Panda3DS vs RetroArch
Panda3DS
panda3ds.comRetroArch
retroarch.comSide by side
| Figure | Panda3DS | 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 | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Console Emulators | 8.3 (#8) | 8.4 (#7) |
| License | The emulator is licensed under GPLv3, while the website is under the MIT License. | RetroArch uses GPL version 3, while the libretro API uses an MIT license. |
| Platforms | Nightly downloads are listed for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android; Linux downloads are AppImages and the Android build is for arm64. | The official downloads page lists Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, web browsers and various game consoles. |
| Purpose | It lets fans play Nintendo 3DS games with enhancements and other features on computers and portable devices. | 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 ask for support or submit ideas through the Discord server, or submit an issue on GitHub. | The FAQ directs users to the forums, Discord and documentation for help. |
Plans
In their own words
Panda3DS
Panda3DS is a free, open-source emulator for Nintendo 3DS games on computers and portable devices. It supports Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android, with Lua scripting, cheats, controller input, support for some system apps, and work-in-progress amiibo support. The project offers automatically updated nightly builds and manually updated stable builds released every few weeks. Desktop builds include an SDL frontend without a GUI and an experimental Qt frontend with a user interface. Panda3DS is still in early development: many games boot, while many do not, and graphics, audio, and usability features can be incomplete. Compatibility information may not always be up to date, and not all games have been tested. Android is also early in development, so compatibility and performance may differ from desktop. Audio support is experimental; the configuration menu is still being developed, and settings must be changed by editing config.toml in a text editor. The emulator is licensed under GPLv3.
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.