This sucks. Just a couple of days after I updated our best emulators on Android article, featuring Duckstation as the best PS1 emulator around, it turns out that maintaining the application is just too much for the dev team.
Duckstation has been my go-to for PS1 emulation for years, so this pains me to write, and shines light on how cumbersome it is to keep the lights on, especially when you're developing such a complicated piece of software.
Originally shared by Android Authority, and found by Reddit User /Mikoga, the developer of Duckstation, Connor, recently shared that there will be no more updates to the Android application.
"I don't have time nor energy to do something I'll mostly get negativity for", stated Stenzek, Duckstation Developer.
It seems like the PS1 emulation community has been causing a lot of stress for the developers, likely because free users think that the app should be bug-free or up to a higher standard, which is usually what I see when I read reviews on any free emulator.
Most gamers fail to realise the sheer ammount of work that goes into these emulators, and they're never run by big teams because there's very little financial incentive to do so, and it can come with legal issues from Sony and other big gaming companies.
So only the brave and the smart are willing and capable of building these great emulators that run well, and even more so to constantly update them, all while receiving complaints from many to fix things.
So, we have yet another emulator receiving zero updates, meaning it will likely be for Windows users only and Android users will likely move on to something else as more Android devices get updates over the months and years.
"No support is provided for the Android app,; it is free, and your expectations should be in line with that. Please do not email me about issues about it, or ask for help, you will be ignored." states Duckstation Developer.
The last update to Duckstation on Android was made on 2nd May 2025, and that will be the last update going forward. It's still great, and I'll still use it, but it'll likely start becoming less reliable as Android devices get future updates.
I hope Connor can rest and put this aside. It's a shame as he's done a tremendous job and I hope in the future he will tinker and give Android users a reason to re-download it, and hopefully a way to monetise his work outside of the PlayStore to give himself a bigger incentive to continue his great work.
