Console Launcher vs RetroFE
Console Launcher
consolelauncher.appRetroFE
retrofe.nlSide by side
| Figure | Console Launcher | RetroFE |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Library Managers | 7.9 (#11) | 7.9 (#13) |
| Spec score · Game launchers | 7.6 (#34) | 8.5 (#15) |
| Purpose | Console Launcher is an Android home screen designed to create a mobile console-like experience for gamers. | RetroFE is a front end for displaying, selecting, and launching games, videos, and programs, commonly for game emulation. |
| Security | The privacy policy says the maker uses commercially acceptable means to protect information but cannot guarantee absolute security. | The maker pages opened describe RetroFE as a locally configured front end and do not state security certifications or compliance claims. |
| Support | Google Play lists support email [email protected]. | The maker describes RetroFE as supported by an active and helpful community and points users to its forums. |
Plans
In their own words
Console Launcher
Console Launcher has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
RetroFE
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.