LaunchBox vs Recalbox

LaunchBox is a game collection frontend and manager for modern PC games and emulated console games. It can import Steam and GOG games, ROM files, and MS-DOS games, then retrieve box art and metadata from its Games Database along with fan art, screenshots, and logos. Collections can be arranged and filtered by genre, platform, ESRB rating, developer, and publisher, with custom status and source fields. The Windows app supports Windows 10 and higher, with Windows 10 and 11 described as fully supported. LaunchBox for Android is free for collections of 100 games or fewer; it shares the games database, media, and portable XML data with Windows, and Windows data can be exported to Android. Premium adds themes, Big Box mode, gamepad automation, startup and pause screens, and display customization. The Regular Windows license costs $30 as a one-time purchase and includes a year of free updates. The maker says Premium is DRM-free and can be deployed to as many personal devices as desired. Windows data can also be moved by copying the app to another folder or computer.

Recalbox is a free, open-source retro gaming system for replaying games from consoles and computers. It advertises support for more than 100 systems and lists online play, save-anytime, rewind, instant save, scraping, overlays, shaders, a virtual keyboard, and multi-system search. Users can build their own system or buy a ready-to-play kit. Downloads are offered for Raspberry Pi, handhelds, PCs, and ODROID boards. The PC download page lists Steam Deck and PC builds at version 10.1.1, plus a 32-bit PC build at 7.2.2-Reloaded. Recalbox is designed to be easy to use, including for beginners. Tutorials, community documentation, a forum, and an FAQ provide support. Patreon supporters can receive early releases, automatic scraping, exclusive playlists and themes, and partner discounts; these features are intended for future free releases. Compatibility information covers supported systems, not every game or device.