Frequently asked questions
Short answers to common questions.
Written by vivusk, Nostyra maintainer Last reviewed Based on the Nostyra README and release notes
General
What is Nostyra?
Nostyra is a free, open-source retro game launcher and libretro frontend. It builds a library from your ROM folder and plays games from 16 classic systems through libretro emulator cores.
Is Nostyra free?
Yes. Nostyra is free software under the GPL-3.0-or-later licence. There are no ads, accounts or paid tiers.
Does Nostyra use libretro cores like RetroArch?
Yes. Nostyra is a libretro frontend: it loads the same kind of libretro emulator cores, downloaded from the libretro buildbot. Its achievements support uses rcheevos, the library RetroArch uses.
Which platforms are supported?
Windows 10 and 11 (64-bit) only, as of version 0.1.0. macOS, Linux, iOS and Android builds are not available yet.
Games, BIOS and legality
Does Nostyra include games or BIOS files?
No. Nostyra does not include, download or link to games or BIOS files. Use games you own and BIOS files dumped from your own console.
Do I need a BIOS?
No system requires one. PlayStation and Dreamcast use built-in HLE BIOS replacements; you can optionally add your own BIOS in Settings → BIOS for games that need it.
Is emulation legal?
Nostyra itself contains no games, BIOS files or console code. Whether you may copy or use a game or BIOS depends on the law where you live; sharing files you do not own is usually not allowed. This is not legal advice.
Setup and troubleshooting
Windows says "Windows protected your PC". Is it safe?
The warning appears because the exe is not code-signed yet. If you downloaded the zip from the official GitHub Releases page, click More info, then Run anyway. You can verify the SHA-256 checksum on the install guide page.
Why does Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, PSP, GameCube or Wii say it needs OpenGL 3.3?
These cores render with OpenGL. Update your graphics driver from the GPU maker.
My Nintendo DS game does not start.
Nostyra plays decrypted DS dumps only (the No-Intro "Decrypted" set). An encrypted dump stops with a message explaining this.
Can I use my PS4, PS5 or Xbox controller?
Yes. Gamepads work out of the box through SDL3, and the button editor shows Xbox or PlayStation labels. The DualSense (PS5) has been tested by the maintainer. Rumble is not supported yet.
Where are my saves?
In the portable release, inside the data folder next to Nostyra.exe, under saves/<system>/<game> [<ID>]/.
How do I report a bug?
In the launcher, open Settings → About → Logs → Create bug report, then attach the zip to a new issue on GitHub. Do not attach game or BIOS files.
For details, see the system pages and the feature pages.
Not answered here? Open an issue on GitHub.