MAME4droid Current vs legacy 0.139 on Android: choose by version
Choose MAME4droid Current for a new modern Android setup: its official project currently tracks MAME 0.288 and documents scoped-storage, frame-pacing, and ADPF integration. Keep the legacy app only for an intentionally frozen 0.139 library or device constraint. The two apps have different machine definitions and romset contracts, so migrate configuration and authorized source files as a fresh, audited setup rather than reusing the same working folder.
Do this in order
- 01
Identify the exact installed package, app version, embedded MAME revision, Android version, CPU architecture, and current storage grant.
- 02
Choose Current for a new maintained setup unless a documented device or compatibility requirement justifies freezing 0.139.
- 03
Back up CFG, NVRAM, states, and rights records separately; do not copy states or configuration blindly across the version boundary.
- 04
Create a new storage folder and grant it through the target app's Android file picker instead of pointing both apps at one mutable library.
- 05
Import one authorized test set built or dumped for the chosen revision, then run that app's audit and test input, audio, pause, and relaunch.
- 06
Keep the older installation and library read-only until representative games pass; record a rollback plan before migrating more content.
Decision and diagnostic table
| Choice | Use it when | Version consequence |
|---|---|---|
| MAME4droid Current / MAME 0.288 | New setup, current definitions, modern Android storage and performance features | Requires a 0.288-compatible authorized set |
| Legacy MAME4droid / MAME 0.139u1 | Deliberately frozen library or proven older-device constraint | Requires the separate 0.139 set contract |
| Keep both temporarily | You need a reversible migration | Use separate folders, configs, and audit records |
The product name does not erase the emulation revision
Both projects come from the same port maintainer, but the official repositories describe different upstream MAME generations. That affects machine definitions, required dumps, configuration, and possibly saved-state compatibility.
Write down the embedded revision, not only the store label. A library that audits in 0.139 is not evidence that it is complete for 0.288, and the reverse is also unsafe.
Current adds Android integration, not universal speed
The Current project documents scoped-storage caching, frame pacing, ADPF, ARM64 work, and other mobile features. Those are concrete reasons to evaluate it on a modern phone, but they do not prove every supported machine will reach full speed.
Test representative authorized content after the device warms up. Keep accuracy, storage, input, audio, and sustained performance as separate acceptance checks.
Migration is a controlled re-import
Preserve the old app, folder, and records while building a new library for Current. Audit one set against 0.288, confirm parent, BIOS, and CHD dependencies, then expand in small batches.
Do not merge unknown archives until errors disappear. If a game remains important on the legacy app, document that exception and keep its 0.139 files isolated rather than weakening the new library.
Neither Android port includes or licenses commercial game data. Obtain each ROM, BIOS, and disk image from your own lawful dump or an explicit rightsholder release, and review the separate software licenses before redistribution.