RetroDECK vs webЯcade
RetroDECK
retrodeck.netwebЯcade
webrcade.comSide by side
| Figure | RetroDECK | webЯcade |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · TurboGrafx-16 Emulators | 7.1 (#23) | 8.2 (#7) |
| Controller support | RetroDECK provides Steam Input controller layouts for devices such as the Steam Deck and external controllers. | Bluetooth and USB gamepads work for both menu navigation and gameplay. |
| Purpose | RetroDECK is an all-in-one retro gaming platform for Linux handhelds, desktops, HTPCs and PC consoles. | webЯcade is a browser-based player for gaming content organized by user-defined feeds. |
| Support | The project directs bug reports to its GitHub issue tracker and guidance requests to its Discord or Matrix community channels. | The project directs users to Discord, GitHub Issues, and GitHub Discussions for community, questions, bug reports, and feature requests. |
| Supported systems | RetroDECK currently supports x86_64 Linux systems, including Steam Deck and Linux desktops; support for additional architectures may be added later. | Official documentation lists Atari, Sega and Nintendo emulators plus engines such as Classic Doom, with application types continuing to expand. |
Plans
In their own words
RetroDECK
RetroDECK is a free retro gaming platform for Linux handhelds, desktops, HTPCs and PC consoles. It packages emulators, engines, ports, clients, utilities and the ES-DE frontend in a preconfigured Flatpak environment. The RetroDECK Configurator handles file compression and management, BIOS validation, preset management and component tuning. Steam ROM Manager and ES-DE favorites integration let users add games to a Steam library, while Steam Input layouts support devices such as Steam Deck and external controllers. RetroDECK can connect to RetroAchievements, and PortMaster provides a continuously updated catalog of downloadable ports. Sandboxing isolates the package components. The software supports x86_64 Linux systems, including Steam Deck and Linux desktops. Games, proprietary BIOS files and firmware are not included, so users must provide legally obtained files where required. Save states and cheat support are available. RetroDECK is volunteer-run software; donations are optional and do not provide perks or early access. The plan costs nothing.
webЯcade
webЯcade is a free, open-source browser-based player for gaming content arranged in user-defined feeds. Games run locally in the browser through JavaScript, WebAssembly and HTML5 gamepad and audio interfaces, rather than being streamed. Its graphical feed editor lets users create feeds without working with the underlying document format, and its ROM analyzer can identify application types, metadata and artwork. Supported categories include emulators and game engines, with examples such as Atari, Nintendo, Sega, Doom, Quake and ScummVM. USB and Bluetooth gamepads work for navigation and gameplay. Most emulator-based applications provide eight save-state slots per game. Optional Dropbox linking can share save data and settings across devices and let the feed editor upload local files; access is restricted to the Dropbox account’s /Apps/webrcade folder. Single-item links can be shared, added to iOS or Android home screens, or embedded in web pages. The project prioritizes popular-content compatibility and lower resource needs over the latest emulator features. It is listed for Android, iOS, macOS, web and Windows.