Battle.net vs RetroFE

Battle.net is a free game launcher and companion app for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. The desktop app gathers games in one library, launches them, and installs games and patches; while running, it can keep them updated automatically. Players can browse the store for games and expansions, send digital gifts, and find free-to-play titles including Overwatch 2 and Call of Duty: Warzone. Games and some in-game purchases may cost extra. Social features include messaging, voice chat, friend connections, and real-time updates. News includes sales, trailers, and patch notes. The mobile app supports shopping, social features, news, and account safety, including chat, friend presence, and friend requests. Users can enable two-factor authentication. Offline mode works only in selected games: downloads and updates need an internet connection, and social features and matchmaking are unavailable offline. World of Warcraft versions and game modes are installed through the desktop app.

RetroFE is a free, open-source front end for displaying, selecting and launching games, videos and programs, commonly used for game emulation. Collections arrange games and menu items into systems and submenus, and can show media such as box art, screenshots, logos and videos. Layouts set the front end’s appearance, with the option for collections to use their own layouts. Launcher configuration specifies an executable and arguments for starting an emulator, application or game; per-game launcher settings can override a collection’s default. Controls such as up, down, select and back are configured in a controls file. Its game information database can hold details including year, manufacturer, genre and player count. Setup involves editing global settings and controls files, then adding or editing collections. Full releases include a 32-bit Windows executable and a 64-bit Linux executable. Windows requires a recent Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio; some Linux distributions may require compiling from source. macOS users need to compile their own executable. Community-made themes are available for installation in the layouts directory, and the maker points users to forums and describes community support.