Retro Achievements Setup Guide

Retro Achievements are what you expect them to be. In vintage games, you can obtain these achievements. Imagine earning awards while playing Super Mario World. The best part is that these retro achievements are compatible with various devices, including the Sony PlayStation 2.

How to start?

Go to RetroAchievements.org and use the link in the upper right corner to create a new account.

You will need your login and password for each supported emulator, so keep them in mind.

You won't have anything when you first make your account, but when you begin to accrue achievements, you can view them all by clicking on your avatar in the upper right corner of your profile page.

Checking if a game supports Retro Achievements

You may find a complete list here for Pokemon Silver if a game has achievements. To determine if a game supports achievements, search for the game name on the RetroAchievements.org website.

Although the game states that it has Retro Achievements, it's crucial to remember that your ROM cannot be supported. It could be the wrong ROM, a different version, or a different region. If you scroll down, any Retro Achievements game page will have a link to the Official Forum Topic.

When you click that, information on which ROM supports Retro Achievements is typically found in the first post. For evident legal concerns, they won't link to the precise ROM; nonetheless, a helpful tip is to Google the file name or CRC32 checksum to locate the necessary information.

I will explain how to determine whether a game has Retro Achievements in each emulator.

How to earn?

Therefore, while not all emulators or RetroArch cores support Retro Achievements, many do.

A list of emulators and instructions for modifying Retro Achievements settings can be found below:

RetroArch – Multi-platform

RetroArch supports numerous systems through various RetroArch cores. Game Gear, Dreamcast, Nintendo 64, Super Nintendo, Game Boys, and well-known systems are also available.

Here is a list of the cores I use, in case you were wondering:

  • Atari 2600: Stella
  • Atari 5200: Atari800
  • Atari 7800: ProSystem
  • Arcade: FinalBurn Neo
  • Dreamcast: Flycast
  • Game Boy/Game Boy Color: Gambatte
  • Game Boy Advance: mGBA
  • Genesis/Master System/Game Gear/Sega CD: Genesis Plus GX
  • NES: FCEUmm
  • Nintendo 64: Mupen64Plus-Next
  • Nintendo DS: MelonDS DS
  • PlayStation 1: SwanStation
  • Saturn: Beetle Saturn
  • SNES: Snes9x

RetroArch makes it simple to set up Retro Achievements. Click the Settings cog on the right side of the RetroArch main menu, then scroll down to Achievements.

A field for your username and password will now appear. In both, enter your username and password for RetroAchievements.org.

I also strongly advise turning off Hardcore Mode. Although its functions are explained in the description, regular individuals don't need to see it.

After finishing, select Configuration File, Save Current Configuration, and the main RetroArch menu. Pay attention to this step!

Open the RetroArch menu in-game and scroll down to Achievements to see if your ROM supports Retro Achievements in RetroArch. If it reads No Achievements to Display but you know the game has Retro Achievements on the website, you have the wrong ROM. A complete list of the game's achievements will be displayed if not.

This popup in the upper left appears when you gain an achievement.

DuckStation – Multi-platform

DuckStation supports Retro Achievements for Sony PlayStation 1 games. RetroArch also works; however, both are supported if you'd rather use a standalone solution like DuckStation.

Setting up Retro Achievements in DuckStation is simple. Click the three lines in the upper left corner of the home screen to access App Settings. Navigate to the Achievements section. Make RetroAchievements possible.

Enter your login credentials from RetroAchievements.org.

Open the DuckStation menu in-game and slide down to Achievements to see if your ROM supports Retro Achievements in DuckStation. If it reads No Achievements to Display but you know the game includes Retro Achievements on the website, you need the correct ROM. A complete list of the game's achievements will be displayed if not.

PPSSPP – Multi-platform

PPSSPP supports Retro Achievements for Sony PlayStation Portable games. Although RetroArch's PPSSPP core performs similarly, practically everyone uses PPSSPP standalone for PSP games due to its poor performance.

Retro Achievements in PPSSPP are simple to set up. From the home screen on the right, choose Settings, System, and RetroAchievements.

Enter your login credentials from RetroAchievements.org.

AetherSX2/NetherSX2 – Android

AetherSX2/NetherSX2 supports Retro Achievements for Sony PlayStation 2 games.

It is simple to set up Retro Achievements in AetherSX2/NetherSX2. Click the three lines in the upper left corner of the home screen to access App Settings. Navigate to the Achievements section. Make RetroAchievements possible.

Enter your login credentials from RetroAchievements.org.

Open the in-game menu and scroll down to Achievements to see if the ROM you have supports Retro Achievements in AetherSX2/NetherSX2. If it says No Achievements to Display, yet you know the game includes Retro Achievements on the website, then you have the wrong ROM. A complete list of the game's achievements will be displayed if not.

Dolphin – PC

Currently, the only method to obtain Retro Achievements for GameCube titles is through Dolphin for PC (Windows/Linux).

Verify that you are using the most recent Dolphin version. Select Achievements from the drop-down menu after selecting Tools at the top. Enter your login credentials from RetroAchievements.org.

MelonDS – Android

For Nintendo DS games, MelonDS supports Retro Achievements.

MelonDS makes it simple to set up Retro Achievements. Click the three dots in the upper right corner of the home screen. Scroll down to access RetroAchievements.

Enter your login credentials from RetroAchievements.org.