OpenEmu vs RetroFE
OpenEmu
openemu.orgRetroFE
retrofe.nlSide by side
| Figure | OpenEmu | RetroFE |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Library Managers | 8.1 (#8) | 7.9 (#13) |
| Spec score · Game launchers | 8.1 (#21) | 8.5 (#15) |
| Purpose | OpenEmu is open-source video game emulation software for Mac. | RetroFE is a front end for displaying, selecting, and launching games, videos, and programs, commonly for game emulation. |
| Security | The GitHub project page displays “Security and quality 0.” | The maker pages opened describe RetroFE as a locally configured front end and do not state security certifications or compliance claims. |
| Support | The project directs users to read its contributing guide before reporting bugs through GitHub Issues or IRC. | The maker describes RetroFE as supported by an active and helpful community and points users to its forums. |
Plans
In their own words
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.
RetroFE
RetroFE is a free, open-source front end for displaying, selecting and launching games, videos and programs, commonly used for game emulation. Collections arrange games and menu items into systems and submenus, and can show media such as box art, screenshots, logos and videos. Layouts set the front end’s appearance, with the option for collections to use their own layouts. Launcher configuration specifies an executable and arguments for starting an emulator, application or game; per-game launcher settings can override a collection’s default. Controls such as up, down, select and back are configured in a controls file. Its game information database can hold details including year, manufacturer, genre and player count. Setup involves editing global settings and controls files, then adding or editing collections. Full releases include a 32-bit Windows executable and a 64-bit Linux executable. Windows requires a recent Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio; some Linux distributions may require compiling from source. macOS users need to compile their own executable. Community-made themes are available for installation in the layouts directory, and the maker points users to forums and describes community support.