Software Alternatives & Reviews

Batocera.linux VS RetroArch

Compare Batocera.linux VS RetroArch and see what are their differences

Batocera.linux

Batocera.linux is an open-source and completely free retro-gaming distribution that can be copied to a USB stick or an SD card with the aim of turning any computer/nano computer into a gaming console during a game or permanently.

RetroArch

RetroArch is a frontend for emulators, game engines and media players.
  • Batocera.linux Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-27
  • RetroArch Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-22

Batocera.linux

Categories
  • Gaming
  • Gaming Tools
  • Gaming Distribution
  • Emulators
  • Retro Games
Website batocera.org  
Details $

RetroArch

Categories
  • Gaming
  • Emulators
  • Media Player
  • Gaming Tools
Website retroarch.com  
Details $-

Batocera.linux videos

Turn a USB Flash Drive into a Portable Gaming "System"!

RetroArch videos

RetroArch - Getting Started! Your Ultimate Retro Gaming PC! [Setup and Demonstration]

More videos:

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Batocera.linux and RetroArch)
Gaming
22 22%
78% 78
Emulators
20 20%
80% 80
Gaming Tools
25 25%
75% 75
Online Games
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using Batocera.linux and RetroArch. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Batocera.linux and RetroArch

Batocera.linux Reviews

  1. Very difficult to configure.

    While it has the potential to be amazing, like most linux-based options, it falls apart in the area of user experience, with automatic misconfigurations, failure to recognize supported devices and the requirement to SSH into the host system from yet another system (that you may not even have). in order to enter complicated commands just to turn basic supported features on and off. If you do spend a few days getting it to a basic level of functionality, it may be worthwhile, but the problem is that you shouldn't have to. Extra layers of unnecessary complexity seem to have been added simply to maintain that unapproachable aura that most Linux distros have.

    🏁 Competitors: Lakka
    👍 Pros:    Good UI
    👎 Cons:    Confusing set-up|Complicated configuration|Vague instructions|Automatic mis-configurations|Cannot use standard installation methods|Supported devices require complex configuration

Best Linux Distro for Gaming
Batocera.linux is a lightweight distro that turns your computer into a gaming machine, similar to Lakka. Batocera is arguably better than Lakka considering the number of emulators, and the active community behind Batocera. Although it’s worth trying both distros. It’s still being actively developed, with new emulators and software being added to the distro. Instead of going...
Source: linuxstans.com

RetroArch Reviews

Best DS Emulator: Are These Emulators Safe And Legal To Use?
RetroArch also supports a wide range of controller types, making it a great choice for gamers who want to use their favorite controller.
Source: appletoo.us
5 Best Nintendo DS Emulators for PC
It has highlights like RetroArch are shaders, netplay, rewinding, next-frame response times, run ahead, machine translation, blind accessibility features, and much more.
Best emulators for Android in 2023
RetroArch is a popular open-source front-end for emulators. If you’re into playing retro games, RetroArch is your one-stop shop for all your emulating needs. It's not an emulator by itself but instead allows you to add "cores" that act as the backend to emulate several legacy consoles. While most of its most popular emulators are already covered here by dedicated apps, it...
5 of the Best GameBoy Advance (GBA) Emulators for Android
RetroArch is a poster child worldwide of emulation, specifically due to the fact that it’s not precisely an emulator. The retroArch is best refer to as a solitary, unified application where you can communicate with other emulators.
4 Free Open Source Game Emulators For Windows PC, Linux, and macOS
In addition to this, you are able to run original game discs (CDs) from RetroArch. RetroArch has advanced features like shaders, netplay, rewinding, next-frame response times, runahead, machine translation, blind accessibility features, and more! What systems does it play?

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Batocera.linux should be more popular than RetroArch. It has been mentiond 41 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Batocera.linux mentions (41)

  • Looking for input setting up emulation machine
    The OS you probably want is Batocera. I have a couple external SSDs that I use to run it on my VCSs, and they're great. It's definitely an easier setup than Windows with Launchbox, and you don't have to deal with licensing, forced updates, and all the other Windows garbage. Source: 8 months ago
  • So I had an Arcade1UP Partycade modded with 12,000 games. I have no clue how to use this. I can only play a few games. I hope someone knows how to use this?!?
    This subreddit is for the completely free and open-source distribution that you would find at https://batocera.org/ which comes with absolutely no copyrighted ROMs(games). You will only get support here for that and that alone. Unfortunately if you bought a preconfigured system ("unofficial image"), your issues are with the people who sold it to you. Nobody here can help you with anything outside the scope of the... Source: 9 months ago
  • MiSTer vs Super Nt for my needs?
    Alternatively, since you just built a nice PC, you can take the free options and just software emulate classic systems and run MAME. If you don't have time to set much up, look into a Batocera boot drive https://batocera.org/. Source: 10 months ago
  • Every fifth Linux gamer plays on Steam Deck!
    I don't think many people have done that, as u/tonymurray was explaining. But to be fair, there are a few other decent gaming-first distros. Someone might want to install ChimeraOS or Batocera, to give a few examples. Others might have bought the Deck to serve as a cheap home computer, and replaced the OS with one that doesn't have a gaming mode (say, Ubuntu, or Manjaro). I think those numbers would be extremely... Source: 10 months ago
  • Does anyone know what emulator he is using in here? I don’t see any download for retrostation deck?
    You can make your own https://batocera.org/. Source: 10 months ago
View more

RetroArch mentions (20)

  • RetroArch cannot be found on the PlayStore, the first result is a copycat. It is just me?
    No, isn't just you. Every 64-bit phone haves the Play Store Retroarch available, the 32-bits no. But you can still download the 32-bit version on the Retroarch website. Source: 9 months ago
  • Cause of the intrusion has been found and isolated. Sites are operational again.
    It was only the download links on retroarch.com on the Platforms page that got (briefly) redirected for a few hours. That should all be safe now. Source: 9 months ago
  • Malicious download links?
    Yes, only the retroarch.com and libretro.com websites were affected. Source: 9 months ago
  • Recent update from supposed hackers
    I went to retroarch.com and it said "discord.gg/evaderz is big haxors" its unrespectable. Source: 9 months ago
  • Latest RetroArch on Xiaomi Mi box
    I've got installed RetroArch Plus from Google Play on my Xiaomi Mi box 4k and I want to update it to the latest version. I downloaded apk from retroarch.com but when I use apk installer to update it say is not compatible. I removed version from Google Play but fresh install 1.15.0 is not compatible too. I tried 32 and 64 version. What I'm doing wrong? Is any other AndroidTV version? Source: 9 months ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Batocera.linux and RetroArch, you can also consider the following products

LaunchBox - LaunchBox is a portable, box-art-based games database and launcher for DOSBox, emulators, arcade cabinets, and PC Games. Download it free!

OpenEmu - Console and Arcade video game emulator for macOS.

Playnite - Source code generated using layoutit.com

EmulationStation - a graphical emulator front-end

BSNES - bsnes is a Super Nintendo (SNES) emulator focused on performance, features, and ease of use.

Lakka - Lakka is the official Linux distribution of RetroArch and the libretro ecosystem.