Best RetroArch Alternatives
RetroArch is described as 'graphical frontend for emulators, game engines, and media players' and is a very popular Game Emulator in the gaming software category. There are more than 100 alternatives to RetroArch for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Mac, Windows, Android and Flathub apps. The best RetroArch alternative is Lutris, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like RetroArch are PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac, Snes9x, ePSXe and SteamOS.
RetroArch alternatives are mainly Game Emulators but may also be Compatibility Layer Tools or Game Library Managers. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of RetroArch.Lutris
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Game Library Manager
- Game Store
- Compatibility Layer Tool
46 Lutris alternatives- Linux
- Online
- Flathub
Lutris is an open source gaming platform for GNU/Linux. It allows you to gather and manage (install, configure and launch) all your games acquired from any source, in a single interface.
- - Lutris is the most popular Web-based & Linux alternative to RetroArch.
- - Lutris is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to RetroArch.
Lutris Features
Comments about Lutris as a Alternative to RetroArch
retorarch is a frontend for emulating multiple game consoles. Lutris is primarily a frontend for running windows games on linux
4BrouwareRetroarch is a frontend for emulators, Lutris for PC games.
0Lutris is not an frontend for emulators.
-1PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Compatibility Layer Tool
38 PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac alternatives- Mac
- Linux
- BSD
- Wine
- FreeBSD
PlayOnLinux is a graphical frontend for the Wine software compatibility layer which allows Linux and Mac users to install Windows-based video games, Microsoft Office (2000 to 2010), Microsoft Internet Explorer, as well as many other applications.
- - PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac is the most popular Mac alternative to RetroArch.
PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac Features
Comments about PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac as a Alternative to RetroArch
BrouwarePlayOnLinux is a compatibility layer to play Windows games (or other software) on Linux. Retroarch is a multi-platform emulator frontend. They are not at all similar.
1Snes9x
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo37 Snes9x alternatives- Free • Open Source
- Game Emulator
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
Snes9x is a portable, Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) emulator. It allows you to play most games designed for the SNES and Super Famicom Nintendo game systems on your PC.
- - Snes9x is the most popular Windows alternative to RetroArch.
Snes9x Features
Comments about Snes9x as a Alternative to RetroArch
Retroarch is not an emulator. Retroarch is a frontend for Libretro, which is a backend in which "cores" can be implemented and then run through a frontend(RA in this case.) These cores are emulators, and are what do most of the work of emulating systems. The vast majority of Libretro cores are simply preexisting emulators (like Snes9x!) ported into the Libretro API.
4ePSXe
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Proprietary
- Game Emulator
19 ePSXe alternatives- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- Android Tablet
ePSXe (enhanced PSX emulator) is an emulator of the PlayStation video game console for x86-based PC hardware. ePSXe makes use of a plugin system to emulate GPU, SPU, and CD drive functions, similar to the model first introduced in PSEmu Pro.
- - ePSXe is the most popular Android & Android Tablet alternative to RetroArch.
ePSXe Features
Comments about ePSXe as a Alternative to RetroArch
DouzeePSXe is a single emulator, whereas RetroArch is a front-end for multiple emulators and games using them !
0SteamOS
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Operating System
- Linux Distro
11 SteamOS alternatives- Linux
- Wine
- Steam
- Proton
SteamOS is a Arch Linux based Linux distribution designed to run Valve's Steam and Steam games. It also provides a desktop mode .
SteamOS Features
Comments about SteamOS as a Alternative to RetroArch
AshleyJazzleySteamOS is a linux distribution, on it's own it has nothing to do with emulation.
2PPSSPP
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Game Emulator
7 PPSSPP alternatives- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- iPhone
- Blackberry
- Flathub
PPSSPP is a PSP emulator written in C++, and translates PSP CPU instructions directly into optimized x86, x64 and ARM machine code, using JIT recompilers (dynarecs).
- - PPSSPP is the most popular iPhone alternative to RetroArch.
PPSSPP Features
Comments about PPSSPP as a Alternative to RetroArch
DouzePPSSPP is an emulator, whereas RetroArch is a front-end for multiple emulators and the games using them.
0VisualBoyAdvance
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Game Emulator
29 VisualBoyAdvance alternatives- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- BSD
- Haiku
- AmigaOS
- MorphOS
VisualBoyAdvance (VBA) is a free software (GNU GPL) emulator targeted for the Game Boy, Super Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance handheld game consoles sold by Nintendo.
DiscontinuedThe project is no longer developed. Last version, 1.8.0 beta 3, released in October 2005, can be still downloaded from FileHippo
Comments about VisualBoyAdvance as a Alternative to RetroArch
Retroarch is for ios VBA is for windows
-9Project64
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo18 Project64 alternatives- Free • Open Source
- Game Emulator
- Windows
Project64 is a Nintendo 64 emulator for the Windows platform. It employs a plugin system that allows 3rd party developers to implement their own software. It is an emulator, meaning that the user has the option to run ROM files that can be extracted from a Nintendo 64 game...
Project64 Features
Comments about Project64 as a Alternative to RetroArch
DouzeProject64 is an emulator, whereas RetroArch is a front-end for multiple emulators and the games using them.
0Bottles
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo28 Bottles alternatives- Free • Open Source
- Compatibility Layer Tool
- Linux
- Flathub
Bottles is an application designed for elementary OS (but works on all GNU/Linux distributions), which helps in managing wineprefix.
Bottles Features
ZSNES
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo33 ZSNES alternatives- Free • Open Source
- Game Emulator
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
ZSNES is a Super Nintendo Entertainment System emulator. Aside from emulation accuracy, many interface features first introduced in ZSNES have been adopted by other emulators. ZSNES interface features include: Smoothing and dynamic image scaling; screenshot capture; state...
ZSNES Features
DiscontinuedThe program is no longer updated. Last version, 1.51, released in January 2007, can be still downloaded from the official website.
Opinions about ZSNES as a Alternative to RetroArch
GameHub
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Game Library Manager
- Compatibility Layer Tool
28 GameHub alternatives- Linux
- AppImageHub
- Flatpak
Games library manager. Supports: Steam, GOG, Humble Bundle, Humble Trove, Wine and RetroArch.
GameHub Features
Mame
Is this is a good alternative?YesNo- Free • Open Source
- Game Emulator
15 Mame alternatives- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- AmigaOS
- MorphOS
MAME stands for Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator. When used in conjunction with images of the original arcade game's ROM and disk data, MAME attempts to reproduce that game as faithfully as possible on a more modern general-purpose computer.
Mame Features
Comments about Mame as a Alternative to RetroArch
DouzeMame is an emulator, whereas RetroArch is a front-end for multiple emulators and the games using them.
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