: Because the emulator reads from one compressed archive rather than searching through thousands of tiny files in a folder, library scanning and initial boot times are often improved. [3] How to Create .WUA Files
: Unlike .wud and .wux files, which are encrypted and require a keys.txt file to run, .wua files are decrypted and generally do not require external keys. Compatibility : Supported in Cemu version 1.27.0 and later. How to Create .wua Files
: Since everything is packed into the archive, you never have to worry about Cemu "losing" the path to your DLC or updates after a reinstallation. [1]
If it's just a ZIP file, why is the emulation community making such a big deal out of it? There are three massive advantages to the format.
| Format | Compression ratio (typical) | Emulator support | Archival grade | |--------|----------------------------|------------------|----------------| | .wua | High (LZMA) | Low | ✅ Very high | | .chd | High (lossless for data) | High (MAME, RetroArch) | ✅ High | | .rvz (Dolphin) | High | Very low (Dolphin only) | ❌ Medium | | .7z + raw | Max (solid) | Very low (must extract) | ✅ High (if keep raw) |
You can produce .wua files directly within the Cemu emulator using its built-in Title Manager:
aaru verify rom.wua
| Emulator / Frontend | Support level | |---------------------|----------------| | (via aaru core) | Full (load .wua like any ROM) | | MAME (standalone) | Yes, treat as softlist | | ares | No | | Dolphin | No | | PCSX2 | No | | BizHawk | No (use .chd or raw) |
: Because the emulator reads from one compressed archive rather than searching through thousands of tiny files in a folder, library scanning and initial boot times are often improved. [3] How to Create .WUA Files
: Unlike .wud and .wux files, which are encrypted and require a keys.txt file to run, .wua files are decrypted and generally do not require external keys. Compatibility : Supported in Cemu version 1.27.0 and later. How to Create .wua Files
: Since everything is packed into the archive, you never have to worry about Cemu "losing" the path to your DLC or updates after a reinstallation. [1]
If it's just a ZIP file, why is the emulation community making such a big deal out of it? There are three massive advantages to the format.
| Format | Compression ratio (typical) | Emulator support | Archival grade | |--------|----------------------------|------------------|----------------| | .wua | High (LZMA) | Low | ✅ Very high | | .chd | High (lossless for data) | High (MAME, RetroArch) | ✅ High | | .rvz (Dolphin) | High | Very low (Dolphin only) | ❌ Medium | | .7z + raw | Max (solid) | Very low (must extract) | ✅ High (if keep raw) |
You can produce .wua files directly within the Cemu emulator using its built-in Title Manager:
aaru verify rom.wua
| Emulator / Frontend | Support level | |---------------------|----------------| | (via aaru core) | Full (load .wua like any ROM) | | MAME (standalone) | Yes, treat as softlist | | ares | No | | Dolphin | No | | PCSX2 | No | | BizHawk | No (use .chd or raw) |
