The end of the 1.3 line
AetherSX2 v1.3-2874 APK Download
1.3 is the last generation before AetherSX2's graphics engine was substantially reworked, and 2874 is the best build of it. That makes it the natural choice for phones that were already old when the 1.4 line arrived — Android 8 devices, entry-level MediaTek chips, anything with 3 GB of RAM being used as a dedicated retro handheld.
This archive APK stays available for people who need this exact build. The pages Google should index for version choice are the older versions hub, the current v1.5-4248 download, and the Mali-friendly v1.5-3668 build.
File details
| Version | v1.3-2874 |
|---|---|
| Released | October 2022 |
| File size | 18 MB: 2 MB smaller than the final v1.5-4248 release |
| Position | Build 6 of 12 in our archive, newest first : the release directly after it is v1.4-3060 |
| Requires | Android 8.0 or newer (ARM64) |
| Developer | Tahlreth (development ended 2023) |
Download AetherSX2 v1.3-2874
AetherSX2 v1.3-2874 v1.3-2874
Android 8.0+ (ARM64) · 18 MB · No bundled installers, no adware
- SHA-256:
- 163f81ed73cffcf6eef9d44ea5a82119c77a3310f1acfcacf39c011a40852985
Always verify the checksum after downloading. We never repackage binaries — this is the unmodified community build.
Should You Use v1.3-2874? Real-World Notes
v1.3-2874 sits at the tail end of the 1.3 line and comes from AetherSX2's earlier polish phase, before the graphics engine was heavily reworked in the 1.4 series. On low-end hardware — Snapdragon 660-class chips, 3 GB RAM phones, older MediaTek devices — its lighter code path often runs cooler and steadier than anything in 1.4 or 1.5.
It also runs happily on Android 8 devices, which is useful for people using older phones purely as retro-gaming handhelds. The BIOS and game folders live in the same place as newer builds, so a BIOS you dumped for 1.5 works here without changes.
The trade-off is that you miss every per-game fix that landed after October 2022. If a specific title struggles here, check our compatibility database — sometimes moving up to 1.4-3064 or 1.5-3668 solves it, sometimes staying on 1.3 is actually preferable for that game.
What to Know Before Installing v1.3-2874
- This is the last build before the 1.4 graphics rework, so the gap between it and 1.4-3060 is larger than the version numbers suggest — expect real differences, not a minor step.
- Nearly a year of per-game fixes landed after this build. On demanding titles that gap is visible.
Recommended Settings for v1.3-2874
| Renderer | OpenGL is the safer default here; try Vulkan and keep it only if it helps |
|---|---|
| Resolution | Native (1x) |
- On the entry-level hardware this build targets, the renderer choice matters more than anything else. Test both on one game before configuring the rest.
- Dedicate the phone to it if you can. Closing background apps makes a larger difference on a 3 GB device than any emulator setting you can change.
- Match your library to the hardware — this combination plays 2D and earlier-generation titles well and will not carry the demanding 3D ones.
Installing v1.3-2874
A standard single-file APK: enable "Install unknown apps" for your browser or file manager, tap the download, and approve the install.
Coming down from a newer release: v1.4-3060 or anything above it: means uninstalling that first, because Android refuses to install an older version over a newer one. Back up your memory cards before you uninstall. Those survive the move between builds; save states do not, so save inside the game rather than relying on a state you made on v1.4-3060.
The rest of setup is the same for every AetherSX2 release, so we publish it once rather than repeating it here: see the illustrated 12-step install and BIOS walkthrough, or go straight to the PS2 BIOS guide if that is the part you are stuck on. Once the app boots, apply our baseline graphics tuning before raising upscaling.
If v1.3-2874 Isn't Right for You
Skip this build if: Anyone with hardware from roughly 2020 onward, and anyone whose problem is one specific game — a year of later fixes is more likely to help than moving down a generation.
AetherSX2 v1.4-3064 →
March 2023 · 20 MB
The top of the next line, with the reworked graphics engine — the first thing to try if a game renders wrongly here.
AetherSX2 v1.2-2637 →
September 2022 · 18 MB
One line further back and lighter still, if even 1.3 is more than your phone comfortably handles.
All 12 archived builds, with a comparison table, are on the AetherSX2 older versions page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a 1.3 build still worth installing in 2026?
Only for a specific reason, and 'my phone is genuinely old' is the good one. On an Android 8 or 9 device with limited RAM, the lighter code path here can be the difference between a game being playable and not. On anything newer it is the wrong trade — you would be giving up a year of compatibility work to solve a problem you do not have.
Will the BIOS and game folders I set up for a 1.5 build work here?
Yes. The BIOS requirement and the storage layout are the same across every AetherSX2 build, so a BIOS you dumped for 1.5 imports here unchanged and your game directory is found in the same place. Memory card saves carry over too. Save states are the exception — they are tied to the build that made them.
What changed between the 1.3 line and 1.4?
The 1.4 series brought substantial rework to the graphics side, which is why the two lines feel further apart than one version number implies. In practice that means games rendering incorrectly here may simply be correct on 1.4, and that the performance characteristics on your phone can differ in either direction. It is a genuine generation boundary rather than an incremental step.