Daijishō vs RetroArch
Daijishō
github.comRetroArch
retroarch.comSide by side
| Figure | Daijishō | RetroArch |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Library Managers | 7.9 (#12) | 8.4 (#7) |
| Spec score · Game launchers | 7.6 (#35) | 9.1 (#6) |
| Spec score · Emulation Frontends | 7.8 (#13) | 8.4 (#6) |
| Privacy | The maker says Daijishō has no backend, keeps basic user information on the device, and does not send or share that information with the maker. | The privacy policy says third-party vendors including Google use advertising cookies on some of the project’s websites. |
| Purpose | Daijishō is a retro launcher for managing retro game libraries. | RetroArch is a frontend for emulators, game engines and media players that runs classic games through a graphical interface with unified settings. |
| Support | The maker invites users to report issues or submit suggestions through the project repository. | The FAQ directs users to the forums, Discord and documentation for help. |
Plans
In their own words
Daijishō
Daijishō is a free Android retro launcher for organizing game libraries and configuring players to open files from selected library paths. It does not include emulators; users install their preferred emulators or other apps separately. The library provides search, detailed game views, genres, widgets, and RetroAchievements, with metadata scraping and controller navigation listed. Appearance options include downloadable wallpaper packs, theme colors, and widgets. Platform configurations can be imported from Pegasus or shared platform JSON files, or created from manually added players. The project lists connections to RetroAchievements, IGDB, RetroArch, Libretro, GitHub, and Arcade Italia DB. Its maker says the app has no backend, keeps basic user information on the device, and does not send or share that information with the maker, while third-party services may have separate privacy policies. A universal-distribution APK is provided on the latest release page. Daijishō is currently closed-source and accepts issue reports and suggestions through its repository.
RetroArch
RetroArch is a frontend for emulators, game engines, and media players, bringing them under a unified settings system. The RetroArch/Libretro project includes more than 200 cores across those categories. Its menu can group scanned games by system and display thumbnails and animated backgrounds. Common game controllers configure automatically when plugged in, and button actions can also be assigned manually.
Stackable shaders can change rendered graphics or imitate the look of CRT monitors. Built-in netplay supports hosting or joining network gaming sessions, including spectator mode. RetroArch can record gameplay to video files and stream games to Twitch or YouTube. Versions are listed for Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, macOS, and web browsers. RetroArch is free and open source under GPL version 3; the libretro API uses an MIT license. Features differ by platform and store version: the browser edition has lower performance and fewer capabilities than the full version, while Steam lacks Core Updater and thumbnail scraping and offers a selected core set.