Ultimate Emulator / Feature guide
Stay Current Without Starting Over
Free updates. Your library stays put.
Ultimate Emulator checks for new signed releases and asks before it changes anything. When you choose to update, it installs the new version and restarts. Your games, settings and saves are kept separately and come with you.
- Free, no account
- You choose when
- Library & saves kept
01 / The short version
Checked for you. Installed when you say.
It looks for you
Ultimate Emulator checks for new public Stable releases automatically, in the background. Nothing interrupts your launch.
You decide when
When an update is available, a notice appears. Choose View Update to compare your installed version with the available one, then choose Update & Restart, or Later.
Back where you were
The update downloads, is verified, installs and restarts Ultimate Emulator, which then shows Update complete. Your library, settings and saves are still there.
02 / Settings → Updates
See where you stand.
Open Settings → Updates. Application Updates shows your Current Version, the Channel, the Latest Available version and when it Last Checked.
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Open Settings → Updates
About & Support also has a Check for Updates button that brings you here.
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Check for Updates
Checks right away. You will see that Ultimate Emulator is up to date, or that an update is available.
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Choose automatic checks
Automatically check for updates is on by default. Turning it off stops the background check only; Check for Updates still works.
03 / Update & Restart
From notice to new version.
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View the update
Choose View Update on the Update Available notice, or View Release Notes in Settings → Updates. The dialog shows your installed version beside the available one, the highlights of What's New and the full release notes.
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Choose Update & Restart
The update downloads with visible progress, then Ultimate Emulator checks the package's integrity before installing it. You can cancel while it downloads; a cancelled download is discarded and nothing is installed.
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Let it restart
Ultimate Emulator installs the new version and starts again, with an Update complete notice. Settings → Updates then shows your new Current Version. If an update cannot be installed, the dialog says so and offers Try Again.
04 / Your session comes first
It never closes a game without asking.
Update notices do not interrupt a game in progress. If you choose Update & Restart while a game is running, Ultimate Emulator asks what you want to do.
- Close the game and update
- Ends the session now and installs. Save in the game first.
- Keep playing
- Nothing changes. Update another time.
- Install when the game closes
- Keep playing; the update starts after you finish.
05 / Stay current without starting over
Your library, settings and saves are kept.
Ultimate Emulator stores your library, settings, game saves, save states and sign-in separately from the application itself. An update replaces the application, not your data.
What carries over
- Your game folders and library, including artwork, collections and favorites.
- Your settings, controller layouts and hotkeys.
- Your game saves and save states. A state made by an earlier version may not load after an update; your in-game saves are the safe point.
06 / Safe by design
If an update does not go to plan.
Updates are signed and verified before they install. If anything does not match, nothing is installed and your current version is untouched.
- The update did not complete
- Your current version keeps working. Try Update & Restart again later, or check your connection.
- Couldn't check for updates
- Usually no internet connection. Ultimate Emulator works normally offline; check again when you are back online.
- Recovery screen
- If Ultimate Emulator repeatedly fails to start, it may offer Try Again, Start in Safe Mode, Restore Previous Version or View Diagnostic Log. Try Again first. Nothing on that screen deletes your data.
- Safe Mode
- Hold Shift while launching to start with enhanced presentation and your own visual filters skipped for one session. It changes no settings.
07 / Back to current
Update questions.
Do I need an account or Premium to update?
No. Public Stable updates are free and need no account or subscription.
I never see an update notice.
Open Settings → Updates and choose Check for Updates. If it says Ultimate Emulator is up to date, you have the latest release. If automatic checking is off, turn on Automatically check for updates.
It says this build does not update itself.
Only the version installed with the Windows Setup installer updates itself. Download and install the current release to receive updates.
The update refused to install.
The downloaded update did not pass verification, so nothing was installed and your current version is untouched. Try again later. Do not install a copy of Ultimate Emulator from anywhere other than the official download.
Ultimate Emulator will not start after updating.
Launch it again. If the recovery screen appears, choose Try Again first, then Start in Safe Mode. Restore Previous Version reinstalls the earlier signed version when one is available.