GameEx vs OpenEmu
GameEx
gameex.com
OpenEmu
openemu.orgSide by side
| Figure | GameEx | OpenEmu |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 3 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game launchers | 9.3 (#4) | 8.1 (#21) |
| Spec score · Game Library Managers | 9.1 (#3) | 8.1 (#8) |
| Praise: interface | RetroBlast praised the crisp design and described the free edition as extensive and easy to use. | Trustburn reviewers repeatedly describe the interface as clean, elegant, intuitive and appealing. |
| Purpose | GameEx is an arcade and emulator front end for MAME, GameBase, Daphne, PC games and command-line emulators, and also offers HTPC features. | OpenEmu is open-source video game emulation software for Mac. |
| Security | The setup guide warns that security experts have not examined GameExtender for security issues and advises using it over networks at the user's own risk. | The GitHub project page displays “Security and quality 0.” |
| Support | The maker says commercial support and customizations are available and in many cases provided free of charge. | The project directs users to read its contributing guide before reporting bugs through GitHub Issues or IRC. |
| What it does | GameEx is a Windows front end for MAME, GameBase, Daphne, PC games, command-line emulators and home-theater media. | OpenEmu is an open-source macOS application that emulates many classic video-game systems through a single native front end. |
Plans
In their own words
GameEx
GameEx is an arcade and emulator front end for MAME, GameBase, Daphne, PC games and command-line emulators, with HTPC features. The site lists original GameEx, GameEx Arcade Edition and GameEx Evolution. Its feature list describes support for nearly any emulator, with advanced MAME support, and compatibility with arcade controls such as X-Arcade, Slik-Stik, JPAC and IPAC, as well as remotes and gamepads. Media features include video and DVD playback, picture viewing, internet radio, a jukebox, a news reader and a YouTube module. Named integrations include Steam, EA Origin, Uplay, iTunes, Windows Media Player, GameBase, GameEx Arcade and the TMDb API. GameEx Online and GameExtender add networked display, remote control and online game statistics. Its listed free plan costs nothing, but commercial use requires each copy to be registered or purchased. The listing includes Android, Linux, macOS and Windows; the maker describes Linux or Mac use through WINE as experimental, while the multiplatform alpha builds may lack features.
OpenEmu
OpenEmu is free, open-source video game emulation software for macOS. It organizes game backups into a unified library, adds box art and supports collections spanning consoles. Users drag and drop backups for scanning and organization. Modular cores from open-source projects emulate systems including Atari, Game Boy, Nintendo, Sega, Sony PlayStation and Super Nintendo; the project lists 31 supported systems. Generic HID-compliant USB or Bluetooth controllers can work immediately, with automatic mapping for recognized devices. OpenEmu is intended for games users already own, and BIOS files are required. The wiki describes an experimental arcade core plugin that is strictly unsupported. The latest release page identifies OpenEmu 2.4.1 binaries as Intel-only. The official site offers a macOS (OS X) application, but the version requirement was not rendered. The project lists save states, CD audio and cheat support, while online netplay is not available.