Retro-Go vs ROCKNIX
Retro-Go
github.comROCKNIX
rocknix.orgSide by side
| Figure | Retro-Go | ROCKNIX |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · TurboGrafx-16 Emulators | 6.5 (#26) | 8.0 (#10) |
| Installation | Users install device-specific firmware or images from the GitHub releases page, using an SD-card flashing flow or USB and esptool depending on the device. | ROCKNIX is installed by downloading a device image, flashing it to an SD card or internal storage, and booting the device. |
| Licensing | The project is licensed under GPLv2 except for the MSX emulator's custom non-commercial license and the Lynx emulator's zlib license. | ROCKNIX build configuration, scripts and embedded utilities are licensed under GNU GPL Version 2, while its branding uses CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. |
Plans
In their own words
ROCKNIX
ROCKNIX is a free, immutable Linux distribution for handheld gaming devices, focused on retro gaming emulation. Installation means downloading a device image, flashing it to an SD card or internal storage, then booting the device. It supports local and remote multiplayer, save states, video filters, in-game touch controls on supported devices, and custom performance and power profiles. Bluetooth audio and controller connections, HDMI and USB audio/video output, and music and video playback are also included. Cloud and LAN synchronization are available through Syncthing and rclone; built-in VPN support covers WireGuard, Tailscale and ZeroTier. ROCKNIX integrates RetroAchievements and automatic game scraping. Achievement support varies by emulator and game and requires an internet connection. Steam and Heroic Games Launcher are supported on arm64. Updates can be installed over the air from EmulationStation or manually with an update tar file. There is no formal support; the project is provided as-is through community help channels. Supported devices are listed in the wiki, and adding a device requires contributed work and direct access to it.