Leaf v0.10.0-beta.4 (Tester Build)

Warning

This is a beta test channel, not a public release.
Builds here are provided for testers only. They may be unstable, incomplete, or
change without notice. Do not run them as your everyday setup, and please do not
redistribute them. For a stable, supported version, install the latest release
from the main Leaf repo:
https://github.com/Utility-Muffin-Research-Kitchen/Leaf/releases/latest

What's new in v0.10.0-beta.4

beta.4 adds an experimental, optional offline-achievement bridge for prepared casual RetroArch games, removes the arbitrary cap on same-core game switching, and makes a few long-session launch and refresh paths more reliable. It retains everything introduced in beta.3: Simplified Chinese, localized RetroArch menus, multiple wireless controllers, Video From Hell, and Syncthing.

Experimental offline RetroAchievements (optional)

RAOfflineProxy is now available as a Pak Rat-owned optional app. It is not bundled with Leaf or put on the SD card by this release.

• Install it from Pak Rat when you want to test it, then use a previously prepared game in casual RetroArch mode.
• When the service is running and healthy, Leaf uses it for the game session. Hardcore sessions always bypass the proxy and launch normally.
• If the optional service is absent or not running, RetroArch launches normally without waiting. If it was expected but is unhealthy, Leaf gives you a clear choice to play without achievements or cancel and fix the service.

This is intentionally experimental and casual-only. Please test the ready, stopped, and unhealthy-service paths, and confirm Hardcore behavior stays direct.

Quicker, uninterrupted RetroArch sessions

• RetroArch launch configuration generation is faster, especially once a device has accumulated a larger configuration.
• The resident launcher no longer stops same-core content switching after an arbitrary experiment-era limit. Switch between several games using the same core and report any return-to-menu, save, or controller issues.

Service and UI polish

• Syncthing’s opt-in background launch behavior is restored.
• Timed setting rows request their next redraw promptly after an update, keeping live values responsive instead of idling until the next scheduled refresh.

Testing focus for beta.4

• Install RAOfflineProxy through Pak Rat. In casual mode, test a prepared game while the service is healthy; then stop or break the service and check the direct-launch fallback and its prompt. Verify Hardcore never routes through it.
• In RetroArch, switch repeatedly between games sharing a core. Confirm input, saves, return-to-menu behavior, and subsequent launches stay sound.
• Start several RetroArch games after changing settings. Confirm the quicker launch path does not lose per-game settings, controller assignments, or recording support.

Included from beta.3

What's new in v0.10.0-beta.3

Leaf speaks Chinese, RetroArch does now too, wireless controllers arrived, and there are two new apps to try.

Simplified Chinese is here

Go to Settings > General > Language and choose 简体中文. Leaf now has 275 reviewed, native-speaker-translated strings across every screen, dialog, setting, and first-boot page.

The Chinese option switches Leaf's typeface automatically and keeps it locked to a font that can show every character cleanly. You do not need to hunt for a font or worry that a system name will turn into boxes.

Chinese and Japanese game names in your library now render correctly too.

RetroArch follows your language

RetroArch now uses Leaf's bundled menu assets and fonts. Switch Leaf to Chinese and RetroArch's menus follow. Core options, overlays, and translated menu text are in place instead of falling back to an unthemed default.

Multiple wireless controllers

Up to four Bluetooth controllers can now join a session. Leaf remembers which player each controller belongs to, shows the controller name, and keeps the built-in controls as Player 1.

Xbox controllers get their own button labels so the prompts match what is printed on the pad. Player order is maintained through RetroArch, including multitap games.

Two new optional Pak Rat apps

Video From Hell is a native video player for your MLP1. Drop supported videos on the card, open it from Pak Rat, and it plays them with hardware decoding. It is still early: start with a couple of files and tell us what works and what does not.

Syncthing brings peer-to-peer file sync to the device. It stays asleep unless you enable it from Pak Rat, then starts in the background when Leaf launches. This is not a backup service: use it for copies you can replace, and keep a real backup somewhere else.

Testing notes

Try Chinese in Leaf and RetroArch. Check long game titles, dialogs, the first-boot flow, and switching back to English. Let us know about any clipped text, missing characters, or screens that stayed in the wrong language.

Pair two or more controllers and check player order, Xbox prompts, disconnect/reconnect behavior, and a multitap game if you have one. The usual handheld-with-two-controllers setup is not a multitap game, so it is normal for it to show three players rather than four.

Open Video From Hell with a few formats and report the file, resolution, and behavior for anything that fails. For Syncthing, enable it, reboot Leaf, and make sure it appears only after you asked for it.

Expected, not faults

• Translated system names are shown in the small bottom text.
• Volume and brightness overlays remain in English for now.
• With the handheld plus two controllers, Player 3 is expected unless the game uses multitap.

Installing

Follow the usual beta update or fresh-install instructions for v0.10.0-beta.4. As always, keep your saves safe before experimenting.