Retropa / GUIDES
Guides for imports, controllers and troubleshooting
Four things trip people up: getting a file onto the device, pairing a controller, keeping saves safe, and working out why a game refuses to start. Each guide takes one of those.
Free to download. Optional in-app purchases. iOS 18 or later.
All guides
- 01 Connect a Controller to Retropa on iPhone & iPad Order matters: pair first in iOS, then verify the mapping inside Retropa for each system you play. This guide covers pairing, the buttons most people forget to test, and running touch controls alongside a pad.
- 02 Game Will Not Load in Retropa? What to Check Run the same checks in the same order every time: is the file actually on the device, does the extension match the system, is anything missing, does another core help. Most files turn out to be fine.
- 03 How to Import Games in Retropa on iPhone & iPad Your own game files, moved from the Files app into the Retropa library. Covers the formats that load, how ZIP and RetroPack containers behave, and what to check when an import goes sideways.
- 04 Save States and Rewind in Retropa | iPhone & iPad Three things in Retropa get called a save: the game's own save, a save state, and rewind. Each behaves differently and travels differently, so this guide sorts them out and shows how to keep backups that hold up.
ROMs and BIOS files are not included. Import only content you are entitled to use.