RetroArch. Installing and Configuring Emulators on Android or PC

Complete user guide for the RetroArch multi emulator where we show you how to install and configure it quickly and easily on both Android and Windows.

RetroArch is a software package that compiles several emulators with which we can play with countless consoles and retro arcade machines that is compatible with both Android Box, Smartphones, tablets, Windows mini PC or Xbox. In this article we will see how to run and configure it in a simple way, we can connect any gamepad or even play over the network. An emulator system that competes with others like BATOCERA, or EmuELEC.

What is RetroArch?

The RetroArch program is a group of emulators that allows us to load roms, configure peripherals, network system and other extras to play dozens of different systems in an orderly manner. To play them you need the ROMS or ISO of the games and some of these systems also require the BIOS images of the machine to emulate.

• Complete list of emulated systems
• EmuELEC-style alternative for Windows PC with RetroBat

RetroArch startup

To use RetroArch on your PC, Android TV-Box, Android Smartphone or Tablet you just need to install the app and follow a few simple steps as explained below.

Installation and first steps

The RetroArch package already contains the essential files to boot the main system, then we will have to install the emulators Cores, game Roms and the necessary BIOS.

1. Download RetroArch for Android from Google Play, or from its APK.
2. Download RetroArch for Windows or Linux.

RetroArch main screen

On all platforms this app has the same menus, you can change the appearance but the system is managed in the same way.

RetroArch menu on Android

• In the left menu we have the active menu controls.
• In the right menu we have three categories:
  – Main Menu = where we load cores, roms, covers or network system.
  – Lists = List management and where the games will be placed to run.
  – Settings = System settings, appearance, controllers…

RetroArch menu on PC

• In the right menu we have the active menu controls.
• In the left menu we have the different categories.
  – Main Menu = where we load the cores, roms, covers or network system.
  – Settings = System configuration, appearance, controls…
  – Others = List management and where the games will be placed to run them.

Install Emulator Cores

To be able to run the games we need several elements, on the one hand the CORE of the emulator that we want to use and another one the ROMS to play with the games, some of these systems also require BIOS files to run the machine to emulate.

1. To install an emulator we go to Load core > Download core
2. We choose the kernel that we want to install and click, it will indicate that it has been installed.
3. Only the installed games will be detected depending on the chosen cores.

Recommended cores

Install Emulator BIOS in RetroArch

The ROMS of the games we have to copy them inside a unit with enough space, it can be hard disk, microSD or an external disk.

• Download BIOS for RetroArch
• Unzip the contents
• Copy all files inside /System to /RetroArch/System
• In the directory of our RetroArch should be a structure similar to the image.
• We can change the BIOS directory in Settings > Directories > System/BIOS

Copy Game Roms and ISOs

The ROMS of the games we have to copy them inside a unit with enough space, it can be hard disk, microSD or an external disk.

• Download ROMS and ISOS for emulators.
• Android: for example, in the internal folder /Download/roms/XXX (avoids permissions problems)
• Windows: create folder /roms/XXX in any drive or directory
• XXX = subdirectory for the roms of each macine e.g.: /roms/snes = Super nintendo roms
• NOTE: On Android external drives can be renamed when reconnected

Load games in RetroArch

To be able to play in a comfortable way the games that we have installed we must Import Content of the games that we have copied in the system. We will find three different options that allow us to scan the content of the roms in several ways.

• Main Menu > Import content (icon )

Search in directory

We enter the path where we have copied the“/roms” and click on“Search in this directory“. The games will be imported to their corresponding system list, if they coincide with the system database, otherwise those games will not appear.

Search in file

Same as the previous option but only for a specific file.

Manual search

This is the most flexible import option and will add all games even if they are not in the system database, this allows you to add a lot, but can also lead to some incompatibility.

• Contents directory: we will indicate which directory should be scanned, for example /roms/snes
• System name: we will assign a Core for the games in that folder, for example Super nintendo
• Customization: we can change the system name and assign a specific Core if we want
• Start import: we go down the menu and in the last option we click Start search

Lists of imported games

When we finish the games with their system icons they will appear in the lists section. From here we can launch the games by clicking on them.

Download RetroArch’s game covers

To make our list of games more attractive and visual we can download the covers of the games we have imported.

• Main Menu > Online Updater > Playlist Thumbnails Updater > Select System
• The process has to be repeated for each system

When we are done in the game lists we can see the cover art and other game data. You can change the visual style of the list to present them in various ways.

RetroArch Controls and Settings

By default RetroArch allows us many control schemes, normally we will use Gamepads for our games, but it also supports keyboards, mice, steering wheels and many other peripherals.

• We recommend connecting a USB or BT compatible Gamepad.

Main Emulator Controls

By default RetroArch is configured for use with touch controls on Smartphones, Tablets or Android TV-Box, but it is easy to configure it to use a Gamepad or other physical peripheral.

Menu key in game

This item is important to access game saving, loading and other settings during the game

• PC = F1 key
• Android = Guide key on the controller or Android back key
• Switch = Settings > Input > Hot Key > Show menu

Hotkeys and other functions

This is the key that we will assign to leave pressed with others to perform actions without going through the menu.

• Hotkey Enable = Settings > Input > Input > Hotkey > Key to activate hotkeys
• Recommended key = on the Gamepad the SELECT, then combine actions with other keys
• Quit = Key combination to close the game

Disable on-screen touch controls

You can disable on-screen touch controls for better visibility during gameplay

• Settings > User Interface > On-Screen Overlay > Display Overlay > OFF

Launchers for RetroArch

We can customize much more the appearance of RetroArch using launchers or launchers with more aesthetics if we want.

• Daijisho: customization of game lists and emulator launcher
• LaunchBox: this is a paid version with great customization

RetroArch on XBOX

It is possible to install the RetroArch emulator in our Xbox Series console in a simple way following this manual. Thanks to this system we will be able to play a large number of retro titles comfortably. See our previous guide on PC above for more details about the configuration of this system.