Emulator features: save states, rewind, shaders and more
Each page explains what the feature does, how to use it, which systems support it and what does not work yet.
Written by vivusk, Nostyra maintainer Last reviewed Based on the Nostyra README and release notes
Library and ROM scanning
Add one or more ROM folders, organised however you like. Nostyra classifies each file by its content and builds one library for all systems.
All 16 systems.
Metadata and artwork
Games are identified offline against bundled databases, then covers and screenshots are downloaded per game into a local cache.
All 16 systems.
Controls and remapping
Every game button and the 8 shortcuts can be remapped for keyboard and gamepad, for all games or for one game.
All 16 systems.
PS4, PS5 and Xbox controllers
Nostyra reads gamepads through SDL3. Gamepads work out of the box, and the Controls editor shows Xbox or PlayStation button labels to match your pad. The DualSense (PS5) has been tested by the maintainer.
All 16 systems.
Soft patching
Translations, bug fixes and hacks are often shared as patch files. Nostyra applies them in memory when the game starts; the ROM file is never changed.
Cartridge systems: NES, SNES, Game Boy family, Nintendo 64 and Sega 8/16-bit.
Portable mode
The Windows release is a portable zip with no installer. Everything Nostyra writes stays in a
data folder beside Nostyra.exe.
Windows release.
RetroAchievements
RetroAchievements is a community service that adds achievements to classic games. Nostyra supports it on 14 systems using rcheevos, the same library RetroArch uses.
All systems except GameCube and Wii.
Save states
A save state stores the whole emulated machine at one moment, so you can continue from any point, not only where the game lets you save.
All 16 systems.
Rewind
Rewind keeps a short history of the game in memory. Holding the rewind key plays it backwards at 2× speed.
All systems except Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, PSP, GameCube and Wii.
Fast-forward
Fast-forward runs the game as fast as your PC allows while you hold the key. It is useful for long dialogue, grinding or slow intros.
All 16 systems.
Run-ahead
Many games react to a button press one or more frames late, even on original hardware. Run-ahead emulates ahead and rolls back each frame to hide 1–2 frames of that delay.
All systems except Nintendo 64, Dreamcast, PSP, GameCube and Wii. Allowed but not recommended on the Nintendo DS.
CRT and LCD shaders
Shaders change how the picture is drawn, for example to imitate the scanlines of a CRT TV or the pixel grid of a handheld screen.
All 16 systems.
Resume
When you quit a game, Nostyra saves a resume point. The next time you press Play, it asks whether to continue from there or start fresh.
All 16 systems.
Download Nostyra
Free and open source. Portable zip, no installer, no account.
Download for Windows
macOS (planned)
Linux (planned)
iOS (planned)
Android (planned)
Version 0.1.0 · 25.9 MB zip · Windows 10 / 11, 64-bit
Hosted on GitHub Releases. First time? Read the install guide.