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 Citra.

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
     49 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
    Comments about DuckStation as an Alternative to RetroArch
    Douze
    Negative
    4

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

    DuckStation icon
    DuckStation icon
    • Some users think DuckStation is a great RetroArch alternative, some don't.

    • 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.

    33 Lemuroid alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Android
    • F-Droid
     
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    4
    7
    Comments about Lemuroid as an Alternative to RetroArch
    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 icon
    Lemuroid icon
    • Almost everyone thinks Lemuroid is a great RetroArch alternative.

    • Lemuroid is Free and Open SourceRetroArch is also Free and Open Source
    • Lemuroid is LightweightRetroArch is not according to our users
  3. ScummVM icon
     125 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.

    13 ScummVM alternatives

    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
    Comments about ScummVM as an Alternative to RetroArch
    Douze
    Negative
    2

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

    ScummVM 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
  4. PPSSPP icon
     85 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).

    10 PPSSPP alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Blackberry
    • Flathub
    • F-Droid
    • iPad
    • Android Tablet
    • Meta Quest
     
    |
    1
    8
    Comments about PPSSPP as an Alternative to RetroArch
    Douze
    Negative
    5

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

    PPSSPP icon
    PPSSPP icon
    • Most users think PPSSPP is a great RetroArch alternative.

    • PPSSPP is Free and Open SourceRetroArch is also Free and Open Source
  5. 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
    Comments about Citra as an Alternative to RetroArch
    Douze
    Negative
    2

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

    Citra icon
    Citra icon
    • Citra is Free and Open SourceRetroArch is also Free and Open Source
  6. CrossOver icon
     75 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
    Comments about CrossOver as an Alternative to RetroArch
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    CrossOver runs desktop software. RetroArch runs retro games.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    CrossOver icon
    CrossOver icon
    • CrossOver is Paid and ProprietaryRetroArch is Free and Open Source
  7. Vita3K icon
     13 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...

    56 LaunchBox alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Freemium
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
     
  9. 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.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • Android Tablet
     
    |
    1
    14
    Comments about ePSXe as an Alternative to RetroArch
    Douze
    Negative
    4

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

    ePSXe icon
    ePSXe icon
    • Most users think ePSXe is a great RetroArch alternative.

    • 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.

    49 Pegasus alternatives

    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.

    65 Antstream Arcade alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad
    • Epic Games Store
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
     
  12. 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
     
12 of 48 RetroArch alternatives