AeroGauge: Recompiled

AeroGauge: Recompiled is a PC version of the Nintendo 64 racing game AeroGauge. It runs your own copy of the game in a native window.

This version includes an in-game settings screen. Some visual enhancements and less common hardware paths still need more testing; see Known limitations. The details below describe this checkout. A release archive can predate it, so check the release notes before expecting newly merged features.

Supported computers

Release targets are:

• Windows 10 or later, 64-bit, with Direct3D 12 support.
• Linux, x64 or ARM64 (aarch64), with Vulkan support. Choose the archive matching your architecture. ARM64 binaries are built on Ubuntu 24.04; linux-build-info.txt in the archive records the measured glibc symbol requirement. See BUILDING.md for dependencies and source builds on older distributions.
• Android 9 or later, ARM64, with a compatible Vulkan driver. See Android setup for touch controls, ROM import, and GPU drivers.

macOS is not a supported target in this branch. A build that compiles on another system is not proof that the game runs there.

Run a release

On Android, install the APK and use Import ROM in the app, then Play AeroGauge. See Android setup. Desktop instructions:

1. Download the archive for your system from GitHub Releases.
2. Extract it to a folder.
3. On Windows, start aerogauge_modern.exe. On Linux, start ./aerogauge_modern. On first launch, choose your legally dumped USA or Japanese Rev A ROM in the file picker. Supported byte orders are .z64, .n64, and .v64; the filename does not matter in the picker.
4. To add AeroGauge to the Linux applications menu with its icon (including native Wayland taskbars), run ./install_linux_launcher.sh once and start it from the menu. If you move the extracted folder, run the installer again to refresh the launcher.

The archive contains the program and its support files. It does not contain the game ROM. A validated ROM copy is kept in the application data directory and reused on later launches. You can also place AeroGauge (USA).z64 or AeroGauge (Japan) (Rev A).z64 beside the program (either .n64 or .v64 also works). The program checks those names in the working directory before cached copies, preferring USA within each group. Pass a ROM path as the program's first argument to select a specific version; an invalid explicit path reports an error without choosing another ROM. Japanese Rev A retains its original title, vehicle/course/difficulty names, announcer, and game behavior. Each region has separate game saves. Other revisions, including the original Japanese release, are not supported.

Build from source

Building from source is a developer task and requires a matching ROM. See BUILDING.md for the tools and complete commands.

Controls

These are the default port bindings:

Action	Keyboard	Gamepad
Confirm / accelerate	X	A
Cancel / brake	C	B
Steer	Arrow keys or W/A/S/D	Left stick
Drift	Z	Left trigger
Pause / advance	Enter	Start
L button	Q	Left shoulder
R button	E or R	Right shoulder or right trigger
C buttons	I/J/K/L	X/Y/right stick

The port exposes one physical controller as Controller 1.

Settings

The desktop app starts AeroGauge directly. Set AERO_LAUNCHER=1 to open the launcher first and choose Start Game, Settings, or Mods. During play, open Settings with Escape, F10, or controller Back. This also works in fullscreen. Use the mouse, keyboard, or controller D-pad; the screen shows the active button prompts. See Configuration for what AERO_LAUNCHER reaches.

The Graphics page controls resolution, widescreen display, HUD placement, presentation rate, anti-aliasing, window mode and size, and texture paths. Force Full LOD keeps cars at maximum model detail and removes their distance cutoff; the Draw distance setting still controls far clipping. It is off by default. Press Apply to keep graphics changes. Press Discard to cancel them.

For weaker hardware, choose Rendering preset > Low power on Graphics and press Apply. It uses native resolution, no anti-aliasing, the original presentation rate, and standard colour precision. For a further reduction in geometry work, turn off Full course geometry in Enhancements and set the draw distance multiplier to 1.

The Enhancements page controls draw distance, full-course geometry, and separate Player 1 and Player 2 Easy Turbo + Boost Start options. These changes are saved as soon as they are made. Full-course geometry is experimental and can cost performance or show visual errors. Easy Turbo changes the driving controls; it is off by default. With Easy Turbo on, press the R button during a race to start Turbo and use the assisted Boost Start.

The Cheats page offers Infinite Damage and Always First Position for Player 1. Changes apply immediately and reset when the application closes. Cheats are experimental; see Cheats for behavior and limits.

The Audio page controls the game's master volume and a mute switch. Both are saved as soon as they are changed and apply immediately. They change the game's output only: your system mixer volume and the game's own music and effects balance are untouched.

For two players, open Controls > Assign players. Press a button on each gamepad in player order, or assign the keyboard to one player, then confirm. Use each player's Edit Profile to configure driving and menu bindings. Choose the game's 2 Players mode to race in split screen. Assign devices again after restarting or reconnecting a controller; saved bindings and profile choices are retained. Before assignment, keyboard and gamepads share Player 1. See Controllers for device and assist behavior. F11 and Alt+Enter switch fullscreen. Graphics API and texture-dump changes take effect after a restart.

The Mods page installs and manages AeroGauge packages. Install packages before starting the game; scanning and installation are disabled while it is running. Code mods load at game start and require a restart after changing them. RT64 texture packs can be enabled, disabled, and reordered while playing. To install a texture pack, set AERO_LAUNCHER=1, open Mods in the launcher, and use Install Mods to select its .rtz archive. You can also copy the archive into your user-data mods/ folder before launching. Manage texture packs in Mods; Graphics has no separate texture-pack path control. Mod support is experimental; see Modding for package requirements and limits.

Saves and files

The program stores its files in these locations:

• Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\AeroGaugeRecomp\
• Linux: $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/AeroGaugeRecomp, or ~/.config/AeroGaugeRecomp
• Portable mode: the folder from which you run the program, when that folder contains a file named portable.txt

The contents of portable.txt do not matter. Its presence selects portable mode.

graphics.json stores display settings, including draw distance and full-course geometry. enhancements.json stores the Easy Turbo + Boost Start assist setting, the per-player rumble and motion preferences, and the master volume and mute. Game saves are in the saves subfolder. Back up that folder before testing a new build.

The Windows release opens no console window. Each run writes a log file to the logs subfolder, and a crash report to the crashes subfolder. Attach the log file when you report a problem; see Debugging for the details.

Known limitations

• Supported ROMs are USA and Japan Rev A. Local USA-only builds remain possible.
• Full-course geometry is experimental.
• Texture dumping remains a developer feature.
• Mod support is experimental, and packages must target AeroGauge Recompiled.
• Platform, graphics-driver, and physical-controller coverage is incomplete.
• The settings screen is not shown by headless test runs.

See the documentation map for developer documentation, test commands, and configuration details.

Special thanks

Thanks to Gary (POOTERMAN) for creating and sharing the fan art featured at the top of this README and used for the Windows, Linux, and Android application icons.

License

Project code is licensed under LICENSE. The game and dependency submodules have their own licenses. You must provide your own ROM.