There's no doubt that 2026 has welcomed us with a bunch of new native ports and decompilations that we've all been pairing with our devices, though most of the time downloading them, and even finding them in the first place, can be a little cumbersome, especially if you are not familiar with GitHub.
It's a somewhat new trend, so many, including myself at times, do find that the installation process of these ports is never fluid, but that's all changed thanks to a brand new Android application called Recompa, which sources and installs decompilations and native ports that work with Android devices and handhelds seamlessly.
It even organises them in a way that feels like a marketplace or a store, allowing you to search and explore games that tickle your fancy, and you can install them on your device with the press of a button if you have the original ROM, which it will patch for you automatically, and that's exactly how it does all the porting and decompiling ethically.
At this moment in time, there are over 250 recompilations, decompilations and source ports that run without emulation from consoles such as Nintendo 64, Xbox 360, GameCube, GBA, PSP and more. Every APK is downloaded from its author's repository, and its SHA-256 and signature are checked before installing. You can even update the game files via the dashboard automattically too to keep your version as fresh as possible. Other features include:
- Game files wizard: Checks your ROM or game data and puts it where the port looks for it.
- Updates: Update every port at once, get notified about new versions, or go back to an earlier one if something breaks. Recompa updates itself too.
- Made for controllers: A UI built for the D-pad and shoulder buttons, with search and favorites one button away. Great on handhelds like the AYN Thor.
- Frontend mode: Full screen, and Recompa can be your handheld’s home screen. With compatibility reports from other players.
- Background downloads: Pause and resume downloads without losing progress, or leave the app while ports download and install. And if you already installed a port on your own, you can link it.
- No GitHub account needed: Rate how each port runs, or suggest one that’s missing from the catalog, straight from the app.
- Six styles: Classic, Shelves, List, Arcade, Mosaic or Showcase: each style changes the library, port pages and Settings, not just the colors.
- Second screen: On dual-screen handhelds like the AYN Thor, the bottom screen shows the port’s page, its gallery and the download queue.
- Always something new: A section with recently added ports, image galleries on every port, and what’s new in each version after updating.
- In your language: Recompa comes in English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and German.
You can download the app for free from Recompa's official website via an .APK, as the Google Play Store dislikes any app that downloads games/apps internally, so I don't think it will be on there for a while. You will need a device on Android 8.0 or later. It's designed for handhelds with controllers like the AYN Thor, but it works on phones and tablets too. Each port has its own requirements, and Recompa tells you which ones work on your device. I am currently using it on the Retroid Pocket Duo!
