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RetroArch is a piece of software that, in simple terms, combines dozens of emulators, known as "cores," into a single place. This software acts as a hub for all of your emulator programs and the games themselves. Whether it's original arcade games, classic Nintendo games, Sega games, or even PlayStation games, RetroArch supports everything. It'll even allow you to sign into your RetroAchievements account and earn achievements on your favorite emulated games.
Step 1: Installation
Download RetroArch on your platform of choice. Luckily, RetroArch is available almost everywhere, on every device: Windows (even a dedicated Steam version!), Linux, Android (Google Play Store), etc.
Important Notes:
While RetroArch's look and feel are consistent across all platforms, the available emulators (cores) may vary. Windows and Linux versions generally have access to the full range of cores, while Steam and mobile versions might have a more limited selection.
For this guide, we'll be using the Windows "Stable" version, downloadable from https://www.retroarch.com/. However, the setup process will remain the same for essentially all devices and platforms.
Once installed, you'll notice you have landed on the Main Menu of RetroArch. At this stage, you won't have any imported games or any emulators ("cores") installed. You'll also notice the sheer volume of choices when it comes to settings.
One of the main issues we hear with RetroArch is how confusing and complex its vast array of menus and settings can be, so the first thing we'll do is make the UI a little easier. We'll do this by:
On the left panel, head to "Settings" and select "User Interface."
From there, click "Menu" (which is usually located at the bottom) and select "XMB."
Restart RetroArch to apply the changes.
When you restart RetroArch, you'll be greeted with a familiar-looking interface that resembles the PlayStation 3 menu. We like this as it makes the menus significantly easier to navigate for everyone, whilst also being quite familiar for anyone who has used a PSP or PS3 console.
You can also customize the look of this UI (such as changing the background color) by heading to Settings -> User Interface -> Appearance and then choosing either "Color Theme" to change your background color.
You can also select "Shader Pipeline" to change the background animation style. There are also several other customization options in this area.
Step 2: Cores
Now that we've got the UI looking familiar and a little easier to navigate, it's time to download those emulators (cores) for the games you'll be wanting to play. We'll do this by:
Go to the Main Menu of RetroArch and selecting "Load Core."
Select "Download Core." You'll see a list of available emulators (cores). Here you'll need to determine which games you'll be playing within RetroArch. Most of these downloads are very small in size and range from only a few KB to a few MB. You'll be able to come back here and install as many as you please, as often as you please, so don't feel the need to download more than necessary at this stage.
Personally, I prefer these cores for these consoles:
Nintendo:
GB/GBC: Gambatte
GBA: gpSP or mGBA
Virtual Boy: Beetle VB
DS: melonDS
NES: Nestopia or FCEUmm
SNES: Snes9x Current
N64: ParaLLEl or Mupen64Plus
GameCube/Wii: Dolphin
Sega:
Master System/Genesis/CD: Genesis Plus GX
32x: PicoDrive
Saturn: YabaSanshiro or Beetle Saturn
Dreamcast: Flycast
Sony:
PlayStation: DuckStation, SwanStation, or PCSX ReARMed
PlayStation 2: PCSX2
PlayStation Portable: PPSSPP
Step 3: Importing Your Legally Acquired Games
This section demonstrates how to add your game ROMs to RetroArch. We'll use Game Boy Advance (GBA) games as an example, but the process is nearly identical for all other systems. Whether you're adding PlayStation games, Sega Genesis games, or anything else, the steps are essentially the same.
What is a ROM?
Before we begin, let's clarify what a ROM is. In this context, a ROM (Read-Only Memory) is a digital copy of a video game cartridge, disc, or other game media. Essentially, it's the file that contains all the game data, allowing you to play it on an emulator. Think of it like this: instead of inserting a physical cartridge into a console, you're loading a ROM file into the emulator (which acts as the console).
Important Disclaimer:
Downloading ROMs for games you do not own is illegal. This guide assumes you have legally acquired copies of your games and are creating backup ROMs for personal use. Please be aware of and comply with the copyright laws in your region.
Example: Importing GBA Games
Download the "mGBA" core (or the core for your desired system).
Import Games:
Go to "Import Content" on the Main Menu.
Select "Scan Directory."
Locate the folder where your ROM files are stored (e.g., your GBA ROMs).
Select "Scan This Directory."
RetroArch will scan the directory and add your games to the menu. This might take a few seconds or minutes, depending on the size of your game library. Once the scan is complete, you'll see your games categorized by console on the XMB menu.
Here you'll see all of your games categorized by the representative icons of their consoles. At this point, you could theoretically just find the game you'd like, select it, and in most cases, begin playing. However, we'll go through a few optional things we can do to improve the experience beforehand.
Step 3.5: Adding a Hotkey (optional)
Sometimes you'll want to open up RetroArch while in-game to change some settings on the fly, create a quick save, or even load another game. On PC, the key for this is always "F1." However, for controller users across all platforms, you'll want to select a hotkey for this purpose. To do that:
Head to the "Settings" tab and scroll down to "Input."
Set Hotkey: Select "Hotkeys" and then "Menu Toggle (Controller Combo)."
Choose Your Combo: I personally like to choose "L3+R3" as my menu combo hotkey, as I find it's an easy-to-remember, unintrusive way of bringing up the settings menu without permanently wasting a button on my controller or risking any accidental button presses that'd be more likely with the other options. This will come in handy later.
Step 4: RetroAchievements (Optional)
Although entirely optional, achievements are a fun and exciting way to improve your gameplay experience. Whether it's adding another collection element to the game or leaving you with something to show off once you've finished, you can have achievements on most of your retro games by first:
Creating an account on https://retroachievements.org/
Linking Your Account: Open RetroArch, head to "Settings," and then scroll down to "Achievements." Enter your RetroAchievements username and password.
Important Notes:
Hardcore mode does a few things:
It disables cheats and save states.
It adds a colored border to your achievements so others can see you earned them without using those features. You essentially played the game "as intended" as you would on original hardware.
You're done with Retro Achievements! As long as your username and password are correct, compatible games should automatically have achievements enabled when loaded (provided you have an active Wi-Fi connection).
Step 5: Playing a Game
Now we're ready to try our first game!
Navigate to the correct console category for your chosen game. These categories have icons resembling their respective consoles (e.g., the GBA category has a GBA icon).
Choose the game you want to play. After doing so you'll see a small list of options. "Run" will start the game using the currently loaded core.
Set Core Association (Optional): Scroll down to "Set Core Association" to choose a specific core for this game. Select the desired core and then scroll back up to "Run."
Your game should immediately begin running. In most cases, your controls will be pre-configured (especially if you're using an XInput/Xbox controller). If you're on a mobile device, you'll see touch controls on-screen, which can be easily removed (we'll explain how in a moment).
Important Note: If your controls aren't working correctly, you can configure them by navigating to: RetroArch Menu -> Settings -> Input -> Port 1 Controls. From there, you can map the desired buttons to your controller.
Congratulations! You're ready to play!
There are no more requirements beyond this to get yourself up and running on RetroArch.
However, if you're willing to dig a little deeper, there are some other options we can get into to improve the experience.
Important Notes:
If you're using an Android or Linux-based handheld device and want to remove the on-screen buttons, you can do so by opening the RetroArch menu (while the game is running in the background) and navigating to Quick Menu -> Display Overlay. Toggle this option off to hide the on-screen buttons.
Step 6 (Optional): Configuring the Game
While you have a game running, you can press the F1 key (on Linux and Windows) or your configured hotkey (L3+R3 in my case, which we set up in Step 3.5) to bring up RetroArch's menu. This menu provides an abundance of game-specific options, from "Core Options" and "Game Recording" to "Achievements," in-game cheats, and more.
"Core Options" are usually the place where you'll find emulator-specific settings, and the available settings will vary depending on the core used by the game you're playing. For example, this is usually where you'd find resolution options. However, with other consoles (like the N64), you might find settings for emulated accessories like Rumble Packs or Expansion Paks. You'll also find settings for Anti-Aliasing, PAL, Widescreen Hacks, Emulation Speed, and more.
Important Notes:
The options within this submenu are determined by the core you're using. For example, "mGBA" doesn't offer a way to change the resolution, but the Dolphin emulator (for GameCube and Wii) does.
If a retro game, such as a GBA game, appears blurry, try disabling any filters like "Bilinear Filtering." You can find this setting under Settings -> Video -> Scaling -> Bilinear Filtering. Some cores may also offer this option in their "Core Options" menu. Try both.
While you're in the scaling menu, consider enabling "Integer Scaling." This provides pixel-perfect graphics on your display, but it might introduce black bars around the image. Feel free to experiment with these settings to find what looks best to you.
It's always worth checking the core settings and experimenting with both the settings and the cores themselves. If a specific core doesn't have a setting you're after, you can always try another core. Getting familiar with this submenu will be very rewarding in the long run of your emulation journey.
Step 7 (Optional): The Online Updater Settings Menu
If you head back to RetroArch's main menu, you'll find a settings tab called "Online Updater." Here you'll be able to do a bunch of neat and useful things, such as:
Download (or uninstall) more cores (emulators).
Update existing cores to the latest versions.
Add game art to your game libraries.
If you want to add a little pop to your XMB and add cover art to your games, you'll want to select "Playlist Thumbnails Updater" and select the category(ies) you'd like to add game thumbnails to. Again, depending on the size of your game library, this could take seconds or hours, depending on your library size and internet download speeds.
If you head back one, you'll also see a setting called "On-Demand Thumbnail Downloads." Turning this on will automatically download the cover art while scrolling through your game libraries. However, this will likely cause a severe performance hit, so we avoid using this.
And that's it! You've successfully set up RetroArch and are ready to relive your favorite classics.
This guide covered all the basics for a user-friendly experience, but remember, with RetroArch, the sky's the limit! You can customize and tweak your experience to your heart's content. As you become more comfortable with the software, you can dive deeper into those vast options and settings.
When you're ready to take things to the next level, we highly recommend checking out some more advanced guides. This written guide by Russ is a great option: https://retrogamecorps.com/2022/02/28/retroarch-starter-guide/#Files
He also has a video guide covering many of the same basics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icGYGriNkF4
Enjoy your retro gaming journey!
This guide is intended for educational purposes only. Downloading ROMs for games you do not own is illegal. We do not condone piracy in any way and strongly encourage you to obtain games legally.
Please consult your local laws regarding the use of emulators and ROMs. Remember, supporting game developers by purchasing their games helps ensure the continued creation of the games we love. Without your support, the gaming industry wouldn't be what it is today.
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