fr0stbyt3 Posted 2 hours ago Posted 2 hours ago Hey everyone! First off, a huge thank you to everyone who’s been testing, reporting bugs, and sharing feedback over the past few months. Your input has been invaluable in shaping these releases—every feature and fix you see here was directly influenced by your suggestions and the issues you reported. You all rock! We’ve been working through a pretty substantial update cycle across the entire HyperSpin ecosystem. This includes over 100 improvements spanning HyperHQ (v2.0.103-beta through v2.0.116-beta), HyperSpin (v2.0.55 through v2.0.61), HyperTheme (v1.9.0 and v1.10.0), and our documentation site. Here’s what we’ve been able to get done: complete MAME overhaul, a new plugin system, GPU optimization improvements, significant RAM reduction on large libraries (60-85% in testing), automatic database backups, and quite a bit more. We’re doing our best to address the feedback you’ve shared and make the ecosystem more reliable and performant. Let’s walk through what’s new! MAME - Complete Rebuild The MAME plugin received a complete architectural overhaul with massive improvements: Core Improvements Streamlined Wizard: Faster, cleaner setup process with better feedback Large Collection Support: Handle massive MAME game lists (10,000+ games) without slowdown Local Processing: Game XML processing happens locally for dramatically improved speed New Plugin Architecture: Built on the all-new plugin system for better reliability Enhanced Update Workflow Visible Filters: Filter options now stay accessible during MAME updates Media Options Available: Choose which media types to download while updating Better Feedback: Clear progress indicators at each stage More Control: Better visibility into what’s being updated and downloaded New Filtering Options Handheld Games Filter: New filter specifically for handheld/portable arcade titles Better Organization: Organize your MAME collection by form factor Dedicated Wheels: Create specialized wheels for handheld classics This rebuild addresses nearly every pain point users experienced with the old MAME setup. Whether you’re managing a small curated collection or a complete MAME set with thousands of games, the new system handles it smoothly. Plugin System - Expand HyperSpin Your Way One of the most significant architectural changes is the introduction of a full plugin system: Core Philosophy Keep HyperSpin Lightweight: Core application stays lean and fast Add Features as Needed: Install only the plugins you want Community Extensions: Users can create and share custom plugins Developer-Friendly Features Load Development Plugins: Test plugins without publishing them Direct Installation: Install plugins right from the plugins page Comprehensive API: Full access to system and media folder data Better Event Handling: Plugins can hook into application events Media Folder Overrides: Plugins can provide custom media folder paths Enhanced Security Challenge-Response Authentication: New security model for plugin communication Protected Access: Plugins can’t interfere with each other or core functionality User Experience Cleaner Confirmation Dialogs: Improved messages when installing or managing plugins Better Error Handling: Clear feedback when something goes wrong Reliable Loading: More consistent plugin initialization from folder installations The plugin system opens up exciting possibilities for community-driven features while keeping the core HyperHQ application maintainable and fast. HyperSpin Performance Lazy Loading Update HyperSpin v2.0.57 introduced a complete rewrite of the media loading and management system: Assets Load On-Demand: Media files load only when needed, not all at startup 60-85% Less RAM Usage: Massive memory reduction, especially with large libraries New Cache Database: Lightning-fast lookups replace slower file system operations Smoother Performance: Reduced memory pressure means better overall responsiveness This single change transforms HyperSpin’s performance on systems with large game collections. If you have thousands of games, you’ll immediately notice the difference. GPU Detection and Optimization HyperSpin now intelligently detects and optimizes for your graphics hardware: Hardware Analysis: Detects dedicated vs integrated graphics automatically Adaptive Settings: Graphics settings adapt based on your hardware capabilities Safer Defaults: Systems with integrated graphics get conservative settings Maximum Performance: Dedicated GPU users get optimized settings for smooth animation Smoother Wheel Navigation: Silky-smooth scrolling with dedicated GPUs Better Frame Rates: Fixed loading screen lag and frame drops Maintains 60 FPS: Multi-window support (with marquee displays) stays buttery smooth Resource Management Background Pausing: Animations pause when HyperSpin isn’t the active window Reduced Background Usage: Lower CPU/GPU usage when minimized Better Memory Management: More efficient allocation and cleanup Optimized Image Caching: Smarter caching strategy for browsing Data Protection - Automatic Backups HyperHQ now includes a comprehensive backup and restore system that protects all your hard work: Automatic Backup System Configure automatic backups in Settings > HyperHQ > Database Backup Backups run automatically on the schedule you choose Smart cleanup keeps your 7 newest backups and removes older ones Backups include your entire database—all systems, games, media links, and settings One-Click Restore Browse your available backups in the settings panel Restore any backup with a single click App automatically restarts with the restored database Perfect for recovering from bad configurations or testing changes Manual Backup Option Create a backup anytime you want with one click Perfect before major changes or updates Backups are stored safely and clearly labeled This system means you can experiment freely, knowing you can always roll back to a known-good state. Testing new configurations? Make a backup first. About to import hundreds of new games? Make a backup first. Peace of mind is just one click away. Visual Experience - Marquees & Backgrounds The marquee system has been completely reimagined with stunning new features: HyperHQ Marquee Display Enable "Marquee (HyperHQ)" in settings to see your marquees while browsing games Smooth animations and background blur effects Proper window management and positioning Works alongside HyperSpin for dual-display setups Three New Animation Styles Slide: Marquees slide gracefully into view Cascade: Layered animation effect Expand: Zoom and expand animations Random Playback: Different animation each time you browse for variety Background Effects Dynamic, subtle movement on marquee backgrounds Adds life to static images Creates a more engaging browsing experience Enhanced Customization Background Alignment: Choose top, center, or bottom alignment for marquee background images Per-System Override: Enable or disable marquee media for individual systems Smart Fallback: When marquee media is disabled, shows wheel image with theme background Retro Arcade Theming: Beautiful arcade-themed backgrounds when no marquee images exist Game Backgrounds in Systems Page The Systems page now displays game backgrounds behind the sidebar as you browse: Auto-Switching: Backgrounds change smoothly as you navigate Blur Effect: Subtle blur keeps text readable Darker Gradient: Sidebar has improved contrast with gradient overlay Immersive Feel: Makes browsing systems feel more connected to your game collection Media Management - Faster and Smarter Media handling received significant attention with numerous improvements: Core Fixes Deletion Bug Fixed: Media deletion now properly updates the database (this was a long-standing issue!) Persistent Settings: Download settings are saved when refreshing media Better Checkbox Behavior: Checkbox interactions work more intuitively throughout Auto-Migration: Older system configurations automatically migrate to new format Performance Improvements Faster Matching: More reliable and faster game-to-media matching Intelligent Caching: Smarter caching strategy in media audit reduces redundant operations Optimized Image Loading: Better caching for browsing large collections Smoother Scrolling: Performance improvements when viewing game lists Enhanced Capabilities Expanded Media Type Support: Comprehensive list of game and system-level media types Alphabetized Lists: Media types are now alphabetically sorted in refresh modal JSON Export: Media statistics now export to JSON format with 30-day tracking Logs & Debugging - Complete Redesign The logs page received a complete redesign focused on giving you better visibility into what’s happening: Powerful Filtering System Real-Time Search: Type to instantly filter logs by message, level, source, or timestamp Entry Counter: See exactly how many log entries match your current filters Source Toggles: One-click filtering between HyperHQ and HyperSpin logs Level Filters: Quick chips for All, Info, or Errors only Usability Features Copy Individual Entries: Copy any log entry with one click Copy All Filtered Logs: Export all visible logs at once Clear Logs Button: Remove logs from view without closing the page Auto-Scroll Toggle: Control auto-scroll with clear visual indicator Scroll to Top Button: Appears when you’ve scrolled down Whether you’re troubleshooting an issue, monitoring background tasks, or just curious what’s happening, the new logs page makes it faster and easier to find what you need. RetroArch Integration HyperHQ now includes an intelligent core selection system with pre-configured recommendations for over 100 gaming systems: See Only Compatible Cores: The system filters cores to show only those that work with your chosen platform Smart Recommendations: Default cores are pre-selected based on community best practices Integrated Setup: Core selection is built right into the system configuration workflow Automatic Launch: Your chosen core is used automatically when launching games Video & Animation Fixes Numerous video and animation bugs were identified and fixed: Video with Marquee: Fixed video playback when marquee displays are enabled Transition Pausing: Corrected videos and transitions pausing incorrectly JPG Support: JPG files now load correctly as metadata images Flipbook Animations: Resolved flipbook animation bugs Tiling Issues: Fixed theme tiling problems Projection Fixes: Corrected rendering issues with projections Granular Progress: More detailed progress indicators during asset loading Metadata Hiding: Metadata automatically hides while spinning/changing wheels (default theme) Game Management Enhancements Hide and Disable Games Grayscale Indicators: Hidden or disabled games shown with grayscale effect Show Hidden Toggle: Quickly show or hide disabled games Better Organization: Remove games from wheels without deleting them "Scrape As" Feature Custom Scraping: Tell HyperHQ to scrape games as a different System. Perfect for Custom Systems: Handle homebrew, hacks, and custom collections Better Metadata: Get accurate metadata for games with unusual names User Experience Improvements Drag-Drop ROM Paths: Drop folder paths directly into path fields Compact Asset Grids: Cleaner, more efficient grid views for media Better Responsive Layouts: Improved layouts throughout the application Wheel Manager Help: Added help documentation for wheel configuration HyperTheme Enhancements Change Theme Type Anytime The biggest limitation in HyperTheme has been eliminated: Change Theme Type After Creation: No longer locked into your initial choice Automatic Validation Updates: Validation rules adapt to new theme type Dynamic Form Updates: Form fields adjust based on theme type Smart Tag Management: Tags automatically update for compatibility Workflow Improvements Spacebar Control: Press spacebar to play/pause theme preview One-Click Downloads: Save media items directly from the library with new download button Better Browsing: "Load More" button remembers your filters Better Loading Spinners: Loading indicators work correctly throughout Fixed Metadata Loading: Metadata images load reliably EmuMovies Fixed: Video preview works again Visual Polish Removed Blue Halos: Eliminated distracting blue focus highlights Updated Theme Colors: Refreshed colors in left navigation menu Loading Indicators: EmuMovies content shows proper loading states Fixed Dropdowns: System Theme dropdown works correctly Documentation Improvements The documentation site at docs.hyperai.io received significant updates: Plugin API Standardization: All Socket.IO events now use camelCase convention Enhanced Plugin Logging: Comprehensive logging examples and best practices Multi-Language Support: Examples provided for Go, C#, and Python plugins Improved Event Documentation: Updated event subscription examples with camelCase patterns Emulator Management Script Management Reset Emulator Scripts: New button in emulator metadata editor Fresh from Server: Pull latest default scripts with one click All Script Types: Covers startup, exit, pause, resume, reset, save state, load state, and disc swap scripts Reset in Cache Settings: Reset button also available in Cache Settings Better Selection Interface Improved Dropdown Visibility: Emulator selection dropdown works better Clearer Options: Better organization of emulator choices Theme Management Efficient Metadata: More efficient theme metadata processing Better Caching: Improved caching strategy for themes No More Repeated Downloads: Fixed themes downloading repeatedly Privacy and Community New privacy controls give you transparency and choice: "Help Improve HyperHQ": Toggle to control usage data collection Community Metadata Sharing: Control whether you contribute metadata improvements Your Choice: Both features completely optional Transparency: Clear explanation of what gets shared Version Summary This update cycle included: HyperHQ: 14 releases (v2.0.103-beta through v2.0.116-beta) Plugin system launch Database backup system RetroArch core selection MAME plugin rebuild Marquee system overhaul Logs page redesign Media management improvements 100+ individual improvements HyperSpin: 7 releases (v2.0.55 through v2.0.61) Lazy loading system (60-85% RAM reduction) GPU detection and optimization Performance improvements throughout Video and animation fixes Better resource management Multi-display improvements HyperTheme: 2 releases (v1.9.0 and v1.10.0) Change theme type after creation Spacebar preview control One-click media downloads Interface improvements Bug fixes and stability HyperSpin Docs: Alpha improvements Plugin API standardization Enhanced documentation Search function Better organization Your Feedback Matters We’d love to hear your thoughts on these updates: Which features are you most excited about? What improvements have made the biggest difference for you? What would you like to see next? Are there any issues you’re encountering? Thank you for being part of the HyperSpin community. Here’s to many more improvements ahead! As always, thanks for all your support, feedback, and enthusiasm—it’s what keeps us going. Stay awesome, -fr0stbyt3 Neon__Tokens_Arcade_Theme (1).mp4 WanganMidnight.mp4 Wacky_Races.mp4 1
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