Nexen vs RetroArch
Nexen
github.comRetroArch
retroarch.comSide by side
| Figure | Nexen | RetroArch |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · TurboGrafx-16 Emulators | 7.2 (#21) | 8.4 (#6) |
| Spec score · SNES Emulators | 7.3 (#20) | 8.5 (#4) |
| Spec score · Multi-System Emulators | 7.1 (#47) | 8.3 (#14) |
| Spec score · Game Console Emulators | 7.2 (#33) | 8.4 (#7) |
| License | The project says its additions are released under The Unlicense while the base code remains under GPL v3. | RetroArch uses GPL version 3, while the libretro API uses an MIT license. |
| Multiplayer | Nexen lists netplay multiplayer with rollback as an emulation feature. | Its built-in netplay lobby lets users host or join network gaming sessions and watch through spectator mode. |
Plans
In their own words
Nexen
Nexen is a free, open source multi-system emulator for Windows, Linux, and macOS. It lists eight fully supported systems: NES, SNES, Game Boy and Color, Game Boy Advance, Master System and Game Gear, PC Engine, WonderSwan, and Atari Lynx. CPU and PPU emulation is cycle-accurate, with full coprocessor support listed for several SNES chips. Each game can have unlimited timestamped saves, a visual picker, and 36 rolling checkpoints at five-minute intervals. Movie tools support frame-by-frame recording and playback, rerecording, and imports and exports for BK2, FM2, SMV, LSMV, VBM, and GMV files. A TAS editor provides a piano-roll timeline, undo and redo, greenzone seeking, alternate branches, and Lua scripting. Debugging tools include a disassembler, memory viewer, breakpoints, trace and code/data logging, and a profiler. Nexen also lists rollback netplay and exports symbols, code coverage data, cross-references, and source maps to Pansy for the Flower Toolchain. Sega Genesis, Atari 2600, and Fairchild Channel F support remain in progress.
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.