RetroArch Alternatives

RetroArch is described as 'A portable, fast, and lightweight emulator frontend supporting classic and modern gaming systems with features like real-time rewinding and shader support' 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 Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and iPhone apps. The best RetroArch alternative is PlayOnLinux - PlayOnMac, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like RetroArch are DuckStation, Lemuroid, Lakka and VisualBoyAdvance.

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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. Ares, which apparently replaced higan, was formerly known as bsnes. The project was renamed after becoming a multi-system emulator.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  2. KRetro icon
     2 likes

    KRetro is a Libretro frontend written in Qt/Kirigami, designed for Plasma Desktop, Mobile, and Bigscreen.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • KDE Plasma
    • Linux Mobile
    • Plasma Mobile
     
  3. 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.

    65 Antstream Arcade alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Epic Games Store
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
     
  4. Mednafen icon
     20 likes

    Mednafen is a portable, utilizing OpenGL and SDL, argument(command-line)-driven multi-system emulator with many advanced features. The Atari Lynx, GameBoy (Color), GameBoy Advance, NES, PC Engine (TurboGrafx 16), SuperGrafx, Neo Geo Pocket (Color), PC-FX, and WonderSwan (Color)...

    39 Mednafen alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  5. FB Alpha icon
     12 likes

    FB Alpha or FBA as it is commonly known is an emulator of arcade games, that is, it takes the program code, graphics data, etc., from an original arcade game and emulates the hardware to make the game run in it's original form.

    17 FB Alpha alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
  6. Kosmi icon
     27 likes

    Kosmi is a free real time application and communication platform that offers voice, text and video calls along with games and applications such as SNES Party, NES Party, OpenArena, Poker, Virtual Cardtables, Synced YouTube and Cowatch Video.

    154 Kosmi alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Online
     
  7. WinDS PRO icon
     13 likes

    WinDS PRO contains the latest versions of the emulators for the Nintendo, Sega and Playstation consoles for PC including:

    34 WinDS PRO alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
  8. Phoenicis icon
     3 likes

    Phoenicis is a graphical front-end for Wine, a tool to help Linux and Mac users run games and programs for Windows. The future of PlayOnLinux and PlayOnMac.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Flathub
     
  9. MESS icon
     14 likes

    MESS emulates portable and console gaming systems, computer platforms and calculators. The project strives for accuracy and portability and therefore is not always the fastest emulator for any one particular system.

    Cost / License

    • Free Personal
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
  10. Daijisho icon
     3 likes

    Daijisho is a retro launcher that let you manage your retro games libraries. Daijisho cares about integrated experience, expansibility, aesthetic and pragmatical usabilities let you focus on games itself.

    11 Daijisho alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
     
  11. RetroX icon
     6 likes

    RetroX is an Android application that will help you organize and play your own Retro Games with the less possible effort. Put your collection in your device and RetroX will take care of the rest.

    100 RetroX alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
     
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