Build a RetroArch M3U for multi-disc CHD games on Android
Put the authorized disc images in one Android folder that RetroArch can still access, create a plain-text `.m3u` beside them, and list one exact `.chd` filename per line in play order. Load the M3U itself, then use Quick Menu → Disc Control to eject, change the disc index, and insert. Add the M3U to a playlist manually because normal scanning may not create that entry.
Do this in order
- 01
Confirm that the selected core's official page supports M3U and Disc Control for the target system, then record the RetroArch package, core, version, and authorized source of every disc image.
- 02
Verify each source image before conversion; if you create CHDs, preserve the original cue or track receipt and verify the resulting CHD independently.
- 03
Place all discs for one title in a single picker-authorized folder and give each file a stable, distinct name such as `Title (Disc 1).chd`.
- 04
Create `Title.m3u` as plain text in that same folder, with one exact CHD filename per line and no guessed Android absolute paths.
- 05
Load the M3U through Load Content, then open Quick Menu → Disc Control, eject, choose another disc index, insert, and return to the game only when it requests a swap.
- 06
Add the M3U to the intended playlist manually, cold-relaunch it, repeat one swap, and back up the M3U together with its version and rights receipt.
Decision and diagnostic table
| Observation | Likely boundary | Next check |
|---|---|---|
| Each disc appears as a separate game | Scanner indexed images, not the M3U | Create one manual playlist entry for the M3U |
| M3U loads but a disc is missing | Filename, extension, case, or folder access | Compare every line with the visible document name |
| Disc Control is absent | Core or content does not expose a disc interface | Check the exact core feature page |
| Swap succeeds but save is wrong | Save identity or core-specific disc handling | Restore the same M3U name, core, and save baseline |
The M3U is the game's stable identity
The disc images remain separate files, while the M3U supplies their order to one content launch. Loading the M3U gives RetroArch and the core one title identity instead of unrelated playlist entries for each disc.
Relative filenames keep the bundle movable inside the same granted folder. An absolute path copied from another platform or from an Android file manager may not describe the document identity RetroArch can open.
Eject, select, then insert
Disc Control models a tray. Eject before changing the current index, select the requested disc, then insert. Appending an image on the fly can be useful for diagnosis, but it does not repair a wrong M3U or create a durable playlist entry.
CHD conversion is a separate evidence step
CHD can reduce clutter, but conversion does not prove that a source image was complete, authorized, or supported by the chosen core. Keep a source-to-CHD receipt and test the result before deleting any lawful source material.
Use only disc images you dumped yourself or are explicitly authorized to use. An M3U is a text index, not a license; do not publish, mirror, bundle, or attach copyrighted disc images, firmware, artwork, audio, or keys.