RetroDECK v0.10.5b released, deprecates centralized bios.js in refactor

RetroDECK's v0.10.5b patch refactors the BIOS system so users must verify BIOS locations after the update and install only from Flathub to avoid broken packages. The changelog entry reads, "BIOS CHECKER: Refactored and streamlined the BIOS lists. Deprecated the centralized bios.json file and migrated each entry to its respective component-specific manifest," and project pages warn, "⚠️ Avoid upgrading from GitHub ⚠️" and "Always upgrade through Flathub using your distribution's built-in app store."

The release also adds filesystem conveniences that matter in real setups. The notes include the exact line, "BIOS CHECKER: Added symlink support, thanks Kuredant for the commit," which lets setups that use symlinked BIOS stores work without duplicating files. The bundle includes a new BIOS Checker tool in the RetroDECK Configurator and changes to holiday Easter Egg entries, with the changelog listing "EASTER EGG: Introduced additional holiday entries" and "EASTER EGG: Adjusted and refined several holiday entries."

Platform changes with direct user impact include the removal of a native Switch-related component. The changelog states, "Removed Ryubing as a native component. Read more here: Switch Emulation Support: Will be Removed," so anyone relying on Ryubing for Switch game support needs to follow the project's separate guidance on alternative runners or ports.

Publication timing and pipeline remain critical to safe upgrades. ReadTheDocs records the release date as "Release date: 2026-02-26" for v0.10.5b, while the Flathub page shows the build/queue text "in about 21 hours (Built about 7 hours ago)." The project emphasizes the promotion chain as "Cooker (GitHub) -> Cooker Final (GitHub) -> Main RC (GitHub) -> Main Master (GitHub) -> Testing (Flathub) -> Stable (Flathub)" and states plainly, "RetroDECK is NOT considered 'released' until it is published on Flathub."

Developers and packagers will want to note component build artifacts and timestamps captured in the release matrix. The Newreleases table lists mame at commit 20c1607af2bfa20fd285a1728fd009bddd3f1e5344c1287918e2429fdff78a3e built 2026-02-24 12:33:26 UTC; melonds 9c8ac146f909e365673fdf2eb711f588c0fdf72fce11fc05c9db698a88d269ba built 2026-02-24 12:33:29 UTC; openbor v7533 built 2026-02-24 12:32:56 UTC; pcsx2 v2.6.3 built 2026-02-24 12:32:55 UTC; pico-8 built 2026-02-24 12:56:55 UTC; portmaster 2026.02.15-2148 built 2026-02-24 12:33:15 UTC; ppsspp 00d4ac93b5111818ad897284d70743e5d7e72af43ab1d660ee03356c88dda85e built 2026-02-24 12:33:23 UTC; primehack master-230724.27 built 2026-02-24 12:33:00 UTC; retroarch built 2026-02-24 12:43:55 UTC; and rpcs3 ee08049b192ac69e545eda3d4bc6b6a60e490b4e4df3417e2888d9ae80acb63c built 2026-02-24 12:33:29 UTC.

Flathub metadata gives practical sizing and reach figures to plan around: Installed Size is listed as "~5.17 GiB," Download Size "2.14 GiB," Available Architecture "x86_64," and Installs "412,560." The Flathub blurb uses the tagline "Built for Power Users - Friendly for Everyone" and highlights features such as "PortMaster Integration," "RetroDECK Configurator," "RetroDECK Framework," "RetroDECK RetroENGINE," "Steam Input Support," and "Steam Library Sync."

If you were affected by the prior 0.10.0b publication problem, recovery instructions captured in community notes remain the explicit fallback. The Reddit-sourced steps begin, "If you got unlucky and got broken update you need to do this: THIS IS IMPORTANT," and show the test-update command, repeated verbatim: flatpak run net.retrodeck.retrodeck test-update "0.9.4b" and the manual-edit path ~/.var/app/net.retrodeck.retrodeck/config/retrodeck/retrodeck.json. Those instructions accompany the project's historical warning, "The failure happened somewhere between github and the flatpak publication pipeline."

One discrepancy to watch: an index page records "latest release: 0.10.6b 5 days ago" while v0.10.5b material and build timestamps remain prominent; reconcile which tag is live on Flathub before applying upgrades. The project's own lines are clear and final: "RetroDECK is NOT considered 'released' until it is published on Flathub," so verify Flathub's stable publication and use the built-in distro app store to update.