ OpenGL opengl, Vulkan vulkan.
AUDIO LATENCY n64.audio_latency Audio latency in milliseconds, turn it up if you hear crackles
⇒ 256 256, 192 192, 128 128, 64 64, 32 32, 16 16, 8 8.
THREADED VIDEO n64.video_threaded Improves performance at the cost of latency and more video stuttering. Use only if full speed cannot be obtained otherwise.
⇒ On true, Off false.

libretro/Mupen64Plus-Next

Mupen64Plus-Next is a N64 emulation library for the libretro API, based on Mupen64Plus. It is also the successor of the old Mupen64Plus libretro core. It's still experimental, but incorporates Retroarch's features, such as input remapping from its Quick Menu ([HOTKEY] + South button (B SNES)).

libretro/Mupen64Plus-Next Configuration
ES setting name batocera.conf_key Description ⇒ ES option key_value
Settings that apply to all systems this core supports
VIDEO 4:3 RESOLUTION global.mupen64plus-43screensize The rendering resolution when using a 4:3 aspect ratio. If set to auto, will match your current video mode. Severe performance impact. 320×240 for native, 640×480 for “Hi-Res” mode (eg. Perfect Dark).
⇒ 320×240 320×240, 640×480 640×480, 960×720 960×720, 1280×960 1280×960, 1600×1200 1600×1200, 1920×1440 1920×1440, 2240×1680 2240×1680, 2560×1920 2560×1920, 3200×2400 3200×2400, 3520×2640 3520×2640, 3840×2880 3840×2880.
VIDEO 16:9 RESOLUTION global.mupen64plus-169screensize The rendering resolution when using a 16:9 aspect ratio. If set to auto, will match your current video mode. Severe performance impact. 320×240 for native, 640×480 for “Hi-Res” mode (eg. Perfect Dark).
⇒ 640×360 640×360, 960×540 960×540, 1280×720 1280×720, 1920×1080 1920×1080, 2560×1440 2560×1440, 3840×2160 3840×2160, 7680×4320 7680×4320.
WIDESCREEN HACK global.mupen64plus-aspect Enhancement. Widescreen hack. Very glitchy. Only works when using a 16:9 video mode and with bezels (decorations) disabled. Recommended to use ROM patches instead. Some games natively support 16:9 in their in-game options.
⇒ Off 243, On 16:9 adjusted.
BILINEAR FILTERING global.mupen64plus-BilinearMode Enhancement. Chooses which bilinear filtering method is used to smooth textures on 3D objects. 3point is accurate to the unique 3-point bilinear filtering the N64 employs as a cost-saving measure, however this introduces some distortion to the resulting textures. standard uses a traditional 4-point bilinear filter for more accurate textures. Negligible performance cost.
⇒ standard standard, 3 point 3point.
ANTI-ALIASING (MSAA) global.mupen64plus-MultiSampling Enhancement. Applies MSAA to smooth out jagged edges on 3D object polygons. Most noticeable at lower resolutions. Does not affect textures. The N64 has no MSAA natively, but this was masked by its blurry video output. Significant performance cost. 4x for powerful enough hardware. Higher values give diminishing returns at an exponential performance cost. Should only be disabled if running at native resolution for a more authentic experience.
⇒ Off 0, 2x 2, 4x 4, 8x 8, 16x 16.
TEXTURE FILTERING global.mupen64plus-txFilterMode Enables mip-mapping to smooth out textures on distant 3D objects based on distance and angle. Has a minimal performance impact. The “Smooth” settings don't have anisotropic filtering enabled, resulting in very blurry distant textures. The “Sharp” settings enable anisotropic filtering, dramatically improving the clarity of distant textures at the cost of making UI elements blurrier. Has a minimal performance cost. Very subjective, some N64 games actually did use mip-mapping and require it for certain graphical effects (eg. the Peach painting in Super Mario 64) while others completely omitted it, resulting in aliasing textures for distant objects.
⇒ Off None, Smooth 1 Smooth filtering 1, Smooth 2 Smooth filtering 2, Smooth 3 Smooth filtering 3, Smooth 4 Smooth filtering 4, Sharp 1 Sharp filtering 1, Sharp 2 Sharp filtering 2.
TEXTURE ENHANCEMENT (XBRZ) global.mupen64plus-txEnhancementMode Enhancement. Uses upscalers/resamplers on textures to improve their clarity. Improvements are subjective.
⇒ Off None, As Is As Is, X2 X2, X2SAI X2SAI, HQ2X HQ2X, HQ2XS HQ2XS, LQ2X LQ2X, LQ2XS LQ2XS, HQ4X HQ4X, 2xBRZ 2xBRZ, 3xBRZ 3xBRZ, 4xBRZ 4xBRZ, 5xBRZ 5xBRZ, 6xBRZ 6xBRZ.
CONTROLLER PAK 1 global.mupen64plus-pak1 The accessory pack plugged into controller 1.
⇒ Off none, memory memory, rumble rumble.
CONTROLLER PAK 2 global.mupen64plus-pak2 Same as above for the second controller.
⇒ Off none, memory memory, rumble rumble.
CONTROLLER PAK 3 global.mupen64plus-pak3 Same as above for the third controller.
⇒ Off none, memory memory, rumble rumble.
CONTROLLER PAK 4 global.mupen64plus-pak4 Same as above for the fourth controller.
⇒ Off none, memory memory, rumble rumble.

Other configuration settings must be configured from RetroArch's Quick Menu ([HOTKEY] + South button (B SNES)).

libretro/parallel_n64

A low level emulator that incorporates the Angrylion RDP renderer and Vulkan APIs for hardware accelerated emulation. It is more accurate but lacks some enhancement options.

libretro/parallel_n64 configuration
ES setting name batocera.conf_key Description ⇒ ES option key_value
Settings that apply to all systems this core supports
VIDEO RESOLUTION global.parallel-n64-screensize Improve the fidelity of 3D models (does not affect 2D sprites). Severe performance impact. 320×240 for native, 640×480 for “Hi-Res” mode (eg. Perfect Dark).
⇒ 320×240 320×240, 640×480 640×480, 960×720 960×720, 1280×960 1280×960, 1440×1080 1440×1080, 1600×1200 1600×1200, 1920×1440 1920×1440, 2240×1680 2240×1680, 2880×2160 2880×2160, 5760×4320 5760×4320.
WIDESCREEN global.parallel-n64-aspectratiohint Break aspect ratio and stretch the image.
⇒ Off normal, On widescreen.
TEXTURE FILTERING global.parallel-n64-filtering Enhancement. Chooses which bilinear filtering method is used to smooth textures on 3D objects. N64 3-point is accurate to the unique 3-point bilinear filtering the N64 employs as a cost-saving measure, however this introduces some distortion to the resulting textures. Bilinear uses a traditional 4-point bilinear filter for more accurate textures. Negligible performance cost.
⇒ Automatic automatic, N64 3-point N64 3-point, Bilinear bilinear, Nearest nearest.
FRAMERATE global.parallel-n64-framerate Fullspeed can break some games.
⇒ fullspeed fullspeed, original original.
CONTROLLER PAK 1 global.parallel-n64-pak1 The accessory pack plugged into controller 1.
⇒ Off none, memory memory, rumble rumble.
CONTROLLER PAK 2 global.parallel-n64-pak2 Same as above for the second controller.
⇒ Off none, memory memory, rumble rumble.
CONTROLLER PAK 3 global.parallel-n64-pak3 Same as above for the third controller.
⇒ Off none, memory memory, rumble rumble.
CONTROLLER PAK 4 global.parallel-n64-pak4 Same as above for the fourth controller.
⇒ Off none, memory memory, rumble rumble.

Other configuration settings must be configured from RetroArch's Quick Menu ([HOTKEY] + South button (B SNES)).

A standalone N64 emulator. Can utilize multiple plugins for various aspects of its emulation. For Batocera's purposes, each “core” can also be a different video plugin of the same emulator.

  • “Mupen64Plus/GLide64mk2” for the enhanced GLide64mk2 video plugin.
  • “Mupen64Plus/GLideN64” for the GLideN64 video plugin. Allows the use of hi-res texture packs.
  • “Mupen64Plus/Rice” for the Rice video plugin. Allows use of hi-res texture packs.

Mupen64Plus configuration

Standardized features available to all video plugins of this emulator: n64.videomode, n64.ratio

ES setting name batocera.conf_key Description ⇒ ES option key_value
Settings that apply to most video plugins of this emulator (exceptions noted)
FRAME SKIP [GL64MK2 ONLY] n64.mupen64plus_frameskip Skip frames to improve performance (smoothness).
⇒ Off 0, Autodetect automatic, 1 1, 2 2, 3 3, 4 4, 5 5.
TEXTURE MIP-MAPPING (BLUR) n64.mupen64plus_Mipmapping Enhancement. Enables mip-mapping to smooth out textures on distant 3D objects based on distance and angle. Should be used in conjunction with n64.mupen64plus_Anisotropic. Has a minimal performance cost. Refer to this page for details. Generally advised to leave this on (some N64 games actually used mip-mapping for graphical effects eg. the Peach painting in Super Mario 64), but some users may prefer the 'hardness' of distant objects with it off, especially at increased rendering resolutions.
⇒ Off 0, nearest 1, bilinear 2, trilinear 3.
ANISOTROPIC FILTERING n64.mupen64plus_Anisotropic Enables anisotropic filtering to enhance perspective textures. Dramatically improves the clarity of distant objects when mip-mapping is turned on. Has a small performance impact. Refer to this page for details. Recommended to set it as high as you can go. If not using mip-mapping, it is recommended to leave this off as it can make UI elements unnecessarily blurry.
⇒ Off 0, 2x 2, 4x 4, 8x 8, 16x 16.
ANTI-ALIASING (MSAA) n64.mupen64plus_AntiAliasing Enhancement. Applies MSAA to smooth out jagged edges on 3D object polygons. Most noticeable at lower resolutions. Does not affect textures. Has a significant performance impact. 4x for powerful enough hardware. Higher values give diminishing returns at an exponential performance cost. Should only be disabled if running at native resolution for a more authentic experience.
⇒ Off 0, 2x 2, 4x 4, 8x 8, 16x 16.
TEXTURE ENHANCEMENT (XBRZ) [RICE ONLY] n64.mupen64plus_TextureEnhancement Enhancement. Uses upscalers/resamplers on textures to improve their clarity. Improvements are subjective.
⇒ Off 0, 2X 1, 2XSAI 2, HQ2X 3, LQ2X 4, HQ4X 5, Sharpen 6, Sharpen More 7, External 8, Mirrored 9.
HIRES TEXTURES n64.mupen64plus_LoadHiResTextures Uses the hi-res texture pack for the game, if any. Only confirmed for the Rice and GLideN64 video plugins. No harm leaving on True if there aren't any files present anyway.
⇒ Off False, On True.
DISABLE 4MB EXPANSION RAM PACK n64.mupen64plus_DisableExtraMem Disables the expansion pack required for some games. Polarity for this setting is reversed for EmulationStation's user-facing setting. Emulation of this can cause issues in games that don't require it, so it is suggested to leave disabled unless needed.
⇒ Off False, On True.

You can use switch the connected virtual controller accessory to a Mempak with L3 and a Rumblepak with R3 while in game!

Mupen64Plus standalone cannot ordinarily be configured by altering its cfg file in userdata, as that gets overwritten every launch. If you're feeling adventurous, you can edit the /usr/share/batocera/configgen/configgen-defaults-arch.yml and utilize Batocera's overlay feature to keep the settings. Support cannot be provided should you do this, however.

Hi-res texture packs replace the textures in a game with other (typically higher resolution) textures. Support for this has been baked into Mupen64 ever since textures could be extracted from the game itself and naturally Batocera supports their use. The “MUPEN64PLUS / GLIDE64MK2”, “MUPEN64PLUS / RICE” and FIXME “LIBRETRO / MUPEN64PLUS-NEXT” emulators support this feature.

This feature was buggy in Batocera v31, but fixed in Batocera v32.

Mario staring directly into your soul.

The author of the texture pack will usually include instructions on how to install them on standalone Mupen64Plus, but in case they don't here are the general steps:

  1. Grab your texture pack and put it in /userdata/system/.local/share/mupen64plus/hires_texture/ (for .htc that would be …/mupen64plus/cache/ instead).

    Bug: For some reason this path is actually /userdata/bios/mupen64plus/cache/ instead.

  2. Go to ADVANCED GAME OPTIONS in EmulationStation and enable HIRES TEXTURES. This something you can enable on a game per game basis, when you have the corresponding texture pack.
  3. HD bing bing wahoos!

Texture packs can be very heavy (several hundreds of MB) and have an impact on the emulation performance if your system is on the lower side of the spectrum.

Raw PNG “Loose” packs are supported by the Rice and GLide64mk2 video plugins, whereas the .htc file is only supported by GLide64mk2! .dat formats are depreciated and not compatible with any available emulator in Batocera.

You might also want to look into 60 FPS patches/codes for your game while you're at it. Batocera cannot provide support for such hacks if something goes wrong, though, so the first step you should do if something goes wrong is to try it without the patch/code!

Batocera requires a controller with a right analogue stick if the C-buttons are needed; they are automatically bound to the appropriate positive/negative values of the right stick axis.

Batocera infers right-stick down and right-stick right as the opposite axis values to the ones you assign in the controller configuration screen. If you've assigned buttons to these controls instead, you'll only be able to use the buttons you have assigned (no C-down or C-left)!

Here are the default Nintendo 64's controls shown on a Batocera Retropad for libretro cores:

Here are the default Nintendo 64's controls shown on a Batocera Retropad for Mupen64Plus:

Unlike with the libretro core, remaps for the standalone can be configured by editing userdata/system/configs/mupen64/input.xml. Back up this file before making edits to it. When you open it, you'll see the bindings like so:

<inputList>
<input name="AnalogDeadzone" value="0,0" />
<input name="AnalogPeak"     value="32768,32768" />
<input name="l3"             value="Mempak switch" />
<input name="r3"             value="Rumblepak switch" />
<input name="a"        	     value="C Button R" />
<input name="b"        	     value="A Button" />
<input name="x"        	     value="C Button U" />
...

The input names on the left are the virtual Retropad Batocera uses to convert your controller inputs. You don't typically need to edit these.

The values on the right are the controller signal sent to the game. Feel free to switch these around with each other.

Mupen64 can only accept one name per value; if multiple are detected it will only use the first occurrence. For example, if you bind the n64 Z value to both L2 and R2 Retropad names, only the L2 button will activate the Z value.

You can assign various Mupen64 commands here like Mempack switch!

For further troubleshooting, refer to the generic support pages.

  • systems/n64.1638053675.txt.gz
  • Last modified: 2 years ago
  • by atari