Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

JoyToKey VS RetroArch

Compare JoyToKey VS RetroArch and see what are their differences

JoyToKey logo JoyToKey

JoyToKey enables users to control the keyboard using any USB compatible controller (Dualshock 3, Xbox 360, etc.)

RetroArch logo RetroArch

RetroArch is a frontend for emulators, game engines and media players.
  • JoyToKey Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-11-18

JoyToKey (or Joy2Key) enables PC game controllers to emulate the keyboard and mouse input, so that windows applications and web games can be controlled with your favorite joysticks! Whenever buttons and sticks are pressed on the controllers, JoyToKey converts them into keyboard strokes and/or mouse movements so that the target application will work as if a real keyboard and a mouse were used.

  • RetroArch Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-22

JoyToKey videos

How to use any Controller on a PC - JoyToKey Guide/Tutorial

More videos:

  • Review - JoyToKey Review
  • Tutorial - [REVIEW]정말 간단하게 조이스틱으로 리듬게임 하는 방법! JoyToKey를 알려드립니다!(How to Play Rhythm Game with Joystick)

RetroArch videos

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

More videos:

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to JoyToKey and RetroArch)
Gaming
23 23%
77% 77
Controller Mapping
100 100%
0% 0
Emulators
0 0%
100% 100
Gaming Tools
29 29%
71% 71

User comments

Share your experience with using JoyToKey and RetroArch. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Reviews

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

JoyToKey Reviews

Top 5 REWASD Alternatives in 2021
Overall, JoyToKey is a great tool, and you’re going to like it because of how simple and essential it is. And it serves its purpose of providing free key mapping well. So, getting it is undoubtedly going to be a good decision for you. On the other hand, if you’re looking for advanced editing, perhaps you should choose another one of the tools in this list.
Fantastic Controller Mappers and Where to Find Them
JoyToKey is a fairly good and functional controller mapper with a bit weird interface, and lots of hidden treasures. The hierarchy is the following: you create the profile, then add your joysticks with different configs. You also can change stuff in Button mapping (which I’ve called a hidden treasure because it took me some time to find that useful section). This gamepad...
Source: www.rewasd.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, RetroArch seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 20 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.

JoyToKey mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of JoyToKey yet. Tracking of JoyToKey recommendations started around Mar 2021.

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: 12 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: 12 months ago
  • Malicious download links?
    Yes, only the retroarch.com and libretro.com websites were affected. Source: 12 months ago
  • Recent update from supposed hackers
    I went to retroarch.com and it said "discord.gg/evaderz is big haxors" its unrespectable. Source: 12 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: almost 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing JoyToKey and RetroArch, you can also consider the following products

Xpadder - Xpadder simulates the keyboard and mouse using your gamepad What does Xpadder let you do?

OpenEmu - Console and Arcade video game emulator for macOS.

DS4Windows - DS4Windows is an open-source gamepad input mapper and virtual emulator designed to use and connect your PlayStation controller (DualShock 3/4 and DualSense 5) to a Windows 10 & 11 PC.

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

reWASD - First and only gamepad mapper to make Xbox Elite paddles separate buttons.

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