Lakka vs Maximus Arcade
Lakka
lakka.tvMaximus Arcade
maximus-arcade.comSide by side
| Figure | Lakka | Maximus Arcade |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Emulation Frontends | 8.6 (#5) | 7.6 (#16) |
| Game files | Users must provide their own ROMs, and Lakka documentation separately covers ROMs and BIOS files. | The software does not include games, and the maker says it cannot advise where to download ROMs. |
| Purpose | Lakka is a lightweight Linux distribution that transforms a small computer into a retrogaming console. | Maximus Arcade is Windows software for managing and launching classic arcade and console games through emulators. |
| Support | Users can get help through the documentation, FAQ, forums, IRC, Discord, and the GitHub bug tracker. | Technical support is provided through the forums; the about page says phone support is not provided. |
Plans
In their own words
Lakka
Lakka is a lightweight Linux distribution that turns a small computer into a retrogaming console. It is built on LibreELEC and RetroArch, with RetroArch serving as its graphical interface and providing unified emulator configuration and joypad autoconfiguration. Listed features include automatic controller recognition, rewinding, netplay, and shaders. Official builds target Raspberry Pi, Allwinner, iMX6, Amlogic, and 32-bit and 64-bit PC systems. Installation uses USB images specific to the target hardware, and installation instructions cover GNU/Linux, Windows, and MacOS. The PC version is intended for dedicated hardware and does not support virtualization, dual boot, or CD and DVD installation. Users must supply their own ROMs; documentation also covers BIOS files. Netplay requires both players to use the same ROM, and cores without savestate support cannot use it. Lakka is community-driven and open source, and the listed price is free; required hardware is not included. The project says it remains under heavy development, so bugs, missing features, or unsupported hardware may occur.
Maximus Arcade
Maximus Arcade has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.