Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Retropie VS LaunchBox

Compare Retropie VS LaunchBox and see what are their differences

Retropie logo Retropie

RetroPie allows you to turn your Raspberry Pi or PC into a retro-gaming machine.

LaunchBox logo LaunchBox

LaunchBox is a portable, box-art-based games database and launcher for DOSBox, emulators, arcade cabinets, and PC Games. Download it free!
  • Retropie Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-10-06
  • LaunchBox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30

Retropie features and specs

  • Wide Compatibility
    RetroPie supports a vast number of retro gaming consoles and platforms, making it a versatile choice for retro gaming enthusiasts who want to emulate different systems.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The system offers a fairly intuitive user interface that is accessible even to those who are not highly tech-savvy, simplifying the process of setting up and playing games.
  • Customizability
    Users can customize their setups extensively, including themes, control schemes, and other settings, to create a personalized gaming experience.
  • Active Community
    There is a large and active community surrounding RetroPie, which means users can find support, tutorials, and a wealth of resources easily online.
  • Cost-Effective
    Running RetroPie on inexpensive hardware like Raspberry Pi offers a low-cost way to enjoy retro gaming without needing to buy old consoles and cartridges.

Possible disadvantages of Retropie

  • Setup Complexity
    While the interface is user-friendly, initial setup can be complex for complete beginners, requiring some technical know-how particularly around installing and configuring ROMs.
  • Limited Performance
    Running on Raspberry Pi, particularly older models, might not offer the best performance for more demanding games or systems, leading to lag and reduced emulation accuracy.
  • Legal Issues
    The use of ROMs and copyright-protected games can involve legal risks, as users must ensure they own the original game media to comply with copyright laws.
  • Hardware Limitations
    Depending on the model of Raspberry Pi or other hardware used, there might be limitations in terms of the number of USB ports, processing power, and support for modern display standards.
  • Software Updates
    Keeping the system updated can be less straightforward than on more mainstream platforms, potentially leading to security or compatibility issues if not maintained properly.

LaunchBox features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    LaunchBox offers an intuitive and sleek interface that makes it easy for users to organize and access their game library, even if they are not tech-savvy.
  • Wide Emulator Support
    It supports a wide range of emulators, allowing users to play games from multiple platforms within a single application.
  • Customizability
    LaunchBox provides various options for customizing the look and feel of your game library, including custom themes and artwork.
  • Big Box Mode
    Big Box is a premium feature that offers a full-screen, TV-friendly interface ideal for home theater setups or those using a game console setup.
  • Regular Updates
    The software is regularly updated with new features, improvements, and bug fixes, ensuring that users have a continuously improving experience.
  • Community Support
    LaunchBox has a strong community of users who contribute to forums, share custom themes, and create guides, making it easier for newcomers to get started.

Possible disadvantages of LaunchBox

  • Cost
    While LaunchBox offers a free version, many advanced features such as Big Box mode require a paid license, which might be a drawback for some users.
  • Resource Intensive
    The application can be resource-heavy, particularly when dealing with large game libraries, potentially affecting the performance of older or less powerful systems.
  • Setup Complexity
    Initial setup can be time-consuming and somewhat complicated, particularly for users new to emulation or those with extensive game collections.
  • Dependency on Emulators
    The quality of the gaming experience often depends on the performance and compatibility of third-party emulators, over which LaunchBox has no control.
  • Limited Native Features
    Some features, like automatic game configuration, are not natively built into LaunchBox and require additional plugins or manual setup.

Retropie videos

Review: RetroPie - Raspberry Pi 3

More videos:

  • Review - What Retropie Can Do
  • Review - RetroGamingBox | Raspberry Pi 3 | Retropie | Quick Review

LaunchBox videos

The Best Emulation Frontend For Windows? - LaunchBox / Big Box

More videos:

  • Review - LaunchBox - Review and Setup Guide!
  • Review - LaunchBox Review and Setup

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Retropie and LaunchBox)
Gaming
29 29%
71% 71
Emulators
18 18%
82% 82
Gaming Tools
23 23%
77% 77
Video
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

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

Retropie Reviews

We have no reviews of Retropie yet.
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LaunchBox Reviews

Best Free Game Launcher for Windows PC
The initially DOSBox emulator front end, LaunchBox, has integrated more features to its stacks. It allows you to play previously downloaded games. LaunchBox is pretty flexible, you can set the settings as well as customize it as per your likes.
5 best game launcher software for Windows PC
The software is partnered with EmuMovies so that you can quickly add associated box art, fan art, logos, screenshots and videos to your game database. LaunchBox will also find all associated metadata of title, genre, release, platform, etc.
The Three best Windows game launcher software to organize your game library
This software is compatible with Windows platforms from Vista on, and the publisher hints there might also be future Mac and Linux versions. LaunchBox has a freeware and Premium version with extra customization options and a Big Box Mode. The Premium version of the software is currently retailing at $20. LaunchBox is comparable to Photon Game Manager as it enables users to...
Source: zobuz.com
Top 6 best launcher games to launch and organize PC games
Depending on the launcher, LaunchBox may not find your game. Therefore you need to add it manually. However, if you are looking for a launcher that can handle Pitfall as well as the latest Tom Clancy game, Launchbox is worth considering.
Source: tipsmake.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Retropie seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 87 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.

Retropie mentions (87)

  • MicroMac, a Macintosh for Under £5
    You can do this with a Rasberry Pi 400, no problem. I have one running https://retropie.org.uk/ and it works great. - Source: Hacker News / 11 months ago
  • Super Mario 64 on the Web
    I agree! I picked up [RetroPie](https://retropie.org.uk/) again during the pandemic. I'm sure many did the same haha. That's when I learned [N64 emulation is difficult](https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Optimization-for-Nintendo-64/). Well done. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Plug and play retro home console suggestion?
    I would have thought a well set-up Raspberry pie running RetroPie in a nice case (e.g. https://thepihut.com/products/superpi-4-case-for-raspberry-pi-4) and a couple of decent controllers would be the best thing. Source: over 1 year ago
  • My First Raspberry Pi Project: Portable Retro Game Console
    This website has step by step instructions on how to set up a RetroPie. It is really easy. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Gpu in emulator pc
    The most I am familiar with emulators of that era is retro pi https://retropie.org.uk/. Source: almost 2 years ago
View more

LaunchBox mentions (0)

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

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Retropie and LaunchBox, you can also consider the following products

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.

Playnite - Source code generated using layoutit.com

RetroBat - RETROBAT RetroBat is a software distribution designed for emulation and to be the easiest way to enjoy your game collection on your Windows computer.

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

OpenEmu - Console and Arcade video game emulator for macOS.