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.

RetroArch alternatives page was last updated

RetroArch

234

Free • Open Source
Game Emulator

RetroArch is a graphical frontend for emulators, game engines, and media players.

More about RetroArch

Lutris
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Game Library Manager
Game Store
Compatibility Layer Tool
Linux
Online
Flathub
46 Lutris alternatives
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.
Suggest and vote on features
Lutris Features
Game Launcher
Custom Scripts
Multi System Emulator
Comments about Lutris as a Alternative to RetroArch
This alternative is disputed. Lutris is still a legitimate RetroArch alternative, but it might have issues that some users think are important.
Guest
retorarch is a frontend for emulating multiple game consoles. Lutris is primarily a frontend for running windows games on linux
Negative comment•
4

Brouware
Retroarch is a frontend for emulators, Lutris for PC games.
Negative comment•
0

Guest
Lutris is not an frontend for emulators.
Negative comment•
-1
PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Compatibility Layer Tool
Mac
Linux
BSD
Wine
FreeBSD
38 PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac alternatives
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.
Suggest and vote on features
PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac Features
1. Ad-freePlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
Run Windows software
Run Windows Games
Comments about PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac as a Alternative to RetroArch
This alternative is disputed. PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac is still a legitimate RetroArch alternative, but it might have issues that some users think are important.
Brouware
PlayOnLinux 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.
Negative comment•
1
Snes9x
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Game Emulator
Mac
Windows
Linux
37 Snes9x alternatives
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.
Suggest and vote on features
Snes9x Features
1. PortableSnes9x can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
Comments about Snes9x as a Alternative to RetroArch
Most users think Snes9x is a great RetroArch alternative.
Guest
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.
Negative comment•
4
ePSXe
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Game Emulator
Windows
Linux
Android
Android Tablet
19 ePSXe alternatives
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.
Suggest and vote on features
ePSXe Features
1. PortableePSXe can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
Playstation
Comments about ePSXe as a Alternative to RetroArch
Most users think ePSXe is a great RetroArch alternative.
Douze
ePSXe is a single emulator, whereas RetroArch is a front-end for multiple emulators and games using them !
Negative comment•
0
SteamOS
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Operating System
Linux Distro
Linux
Wine
Steam
Proton
11 SteamOS alternatives
SteamOS is a Arch Linux based Linux distribution designed to run Valve's Steam and Steam games. It also provides a desktop mode .
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SteamOS Features
1. Rolling ReleaseSteamOS supports updates that are continuously rolled out, rather than in batches of versions.
Gaming-focused
KDE
Comments about SteamOS as a Alternative to RetroArch
Some users think SteamOS is a great RetroArch alternative, some don't.
AshleyJazzley
SteamOS is a linux distribution, on it's own it has nothing to do with emulation.
Negative comment•
2
PPSSPP
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Game Emulator
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Blackberry
Flathub
7 PPSSPP alternatives
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.
Suggest and vote on features
PPSSPP Features
Jailbreak required
Comments about PPSSPP as a Alternative to RetroArch
Most users think PPSSPP is a great RetroArch alternative.
Douze
PPSSPP is an emulator, whereas RetroArch is a front-end for multiple emulators and the games using them.
Negative comment•
0
VisualBoyAdvance
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Game Emulator
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
Haiku
AmigaOS
MorphOS
29 VisualBoyAdvance alternatives
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.
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VisualBoyAdvance Features
1. PortableVisualBoyAdvance can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
Emulation
Discontinued
The 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
Some users think VisualBoyAdvance is a great RetroArch alternative, some don't.
Guest
Retroarch is for ios VBA is for windows
Negative comment•
-9
Project64
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Game Emulator
Windows
18 Project64 alternatives
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...
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Project64 Features
1. PortableProject64 can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
Comments about Project64 as a Alternative to RetroArch
Some users think Project64 is a great RetroArch alternative, some don't.
Douze
Project64 is an emulator, whereas RetroArch is a front-end for multiple emulators and the games using them.
Negative comment•
0
Bottles
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Compatibility Layer Tool
Linux
Flathub
28 Bottles alternatives
Bottles is an application designed for elementary OS (but works on all GNU/Linux distributions), which helps in managing wineprefix.
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Bottles Features
1. Ad-freeBottles doesn't contain any form of external advertising.
Run Windows software
Native GUI
Customizable
ZSNES
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Game Emulator
Mac
Windows
Linux
33 ZSNES alternatives
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...
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ZSNES Features
Emulation
Discontinued
The 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
Some users think ZSNES is a great RetroArch alternative, some don't.
GameHub
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Game Library Manager
Compatibility Layer Tool
Linux
AppImageHub
Flatpak
28 GameHub alternatives
Games library manager. Supports: Steam, GOG, Humble Bundle, Humble Trove, Wine and RetroArch.
Suggest and vote on features
GameHub Features
1. Dark ModeGameHub supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
2. Controller SupportGameHub supports the use of a controller (XBOX, PlayStation, etc.).
Import from Steam
Import from GoG
Multi System Emulator
Proton support for linux
Gameboy emulation
Flatpak
Mame
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Game Emulator
Mac
Windows
Linux
AmigaOS
MorphOS
15 Mame alternatives
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.
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Mame Features
1. PortableMame can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
Integrated Android Emulator
Comments about Mame as a Alternative to RetroArch
Some users think Mame is a great RetroArch alternative, some don't.
Douze
Mame is an emulator, whereas RetroArch is a front-end for multiple emulators and the games using them.
Negative comment•
0