libretro (formerly libsnes) is an API designed mainly for games and emulators. It allows games and emulators to be compiled as dynamically linked libraries known as "libretro cores", which can be used in a frontend that implements libretro, such as RetroArch.
Libretro Frontends
Cores
Emulation
System
|
Core
|
Version
|
Notes
|
SNES
|
bsnes
|
0.105
|
Separate cores for each profile.
C++98 version is bsnes 0.85 Performance profile.
|
SNES
|
bsnes-mercury
|
0.94
|
Fork of bsnes with modifications for speed. Separate cores for each profile
|
SNES
|
Mednafen bsnes
|
0.9.26
|
Fork of bsnes v59 with a few modifications.
|
SNES
|
Snes9x
|
1.54
|
Supports libretro in upstream.
|
SNES
|
Snes9x 2010
|
1.52.4
|
Fork of Snes9x 1.52 WIP focused on speed.
|
SNES
|
SNES9x 2005
|
1.43
|
Snapshot of SNES9x useful for Mario World hacks that have broken custom music
|
SNES
|
SNES9x 2002 (previously PocketSNES)
|
1.39
|
Snapshot of SNES9x for use on very slow platforms
|
WonderSwan
|
Mednafen Cygne
|
?
|
Modified fork of Cygne.
|
PlayStation
|
Mednafen PSX
|
0.9.39.2
|
Fork, has significant modifications for enhancements. Sometimes referred to as "Beetle PSX."
|
PlayStation
|
Mednafen PSX HW
|
Alpha
|
Adds an OpenGL renderer to Mednafen PSX based on the GPU renderer from Rustation. Sometimes referred to as "Beetle PSX HW." Still contains the software rendering mode as an option, so this core can effectively replace the "Mednafen PSX" core listed above.
|
PlayStation
|
PCSX-ReARMed
|
r22
|
ARM optimized fork of PCSX-Reloaded. Supports libretro in upstream.
|
PC Engine & PCE-CD
|
Mednafen PCE-Fast
|
?
|
|
PC Engine SuperGrafx
|
Mednafen SuperGrafx
|
?
|
|
PC-FX
|
Mednafen PC-FX
|
?
|
|
Neo-Geo Pocket
|
Mednafen NeoPop
|
?
|
Modified fork of NeoPop.
|
Virtual Boy
|
Mednafen VB
|
?
|
|
Atari 2600
|
Stella
|
3.9.3
|
|
Atari 7800
|
ProSystem
|
1.3e
|
|
Atari Lynx
|
Handy
|
0.95
|
|
Atari Lynx
|
Mednafen Lynx
|
?
|
Modified fork of Handy.
|
Atari Jaguar
|
Virtual Jaguar
|
2.1.0
|
Very low FPS.
|
NES
|
bnes
|
0.83
|
|
NES
|
FCEUmm
|
98.13mm (SVN)
|
|
NES
|
QuickNES
|
1.0
|
|
NES
|
Nestopia
|
1.46-WIP
|
Supports libretro in upstream.
|
Game Boy/Color
|
Gambatte
|
0.5.0
|
Has an option to disable color correction
|
Game Boy/Color
|
TGB-Dual
|
0.8.3
|
Has a split-screen mode for game linking.
|
Game Boy Advance
|
VBA-Next
|
1.0.2
|
Fork of VBA-M focused on speed.
|
Game Boy Advance
|
VBA-M
|
SVN
|
Supports libretro in upstream.
|
Game Boy Advance
|
Meteor
|
1.4
|
Supports libretro in upstream.
|
Game Boy Advance
|
Mednafen VBA
|
0.9.33.3
|
Fork of an old version of VBA
|
Game Boy Advance
|
TempGBA
|
Git
|
PSP-only fork of gpSP
|
Game Boy Advance
|
gpSP
|
0.91
|
Dynarec available for ARM
|
Game Boy Advance, Game Boy/Color
|
mGBA
|
0.5.2
|
|
Nintendo 64
|
Mupen64Plus
|
2.0-rc2
|
Fork, has significant modifications.
|
Nintendo 64
|
paraLLEl
|
pre-alpha
|
New fork/rewrite of the Mupen64Plus core with a port of the Angrylion video plugin to Vulkan for massive speed improvements. Highly accurate on compatible games, extremely broken on incompatible games.
|
Sega Systems (Master, Genesis, Sega CD, Game Gear)
|
Genesis Plus GX
|
1.7.4
|
Exclusive to libretro on non-GC/Wii platforms. Supports libretro in upstream.
|
Sega Systems (Master, Genesis, Sega CD, 32X)
|
PicoDrive
|
1.81
|
Exclusive to libretro on PC platforms. Supports libretro in upstream.
|
Sega Saturn
|
Mednafen Saturn
|
?
|
Sometimes referred to as "Beetle Saturn"
|
Sega Saturn
|
Yabause
|
0.9.13
|
Lacks dynarec and GL renderer. Heavily outdated.
|
Arcade
|
Final Burn Alpha
|
0.2.97.24
|
Older version for use on slower platforms
|
Arcade
|
Final Burn Alpha
|
0.2.97.38
|
|
Arcade
|
MAME 2000
|
0.37b5
|
Old version for use on very slow platforms.
|
Arcade
|
MAME 2003
|
0.78
|
Old version for use on slow platforms.
|
Arcade
|
MAME 2010
|
0.139
|
Old but more recent version for mobile devices.
|
Arcade
|
MAME 2014
|
0.159
|
Very recent version for PC and other fast devices.
|
Everything
|
MAME
|
0.188 (Git)
|
Based on bleeding edge Git. Official merge of MESS into MAME codebase.
|
Nintendo DS
|
DeSmuME
|
SVN
|
Has options for single-screen fullscreen with swapping.
|
PSP
|
PPSSPP
|
Git
|
WIP (heavily outdated)
|
DOS
|
DOSBox
|
SVN
|
|
Amiga
|
PUAE
|
2.6.1
|
|
Atari ST/STE/TT/Falcon
|
Hatari
|
1.7
|
|
MSX/SVI/Colecovision/SG-1000
|
blueMSX
|
2.8.2 (SVN)
|
MSX
|
fMSX
|
3.9
|
|
3DO
|
4DO
|
1.3.2.3
|
|
Vectrex
|
vecx
|
SVN
|
|
Odyssey 2/VideoPac
|
O2EM
|
1.18
|
|
ZX Spectrum
|
Fuse
|
1.11
|
|
Nintendo GameCube
|
Dolphin
|
Git
|
WIP, currently non-functioning
|
Wii
|
Dolphin
|
Git
|
WIP, currently non-functioning
|
Game & Watch
|
gw-libretro
|
Git
|
This emulator is actually a simulator of Game & Watch systems. This core has code from MADrigal.
|
Amstrad CPC
|
Cap32
|
Git
|
WIP
|
Sega Dreamcast
|
Reicast
|
0.1
|
WIP. Currently only builds for x64 platforms.
|
ZX81 (for now)
|
EightyOne
|
Git
|
WIP
|
Game Engine
Game
|
Core
|
Version
|
Notes
|
Quake
|
TyrQuake
|
0.61
|
|
Doom
|
PrBoom
|
2.5.0
|
|
Cave Story
|
NXEngine
|
1.0.0.4
|
|
LucasArt Game Engines
|
ScummVM
|
1.6.0
|
Requires loading games inside it's own GUI, does not load games from RetroArch's Load Content option.
|
RPG Maker 2000/2003
|
EasyRPG
|
0.4.1
|
|
Standalone Game
Game
|
Genre
|
Dinothawr
|
Puzzle
|
Other
Core
|
Description
|
FFmpeg
|
Media Player
|
Modelviewer
|
3D Tech Demo
|
SceneWalker
|
3D Tech Demo
|
Imageviewer
|
Image Viewer
|
External Links