RetroArch Alternatives for Android

There are many alternatives to RetroArch for Android if you are looking for a replacement. The best Android alternative is DuckStation, which is free. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 100 alternatives to RetroArch and many of them are available for Android so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Android alternatives to RetroArch are Lemuroid, ScummVM, PPSSPP and CrossOver.

filter to find the best alternatives

RetroArch alternatives are mainly Game Emulators, but if you're looking for Game Library Managers or Compatibility Layer Tools you can filter on that. Other popular filters include Android, Linux, Windows and iPhone. These are just examples - use the filter bar below to find more specific alternatives to RetroArch.
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Alternatives list

  1. DuckStation icon
     51 likes

    DuckStation is an simulator/emulator of the Sony PlayStation(TM) console, focusing on playability, speed, and long-term maintainability.

    13 DuckStation alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • AppImageHub
    • Flathub
     
    |
    1
    DuckStation vs RetroArch Comments
    Douze
    Negative
    5

    DuckStation is an emulator, whereas RetroArch is a front-end for multiple emulators and the games using them.

    • DuckStation is Free and ProprietaryRetroArch is Free and Open Source
    • DuckStation is LightweightRetroArch is not according to our users
  2. Lemuroid icon
     38 likes

    Lemuroid is an open-source emulation project based on Libretro. It's completely free, without ads and focused on ease of use and good user experience.

    35 Lemuroid alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • F-Droid
     
    |
    4
    Lemuroid vs RetroArch Comments
    Teoman
    Positive
    0

    is good but i doesn't have advanced features it should have more options but still keeping it simple

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    0

    It's MUCH easier to get started for beginners, instead of overwhelming you with vague and confusing concepts like "core"s and "content"s.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    Guest
    Positive
    1

    Lemuroid uses libretro cores just like retroarch but it's way simpler to use and it supports SD cards without tweaks

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    3 of 4 comments
    • Lemuroid is Free and Open SourceRetroArch is also Free and Open Source
    • Lemuroid is LightweightRetroArch is not according to our users
  3. ScummVM icon
     126 likes

    ScummVM is a program which allows you to run certain classic graphical point-and-click adventure games, provided you already have their data files.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Windows Mobile
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Symbian S60
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Haiku
    • AmigaOS
    • MorphOS
     
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    1
    ScummVM vs RetroArch Comments
    Douze
    Negative
    3

    ScummVM is an emulator, whereas RetroArch is a front-end for multiple emulators and the games using them.

    • ScummVM is Free and Open SourceRetroArch is also Free and Open Source
  4. PPSSPP icon
     86 likes

    Run PSP games across platforms in crisp HD, enjoy sharper textures, post-processing effects, anisotropic filtering, save or restore progress, customize input controls, transfer existing saves, play on low-spec devices with JIT-optimized performance, and more features.

    9 PPSSPP alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • Meta Quest
     
    |
    1
    PPSSPP vs RetroArch Comments
    Douze
    Negative
    6

    PPSSPP is an emulator, whereas RetroArch is a front-end for multiple emulators and the games using them.

    • PPSSPP is Free and Open SourceRetroArch is also Free and Open Source
  5. CrossOver icon
     76 likes

    Cross-platform utility enables seamless installation and execution of Windows applications on macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS. No Windows license required—facilitates easy app management with a few clicks, eliminates the need for virtual machines and reboots, delivering efficient compatibility layer operation.

    45 CrossOver alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Chrome OS
     
    |
    1
    CrossOver vs RetroArch Comments
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    CrossOver runs desktop software. RetroArch runs retro games.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    • CrossOver is Paid and ProprietaryRetroArch is Free and Open Source
  6. Citra icon
     29 likes

    An experimental open-source Nintendo 3DS emulator/debugger written in C++. At this time, it only emulates a very small subset of 3DS hardware, and therefore is only useful for booting/debugging very simple homebrew demos. Citra is licensed under the GPLv2. Refer to the license.

    18 Citra alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Flathub
     
    |
    1
    Citra vs RetroArch Comments
    Douze
    Negative
    3

    Citra is an emulator, whereas RetroArch is a front-end for multiple emulators and the games using them.

    • Citra is Free and Open SourceRetroArch is also Free and Open Source
  7. Vita3K icon
     15 likes

    Vita3K is the world's first functional experimental open-source PlayStation Vita emulator for Windows, Linux and macOS.

    5 Vita3K alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
     
  8. LaunchBox icon
     49 likes

    LaunchBox was originally built as an attractive frontend to DOSBox, but has since expanded to support both modern PC games and emulated console platforms. LaunchBox aims to be the one-stop shop for gaming on your computer, for both modern and...

    57 LaunchBox alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
     
  9. ePSXe icon
     130 likes

    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.

    24 ePSXe alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
     
    |
    1
    ePSXe vs RetroArch Comments
    Douze
    Negative
    4

    ePSXe is a single emulator, whereas RetroArch is a front-end for multiple emulators and games using them !

    • ePSXe is Free and ProprietaryRetroArch is Free and Open Source
  10. Pegasus icon
     28 likes

    Pegasus is a graphical frontend for browsing your game library (especially retro games) and launching them from one place. It's focusing on customizability, cross platform support (including embedded devices) and high performance.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Raspberry Pi
     
  11. Discover a lifetime of gaming, the ultimate retro gaming experience with Antstream Arcade. Dive into a vast collection of over 1300 classic games, with new titles added every week.

    64 Antstream Arcade alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Epic Games Store
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
     
  12. melonDS icon
     16 likes

    A Nintendo DS emulator with support for commercial games.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Flathub
    • Android
     
    |
    1
    melonDS vs RetroArch Comments
    Douze
    Negative
    1

    melonDS is an emulator, whereas RetroArch is a front-end for multiple emulators and the games using them.

    • melonDS is Free and Open SourceRetroArch is also Free and Open Source
12 of 48 RetroArch alternatives