Lakka vs RetroArch
Lakka
lakka.tvRetroArch
retroarch.comSide by side
| Figure | Lakka | RetroArch |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Sega Genesis Emulators | 8.5 (#4) | 8.3 (#7) |
| Spec score · Emulation Frontends | 8.6 (#5) | 8.4 (#6) |
| Privacy | The Lakka website says it uses no cookies, does not track browsing and does not provide navigation information to third-party analytics. | The privacy policy says third-party vendors including Google use advertising cookies on some of the project’s websites. |
| Purpose | Lakka is a lightweight Linux distribution that transforms a small computer into a retrogaming console. | RetroArch is a frontend for emulators, game engines and media players that runs classic games through a graphical interface with unified settings. |
| Support | Users can get help through the documentation, FAQ, forums, IRC, Discord, and the GitHub bug tracker. | The FAQ directs users to the forums, Discord and documentation for help. |
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.
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.