Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

RetroArch VS Xpadder

Compare RetroArch VS Xpadder and see what are their differences

RetroArch logo RetroArch

RetroArch is a frontend for emulators, game engines and media players.

Xpadder logo Xpadder

Xpadder simulates the keyboard and mouse using your gamepad What does Xpadder let you do?
  • RetroArch Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-12-22
  • Xpadder Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-16

RetroArch videos

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

More videos:

Xpadder videos

Xpadder Tutorial - Setup / How To Beginner's Guide - Controller Mapping

More videos:

  • Review - xpadder review/for free
  • Review - Xpadder 5.7 review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to RetroArch and Xpadder)
Gaming
77 77%
23% 23
Emulators
100 100%
0% 0
Controller Mapping
0 0%
100% 100
Gaming Tools
69 69%
31% 31

User comments

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Reviews

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

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?

Xpadder Reviews

Top 5 REWASD Alternatives in 2021
Let’s start by talking about the easiest and one of the oldest keymapping solutions in the market, Xpadder. Xpadder allows you to take your gaming to the next level by simply mapping your keyboard and mouse as well as gamepad controls to the device of your choice.
Fantastic Controller Mappers and Where to Find Them
The significant ability of Xpadder is to support almost any controller device: this controller mapper allows you to add each button or analog element that your controller has one-by-one. As a result, you literally build a unique scheme. Once the controller is plugged in, Xpadder asks you to move analog controls to add them to the controller scheme and tune the deadzone. The...
Source: www.rewasd.com

Social recommendations and mentions

RetroArch might be a bit more popular than Xpadder. We know about 20 links to it since March 2021 and only 14 links to Xpadder. 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.

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: 12 months ago
View more

Xpadder mentions (14)

  • free alternative to reWASD
    It mentions some alternatives, though, such as Input Mapper and Xpadder. If your games are on Steam, you could try Steam's controller config thing. Source: about 1 year ago
  • Pinball FX Guide - A Start
    Did you download it from an e-mail sent to you from xpadder.com? The version I'm using is 2022.05.01. Source: about 1 year ago
  • Picked Up a Pair of MyMyBox MXMT6's This Weekend!
    You might be able to use JoyToKey (free) or xpadder ($10) to at least verify different inputs are recognized per button. Source: about 1 year ago
  • My take on a DDR soft pad mod in 2022
    To remedy, I've been using this little app found from another thread. I keep this app open while running stepmania and it remap button presses solving the problem. It seems to poll quickly enough for my needs! https://www.mediafire.com/?asju7uk8shr81co Or there's xPadder - https://xpadder.com/ ($9.99) as a more rounded software solution as well. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Help with remapping a controller analog stick to the arrow keys.
    If it doesn't work out, I'd personally just get Xpadder. Source: over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

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

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!

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

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

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