RomM Feed Generation Formats: Tinfoil, WebRcade, PKGi, and Variant Feeds Explained

RomM supports Tinfoil, WebRcade, PKGi, and derivative formats including fPKGi, Kekatsu, and pkgj via RESTful endpoints defined in backend/endpoints/feeds.py.

The RomM game library manager (rommapp/romm) automatically generates compatible feeds for popular homebrew launchers and emulator frontends. These feed generation formats enable direct integration with Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, and other console ecosystems, allowing browsers to fetch ROM metadata and download links directly from your self-hosted instance.

Core Feed Generation Formats

RomM implements three primary feed formats in its backend architecture, each targeting specific console platforms and launcher applications.

Tinfoil JSON Feeds for Nintendo Switch

The Tinfoil format provides a JSON feed compatible with the Tinfoil Nintendo Switch launcher. This endpoint returns game metadata and download URLs formatted for the Switch homebrew scene.

Access the feed via:

GET /api/feeds/tinfoil?slug=<platform-slug>

The route handler resides in backend/endpoints/feeds.py, with response schemas defined in backend/endpoints/responses/feeds.py.

WebRcade XML Feeds

WebRcade feeds follow the XML specification defined by the WebRcade project, enabling browser-based arcade and console emulation. Unlike the JSON-based formats, WebRcade requires XML serialization for compatibility with the frontend parser.

The endpoint is available at:

GET /api/feeds/webrcade

Response models in backend/endpoints/responses/feeds.py handle the XML structure generation, ensuring proper namespacing and element ordering required by WebRcade clients.

PKGi Feeds for PlayStation Consoles

The PKGi format delivers a simple JSON feed used by PKGi-style launchers across PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PSP systems. This format requires SHA-1 hash verification for game integrity.

The endpoint structure follows:

GET /api/feeds/pkgi/<system>/game?sha1=<hash>

RomM extracts SHA-1 hashes using utilities in backend/utils/filesystem.py, specifically referencing the comment "feeds for PKGi passthrough" in the implementation.

Variant Feed Formats and Platform-Specific Endpoints

Beyond the three core formats, RomM provides derivative endpoints that reuse the PKGi payload structure for additional platforms and content types.

fPKGi for PlayStation 4

The fPKGi variant targets PS4 homebrew launchers, exposing fake PKG content through a compatible interface.

GET /api/feeds/fpkgi/ps4

Kekatsu for Nintendo DS

Kekatsu feeds support Nintendo DS content through a dedicated endpoint:

GET /api/feeds/kekatsu/nds

pkgj for PSP, PS Vita, and PSX

The pkgj format provides separate endpoints for games and DLC across multiple PlayStation legacy systems:

Game feeds:

• GET /api/feeds/pkgj/psp/games
• GET /api/feeds/pkgj/psvita/games
• GET /api/feeds/pkgj/psx/games

DLC feeds:

• GET /api/feeds/pkgj/psp/dlc
• GET /api/feeds/pkgj/psvita/dlc

These variants maintain the same JSON schema as the base PKGi feed but filter content by platform and type.

Implementation Architecture

The feed generation system is modularized across several backend components:

• backend/endpoints/feeds.py — FastAPI router registering all feed endpoints and handling HTTP requests
• backend/endpoints/responses/feeds.py — OpenAPI response models defining the structure for Tinfoil, WebRcade, and PKGi formats
• backend/utils/filesystem.py — Helper utilities extracting SHA-1 hashes required for PKGi-style feeds
• docs/BACKEND_ARCHITECTURE.md — Architecture documentation referencing the feed generators at lines 185 and 956
• backend/tests/endpoints/feeds.py — Test suite validating each endpoint returns the correct format and content type

API Usage Examples

Fetch a Tinfoil feed for Switch games:

curl -s "http://localhost:8000/api/feeds/tinfoil?slug=switch" | jq .

Retrieve the WebRcade XML feed:

curl -s "http://localhost:8000/api/feeds/webrcade" | xmllint --format -

Access a specific PKGi feed for a PS Vita game using its SHA-1 hash:

curl -s "http://localhost:8000/api/feeds/pkgi/psvita/game?sha1=beadfeed"

Summary

• RomM generates Tinfoil, WebRcade, and PKGi feeds through dedicated /api/feeds/ endpoints
• Tinfoil uses JSON for Nintendo Switch launchers via /api/feeds/tinfoil?slug=<platform>
• WebRcade serves XML via /api/feeds/webrcade for browser-based emulation
• PKGi feeds require SHA-1 hashes and support PS3, PS Vita, and PSP via /api/feeds/pkgi/<system>/game
• Derivative formats include fPKGi (PS4), Kekatsu (NDS), and pkgj (PSP/PSVita/PSX games and DLC)
• Implementation resides in backend/endpoints/feeds.py with response schemas in backend/endpoints/responses/feeds.py

Frequently Asked Questions

What feed formats does RomM support?

RomM supports Tinfoil (JSON for Nintendo Switch), WebRcade (XML for browser emulation), and PKGi (JSON for PlayStation consoles). Additionally, it provides variant feeds including fPKGi for PS4, Kekatsu for Nintendo DS, and pkgj for PSP, PS Vita, and PSX content.

How do I access the Tinfoil feed for my Switch ROMs?

Make a GET request to /api/feeds/tinfoil?slug=switch where the slug parameter specifies your platform identifier. The endpoint returns a JSON array compatible with the Tinfoil Switch homebrew launcher, containing game titles, sizes, and download URLs.

What is the difference between PKGi and pkgj feeds in RomM?

PKGi feeds represent the base format for PS3, PS Vita, and PSP content accessible via /api/feeds/pkgi/<system>/game. The pkgj feeds are derivative endpoints that use the same JSON schema but provide platform-specific filtering for PSP, PS Vita, and PSX games and DLC through paths like /api/feeds/pkgj/psvita/games.

Where does RomM store the SHA-1 hashes required for PKGi feeds?

RomM extracts and stores SHA-1 hashes using filesystem utilities in backend/utils/filesystem.py. The implementation includes a specific comment referencing "feeds for PKGi passthrough", indicating the hash generation logic supports the integrity verification required by PKGi-style PlayStation launchers.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}