Frequently Asked Questions
Before posting new issues on GitHub or asking the team or community, please look for your question here or search the 💢Troubleshooting sub-sections within each of the wikis.
Why—
🛑 STOP! Before you continue…
Where did you install the app from?
Official GitHub: 👍 skip ahead__
Elsewhere: 👎 read below…
🚫 3rd-party builds are NOT supported nor approved. They are… not current, probably buggy and generally unsafe (unapproved modifications, malware, adware and may require backdoor profiles), and when Apple revokes their misused profiles, you will probably lose your games and saves:
Delete the 3rd-party app and any profiles they may have installed.
Boycott them (stop using, sharing, or supporting their sites).
Re-install from the official source only: Installing Provenance
—or we cannot help you.
The 3rd-parties do not help this community whatsoever, causing us wasted time with limited resources…they also unrightly profit off of the work of this open source team that works for free.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I install or update Provenance?
Refer to Installing Provenance.
Is jailbreak required?
No.
Is there a Cydia repo?
No.
Why does Provenance not install?
Make sure you follow each and every step when Installing. Do not skip anything or make any assumptions. If stuck, refer to Troubleshooting. If still stuck…ask for help on our Discord.
What systems are supported?
A full list of currently supported systems can be found on the Supported Systems wiki.
Can I use a controller?
Yes. Controllers using Apple's standardized MFi format are 100% supported. Provenance also supports some non-standard iCade-type controllers (8bitdo, etc) and Valve's Steam Controller. As of iOS/iPadOS 13, Xbox One and Playstation 4 controllers are also now supported. See Controllers & Controls.
What are the controls?
A full list of mapped controls for MFi gamepad profiles per system can be found in Controls. (iCade controller map coming later, if still supported by Apple).
What controller(s) do you recommend?
An ongoing list of supported and recommended controllers and reviews can be found in Controllers.
Where can I get ROMs, or BIOS?
Due to copyright law, we cannot share ROMs or where to obtain them. You are legally allowed to make personal backup copies of your own purchased games for personal use as ROMs. Anything outside of this, you are on your own.
DO NOT ask us or the community where to obtain ROMs or BIOS files.
What if I don't have a Mac?
You don't need a Mac if you are sideloading a release, which is cross-platform.
If building from source, you don't technically need a Mac, just macOS. Using a custom built Hackintosh or virtual machine (Virtualizing macOS) with macOS would suffice. If these are not an option, sideload the current release or wait for the next release (beta is build only).
Can I install without a computer?
Currently, there is not a safe method for you install the app to your device(s) from the internet via web-signing—any 3rd party sites hosting the app are not approved nor endorsed by the Provenance team. Do not use them.
Will you release an .ipa of the beta?
Beta prereleases can be found builds.provenance-emu.com, however may not host the very latest dev build which you can always get by building from source.
When is the [next] release?
As a small team, we prefer to not make promises we will break with release dates. You are welcome to check development status via our Releases Roadmap and Projects (though they are subject to change) and join the community on our Discord server.
Why is the app crashing at launch?
This is usually due to one of the following reasons…
You were using an unsupported 3rd party build of the app and Apple revoked the provisioning profile as it violates their terms of use. You should…
Delete the 3rd-party app and any profiles they may have installed.
Boycott them (stop using, sharing, or supporting their sites).
Re-install from the official source only: Installing Provenance
Why does [insert game here] not work or crash?
Could be any number of the following reasons:
You could have a bad ROM. Replace it.
You might be attempting to load a ROM for an unsupported system. Check Supported Systems.
Your ROMs might not be using a supported extension or file format (such as
.binfor Atari or Sega systems). Refer to Formatting ROMs.If multi-file ROM (ie.
.cue + .bin), check if the filenames match the .cue file contents. Refer to Formatting ROMs: Multi-File ROMs.Multi-disc Games require an
.m3ufile in order to swap discs, specific filename formatting. Refer to Formatting ROMs: Multi-Disc Games.Your BIOS files might be wrong, even if named correctly. Check md5 hashes of your BIOS files as compared to what is listed in BIOS Requirements to be certain.
Unfortunately, not all emulator cores feature 100% compatibility with all ROMs. If the system has more than one core option [which is shown at launch (ie. NES:
FCEUXvsmednafen), unless you've specified a preferred core for that particular ROM or system], try the alternate core for that game specifically. Some emulation core teams have compiled and maintain compatibility lists (such as Yabause (Sega Saturn)), which can be found linked in our Supported Systems wiki.
What format do ROMs need to be?
File format and/or filename requirements are specified in Formatting ROMs.
How do I convert ROM or Memory Card formats?
Refer to Formatting ROMs: Converting Formats.
How do I enable dark mode on Apple TV?
Provenance supports the system-wide Dark mode of tvOS. To enable it go to tvOS Settings → General → Appearance → Dark ✓
Why is the app running slow or stuttering?
You might have built the debug version by mistake (app will be named Prov Debug on Home Screen and the version displayed in Settings will be
DEBUG)… If so, Re-build using Provenance-Release (iOS) or ProvenanceTV-Release (tvOS) in Xcode.On older devices, to speed up N64, change
#define FORCE_RICE_VIDEO 0to#define FORCE_RICE_VIDEO 1in MupenGameCore.mAll cores should run full speed on any generation Apple TV, or iPhone 7 or newer.
Turn off Smoothing and CRT effects in the application settings.
Devices as old as iPad 2 should run up to 16 bit generation systems at full speed. A complete performance comparison has not been done but this is a general guideline based on user reports and developer testing.
How to improve Apple TV latency?
Use a hardwired ethernet instead of WiFi for imporoved Bluetooth performance.
Use your TV's low latency or "game mode".
Turn off Dolby Vision.
Disconnect / unpair any unused bluetooth devices.
Remove any solid metal or thick walls from around Apple TV device to improve Bluetooth signal. Try to store not too close to anything using WiFi.
How can I contribute?
Development: We are always looking for new devs. The best way to get started is to browse the open Issues and submit code as a PR (Pull Request) to our GitHub with a fix. See our Contribution page for further information.
Beta-testing: Testers¹ are welcome, but only when following these rules:
Read Issues Usage
Only report against the very latest
developbuild²Pay attention to #git-updates activity on Discord or the commit history on GitHub.
Be very conscious of the active conversations in the #bugs channel on Discord. ¹ There is a major difference in just 'using' the beta and actually participating in beta-testing. ² You can install the beta alongside of stable release if you use an alternate Bundle ID.
Web: We are looking for a web dev (preferably a dev/designer hybrid) that can help us upgrade and maintain our .com (WordPress).
Content: We are looking for advocates who are interested in recording content for YouTube with the app in action.
Moderators: We are looking for moderators for our Discord to help maintain and moderate the community. If interested, start by joining our Discord and helping other users to boost your rank in the levels system that awards experience for user participation.
Helpers: You are welcome to offer assistance to new users in the #help channel on our Discord.
🗯 If you cannot find the answers you're looking for…you may ask for help on our Discord.
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