VBA-Next

VBA-Next emulates Nintendo Game Boy Advance. It reads 1 file, none of them required: it starts games without them.

About this profile

Detail	Value
Type	libretro
Classification	Frozen snapshot
Source	https://github.com/libretro/vba-next
Upstream	https://github.com/visualboyadvance-m/visualboyadvance-m
Version	v1.0.2, stated in libretro/libretro.c
Revision	libretro/vba-next@788192f215ad, visualboyadvance-m/visualboyadvance-m@46cc9f6bda11
Profiled	2026-03-25
Profile	YAML, JSON
Cores	vba_next, vba-next
Systems	Nintendo Game Boy Advance

Install this emulator's files

The installer finds your setup and its BIOS folder, then downloads only the files this emulator reads there and checks each one.

Windows

Open the Start menu. Type PowerShell and open it. Paste the line. Press Enter.

PowerShell

&([scriptblock]::Create((irm https://abdess.github.io/retrobios/i.ps1))) --emulator vba_next

macOS

Open Terminal, in Applications, then Utilities. Paste the line. Press Return.

Terminal

curl -fsSL https://abdess.github.io/retrobios/i | sh -s -- --emulator vba_next

Linux

Open a terminal. Paste the line. Press Enter.

Terminal

curl -fsSL https://abdess.github.io/retrobios/i | sh -s -- --emulator vba_next

Steam Deck

Switch to Desktop Mode. Open Konsole. Paste with Ctrl+Shift+V. Press Enter.

Terminal

curl -fsSL https://abdess.github.io/retrobios/i | sh -s -- --emulator vba_next

Android (Termux)

Install Termux, a terminal app. Run pkg install python and termux-setup-storage once. Then paste the line. Press Enter.

Terminal

curl -fsSL https://abdess.github.io/retrobios/i | sh -s -- --emulator vba_next

On the device

Open a terminal on the device. Or connect from a computer with SSH, a terminal over the network. Paste the line. Press Enter.

Terminal

curl -fsSL https://abdess.github.io/retrobios/i | sh -s -- --emulator vba_next

Technical notes

Frozen snapshot of VBA-M circa 2011, optimized for libretro by Squarepusher.

Built-in HLE BIOS (myROM array, src/gba.c:8930) handles all standard SWI calls. No external BIOS file needed for most games.

BIOS loading gated by HAVE_HLE_BIOS (build/Makefile.common:3) and core option vbanext_bios (default: enabled). When enabled, retro_init resolves gba_bios.bin in system_dir (libretro/libretro.c:213-218). CPUInit loads via utilLoad(), validates size == 0x4000, sets useBios = true (src/gba.c:12943-12950). On failure, myROM is memcpy'd as HLE fallback (src/gba.c:12954-12956).

With real BIOS, execution starts at 0x00000000 (BIOS entry point). Without, jumps to 0x08000000 (ROM entry), skipping boot animation (src/gba.c:13134-13151).

Upstream VBA-M CPUInit (src/core/gba/gba.cpp:5152-5180) is functionally identical. No divergences in BIOS handling.

Files

1 file: 0 required, 1 optional. 1 has an HLE fallback.

In this collection: 1 in repo and 0 missing.

Optional

gba_bios.bin optional in repo HLE fallback

GBA BIOS

• System: Nintendo Game Boy Advance
• Optional. HLE replacement handles all standard SWI calls. Real BIOS adds startup logo and may improve edge-case accuracy.

• Size: 16.0 KB
• Collection copy: bios/Nintendo/Game Boy Advance/GBA_bios.rom
• Platforms: gba_bios.bin: Batocera, KNULLI, Lakka, RetroArch, RetroBat, RetroPie, ROCKNIX. bios/gba_bios.bin: AmberELEC, EmuELEC, RetroDECK. gba/gba_bios.bin: Recalbox, RomM. GBA/boot.rom: MiSTer FPGA. GBA_bios.rom: BizHawk

Validation and source

• Validation: size
• Asked for by: libretro glue and emulator code, libretro port
• Source: libretro/libretro.c:213-218 (libretro glue), src/gba.c:12954-12963 (emulator code, libretro port)

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.