Ardens

Ardens emulates Arduboy.

About this profile

Detail	Value
Type	libretro
Classification	Official port
Source	https://github.com/tiberiusbrown/ardens
Version	v0.25.12, the tag at this revision
Revision	tiberiusbrown/ardens@e811cc6be72c
Profiled	2026-03-23
Profile	YAML, JSON
Cores	ardens
Systems	Arduboy

Platform details

• embedded_bootloaders:

  • source_ref: src/boot/_make.bat, src/absim_arduboy.cpp:127-181
  • variants: {'name': 'arduboy3k-bootloader-game-sda', 'array': 'ARDENS_BOOT_GAME_D1', 'size': 8422, 'device': 'Arduboy FX (SDA)'}, {'name': 'arduboy3k-bootloader-menu-sda', 'array': 'ARDENS_BOOT_MENU_D1', 'size': 8422, 'device': 'Arduboy FX (SDA)'}, {'name': 'arduboy3k-bootloader-game-devkit', 'array': 'ARDENS_BOOT_GAME_D2', 'size': 8446, 'device': 'Arduboy FX DevKit'}, {'name': 'arduboy3k-bootloader-menu-devkit', 'array': 'ARDENS_BOOT_MENU_D2', 'size': 8446, 'device': 'Arduboy FX DevKit'}, {'name': 'arduboymini-bootloader-game', 'array': 'ARDENS_BOOT_GAME_E2', 'size': 8548, 'device': 'Arduboy Mini'}, {'name': 'arduboymini-bootloader-menu', 'array': 'ARDENS_BOOT_MENU_E2', 'size': 8548, 'device': 'Arduboy Mini'}
  • note: All bootloaders are compiled from Intel HEX into C arrays at build time. The core selects the game or menu variant at reset depending on whether a flashcart image was loaded and the boot_to_menu config flag (src/absim_arduboy.cpp:151-181). The bootloader is written to the top of the ATmega32U4 program memory at the address defined by the BOOTSZ fuse bits (src/absim.hpp:811).

• embedded_flashcart_header:

  • source_ref: src/boot/boot_flashcart.c, src/absim_w25q128.hpp:14
  • array: ARDENS_BOOT_FLASHCART
  • size: 1536
  • note: Empty flashcart header written to the first 1536 bytes of the W25Q128 flash image during initialization. This is not a BIOS file -- it is the default flash content the Arduboy FX expects at the start of external storage.

Technical notes

Arduboy FX simulator (ATmega32U4 + SSD1306 + W25Q128). All boot code embedded as C arrays: Caterina/Arduboy3K bootloaders for D1/D2/E2 hardware revisions and flashcart header. EEPROM and flash state handled via RETRO_MEMORY_SAVE_RAM. The libretro port never accesses the system directory. firmware_count = 0.

No BIOS or firmware files required.

Next steps

• Get your files, for the setup you play on
• Every system, and the files each one needs
• When a game does not start

Data as of 4 November 2026.