How To Install and Set Up the ArmSX1 Emulator
ArmSX1 is a PlayStation 1 emulator for Android from the founders of ARMSX2. Setting it up takes a few minutes: install the APK, add a PS1 BIOS, point it at your games, and pick a resolution.
What you need
- The ArmSX1 APK — from the download page.
- A PS1 BIOS dumped from a PlayStation you own. The BIOS guide explains which file matches your games.
- Your own games as
.bin/.cue,.chd,.isoor.zipimages, ideally all in one folder.
1. Install the APK
Download the latest APK and open it from your browser or file manager. Because it comes from GitHub rather than Google Play, Android asks once for permission to install apps from that source. Allow it, then tap Install.
2. Add your BIOS
The first-run setup has a BIOS Location step. Tap Pick BIOS Folder and choose the folder holding your BIOS files. ArmSX1 scans it and lists every BIOS it recognises; pick one and tap Use Selected BIOS.
ArmSX1 recognises a BIOS by its contents, not its file name, and the file must be exactly 512 KB. If it reports No valid PS1 BIOS files found in that folder, see the BIOS guide.
3. Add your games
Point ArmSX1 at your games folder and grant the storage permission Android asks for. The
library fills in with box art, which is downloaded automatically. Games that ship on more than
one disc belong in an .m3u playlist: the library then shows them as a single
game, and you can swap discs with a hotkey.
4. Pick a resolution
Under Video, the HD 2, HD 3 and HD 4 presets render games above the console's native resolution; the developer recommends HD 3. Presets can be set globally or for a single game, and need the game restarted to apply.
5. Optional: a custom GPU driver
On Snapdragon devices with an Adreno GPU, the Vulkan renderer can use a newer driver than the one your phone shipped with. The GPU Driver setting replaces the system Vulkan driver with Mesa Turnip or another Adreno driver, and is recommended for Adreno 6xx devices on old OEM drivers. The driver page lists which package suits which chip.
6. Controls
On-screen buttons can be rearranged and the layout saved, or turned off per game from the quick menu. A Bluetooth or USB controller works too, and two-button hotkeys can be mapped to quick-menu actions such as fast forward, screenshots and disc swapping.