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Difference between revisions of "RetroArch"

From PCGamingWiki, the wiki about fixing PC games
(Add OS X to steam.)
 
(62 intermediate revisions by 23 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
{{stub}}
+
{{Emulation}}
−
{{Infobox game
+
{{Infobox non-game
 
|cover        = RetroArch cover.jpg
 
|cover        = RetroArch cover.jpg
 
|developers  =  
 
|developers  =  
Line 8: Line 8:
 
|release dates=  
 
|release dates=  
 
{{Infobox game/row/date|Windows|May 26, 2010}}
 
{{Infobox game/row/date|Windows|May 26, 2010}}
−
{{Infobox game/row/date|OS X|2011|ref={{cn|reason=It's just a guess. May be incorrect.|date=July 2019}}}}
+
{{Infobox game/row/date|OS X|2011|ref={{cn|reason=Just a guess. May be incorrect.|date=July 2019}}}}
−
{{Infobox game/row/date|Linux|2013|ref={{cn|reason=It's just a guess. May be incorrect.|date=July 2019}}}}
+
{{Infobox game/row/date|Linux|2013|ref={{cn|reason=Just a guess. May be incorrect.|date=July 2019}}}}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/date|DOS|Unknown}}
 +
|taxonomy    =
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/monetization      | Freeware }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/microtransactions | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/modes            | Multiplayer }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/pacing            | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/perspectives      | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/controls          | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/genres            | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/sports            | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/vehicles          | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/art styles        | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/themes            | }}
 +
{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/series            | }}
 
|steam appid  = 1118310
 
|steam appid  = 1118310
 
|steam appid side  =  
 
|steam appid side  =  
 
|gogcom id    =  
 
|gogcom id    =  
 +
|official site= https://www.retroarch.com
 +
|mobygames    =
 
|strategywiki =  
 
|strategywiki =  
 
|wikipedia    = RetroArch
 
|wikipedia    = RetroArch
 
|winehq      =  
 
|winehq      =  
−
|license      =  
+
|license      = freeware
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
{{Introduction
 +
|introduction      = '''''RetroArch''''' (pronounced /ˌrɛtroʊˈɑːrtʃ/) is a free, open-source, cross-platform front end for emulating a variety of classic computers, retro consoles, arcade machines and game engines. It is the reference implementation of the libretro API, designed to be fast, lightweight, portable and without dependencies. It is licensed under the GNU GPLv3.
 +
 
 +
|release history  =
 +
 
 +
|current state    =  
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
'''General information'''
 
'''General information'''
−
{{mm}} [https://www.retroarch.com Official website]
+
{{mm}} [https://forums.libretro.com/ Official forums]
 +
{{mm}} [https://docs.libretro.com/ Official help pages]
 
{{mm}} [https://steamcommunity.com/app/1118310/discussions/ Steam Community Discussions]
 
{{mm}} [https://steamcommunity.com/app/1118310/discussions/ Steam Community Discussions]
 +
{{mm}} [https://github.com/libretro/RetroArch Source code (GitHub)]
 +
{{mm}} [https://www.howtoretro.com/how-to-set-up-retroarch/ RetroArch Setup Guide]
  
 
==Availability==
 
==Availability==
 
{{Availability|
 
{{Availability|
−
{{Availability/row| Official | https://www.retroarch.com | DRM-free | Free to download. |  | Windows, OS X, Linux }}
+
{{Availability/row| Official | https://www.retroarch.com | DRM-free | |  | Windows, OS X, Linux }}
−
{{Availability/row| Steam | 1118310 | Steam | Will be available on July 30, 2019 for free.<ref>https://steamcommunity.com/app/1118310/discussions/0/1643168364652926643/</ref> | | Windows }}
+
{{Availability/row| itch.io | https://retroarchofficial.itch.io/retroarch | DRM-free | |  | Windows, Linux }}
 +
{{Availability/row| Steam | 1118310 | DRM-free | |  | Windows, OS X, Linux }}
 +
}}
 +
{{ii}} A [https://web.libretro.com/ browser-based version] is also available.
 +
{{ii}} RetroArch can be [https://docs.libretro.com/development/retroarch/compilation/dos/ compiled to run in DOS] but no official builds are available.
 +
 
 +
{{DLC|
 +
{{ii}} RetroArch uses plug-ins called "cores" for emulating specific systems. They can be downloaded and installed by using the '''Online Updater''' feature.
 +
{{DLC/row| Home computers | Amstrad CPC<br/> Atari ST, STE, TT, Falcon<br/> Commodore PET, CBM-II, VIC-20, 64, Plus/4, 128, Amiga<br/> Elektronika BK-0010, BK-0011M<br/> MSX, MSX2, MSX2+, MSX TurboR<br/> NEC PC-8000, PC-8800 (PC-88), PC-9800 (PC-98)<br/> Sega SC-3000, SF-7000<br/> Sharp X1, X68000<br/> Sinclair ZX81, ZX Spectrum<br/> Spectravideo SV-318, SV-328<br/> Thomson TO7, MO5 | Windows, OS X, Linux }}
 +
{{DLC/row| Home consoles | Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, Jaguar<br/> Coleco Industries ColecoVision<br/> Fairchild Channel F<br/>  GCE Vectrex<br/> Magnavox Odyssey 2, Phillips Videopac+ G7400 (Odyssey 3)<br/> Mattel Intellivision<br/> NEC TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine, TurboGrafx-CD, CD-ROM&#178;, Super CD-ROM&#178;<br/> NEC PC Engine SuperGrafx, PC-FX<br/> Nintendo NES/Famicom, SNES/Super Famicom, 64, GameCube, Wii<br/> Panasonic 3DO<br/> Sega SG-1000, Master System, Mega Drive/Genesis, CD, 32X, Saturn, Dreamcast<br/> SNK Neo Geo CD<br/> Sony PlayStation, PlayStation 2 ([[PCSX2]])<br/> Uzebox | Windows, OS X, Linux }}
 +
{{DLC/row| Handheld consoles | Atari Lynx<br/> Bandai WonderSwan, WonderSwan Color<br/> Dedicated handheld electronic games<br/> Nintendo Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, DS, 3DS<br/> Nintendo Pokemon Mini, Virtual Boy<br/> Sega Game Gear, VMU<br/> SNK Neo Geo Pocket, Neo Geo Pocket Color<br/> Sony PlayStation Portable | Windows, OS X, Linux }}
 +
{{DLC/row| Arcade machines | Capcom CPS-1, CPS-2, CPS-3<br/> Cave<br/> Data East DEC-0, DEC-8, DECO IC16<br/> Galaxian based hardware<br/> Irem M62, M63, M72, M90, M92, M107<br/> Kaneko 16<br/> Konami<br/> LaserDisc games<br/> Neo-Geo<br/> NMK16<br/> Pacman based hardware<br/> PGM<br/> Psikyo 68EC020 and SH-2 based hardware<br/> Sega NAOMI, ST-V, System 1, System 16, System 18, X-Board, Y-Board<br/> Super Kaneko Nova System<br/> Toaplan 1, 2<br/> Taito F2, X, Z<br/> and others | Windows, OS X, Linux }}
 +
{{DLC/row| Multi-system | MAME 2015, 2016<br/> MESS 2015<br/> UME 2015 | Windows, OS X, Linux }}
 +
{{DLC/row| Virtual machines | CHIP-8<br/> DOS ([[DOSBox]], DOSBox SVN/Glide)<br/> Java ME<br/> Palm OS<br/> TIC-80 | Windows, OS X, Linux }}
 +
{{DLC/row| Game engines | ChaiScript<br/> Lutro (LUA Game Framework)<br/> RPG Maker 2000, 2003<br/> [[ScummVM]] | Windows, OS X, Linux }}
 +
{{DLC/row| Game ports and clones | [[2048]]<br/> Boom3 ([[Doom 3]])<br/> [[Cannonball]] ([[Out Run]])<br/> Craft ([[Minecraft]] clone)<br/> Dinothawr<br/> ECWolf ([[Wolfenstein 3D]])<br/> FloppyBird (Flappy Bird clone)<br/> Mr. Boom (Bomberman / [[Dynablaster]] clone)<br/> NXEngine ([[Cave Story]])<br/> OpenLara ([[Tomb Raider]])<br/> PrBoom ([[Doom]])<br/> REminiscence ([[Flashback: The Quest for Identity]])<br/> The Powder Toy<br/> TyrQuake ([[Quake]])<br/> vitaQuake 2 ([[Quake II]])<br/> vitaQuake 3 ([[Quake III Arena]])<br/> vitaVoyager ([[Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force]])<br/> XRick (Rick Dangerous clone) | Windows, OS X, Linux }}
 
}}
 
}}
  
Line 32: Line 74:
 
===Configuration file(s) location===
 
===Configuration file(s) location===
 
{{Game data|
 
{{Game data|
−
{{Game data/config|Windows|}}
+
{{Game data/config|Windows|{{p|game}}\retroarch.cfg|{{p|game}}\config\<core name>\*.opt|{{p|game}}\config\<core name>\*.cfg}}
 +
{{Game data/config|OS X|{{p|game}}\retroarch.cfg|{{p|game}}\config\<core name>\*.opt|{{p|game}}\config\<core name>\*.cfg}}
 +
{{Game data/config|Linux|{{p|game}}\retroarch.cfg|{{p|game}}\retroarch-core-options.cfg}}
 
}}
 
}}
 +
{{ii}} General program settings are stored in {{file|retroarch.cfg}}, whereas specific core (emulator) options are saved in <code>{{p|game}}\config\<core name>\*.opt</code>. Specific game or core override options are saved in <code>{{p|game}}\config\<core name>\*.cfg</code>.
  
 
===Save game data location===
 
===Save game data location===
 
{{Game data|
 
{{Game data|
−
{{Game data/saves|Windows|}}
+
{{Game data/saves|Windows|{{p|game}}\saves\|{{p|game}}\states\}}
 +
{{Game data/saves|OS X|{{p|game}}\saves\|{{p|game}}\states\}}
 +
{{Game data/saves|Linux|{{p|game}}\saves\|{{p|game}}\states\}}
 
}}
 
}}
 +
{{ii}} Emulated in-game saves are stored in the {{code|saves}} directory, whereas manual "snapshots" in {{code|states}}.
  
 
===[[Glossary:Save game cloud syncing|Save game cloud syncing]]===
 
===[[Glossary:Save game cloud syncing|Save game cloud syncing]]===
 
{{Save game cloud syncing
 
{{Save game cloud syncing
−
|discord               =  
+
|discord                   =  
−
|discord notes         =  
+
|discord notes             =
−
|gog galaxy           =  
+
|epic games launcher      =
−
|gog galaxy notes     =  
+
|epic games launcher notes =  
−
|origin               =  
+
|gog galaxy               =  
−
|origin notes         =  
+
|gog galaxy notes         =  
−
|steam cloud           = unknown
+
|origin                   =  
−
|steam cloud notes    =  
+
|origin notes             =  
−
|uplay                =  
+
|steam cloud               = true
−
|uplay notes           =  
+
|steam cloud notes        = In order for the Steam Cloud sync to work correctly, default directories shouldn't be changed to other locations.<ref>{{Refurl|url=https://store.steampowered.com/newshub/app/1118310/view/4645982290506568438|title=store.steampowered.com|date=June 2023}}</ref>
−
|xbox cloud           =  
+
|ubisoft connect          =
−
|xbox cloud notes     =  
+
|ubisoft connect notes    =  
 +
|google drive          = true
 +
|google drive notes     =  
 +
|xbox cloud               =  
 +
|xbox cloud notes         =  
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
==Video settings==
+
==Video==
−
{{Video settings
+
{{image|RetroArch main menu new.png|Main menu (default ozone skin.)}}
 +
{{image|RetroArch desktop menu.png|Auxiliary desktop menu.}}
 +
{{Video
 
|wsgf link                  =  
 
|wsgf link                  =  
 
|widescreen wsgf award      =  
 
|widescreen wsgf award      =  
Line 65: Line 119:
 
|widescreen resolution      = true
 
|widescreen resolution      = true
 
|widescreen resolution notes=  
 
|widescreen resolution notes=  
−
|multimonitor              = unknown
+
|multimonitor              = true
 
|multimonitor notes        =  
 
|multimonitor notes        =  
−
|ultrawidescreen            = unknown
+
|ultrawidescreen            = true
 
|ultrawidescreen notes      =  
 
|ultrawidescreen notes      =  
−
|4k ultra hd                = unknown
+
|4k ultra hd                = true
 
|4k ultra hd notes          =  
 
|4k ultra hd notes          =  
−
|fov                        = unknown
+
|fov                        = limited
−
|fov notes                  =  
+
|fov notes                  = Core dependent.
 
|windowed                  = true
 
|windowed                  = true
 
|windowed notes            =  
 
|windowed notes            =  
−
|borderless windowed        = unknown
+
|borderless windowed        = true
 
|borderless windowed notes  =  
 
|borderless windowed notes  =  
−
|anisotropic                = unknown
+
|anisotropic                = limited
−
|anisotropic notes          =  
+
|anisotropic notes          = Core dependent.
−
|antialiasing              = unknown
+
|antialiasing              = limited
−
|antialiasing notes        =  
+
|antialiasing notes        = Core dependent.
 
|vsync                      = true
 
|vsync                      = true
 
|vsync notes                =  
 
|vsync notes                =  
Line 87: Line 141:
 
|120 fps                    = unknown
 
|120 fps                    = unknown
 
|120 fps notes              =  
 
|120 fps notes              =  
−
|hdr                        = unknown
+
|hdr                        = true
−
|hdr notes                  =  
+
|hdr notes                  = <ref>{{Refurl|url=https://www.libretro.com/index.php/retroarch-1-9-9-released/|title=RetroArch 1.9.9 released!|date=2021-09-14|snippet=We have now added HDR (High Dynamic Range) support to RetroArch’s Direct3D 11/12 driver thanks to a generous contributor!}}</ref>
−
|color blind                = unknown
+
|color blind                = true
−
|color blind notes          =  
+
|color blind notes          = Various color schemes can be selected.
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
==Input settings==
+
{{ii}}Supports [[FidelityFX Super Resolution]].
−
{{Input settings
+
 
−
|key remap                = unknown
+
==Input==
 +
{{Input
 +
|key remap                = true
 
|key remap notes          =  
 
|key remap notes          =  
−
|acceleration option      = unknown
+
|acceleration option      = limited
−
|acceleration option notes =  
+
|acceleration option notes = Core dependent.
−
|mouse sensitivity        = unknown
+
|mouse sensitivity        = limited
−
|mouse sensitivity notes  =  
+
|mouse sensitivity notes  = Core dependent.
−
|mouse menu                = unknown
+
|mouse menu                = limited
−
|mouse menu notes          =  
+
|mouse menu notes          = The default UI is optimized for gamepads. The '''GLUI''' skin is much more mouse-friendly.
−
|invert mouse y-axis      = unknown
+
|invert mouse y-axis      = limited
−
|invert mouse y-axis notes =  
+
|invert mouse y-axis notes = Core dependent.
−
|touchscreen              = unknown
+
|touchscreen              = true
 
|touchscreen notes        =  
 
|touchscreen notes        =  
 
|controller support        = true
 
|controller support        = true
Line 111: Line 167:
 
|full controller          = true
 
|full controller          = true
 
|full controller notes    =  
 
|full controller notes    =  
−
|controller remap          = unknown
+
|controller remap          = true
 
|controller remap notes    =  
 
|controller remap notes    =  
−
|controller sensitivity    = unknown
+
|controller sensitivity    = true
 
|controller sensitivity notes=  
 
|controller sensitivity notes=  
−
|invert controller y-axis  = unknown
+
|invert controller y-axis  = limited
−
|invert controller y-axis notes=  
+
|invert controller y-axis notes= Core dependent.
−
|xinput controllers        = unknown
+
|xinput controllers        = true
 
|xinput controllers notes  =  
 
|xinput controllers notes  =  
−
|xbox prompts              = unknown
+
|xbox prompts              = limited
−
|xbox prompts notes        =  
+
|xbox prompts notes        = Core dependent.
−
|impulse triggers          = unknown
+
|impulse triggers          = false
 
|impulse triggers notes    =  
 
|impulse triggers notes    =  
−
|dualshock 4              = unknown
+
|dualshock 4              = true
−
|dualshock 4 notes        =  
+
|dualshock 4 notes        = Core dependent.
−
|dualshock prompts        = unknown
+
|dualshock prompts        = limited
−
|dualshock prompts notes  =  
+
|dualshock prompts notes  = Core dependent.
−
|light bar support        = unknown
+
|light bar support        = false
 
|light bar support notes  =  
 
|light bar support notes  =  
 
|dualshock 4 modes        = unknown
 
|dualshock 4 modes        = unknown
 
|dualshock 4 modes notes  =  
 
|dualshock 4 modes notes  =  
−
|tracked motion controllers= false
+
|tracked motion controllers= unknown
 
|tracked motion controllers notes =  
 
|tracked motion controllers notes =  
 
|tracked motion prompts    = unknown
 
|tracked motion prompts    = unknown
 
|tracked motion prompts notes =  
 
|tracked motion prompts notes =  
−
|other controllers        = unknown
+
|other controllers        = true
 
|other controllers notes  =  
 
|other controllers notes  =  
−
|other button prompts      = unknown
+
|other button prompts      = Generic
−
|other button prompts notes=  
+
|other button prompts notes= Generic for menu. Others are core dependent.
−
|controller hotplug        = unknown
+
|controller hotplug        = true
 
|controller hotplug notes  =  
 
|controller hotplug notes  =  
−
|haptic feedback          = unknown
+
|haptic feedback          = true
−
|haptic feedback notes    =  
+
|haptic feedback notes    = Core dependent.
−
|simultaneous input        = unknown
+
|simultaneous input        = true
 
|simultaneous input notes  =  
 
|simultaneous input notes  =  
 
|steam input api          = unknown
 
|steam input api          = unknown
Line 157: Line 213:
 
}}
 
}}
  
−
==Audio settings==
+
==Audio==
−
{{Audio settings
+
{{Audio
−
|separate volume          = unknown
+
|separate volume          = true
−
|separate volume notes    =  
+
|separate volume notes    = Core dependent.
−
|surround sound          = unknown
+
|surround sound          = limited
−
|surround sound notes    =  
+
|surround sound notes    = Core dependent.
−
|subtitles                = n/a
+
|subtitles                = limited
 
|subtitles notes          =  
 
|subtitles notes          =  
−
|closed captions          = unknown
+
|closed captions          = limited
 
|closed captions notes    =  
 
|closed captions notes    =  
−
|mute on focus lost      = unknown
+
|mute on focus lost      = true
−
|mute on focus lost notes =  
+
|mute on focus lost notes = Listed as "Don't run in background" in User Interface options.
 
|eax support              =  
 
|eax support              =  
 
|eax support notes        =  
 
|eax support notes        =  
Line 318: Line 374:
 
|fan      =  
 
|fan      =  
 
}}
 
}}
 +
}}
 +
{{++}} The optional '''AI Service''' feature can grab a screenshot of the emulated content and translate the in-game text between 63 languages.
 +
 +
==Network==
 +
{{Network/Multiplayer
 +
|local play          = true
 +
|local play players  = 16
 +
|local play modes    =
 +
|local play notes    = The number of players and multiplayer modes depend on the emulated game.
 +
|lan play            = true
 +
|lan play players    = 32
 +
|lan play modes      =
 +
|lan play notes      = The number of players and multiplayer modes depend on the emulated game.
 +
|online play          = true
 +
|online play players  = 32
 +
|online play modes    =
 +
|online play notes    = The number of players and multiplayer modes depend on the emulated game.
 +
|asynchronous        =
 +
|asynchronous notes  =
 +
}}
 +
 +
{{Network/Connections
 +
|matchmaking        = true
 +
|matchmaking notes  =
 +
|p2p                = true
 +
|p2p notes          =
 +
|dedicated          = false
 +
|dedicated notes    =
 +
|self-hosting      = true
 +
|self-hosting notes =
 +
|direct ip          =
 +
|direct ip notes    =
 +
}}
 +
 +
{{Network/Ports
 +
|tcp  = 55355, 55400, 55435
 +
|udp  =
 +
|upnp = true
 
}}
 
}}
  
Line 323: Line 417:
 
===API===
 
===API===
 
{{API
 
{{API
−
|direct3d versions      =  
+
|direct3d versions      = 9, 10, 11, 12
 
|direct3d notes        =  
 
|direct3d notes        =  
 
|directdraw versions    =  
 
|directdraw versions    =  
Line 329: Line 423:
 
|wing                  =  
 
|wing                  =  
 
|wing notes            =  
 
|wing notes            =  
−
|opengl versions        =  
+
|opengl versions        = true
 
|opengl notes          =  
 
|opengl notes          =  
 
|glide versions        =  
 
|glide versions        =  
Line 337: Line 431:
 
|mantle support        =  
 
|mantle support        =  
 
|mantle support notes  =  
 
|mantle support notes  =  
−
|metal support          =  
+
|metal support          = true
−
|metal support notes    =  
+
|metal support notes    = Metal 2 version available for High Sierra (10.13) or higher.
−
|vulkan versions        =  
+
|vulkan versions        = true
 
|vulkan notes          =  
 
|vulkan notes          =  
 
|dos modes              =  
 
|dos modes              =  
Line 345: Line 439:
 
|shader model versions  =  
 
|shader model versions  =  
 
|shader model notes    =  
 
|shader model notes    =  
−
|windows 32-bit exe    = unknown
+
|windows 32-bit exe    = true
−
|windows 64-bit exe    = unknown
+
|windows 64-bit exe    = true
 +
|windows arm app        = false
 
|windows exe notes      =  
 
|windows exe notes      =  
−
|mac os x powerpc app  =  
+
|mac os x powerpc app  = true
−
|macos intel 32-bit app = unknown
+
|macos intel 32-bit app = true
−
|macos intel 64-bit app = unknown
+
|macos intel 64-bit app = true
−
|macos app notes        =  
+
|macos arm app          = true
−
|linux 32-bit executable= unknown
+
|macos app notes        = 32-bit was discontinued after v1.7.3. PowerPC pre-built binaries were discontinuted after v1.9.0, but later versions may be possible to build for PPC from source code.
−
|linux 64-bit executable= unknown
+
|linux powerpc app      = true
 +
|linux 32-bit executable= true
 +
|linux 64-bit executable= true
 +
|linux arm app          = true
 
|linux executable notes =  
 
|linux executable notes =  
 
}}
 
}}
Line 361: Line 459:
 
|physics          =  
 
|physics          =  
 
|physics notes    =  
 
|physics notes    =  
−
|audio            =  
+
|audio            = Platform dependent
−
|audio notes      =  
+
|audio notes      = DirectSound, WASAPI, XAudio2, CoreAudio, OpenAL, SDL, ALSA, JACK, PulseAudio
−
|interface        =  
+
|interface        = Platform dependent
−
|interface notes  =  
+
|interface notes  = DirectInput, SDL
−
|input            =  
+
|input            = Platform dependent
−
|input notes      =  
+
|input notes      = DirectInput, XInput, HID, SDL
 
|cutscenes        =  
 
|cutscenes        =  
 
|cutscenes notes  =  
 
|cutscenes notes  =  
Line 379: Line 477:
 
|OSfamily = Windows
 
|OSfamily = Windows
  
−
|minOS    = 7
+
|minOS    = 95
−
|minCPU  = Intel Pentium 4 and up (CPU with SSE2 instructions required)
+
|minCPU  = Intel Pentium 4
 +
|minCPU2  = AMD Athlon 64
 
|minRAM  = 32 MB
 
|minRAM  = 32 MB
 
|minHD    =  
 
|minHD    =  
−
|minGPU  = Any compliant OpenGL 2.x or Direct3D11 GPU. For shaders to work properly, should support at least Shader Model 2.0.
+
|minGPU  = Intel HD Graphics 4000
−
|minDX   = 11
+
|minDX    = 9
 +
|minOGL  = 2.0
 +
|minSM   = 2.0
  
 
|recOS    = 10
 
|recOS    = 10
 
|recCPU  = Intel Core series
 
|recCPU  = Intel Core series
−
|recCPU2  = AMD equivalent
+
|recCPU2  = AMD Phenom II series
 
|recRAM  = 512 MB
 
|recRAM  = 512 MB
 
|recHD    =  
 
|recHD    =  
−
|recGPU  = Intel: At least Intel HD 4K required for OpenGL, any compliant D3D11 GPU for Direct3D 11. Should support at least Shader Model 3.0 and/or 4.0.
+
|recGPU  =  
−
|recDX   =  
+
|recDX    = 11
 +
|recSM    = 3.0
 +
}}
 +
 
 +
{{System requirements
 +
|OSfamily = OS X
 +
 
 +
|minOS    = 10.5
 +
|minCPU  = PowerPC G4 867 MHz
 +
|minRAM  = 512 MB
 +
|minHD    =
 +
|minGPU  =
 +
 
 +
|recOS    =
 +
|recCPU  =
 +
|recRAM  =
 +
|recHD   =
 +
|recGPU  =  
 
}}
 
}}
  
 
{{References}}
 
{{References}}
 +
 +
[[Category:Emulators]]

Latest revision as of 11:54, 21 January 2024

This article is about the emulation of a console or deprecated PC platform on Windows, macOS (OS X), or Linux.
RetroArch
RetroArch cover
Developers
Libretro
Release dates
Windows May 26, 2010
macOS (OS X) 2011[citation needed]
Linux 2013[citation needed]
DOS Unknown
RetroArch at Wikipedia

RetroArch (pronounced /ˌrɛtroʊˈɑːrtʃ/) is a free, open-source, cross-platform front end for emulating a variety of classic computers, retro consoles, arcade machines and game engines. It is the reference implementation of the libretro API, designed to be fast, lightweight, portable and without dependencies. It is licensed under the GNU GPLv3.

General information

Official forums
Official help pages
Steam Community Discussions
Source code (GitHub)
RetroArch Setup Guide

Availability

Source DRM Notes Keys OS
Official website
DRM-free
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
itch.io
DRM-free
Windows
Linux
Steam
DRM-free after installation through Steam client (notes may include more details)
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
A browser-based version is also available.
RetroArch can be compiled to run in DOS but no official builds are available.

DLC and expansion packs

RetroArch uses plug-ins called "cores" for emulating specific systems. They can be downloaded and installed by using the Online Updater feature.
Name Notes
Home computers Amstrad CPC
Atari ST, STE, TT, Falcon
Commodore PET, CBM-II, VIC-20, 64, Plus/4, 128, Amiga
Elektronika BK-0010, BK-0011M
MSX, MSX2, MSX2+, MSX TurboR
NEC PC-8000, PC-8800 (PC-88), PC-9800 (PC-98)
Sega SC-3000, SF-7000
Sharp X1, X68000
Sinclair ZX81, ZX Spectrum
Spectravideo SV-318, SV-328
Thomson TO7, MO5
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Home consoles Atari 2600, 5200, 7800, Jaguar
Coleco Industries ColecoVision
Fairchild Channel F
GCE Vectrex
Magnavox Odyssey 2, Phillips Videopac+ G7400 (Odyssey 3)
Mattel Intellivision
NEC TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine, TurboGrafx-CD, CD-ROM², Super CD-ROM²
NEC PC Engine SuperGrafx, PC-FX
Nintendo NES/Famicom, SNES/Super Famicom, 64, GameCube, Wii
Panasonic 3DO
Sega SG-1000, Master System, Mega Drive/Genesis, CD, 32X, Saturn, Dreamcast
SNK Neo Geo CD
Sony PlayStation, PlayStation 2 (PCSX2)
Uzebox
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Handheld consoles Atari Lynx
Bandai WonderSwan, WonderSwan Color
Dedicated handheld electronic games
Nintendo Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, DS, 3DS
Nintendo Pokemon Mini, Virtual Boy
Sega Game Gear, VMU
SNK Neo Geo Pocket, Neo Geo Pocket Color
Sony PlayStation Portable
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Arcade machines Capcom CPS-1, CPS-2, CPS-3
Cave
Data East DEC-0, DEC-8, DECO IC16
Galaxian based hardware
Irem M62, M63, M72, M90, M92, M107
Kaneko 16
Konami
LaserDisc games
Neo-Geo
NMK16
Pacman based hardware
PGM
Psikyo 68EC020 and SH-2 based hardware
Sega NAOMI, ST-V, System 1, System 16, System 18, X-Board, Y-Board
Super Kaneko Nova System
Toaplan 1, 2
Taito F2, X, Z
and others
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Multi-system MAME 2015, 2016
MESS 2015
UME 2015
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Virtual machines CHIP-8
DOS (DOSBox, DOSBox SVN/Glide)
Java ME
Palm OS
TIC-80
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Game engines ChaiScript
Lutro (LUA Game Framework)
RPG Maker 2000, 2003
ScummVM
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux
Game ports and clones 2048
Boom3 (Doom 3)
Cannonball (Out Run)
Craft (Minecraft clone)
Dinothawr
ECWolf (Wolfenstein 3D)
FloppyBird (Flappy Bird clone)
Mr. Boom (Bomberman / Dynablaster clone)
NXEngine (Cave Story)
OpenLara (Tomb Raider)
PrBoom (Doom)
REminiscence (Flashback: The Quest for Identity)
The Powder Toy
TyrQuake (Quake)
vitaQuake 2 (Quake II)
vitaQuake 3 (Quake III Arena)
vitaVoyager (Star Trek: Voyager - Elite Force)
XRick (Rick Dangerous clone)
Windows
macOS (OS X)
Linux

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\retroarch.cfg[Note 1]
<path-to-game>\config\<core name>\*.opt[Note 1]
<path-to-game>\config\<core name>\*.cfg[Note 1]
macOS (OS X) <path-to-game>\retroarch.cfg
<path-to-game>\config\<core name>\*.opt
<path-to-game>\config\<core name>\*.cfg
Linux <path-to-game>\retroarch.cfg
<path-to-game>\retroarch-core-options.cfg
General program settings are stored in retroarch.cfg, whereas specific core (emulator) options are saved in <path-to-game>\config\<core name>\*.opt. Specific game or core override options are saved in <path-to-game>\config\<core name>\*.cfg.

Save game data location

System Location
Windows <path-to-game>\saves\[Note 1]
<path-to-game>\states\[Note 1]
macOS (OS X) <path-to-game>\saves\
<path-to-game>\states\
Linux <path-to-game>\saves\
<path-to-game>\states\
Emulated in-game saves are stored in the saves directory, whereas manual "snapshots" in states.

Save game cloud syncing

System Native Notes
Steam Cloud
In order for the Steam Cloud sync to work correctly, default directories shouldn't be changed to other locations.[1]

Video

Main menu (default ozone skin.)
Main menu (default ozone skin.)
Auxiliary desktop menu.
Auxiliary desktop menu.

Graphics feature State Notes
Widescreen resolution
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)
Core dependent.
Windowed
Borderless fullscreen windowed
Anisotropic filtering (AF)
Core dependent.
Anti-aliasing (AA)
Core dependent.
Vertical sync (Vsync)
60 FPS
120+ FPS
High dynamic range display (HDR)
[2]
Color blind mode
Various color schemes can be selected.
Supports FidelityFX Super Resolution.

Input

Keyboard and mouse, touch State Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration
Core dependent.
Mouse sensitivity
Core dependent.
Mouse input in menus
The default UI is optimized for gamepads. The GLUI skin is much more mouse-friendly.
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Core dependent.
Touchscreen optimised
Controller
Controller support
Full controller support
Controller remapping
Controller sensitivity
Controller Y-axis inversion
Core dependent.
Controller types
XInput-compatible controllers
Xbox button prompts
Core dependent.
Impulse Trigger vibration
PlayStation controllers
Core dependent.
PlayStation button prompts
Core dependent.
Light bar support
Adaptive trigger support
DualSense haptic feedback support
Connection modes
Generic/other controllers
Button prompts Input settings icon - Generic Controller.svg Generic for menu. Others are core dependent.
Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback
Core dependent.
Digital movement supported
Simultaneous controller+KB/M

Audio

Audio feature State Notes
Separate volume controls
Core dependent.
Surround sound
Core dependent.
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Listed as "Don't run in background" in User Interface options.

Localizations

Language UI Audio Sub Notes
English
Dutch
French
German
Greek
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Norwegian
Polish
Portuguese
Brazilian Portuguese
Russian
Spanish
Latin American Spanish
Swedish
Turkish
Vietnamese
The optional AI Service feature can grab a screenshot of the emulated content and translate the in-game text between 63 languages.

Network

Multiplayer types

Type Native Players Notes
Local play
16 The number of players and multiplayer modes depend on the emulated game.
LAN play
32 The number of players and multiplayer modes depend on the emulated game.
Online play
32 The number of players and multiplayer modes depend on the emulated game.

Connection types

Type Native Notes
Matchmaking
Peer-to-peer
Dedicated
Self-hosting

Ports

Protocol Port(s) and/or port range(s)
TCP 55355, 55400, 55435
This game supports Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) for automatic port configuration.

Other information

API

Technical specs Supported Notes
Direct3D 9, 10, 11, 12
OpenGL
Metal support
Metal 2 version available for High Sierra (10.13) or higher.
Vulkan
DOS video modes
ExecutablePPC 32-bit 64-bitARM Notes
Windows
macOS (OS X)
32-bit was discontinued after v1.7.3. PowerPC pre-built binaries were discontinuted after v1.9.0, but later versions may be possible to build for PPC from source code.
Linux

Middleware

Middleware Notes
Audio Platform dependent DirectSound, WASAPI, XAudio2, CoreAudio, OpenAL, SDL, ALSA, JACK, PulseAudio
Interface Platform dependent DirectInput, SDL
Input Platform dependent DirectInput, XInput, HID, SDL

System requirements

Windows
Minimum Recommended
Operating system (OS) 95 10
Processor (CPU) Intel Pentium 4
AMD Athlon 64		 Intel Core series
AMD Phenom II series
System memory (RAM) 32 MB 512 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD)
Video card (GPU) Intel HD Graphics 4000
OpenGL 2.0 compatible
DirectX 9 compatible
Shader model 2.0 support		 DirectX 11 compatible
Shader model 3.0 support
macOS (OS X)
Minimum
Operating system (OS) 10.5
Processor (CPU) PowerPC G4 867 MHz
System memory (RAM) 512 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD)


Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).

References

  1. ↑ store.steampowered.com - last accessed on June 2023
  2. ↑ RetroArch 1.9.9 released! - last accessed on 2021-09-14
    "We have now added HDR (High Dynamic Range) support to RetroArch’s Direct3D 11/12 driver thanks to a generous contributor!"