Difference between revisions of "RetroArch"

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{{Infobox software
 
{{Infobox software
 
|logo          = Retroarch.png
 
|logo          = Retroarch.png
 +
|logowidth = 250
 
|developer    = Squarepusher, themaister, others
 
|developer    = Squarepusher, themaister, others
|version      = {{RetroArchVer}}
+
|version      = {{Version|RetroArch}}
 
|active        = Yes
 
|active        = Yes
|platform      = Windows, macOS, Linux, [[Android emulators|Android]], [[iOS emulators|iOS]] (jailbroken), Raspberry Pi, OpenPandora, [[PlayStation 2 emulators|PlayStation 2]], [[PlayStation 3 emulators|PlayStation 3]], [[PlayStation Portable emulators|PlayStation Portable]], [[PlayStation Vita emulators|PlayStation Vita/TV]], [[Xbox emulators|Xbox]], [[Xbox 360 emulators|Xbox 360]], [[Xbox One emulators|Xbox One]], [[GameCube emulators|GameCube]], [[Wii emulators|Wii]], [[Wii U emulators|Wii U]], [[Nintendo Switch emulators|Nintendo Switch]], [[Nintendo 3DS emulators|Nintendo 3DS]], Steam Link
+
|platform      = [[Emulators on Windows|Windows]]<br/>[[Emulators on macOS|macOS]]<br/>[[Emulators on Linux|Linux]]<br/>[[Emulators on Haiku|Haiku]]<br/>[[Emulators on Android|Android]]<br/>[[Emulators on iOS|iOS]] (jailbroken)<br/>[[Emulators on Raspberry Pi|Raspberry Pi]]<br/>[[Emulators on Pandora|Pandora]]<br/>[[Emulators on DragonBox Pyra|Pyra]]<br/>[[Emulators on PS2|PlayStation 2]]<br/>[[Emulators on PS3|PlayStation 3]]<br/>[[Emulators on PS4|PlayStation 4]] (Unofficial)<br/>[[Emulators on PSP|PlayStation Portable]]<br/>[[Emulators on Vita|PlayStation Vita/TV]]<br/>[[Emulators on Xbox|Xbox]]<br/>[[Emulators on Xbox 360|Xbox 360]]<br/>[[Emulators on Xbox One|Xbox One]]<br/>[[Emulators on GameCube|GameCube]]<br/>[[Emulators on Wii|Wii]]<br/>[[Emulators on Wii U|Wii U]]<br/>[[Emulators on Switch|Nintendo Switch]]<br/>[[Emulators on 3DS|Nintendo 3DS]]<br/>[[Emulators on GCW Zero|GCW Zero]] (Unofficial)<br/>OpenDingux<br/>BlackBerry<br/>Steam Link
 
|type          = [[libretro]] frontend
 
|type          = [[libretro]] frontend
 
|prog-lang = C, C++
 
|prog-lang = C, C++
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|license      = GNU GPLv3
 
|license      = GNU GPLv3
 
}}
 
}}
'''[[wikipedia:RetroArch|RetroArch]]''' (formerly '''SSNES''') is an open-source, multi-platform [[libretro]] frontend written in C or C++. It is designed to be fast, lightweight, and portable.
+
 
 +
'''[[wikipedia:RetroArch|RetroArch]]''' (formerly '''SSNES''') is an open-source, multi-platform [[libretro]] [[Frontends|frontend]] written in C or C++. It is designed to be fast, lightweight, and portable.
  
 
==Downloads==
 
==Downloads==
 +
Note: Some libretro cores are maintained separately from their originators, and thus possess a different update timeline.
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/ RetroArch Stable Builds]
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/ RetroArch Stable Builds]
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ RetroArch Nightlies]
+
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ RetroArch Nightly Builds]
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/windows/ Windows RetroArch-Nightly-Installer]
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/windows/ Windows RetroArch-Nightly-Installer]
 
*Ubuntu PPAs: [https://launchpad.net/~libretro/+archive/ubuntu/stable Stable], [https://launchpad.net/~libretro/+archive/ubuntu/testing Nightly/Testing]
 
*Ubuntu PPAs: [https://launchpad.net/~libretro/+archive/ubuntu/stable Stable], [https://launchpad.net/~libretro/+archive/ubuntu/testing Nightly/Testing]
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===Mobile/Console Versions===
 
===Mobile/Console Versions===
*[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.retroarch RetroArch for Android on Play Store], 32-bit & 64-bit ARM (also [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.retroarch.aarch64 64-bit only version])
+
*[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.retroarch RetroArch for Android on Play Store], 32-bit & 64-bit ARM (also [https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.retroarch.aarch64 Plus version])
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/repo/fdroid/repo RetroArch for Android - F-Droid nightly build repository]
 
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/apple/ios/RetroArch.ipa RetroArch for iOS] ({{RetroArchVer}})
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/apple/ios/RetroArch.ipa RetroArch for iOS] ({{RetroArchVer}})
*[https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/threads/retroarch-1-7-2.81254/ RetroArch for Pandora on OpenPandora's repo] (1.7.3) and [http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=retroarch.lifning.001 old 2013 variant] (0.9.9.1)
 
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/playstation/psp/RetroArch.7z RetroArch for Playstation Portable] ({{RetroArchVer}})
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/playstation/psp/RetroArch.7z RetroArch for Playstation Portable] ({{RetroArchVer}})
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/playstation/vita/RetroArch.vpk RetroArch for PlayStation Vita/TV] ({{RetroArchVer}})
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/playstation/vita/RetroArch.vpk RetroArch for PlayStation Vita/TV] ({{RetroArchVer}})
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/playstation/ps2/RetroArch_elf.7z RetroArch for Playstation 2] ({{RetroArchVer}})
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/playstation/ps2/RetroArch_elf.7z RetroArch for Playstation 2] ({{RetroArchVer}})
*[https://xbins.org/libretro/stable/1.7.7/playstation/ps3/RetroArch.PS3.DEX.PS3.pkg RetroArch for PS3 (DEX)] (1.7.7)
+
*[https://xbins.org/libretro/stable/1.9.0/playstation/ps3 RetroArch for PlayStation 3 (DEX)] (1.9.0)
 +
*[https://bintray.com/osirizx/libretro/ps4/latest#files RetroArch for PlayStation 4] (1.8.8) {Unofficial port}
 
*[https://xbins.org/libretro/stable/1.7.7/xbox/xbox/RetroArch.zip RetroArch for Xbox] (1.7.7)
 
*[https://xbins.org/libretro/stable/1.7.7/xbox/xbox/RetroArch.zip RetroArch for Xbox] (1.7.7)
 +
*[https://digiex.net/threads/retroarch-360-0-9-8-3-download-sega-sens-gameboy-finalburn-emulator-for-xbox-360.12395/ RetroArch for Xbox 360] (0.9.8.3)
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/windows-msvc2017-uwp/x64/RetroArch-msvc2017-UWP_x64.appxbundle RetroArch for Xbox One / Universal Windows Platform] ({{RetroArchVer}})
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/windows-msvc2017-uwp/x64/RetroArch-msvc2017-UWP_x64.appxbundle RetroArch for Xbox One / Universal Windows Platform] ({{RetroArchVer}})
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/nintendo/ngc/RetroArch.7z RetroArch for GameCube] ({{RetroArchVer}})
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/nintendo/ngc/RetroArch.7z RetroArch for GameCube] ({{RetroArchVer}})
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/nintendo/wii/RetroArch.7z RetroArch for Wii] ({{RetroArchVer}})
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/nintendo/wii/RetroArch.7z RetroArch for Wii] ({{RetroArchVer}})
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/nintendo/wiiu/RetroArch.7z RetroArch for Wii U] ({{RetroArchVer}})
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/nintendo/wiiu/RetroArch.7z RetroArch for Wii U] ({{RetroArchVer}})
 +
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/nintendo/3ds/RetroArch_cia.7z RetroArch for Nintendo 3DS (.cia)] ({{RetroArchVer}})
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/nintendo/switch/libnx/RetroArch.7z RetroArch for Nintendo Switch] ({{RetroArchVer}})
 
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/nintendo/switch/libnx/RetroArch.7z RetroArch for Nintendo Switch] ({{RetroArchVer}})
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/{{RetroArchVer}}/nintendo/3ds/RetroArch_cia.7z RetroArch for Nintendo 3DS (.cia)] ({{RetroArchVer}})
+
*[https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/threads/retroarch-1-7-2.81254/ RetroArch for Pandora on OpenPandora's repo] (1.7.3) and [http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=retroarch.lifning.001 old 2013 variant] (0.9.9.1)
*[https://buildbot.libretro.com/stable/1.7.7/steam/steamlink/RetroArch.zip RetroArch for Steam Link] (1.7.7)
+
*[https://pyra-handheld.com/repo/apps/53 RetroArch for Pyra] (1.9.6)
 +
*[https://boards.dingoonity.org/gcw-development/(test-release)-retroarch-for-gcw0/ RetroArch for GCW Zero (.opk)] (0.1b) {Unofficial test build}
 +
*[https://github.com/fpscan/RetroArch-AppImage/releases/latest RetroArch for Steam Link]
  
 
==Supported Systems==
 
==Supported Systems==
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*FFmpeg recording and playback support. It can record either the native resolution output of the core or the post-processed output of the frontend. Playback is handled through an internal FFmpeg libretro core.
 
*FFmpeg recording and playback support. It can record either the native resolution output of the core or the post-processed output of the frontend. Playback is handled through an internal FFmpeg libretro core.
 
*Streaming support. By adding your twitch account to RetroArch and making some small [https://www.retroarch.com/index.php?page=recording setup], it is possible to stream on Twitch the content of the game played.
 
*Streaming support. By adding your twitch account to RetroArch and making some small [https://www.retroarch.com/index.php?page=recording setup], it is possible to stream on Twitch the content of the game played.
*[[GGPO]]-like netplay (latency hiding rollback). It should be lag-free if everyone involved emulates at full speed, doesn't live on opposite sides of the world and has decent internet speeds. It uses peer-to-peer UDP and supports two players. Due to rollback, it requires a fair amount of CPU power to run, and the core must support serialization.
+
*[[GGPO]]-like netplay (latency hiding rollback). It should be lag-free if everyone involved emulates at full speed, doesn't live on opposite sides of the world and has decent internet speeds. It uses peer-to-peer UDP and supports two players. Due to rollback, it requires a fair amount of CPU power to run, and only works with cores that support serialization.
 
*Options for decreasing input latency related to vsync by eliminating buffering by the video driver, as well as using frame delay to delay polling of inputs until right before a vsync occurs on the display.
 
*Options for decreasing input latency related to vsync by eliminating buffering by the video driver, as well as using frame delay to delay polling of inputs until right before a vsync occurs on the display.
 
*Run-ahead to reduce latency. This setting allows cycle-accuracy emulators to run ahead of mandatory 1 or 2 frames of input lag. It allows emulators to [https://www.libretro.com/index.php/retroarch-1-7-2%E2%80%8A-%E2%80%8Aachieving-better-latency-than-original-hardware-through-new-runahead-method/ achieve better latency than original hardware] (Official debut in version 1.7.2).
 
*Run-ahead to reduce latency. This setting allows cycle-accuracy emulators to run ahead of mandatory 1 or 2 frames of input lag. It allows emulators to [https://www.libretro.com/index.php/retroarch-1-7-2%E2%80%8A-%E2%80%8Aachieving-better-latency-than-original-hardware-through-new-runahead-method/ achieve better latency than original hardware] (Official debut in version 1.7.2).
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==Alternative Launchers and Frontends==  
 
==Alternative Launchers and Frontends==  
===skeletonKey===
+
There are plenty of other frontends that can either work as a launcher for RetroArch or you can replace it entirely with another [[Frontends#Libretro|libretro frontend]].
[https://romjacket.github.io/index.html skeletonKey] is the successor to retroInvader.  In addition to a simple netplay interface, nearly every aspect of retroarch can be set using this GUI.
 
 
 
===[[retroInvader]]===
 
[http://github.com/romjacket/retroInvader retroInvader] is designed to allow users to quickly install & configure the latest version of RetroArch, cores, and shaders.
 
In addition to the GUI-driven configuration & installation, retroInvader supports drag and drop for quickly launching ROMs, hosting netplay sessions as well as installing BIOS files.  retroInvader is for Windows only.
 
 
 
===RAEM===
 
RAEM (formerly RA-Player) is another launcher for RetroArch, for those that want to try something that looks more like a native Windows program. It hasn't been updated in a while, though.
 
  
===[[Phoenix (frontend)|Phoenix]]===
+
{{Main|Frontends}}
[https://github.com/team-phoenix/Phoenix Phoenix] is an alternative frontend for libretro that is independent of RetroArch, not to be confused with the discontinued RetroArch-Phoenix launcher. It is intended to mimic the style of [[OpenEmu]], except using libretro and being available on Windows and Linux. It is still in early development and requires that you build it yourself through Qt, though the main developer says an alpha release with prebuilt binaries is on the way.
 
  
===Minir===
+
==Controversies==
[https://github.com/Alcaro/minir Minir] is another alternative libretro frontend that is independent of RetroArch and inspired by bsnes-Qt. It is stated to be a complement to RetroArch, focusing on things that RetroArch does not focus on, such as a system native GUI, cheat search, debugging, etc. This frontend is still in early development and no binary builds are provided yet, but you can build it yourself from the source code on Github.
+
A number of controversies have sparked during the development of RetroArch, mostly due to Squarepusher/TwinAphex's attitude and actions towards upstream emulators. As a result, DuckStation and Reicast development has halted<ref>https://web.archive.org/web/20220201223114/https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/s8poim/pcsx2_qt_still_needs_to_be_split_up_into_parts/htkalk1//</ref><ref>https://github.com/skmp/reicast-emulator/issues/1928</ref>.
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
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*[https://www.youtube.com/user/Libretro/ Official Youtube channel]
 
*[https://www.youtube.com/user/Libretro/ Official Youtube channel]
  
 +
==References==
 +
{{Reflist}}
  
 +
[[Category:RetroArch|*]]
 
[[Category:Frontends]]
 
[[Category:Frontends]]
 
[[Category:Netplay]]
 
[[Category:Netplay]]
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[[Category:Linux emulation software]]
 
[[Category:Linux emulation software]]
 
[[Category:macOS emulation software]]
 
[[Category:macOS emulation software]]
 +
[[Category:Haiku emulation software]]
 +
[[Category:Raspberry Pi emulation software]]
 +
[[Category:Pandora emulation software]]
 
[[Category:Android emulation software]]
 
[[Category:Android emulation software]]
[[Category:RetroArch]]
+
[[Category:iOS emulation software]]
 +
[[Category:PlayStation Portable emulation software]]
 +
[[Category:PlayStation Vita emulation software]]
 +
[[Category:PlayStation 2 emulation software]]
 +
[[Category:PlayStation 3 emulation software]]
 +
[[Category:PlayStation 4 emulation software]]
 +
[[Category:GameCube emulation software]]
 +
[[Category:Wii emulation software]]
 +
[[Category:Wii U emulation software]]
 +
[[Category:3DS emulation software]]
 +
[[Category:Switch emulation software]]
 +
[[Category:Xbox emulation software]]
 +
[[Category:Xbox 360 emulation software]]
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[[Category:Xbox One emulation software]]
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[[Category:Web emulation software]]

Revision as of 20:52, 5 October 2022

RetroArch
Retroarch.png
Developer(s) Squarepusher, themaister, others
Latest version 1.18.0 [+]
Active Yes
Platform(s) Windows
macOS
Linux
Haiku
Android
iOS (jailbroken)
Raspberry Pi
Pandora
Pyra
PlayStation 2
PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4 (Unofficial)
PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Vita/TV
Xbox
Xbox 360
Xbox One
GameCube
Wii
Wii U
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo 3DS
GCW Zero (Unofficial)
OpenDingux
BlackBerry
Steam Link
Type libretro frontend
Programmed in C, C++
Website libretro.com
Support ($) Patreon, Donate
License GNU GPLv3
Source code GitHub

RetroArch (formerly SSNES) is an open-source, multi-platform libretro frontend written in C or C++. It is designed to be fast, lightweight, and portable.

Downloads

Note: Some libretro cores are maintained separately from their originators, and thus possess a different update timeline.

Mobile/Console Versions

Supported Systems

Main article: libretro#Cores

Features

  • Consistency across multiple platforms, using the same UI structure and a fully featured command line interface.
  • Gamepad controlled menu system with multiple styles available, such as XMB or Material UI. (There's also a QT-based 'WIMP' desktop-style interface for PC platforms that was announced before and released in version 1.7.3.)
  • Gamepad auto-configuration profiles, so that gamepads are mapped automatically when connected. XInput controller autoconfig is built into the application, with other controller types available as external profiles.
  • Per-core and per-game configuration overrides
  • Custom resolution and refresh rate for video output, with exclusive fullscreen mode and monitor index for multi-monitor setups.
  • Dynamic rate control for smooth audio and video, even when the game's output rate is different from your system. Especially obvious with systems like GBA that do not run 60Hz.
  • Basic fast forward, SRAM saving, savestate, etc. It supports serialization of the emulation state which is used to provide real-time rewind and netplay.
  • Pixel shaders, primarily using Cg and GLSL, with HLSL on Xbox 360. The shader format it uses is flexible and fairly easy to use, allowing for complex multi-pass effects with adjustable runtime parameters. Also supports traditional video filter plugins that are run in software.
  • Supports audio DSP filter plugins through .dsp configuration files.
  • Custom overlay support.
  • FFmpeg recording and playback support. It can record either the native resolution output of the core or the post-processed output of the frontend. Playback is handled through an internal FFmpeg libretro core.
  • Streaming support. By adding your twitch account to RetroArch and making some small setup, it is possible to stream on Twitch the content of the game played.
  • GGPO-like netplay (latency hiding rollback). It should be lag-free if everyone involved emulates at full speed, doesn't live on opposite sides of the world and has decent internet speeds. It uses peer-to-peer UDP and supports two players. Due to rollback, it requires a fair amount of CPU power to run, and only works with cores that support serialization.
  • Options for decreasing input latency related to vsync by eliminating buffering by the video driver, as well as using frame delay to delay polling of inputs until right before a vsync occurs on the display.
  • Run-ahead to reduce latency. This setting allows cycle-accuracy emulators to run ahead of mandatory 1 or 2 frames of input lag. It allows emulators to achieve better latency than original hardware (Official debut in version 1.7.2).

Building RetroArch

Main article: Building RetroArch

Using RetroArch

Main article: Using RetroArch

RetroArch for Dummies

Main article: Dummies Guide: RetroArch

Netplay

Netplay is now usable from the menu in current builds, under Settings>Netplay Options. You can get it to work with the command line or the long-deprecated RetroArch-Phoenix Launcher as well in older builds.

You must specify whether you will be hosting (server) or joining (client) the game. If joining, you must also enter the host's IP address in the field below. Make sure your firewall is open on port 55435 (default; you can change it if you like) and that the port is forwarded in your router, if applicable. You can also specify 'spectator mode,' which will allow an arbitrary number of spectators to join and watch you play without being able to play themselves.

Delay frames denote the maximum number of frames RetroArch's libretro cores will need to emulate at once to maintain synchronization due to actual network latency. You can figure out an appropriate ballpark for this number by pinging the other player and dividing the time (in milliseconds) by 16 (roughly the number of milliseconds in a frame from a game running at 60 fps). If the gameplay is a bit choppy, try increasing the number of delay frames a bit.

Similar to the GGPO platform, RetroArch creates a constant stream of savestates which, along with button presses, are exchanged and compared between the server and client machines. If the savestates start to diverge, the game rolls back in time to a point where they both agree and then the libretro cores emulates the missing frames all at once to get back to the appropriate spot. This gives the illusion of completely lagless inputs, which is invaluable for twitchy, fine controls.

If you try to connect to a server and it immediately says client disconnected, open your log and make sure your ROMs match exactly (it will complain about a hash mismatch otherwise). If it gives you a weird time-out error, just close the window and try to connect again and it should work itself out (sometimes excessive spikes in network latency can cause the states to diverge catastrophically, resulting in this error).

Alternative Launchers and Frontends

There are plenty of other frontends that can either work as a launcher for RetroArch or you can replace it entirely with another libretro frontend.

Main article: Frontends

Controversies

A number of controversies have sparked during the development of RetroArch, mostly due to Squarepusher/TwinAphex's attitude and actions towards upstream emulators. As a result, DuckStation and Reicast development has halted[1][2].

External links

References