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v1.8.0

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Released · 4 min read

Hello, hello, hello and welcome to the release notes of yet another Playback update! v1.7.0 had some pretty big features, such as using the GB Camera as a webcam, but we thought… why not add another one on top, just as fun?  Today, Epilogue is proud to present our integration with RetroAchievements 🎊! RetroAchievements If you’ve ever felt like something was missing from the retro gaming experience, when it comes to keeping track of your progress, and yearned for that ‘*Achievement Unlocked’ *thrill, today’s your lucky day. We’ve teamed up with RetroAchievements to blend a modern tracking system and retro classics. It’s the main act of this release, and a true game-changer.

RetroAchievements Support

You can now connect your RetroAchievements account and earn achievements in your favorite classic games. This update brings full integration, with a smooth login flow, rich tracking features, and in-game notifications. 

Login & Account Management

RetroAchievements Login A new screen in Settings → Achievements lets you log in, log out, and manage your RetroAchievements account without leaving the app. No extra setup required, just plug and play.

Achievement Tracking

Achievement Tracking A dedicated overlay window displays your achievement progress for the current game. Achievements are grouped into categories like Locked, Unlocked, Missable and **Progression **to name a few. No need to tab out or look them up manually; you can simply click on the newly-added cup 🏆 icon on the emulator bar.

In-Game Notifications

When you earn an achievement or make progress toward one, you’ll see a sleek, real-time notification pop up inside the emulator window. Leaderboards and game mastery events are also surfaced without disrupting your session. No more keeping count on a paper of how many bombs Stitch throws, steadily working your way up to 50 - instead, you unlock ‘Lil Maniac Furry’ and get a nice pop-up on screen that shows your progress accurately. 

Hardcore Mode

Hardcore Mode Want a true test of your strength? Turn on Hardcore Mode (attention: not for the faint of heart). It disables cheats and rewind, so what you earn, you really earn. Achievements earned in this mode are specially marked. _Important notice re: Hardcore Mode: this integration requires approval from the RetroAchievements team after the release is available to the public. So if you experience any issues with activating Hardcore Mode, sit tight as this is currently pending approval from the other side. Everything on our end has been set in place and, as soon as we get the okay, Playback will automatically change to include Hardcore Mode. _

Leaderboards

Compete with others across supported games. Leaderboards are now part of the experience, and you’ll be notified when you enter a challenge and when your scores are submitted. With this integration, your nostalgia trips now come packed with milestones and exclusive bragging rights.

Achievement Continuation

If you have used this achievement system previously with other playing methods, and connect the same RetroAchievements account to Playback, then the ones you have already unlocked should appear unlocked when you play a game on the GB Operator/Playback setup as well. You will be able to continue your progress smoothly. However, it cannot detect anything you might have done in-game prior to using RetroAchievements to keep track, but it will follow the progress after that point. It can’t sift through save data and mark achievements as completed if there was no connection with the RetroAchievements platform while doing them. You need a valid internet connection to communicate with the RetroAchievements servers and have missions marked as done or in progress etc. 

Improvements

  • Performance Boosts: Playback now launches faster, and we’ve made a round of optimizations that noticeably improve performance, especially on macOS.
  • Smoother Operation: Achievement features, notifications, and overlays have been carefully optimized to avoid interfering with emulation or input latency.

Bug Fixes

  • Resolved a crash that could occur when using certain controller inputs.
  • Fixed an issue where the search window wouldn’t close as expected in specific conditions.
  • Other minor bug fixes that offer an overall smoother experience.

Whether you’re chasing 100% in Pokémon or speedrunning through Castlevania, this update makes every session more meaningful. Or if you haven’t heard of RetroAchievements before, maybe this is a great opportunity to give in-game achievements a try. We think it adds a new layer to the retro gaming experience, and on a personal level, the competitive maniacs in us love using them.  This is just the start. More community features are coming soon. Download Playback v1.8.0 and join the competition.