Start here

Six short pages for readers who know the emulator and porting scene, with technical ideas explained as plainly as possible.

Start here if you know emulators and fan-made ports, but static recompilation is new to you.

This documentation assumes some familiarity with how emulators and recompilation projects work. You do not need to be an expert, but terms such as game binary, runtime, native port, and command line should not be completely new.

The pages explain unfamiliar details as they appear and aim to be as beginner-friendly as the subject allows. Read them in order. By the end, you should understand what a recomp port is, what files you provide, and what the first real toolchain looks like.

• What is static recompilation?. The idea in plain language, what it buys, and what it costs. Start here if you only read one page.
• How is a port made?. The usual path from a game file to a native application.
• Is this emulation?. No, but emulation is still part of the story.
• What do I need to get started?. The tools you need to play, build, or start a port.
• Developer quickstart. The shortest real path from nothing to one working recomp toolchain.
• How do I recomp my own game?. You own a game and want a port of it. Start here.

When you want the ideas underneath, go to Concepts. When you want a specific console, go to Platforms.