Popular Post fr0stbyt3 Posted December 31, 2025 Popular Post Posted December 31, 2025 Hey everyone! Hope you all had a great holiday season! I kept busy over the break and have a packed update to show for it - v2.0.135 brings 233 commits of improvements across 13 test builds. This update focuses on making MAME management more seamless, expanding media capabilities, and polishing the interface throughout HyperSpin. From automated BIOS handling to intelligent media fallbacks, custom ROM filtering to universal search, this release tackles workflows that have long needed attention. Let’s see what’s new. MAME Workflow Enhancements Parent-Clone Media Fallback Smart Media Display: Clone games now show parent artwork when clone-specific media is missing, and vice versa Automatic Downloads: Media downloads include related parent/clone artwork automatically Split ROM Support: Works perfectly with MAME split/merged ROM sets and multi-disc games Custom ROM List Import Direct Folder Scanning: New MAME wizard mode scans your ROM folders directly Skip Filtering: Perfect if you’ve already curated your collection and don’t need the full filter workflow Automatic Metadata: Matches filenames against MAME’s database for accurate game information Import Count Accuracy Correct Counts: Success messages now show parent count or total count based on your clone preference Clear Feedback: "Fetch clones separately" shows all games, while "Merge clones" or "Skip clones" shows parent count only System Workflow Enhancements BIOS Management Automatic Detection: HyperSpin detects and manages required BIOS files when adding systems Wide Support: Works across emulators that require BIOS files Seamless Setup: No more hunting for BIOS files manually Media System Improvements System Media Override Flexibility Any Filename Works: Override folders now accept any filename for system media (logos, backgrounds) Random Selection: Multiple files? One gets chosen randomly for variety Clearer Instructions: Renamed to _README_Place_Override_Media_Here.txt with better examples Add Media Button One-Click Access: New button on the Media tab opens the override folder for your selected media type No More Folder Hunting: Drop your custom artwork right where it needs to go Works Everywhere: Supports both system-specific and default media locations Video Thumbnail Extraction Automatic Generation: Extracts thumbnails from video game files for display in game lists Smart Caching: Tiered extraction uses memory cache, persistent cache, Windows Shell, embedded thumbnails, and HTML5 video Configurable: Control the feature in game settings based on your preference Expanded Media Types 24 Media Options: Change Game Image dropdown expanded from 6 to 24 comprehensive artwork types Complete Coverage: Includes Boxes (2D/3D/2.5D/Spine/Box-Back), Video Snaps (240p/480p/1080p), Snaps (Gameplay/Title), Music, Marquees, Cabinets, Control Panels, Bezels, Overlays, and Manuals Better Organization: Scrollable dropdown with consistent naming conventions Logo Fallback Display Beautiful Alternative: When box art isn’t available, game cards now display the logo in the top third with a drop shadow Background Fill: Game’s background fills the entire card behind the logo Consistent Design: Matches the system list view style Spotlight Search Universal Search Interface Quick Access: Press Ctrl+F to search across games, systems, platforms, plugins, collections, and settings Full Keyboard Control: Navigate with arrows, Enter to select, Escape to close, Tab to cycle focus Visual Context: Category icons, plugin images, and game/system artwork displayed in results System & Metadata Enhancements Hardware Metadata 13 Specification Fields: CPU, memory, graphics, display, resolution, and more for each system Refresh from API: New button automatically populates specs for existing systems Clean Layout: Organized in a 2-column layout in the system editor Game Metadata Navigation Previous/Next Buttons: Browse through games without leaving the metadata editor Position Indicator: Always know where you are (e.g., "5 of 120") Faster Bulk Editing: Update metadata for multiple games without constantly returning to the game list Additional System Support Nintendo 64DD: Added to RetroArch core mappings (Mupen64Plus-Next and ParaLLEl N64) xemu Support: Required files added for original Xbox emulation HyperMarquee Updates Settings Persistence Reliable Configuration: Settings now cache and resend on reconnect or when requested by HyperMarquee Media Fallbacks: Added gameplay snapshot fallback for backgrounds Better Box Art: Improved loading with 2D and 3D fallback support Display Options: New option to cut off the top of marquee images Interface Redesigns User Profile Settings Modern Card Layout: Redesigned with clean, scannable sections Clickable Rating Chips: ESRB/PEGI logos displayed as interactive badges Camera Badge: Added to avatar to indicate it’s clickable Better Terminology: "Content Rating" renamed to "Parental Controls", "PIN Protection" to "Profile Lock" System Access Controls Simpler Opt-Out: All installed systems shown as a toggle list Default Access: All systems enabled by default (full access) Bulk Actions: Enable All / Disable All buttons for quick changes Searchable: Filter input for large system lists Settings Screens Card-Based Design: Modernized Default Platform Settings, System Metadata Settings, and ROM Paths screens Custom Dropdowns: Consistently styled throughout Better Scrolling: Fixed layout issues on System Details page System List Appearance Improved Positioning: Better image placement with gradient overlays for text readability Refined Styling: Polished icon and text presentation Offline Mode & Connectivity Offline Support Work Without Internet: Intelligent detection distinguishes between complete offline and service unavailability Auto Reconnection: Seamless return to online mode when connectivity restores Clean Notifications: No more notification spam when working offline Initial setup will need to be online to get metadata and media. After that it will still function completely offline. In future builds we will allow for importing of media from an external drive to further support this feature Performance & Technical Improvements Caching & Optimization Games Caching: Games cached for faster loading Clone Queries: Optimized with batch operations and backend caching for faster media lookups Reduced Queries: New caching layer eliminates redundant database calls Memory Management: Better handling when loading large ROM collections Media Processing Faster Media Audit: Optimized loading performance Image Loading: Improved system list image loading Media Manifest: Get media updates as they happen! As media becomes available, you will always get the latest. Bug Fixes & Stability Critical Fixes ROM Processing Hang: Fixed issue where HyperHQ could hang when loading systems with empty databases API Error Handling: Errors no longer cause indefinite hangs Stuck Reauthentication: Fixed authentication process that could hang indefinitely File Handling Fixed Windows file locking issues when deleting media files Retry Mechanism: Added for media deletion with informative error messages Permission Handling: Check now happens when selecting folders (no surprise UAC prompts) UI & Display Fixes Game Search Modal: Fixed styling issues in metadata screen Modal Loading States: Fixed during media audit Game Dropdown: Options sorted alphabetically, cabinet/control panel options only show for MAME/Arcade Log Export: Now shows helpful message when no logs exist instead of failing silently Authentication & Services EmuMovies Auth: Fixed authentication check showing false 401 errors API Endpoint: Fixed malformed URL for user profile data Subscription Cleanup: Enhanced to prevent memory leaks Additional Improvements Organization & Polish HyperSpin Logging: Relocated toggle from Display Settings to System Logs page with performance warnings Collection Management: New dedicated modal replaces dropdown menu for better usability Plugin Updates MAME Plugin: Added support for filtering PlayChoice items Media Verification: Now uses improved VerifyMedia API Thank you for being part of the HyperSpin community and for all your support, feedback, and enthusiasm. Every bug report, feature suggestion, and word of encouragement helps make HyperSpin better. Here’s to many more improvements ahead! Stay awesome, -fr0stbyt3 Artwork courtesy of @baddeolv @SubZero @Roadrunner @rondar Elevator_Action_Death_Parade (1).mp4 4 7
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