[Bug]: Blank screen in ESP32 S3 + ST7789 + VFS instead of SD-card

[Tursake]

Description

This might be down to user error, but I can get the screen functioning as expected usnig other code snippets, but here it just stays blank no matter what I set in the configs. I don't have an SD card reader on my ESP32 S3 so I opted to instead enable the flash memory partition. I've only installed the launcher and prboom-go apps. Looking at my output it seems everything should be fine but the screen stays blank and execution also hangs upon trying to boot Doom.

My partitions:

Name, Type, SubType, Offset, Size
nvs, data, nvs, 0x9000, 0x4000
otadata, data, ota, 0xd000, 0x2000
phy_init, data, phy, 0xf000, 0x1000
launcher, app, ota_0, 0x10000, 0x180000
prboom-go, app, ota_1, 0x190000, 0x180000
vfs, data, fat, 0x310000, 0xC00000

My monitor output:

========================================================
launcher 1.46-4-g44f6d-dirty (Jan 19 2026 00:18:48)
built for: ESP32-S3-DEVKIT. type: release

[info] rg_storage_init: Looking for SD Card using SDSPI...
E (1215) sdmmc_sd: sdmmc_init_sd_if_cond: send_if_cond (1) returned 0x108
E (1215) vfs_fat_sdmmc: sdmmc_card_init failed (0x108).
HINT: Please verify if there is an SD card inserted into the SD slot. Then, try rebooting the board.
[warn] rg_storage_init: SD Card mounting failed (0x108), retrying at lower speed...
E (1425) sdmmc_sd: sdmmc_init_sd_if_cond: send_if_cond (1) returned 0x108
E (1425) vfs_fat_sdmmc: sdmmc_card_init failed (0x108).
HINT: Please verify if there is an SD card inserted into the SD slot. Then, try rebooting the board.
[info] rg_storage_init: Looking for an internal flash partition labelled 'vfs' to mount for storage...
[info] rg_storage_init: Storage mounted at /flash.
[info] rg_input_init: Initializing GPIO gamepad driver...
[info] rg_input_init: Initializing ADC battery driver...
[info] rg_input_init: Input ready. state=00000000 00000000
[info] json_root: Config file loaded: '/flash/retro-go/config/global.json'
[info] rg_display_init: Initialization...
[info] rg_alloc: SIZE=1920, CAPS=DMA|8BIT, PTR=0x3fcb0dd4
[info] rg_alloc: SIZE=1920, CAPS=DMA|8BIT, PTR=0x3fcb1558
[info] rg_alloc: SIZE=1920, CAPS=DMA|8BIT, PTR=0x3fcb1cdc
[info] rg_alloc: SIZE=1920, CAPS=DMA|8BIT, PTR=0x3fcb2460
[info] rg_alloc: SIZE=1920, CAPS=DMA|8BIT, PTR=0x3fcb2be4
[info] lcd_set_backlight: backlight set to 80%
[info] rg_display_init: Display ready.
[info] rg_alloc: SIZE=8640, CAPS=SPIRAM|8BIT, PTR=0x3c0f9ba4
[info] rg_gui_set_language_id: Language set to: English (0)
[info] rg_gui_set_font: Font set to: VeraBold 11 (height=13, scaling=1.00)
[info] rg_gui_set_theme: Using built-in theme!
[info] rg_audio_init: Audio ready. sink='Ext DAC', samplerate=32000, volume=50
[info] rg_system_load_time: Time is now: Sat Apr 10 11:25:05 284315

[info] rg_system_init: Available memory: 292/376 + 8144/8176
[info] rg_system_init: Retro-Go ready.

[info] rg_alloc: SIZE=115232, CAPS=SPIRAM|8BIT, PTR=0x3c0fbd68
[info] application: Application 'Nintendo Entertainment System' (retro-core) not present, skipping
[info] application: Application 'Super Nintendo' (retro-core) not present, skipping
[info] application: Application 'Nintendo Gameboy' (retro-core) not present, skipping
[info] application: Application 'Nintendo Gameboy Color' (retro-core) not present, skipping
[info] application: Application 'Nintendo Gameboy Advance' (gbsp) not present, skipping
[info] application: Application 'Nintendo Game & Watch' (retro-core) not present, skipping
[info] application: Application 'Sega Master System' (retro-core) not present, skipping
[info] application: Application 'Sega Game Gear' (retro-core) not present, skipping
[info] application: Application 'Sega Mega Drive' (gwenesis) not present, skipping
[info] application: Application 'Coleco ColecoVision' (retro-core) not present, skipping
[info] application: Application 'NEC PC Engine' (retro-core) not present, skipping
[info] application: Application 'Atari Lynx' (retro-core) not present, skipping
[info] gui_add_tab: Tab 'doom' added at index 0
[info] application: Application 'MSX' (fmsx) not present, skipping
[info] gui_add_tab: Tab 'favorite' added at index 1
[info] gui_add_tab: Tab 'recent' added at index 2
[info] webui_start: Web server started
[info] update_viewport_scaling: 240x240@1.000 => 240x240@1.000 left:0 top:0 step_x:1.00 step_y:1.00
[info] application_init: Initializing application 'DOOM' (prboom-go)

Steps To Reproduce

No response

Environment

• Retro-Go: 1.46
• Device: ESP32 S3 Nano
• OS: Windows
• ESP-IDF: 5.3

Anything else?

No response