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 both free and Open Source. 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 PPSSPP, Lemuroid, ePSXe and CrossOver.

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RetroArch alternatives are mainly Game Emulators but may also be Compatibility Layer Tools or Linux Distros.  Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of RetroArch.
RetroArch iconRetroArch
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RetroArch is a graphical frontend for emulators, game engines, and media players.

More about RetroArch
RetroArch alternatives page was last updated Oct 18, 2024
  1. DuckStation icon
     37 likes

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

    8 DuckStation alternatives
    DuckStation screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
    • AppImageHub
    • Flathub

    DuckStation Features

    1.  Emulation
    DuckStation iconRetroArch Icon

    DuckStation VS RetroArch

    Is DuckStation a good alternative to RetroArch?
     
    Comments about DuckStation as an Alternative to RetroArch
     
    Douze

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

    Negative commentSep 20, 2022
    2
    RetroArch Icon
    DuckStation icon
    • DuckStation is the most popular Android & Android Tablet alternative to RetroArch.

    • DuckStation is Free and Open SourceRetroArch is also Free and Open Source
  2. PPSSPP icon
     79 likes

    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).

    8 PPSSPP alternatives
    Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Blackberry
    • Flathub

    PPSSPP Features

    1.  Portable
    2.  Jailbreak required
    PPSSPP iconRetroArch Icon

    PPSSPP VS RetroArch

    Is PPSSPP a good alternative to RetroArch?
     
    Comments about PPSSPP as an Alternative to RetroArch
     
    Douze

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

    Negative commentSep 20, 2022
    4
    RetroArch Icon
    PPSSPP icon
    • Most users think PPSSPP is a great RetroArch alternative.

    • PPSSPP is the most popular iPhone alternative to RetroArch.

    • PPSSPP is Free and Open SourceRetroArch is also Free and Open Source
  3. Lemuroid icon
     25 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.

    17 Lemuroid alternatives
    Lemuroid screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • F-Droid

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Playstation
    2.  Gameboy emulation
    3.  Emulation
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Dark Mode
    6.  Controller Support
    7.  Works Offline
    Lemuroid iconRetroArch Icon

    Lemuroid VS RetroArch

    Is Lemuroid a good alternative to RetroArch?
     
    Comments about Lemuroid as an Alternative to RetroArch
     
    Teoman

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

    Positive commentOct 18, 2024
    0
    Guest

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

    Positive commentApr 25, 2022
    1
    RetroArch Icon
    Lemuroid icon
    • Lemuroid is Free and Open SourceRetroArch is also Free and Open Source
    • Lemuroid is Privacy focusedRetroArch is not according to our users
  4. ePSXe icon
     129 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.

    20 ePSXe alternatives
    ePSXe screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Android Tablet

    ePSXe Features

    1.  Portable
    2.  Playstation
    ePSXe iconRetroArch Icon

    ePSXe VS RetroArch

    Is ePSXe a good alternative to RetroArch?
     
    Comments about ePSXe as an Alternative to RetroArch
     
    Douze

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

    Negative commentSep 20, 2022
    4
    RetroArch Icon
    ePSXe icon
    • Most users think ePSXe is a great RetroArch alternative.

    • ePSXe is Free and ProprietaryRetroArch is Free and Open Source
  5. CrossOver icon
     71 likes

    CrossOver allows you to install many popular Windows applications and games on your Intel OS X Mac or Linux computer.

    40 CrossOver alternatives
    CrossOver screenshot 1

    License model

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Chrome OS

    CrossOver Features

    1.  Compatibility Layer
    2.  Run Windows software
    CrossOver iconRetroArch Icon

    CrossOver VS RetroArch

    Is CrossOver a good alternative to RetroArch?
     
    Comments about CrossOver as an Alternative to RetroArch
     
    Guest

    CrossOver runs desktop software. RetroArch runs retro games.

    Negative commentMar 24, 2020
    0
    RetroArch Icon
    CrossOver icon
    • CrossOver is the most popular commercial alternative to RetroArch.

    • CrossOver is Paid and ProprietaryRetroArch is Free and Open Source
  6. Citra icon
     27 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.

    12 Citra alternatives
    Citra screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Flathub
    Discontinued

    Citra has been officially discontinued and its source code removed from GitHub following a lawsuit settlement with Nintendo: Nintendo has won once again: Yuzu and Citra emulators are being discontinued immediately

    Citra iconRetroArch Icon

    Citra VS RetroArch

    Is Citra a good alternative to RetroArch?
     
    Comments about Citra as an Alternative to RetroArch
     
    Douze

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

    Negative commentSep 20, 2022
    1
    RetroArch Icon
    Citra icon
    • Citra is Free and Open SourceRetroArch is also Free and Open Source
  7. ScummVM icon
     122 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.

    11 ScummVM alternatives
    Myst: Masterpiece Edition (Windows/German)

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Windows Mobile
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Symbian S60
    • BSD
    • Snapcraft
    • Flathub
    • Haiku
    • AmigaOS
    • MorphOS

    ScummVM Features

    1.  Portable
    2.  Works Offline
    3.  Jailbreak required
    ScummVM iconRetroArch Icon

    ScummVM VS RetroArch

    Is ScummVM a good alternative to RetroArch?
     
    Comments about ScummVM as an Alternative to RetroArch
     
    Douze

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

    Negative commentSep 20, 2022
    1
    RetroArch Icon
    ScummVM icon
    • Some users think ScummVM is a great RetroArch alternative, some don't.

    • ScummVM is Free and Open SourceRetroArch is also Free and Open Source
  8. Pegasus icon
     26 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.

    36 Pegasus alternatives
    Pegasus screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Raspberry Pi

    Pegasus Features

    1.  Portable
    2.  Game Launcher
    Pegasus iconRetroArch Icon

    Pegasus VS RetroArch

    Is Pegasus a good alternative to RetroArch?
     
  9. LaunchBox icon
     46 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...

    53 LaunchBox alternatives
    Immerse Yourself

    License model

    • FreemiumProprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android

    LaunchBox Features

    1.  Portable
    2.  Front End Emulation
    3.  Game Launcher
    4.  Batch import
    5.  Launcher
    LaunchBox iconRetroArch Icon

    LaunchBox VS RetroArch

    Is LaunchBox a good alternative to RetroArch?
     
  10. Antstream Arcade icon
     4 likes

    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.

    54 Antstream Arcade alternatives
    Antstream Arcade screenshot 1

    License model

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Epic Games Store
    • Playstation
    • Xbox

    Antstream Arcade Features

    1.  Online Gaming
    Antstream Arcade iconRetroArch Icon

    Antstream Arcade VS RetroArch

    Is Antstream Arcade a good alternative to RetroArch?
     
  11. Vita3K icon
     5 likes

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

    3 Vita3K alternatives
    Vita3K screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android

    Vita3K Features

    1.  Playstation
    2.  Emulation
    Vita3K iconRetroArch Icon

    Vita3K VS RetroArch

    Is Vita3K a good alternative to RetroArch?
     
  12. Drastic icon
     9 likes

    DraStic is a fast Nintendo DS emulator for Android. In addition to being able to play Nintendo DS games full speed on many Android devices it has the following features:

    12 Drastic alternatives
    Drastic screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    Drastic iconRetroArch Icon

    Drastic VS RetroArch

    Is Drastic a good alternative to RetroArch?
     
12 of 35 RetroArch alternatives