WinUAE 6.0.0 Released – Major Chipset Emulation Overhaul
Release Date: July 3, 2025 · Category: Technical Update
WinUAE version 6.0.0 introduces a significant internal rewrite of the core custom chipset emulation, including Agnus/Alice and Denise/Lisa components. This update focuses on improved cycle accuracy, better parallelization, and broader compatibility with low-level hardware behavior expected by advanced Amiga software.
Custom Chipset Rewrite
Internal emulation logic for Agnus/Alice and Denise/Lisa fully overhauled.
Denise/Lisa emulation now operates on a separate thread, improving performance under accurate emulation modes.
Cycle-accurate handling of VPOSW/VHPOSW and mixed hardwired vs programmed sync logic.
Support for full subpixel resolution in AGA bitplanes and sprites; legacy subpixel toggle removed.
Fully independent horizontal and vertical counter emulation, with correct behavior outside standard display ranges.
Support for UHRES DMA slots (ECS/AGA), including impact on DMA priority scheduling.
NTSC LOL (Long Line) logic and STRLONG interaction now emulate horizontal offset as on real hardware.
Improved blitter sequencing with cycle-accurate channel scheduling; mid-blit modifications tracked for compatibility testing.
Accurate collision detection enabled by default; optimized for performance.
Display pipeline now reveals bitplanes and sprites during blanking intervals in debug mode.
Input and Peripheral Enhancements
Low-level keyboard emulation introduced, with firmware-based emulation of CSG 6570-036, 68HC05C, and D8039HLC MCU models.
Caps Lock LED, matrix scan behavior, and keyboard disconnect states fully emulated.
PCI emulation expanded to include Matrox Millennium/Mystique and Voodoo 3 (86Box port).
RIPPLE IDE controller and A1000 WOM expansion support added in the expansion menu.
System Fixes and Adjustments
Default configuration now cycle-exact A500; replaces legacy approximated mode.
Updated CD32 CD read logic to better reflect sequential read patterns and reduce re-read latency.
WASAPI now auto-selects fallback audio modes when preferred channels are unavailable.
Deprecations and Removals
All legacy software filter support has been removed due to elimination of 16-bit color modes.
Subpixel emulation option removed; now enforced in accurate emulation modes.
Obsolete 16-bit host color depth support fully deprecated.
Additional Improvements
Expanded DMA debugger, sample ripper filenames include address/length metadata.
UI tree state now persistent between sessions; configuration file tree behavior improved.
Integer scaling logic adjusted for better handling of combined overscan and filter modes.
Debugger window now properly restores focus to prior application window.
TV Overscan and RTG filter interactions now render correctly under various display pipelines.
Known Caveats
This release includes extensive internal changes to timing-sensitive subsystems. Users are advised that edge cases, particularly under JIT or fast emulation modes, may exhibit regressions. Testing under non-default expansion devices or custom RTG pipelines is recommended before production use.
