Citra’s Transparency and Telemetry Framework
As an open-source project, Citra’s development process is visible to all and open for contributions. However, the majority of progress relies on a small group of developers. One of their significant challenges has been the scattered nature of issue reports, which are often posted across platforms like Discord, Reddit, forums, IRC, and others, making it hard to prioritize fixes effectively.
To address this, the Citra team has developed a telemetry framework. This system gathers data on how users interact with Citra, helping the team identify popular games, commonly used hardware setups, frequent crash points, and other critical insights. While this could have been part of the previous progress report, the team chose to present it separately to emphasize its importance.
Recognizing users’ privacy concerns, the team has been transparent from the start, ensuring a balance between utility and user trust.
What Telemetry Collects
The telemetry framework gathers the following information:
- Citra Version: Details about the version in use.
- Performance Metrics: Data on how games perform during emulation.
- Configuration Settings: Your chosen Citra settings.
- Hardware Specifications: Information about your computer’s GPU, CPU, and OS.
- Errors and Crashes: Details about issues encountered during emulation.
Anonymity and Opt-Out Options
Understanding that not everyone is comfortable sharing system data, opting out of telemetry is simple and accessible.
- Telemetry ID: A randomly generated identifier created during installation is used instead of your IP address to ensure anonymity.
- Resetting Your ID: Users can reset their telemetry ID at any time by clicking “Regenerate.” The new ID is completely random and treated as a new identity.
Logging in remains optional, and data collection is anonymous unless you choose to do so.
Why Telemetry Matters
Telemetry provides developers with precise insights into user needs and priorities, improving Citra’s development. Accurate data is crucial—incorrect or insufficient information can mislead development efforts, much like inaccurate measurements can harm a device during calibration.
Users are encouraged to stay opted-in to ensure the data collected is comprehensive and reliable. Your participation directly contributes to Citra’s growth and the resolution of issues that matter most to its community.
By embracing this framework, the team hopes to align development with user priorities while maintaining a commitment to transparency and privacy.