Retroarch is seamless and easy until it isn't. There is a big learning curve when you start wanting to customize (get layouts and overlays working across multiple systems as an example). It's really good for handheld Linux systems abd stuff like that but itjust doesn't have the functionality that standalones have. Dolphin has GBA to GC emulation, Drastic has GBA to DS support, Project 64 can emulate the Transfer Pak, mGBA can emulate the e-reader, etc. If you want a UI that is controller friendly or want your games to be organized just use a front end like LaunchBox. It's best to just learn how to utilize both options, but i think the scale tips in favor of standalone
With mobile devices, it’s pretty bad to use retroarch really. Desktop it’s ok but using emulation station with stand alone emulators which give better performance and more settings.
Main thing I use retro arch for is to have neat libraries, saved settings that are easy to make specific for emulator, game etc. and tons of graphical output options and such. Yes I loose features but once you have new thing you have to tweak, once tweaked it stays tweaked until you tweak it again. It is also best thing you can use on modded consoles like PS3 or Switch, which is main birth point for retroarch, it actually was a PS3 aiming project at first hence the XMB UI too.
My biggest problem with Retroarch is that the menu is miserable to navigate with mouse+keyboard. I understand making a controller first UI, but why does the menu not recognize scroll wheel input.
Scroll wheel is recognized in at least XMB UI. I woudl not recommend ozone, but it is default for being touch input friendly as it is mimicking Switch system menu design.
I also tested and mine does work with mouse wheel dunno what is up with people having randomly issue others don't but... That is "the patented retroarch quality" even as user I cannot defend how that is just how it be with retroarch. Some PSvitas have issues others don't. Some have issues on switch others don't and it goes and goes.
@@SumeaBizarro The scroll wheel works for me too. I did have to downgrade my Retroarch install because the update just refused to accept controller inputs, no idea why as it works perfectly fine on another PC.
I’ve never really understood RetroArch. I understand the appeal of offering an all-in-one emulation experience that’s friendly with controllers. But every time I try to use it I just end up getting confused or frustrated and going back to using the individual emulators.
@@YOUTURKEY-t3e I'm sure. I'd honestly be more willing to give it another shot if EmuDeck wasn't ported to Windows recently. I want to try that one next since it just adds emulator games to Steam.
Its a shame that a lot of young people today don't know what a filesystem is since they grew up using phones. It's so limiting. Companies have been trying for years to eliminate users managing their own files and it's sad that this is how they achieved it. Don't store you own data trust us! What's the worst that can happen?!
as an IT, I've been working in schools recently and found that ChromeOS is used even in computer labs, mindblowing to me. You would think that computer literacy would become more common with time, but it seems like the opposite is the case, due to the simplicity of managing ChromeOS from an administrator's perspective, the cheap price and relative durability of Chromebooks, and the lacking tech literacy of school admins and teachers.
I just wanted to say before my comment gets buried that your videos have helped me a ton when it comes to what i like in retro gaming. Without your videos i wouldve never been into things like crt shaders which has greatly improved my gaming experience. Thank you for putting as much effort as you do into these videos
Finally someone called out their bullshit, The reason why duckstation is no longer open source is because of retroarch staff treating other emu developers like crap. That's why I vowed to never use retroarch, and use the original emulators. Literally the FTX of game emulation
Why even let Steam run in the background while emulating in the first place? The first thing I always do is set off Steams Autostart. It will never interfere.
I hate how in retroarch I have to go trough a quintillion menus for the simplest of stuff but game-breaking settings are the first things available, the quest to simplify emulators (which if you have two neurons it is already simple I have been emulating since I was 7 in 2005)has led us to a piece of software that has useless functions for the emualtor you pick,bloated to hell and back and a community so devoted to the trash interface and its "simple usage", its INSANE how they forgot that retroarch and their sleazy "devs" almost killed Duckstations development last year. this is why i just stopped wasting time with retroarch and picked my emulators and learned them well, this way I know what I'm doing and why I am doing it with absolute clarity and knowing nothing I do in one will ruin the rest. -Nintendo:I know all their ins and outs and I can run anything I want with full control of their simple dedicated options NES/SNES/GB/GBC=MESEN N64(I Dont play it but if I ever wanted I have it)=RMG GC/WII=Dolphin GBA=mGBA NDS=i tend to pivot between melon and desmume -Sony:Same as nintendo PSX=DuckStation PS2=PCSX2 PS3=RPCS3
I only use RetroArch for some Consoles like: N64, SNES / NES, Dreamcast... But here is what I don't like using on RetroArch: PS2 > PCSX2, PS1 > DuckStation
Mesen and Mesen-S (older versions that are separate exe's) and Parallel Launcher satisfy my needs. I try to stay away from Retroarch because it's so tedious and complicated.
Also with RetroArch vs the standalone Emulator the emulation cores that represents the emulators can be behind in terms of development vs the the actual standalone emulator as well which is another negative thing against RetroArch. Also some of the standalone emulators already have individual game settings just like RetroArch such as DuckStation, Dolphin and PCX2 to name a few.
My first experience with Retroarch on PC was pretty bad. After downloading and extracting to the folder, I tried to play an OoT randomizer seed I had made and found that Retroarch was picking up my analog stick movement backwards in the game. So moving up would move me down, and moving left would move me right for instance. I tried everything I could to fix the problem, and the only thing I managed to do was mess up the controls in the menu too. I ended up deleting the Retroarch folder and re-extracting it, and ended up encountering the same issue with the controls being messed up in the game AND the menu still. I never did figure out what was causing the issue because the controller worked in everything else, so it had to be Retroarch. Somehow the borked settings persisted through a deletion. I thought perhaps there was a folder in appdata or something that it saved settings to, but at the time "Everything" found nothing when searching for it. That would only leave the registry left. It would be pretty strange for it to save settings to the registry though. In comparison, every standalone emulator I have used has required little to no configuration to work. To be fair, I did end up using Retroarch again some time later and it worked fine at the time. Same controller, so I guess the version I downloaded previously must have had a bug with controllers or something. But even then, I prefer if I can avoid Retroarch. Standalone emulattors typically work with little to no configuration required and you only need to do it once typically. Whereas I found that every time I need to use Retroarrch, I have to reset one or more settings for it to work properly. And often times it forgets per-game and per-core settings too which defeats the purpose imo.
For me, I’ve always preferred using Mesen and Mesen-S for my NES and SNES emulation, but since Sour merged them into the Mesen2 emulator, I’m even happier. It even has PC-Engine support as well as GB and GBC.
I think RetroArch covers from the basic to advanced user no doubt. Like any other software tool, you need to spend at least 10 - 20 minutes on a tutorial video of how to use it. PC is not a friendly environment, you want something simple, get a console like a sega genesis and you're good to go, multicard(FlashCard) are very affordable per say, and you just need to insert your game and go for it. Most of the people who choose the path of emulation want to experience something they don't actually own, it would be naive to say otherwise. The price to get it need to be paid. So emulation configuration is the price... After 10 minutes using RetroArch most of the people I know can figure out the tool, it is not Rock Science...
Two problems with retroarch. First… stand-alone emulators are extremely more up to date than their cores. Second… unfortunately… the best crt shader, mega bezel, is only available in there.
@@quas3728 truly awful. What were they thinking lmao It’s not even hard to make a good controller setup menu, just copy the way emulators like CEMU or Ryujinx do it…
frontend like Launch Box and Playnite & Standalone emulator's combo is the most convinient ones. I don't understand why people even prefer Retroarch over frontend + standalone. because frontend's UI is so clean and it is way more easier to use than retroarch. also I love random game picker feature. the organize is easier too. and it still uses standalone emulator.
I love RA aside from the outdated cores, so I did find this video pretty harsh. I think anyone truly interested in emulation would be able to figure it out, it's just a learning process like anything technical is. It's a cakewalk compared to trying to learn how a game engine like Unity works from scratch. Also maybe this is a hot take, but emulation should be an underground thing for enthusiasts anyway. I couldn't really care less if Joe Normie the casual console gamer who doesn't even know what a refresh rate is can't figure out something as basic as emulation settings and integer scale. If they truly cared, they would be happy to educate themselves or learn by trial and error like the rest of us.
@@HJHawley7677 Learning how to tinker with a program and understanding its features is an important part of the enjoyment of emulation in my opinion. Let me give you an example. Your comment uses proper grammar, right? That's because you took the time to learn it. Maybe sometimes you made mistakes when you first learned how to write. But in the end, you figured it out because you cared about being able to communicate properly through text. I think you know where I'm going, so I'll respect your intelligence and let you figure it out.
@@TiwillI see where you’re trying to go, I’m saying it’s condescending and silly. Bad UI ≠ better options for tinkering. PCSX2 has loads of options that are fun to tinker with and they’re fun to mess with, AND they’re intuitive to use. Anyway, your original point seemed to imply that people who struggle to wrestle with bad UI don’t “deserve” to enjoy retro games and if you don’t see why that’s a snobby position I don’t see much of a point trying to convince you.
@@HJHawley7677 It could be subjective, but I don't find RA's UI to be "bad". Standalone emus tend to have better controller configuration screens, but RA automatically configures your controller when you first plug it in, so most people shouldn't have to touch anything. Basically, after you pick a core and import your games, you're good to go. That's no different from standalone emus. So why is it a problem that it has a lot of settings? If they seem too complex, don't touch 'em. Even if you can't figure it out, there should be tutorials on the internet to help you out, and this video could have been one. Instead of complaining, he could have shared what he learned. I'm not trying to say people don't "deserve" emulation, but if someone expects a one-button plug & play experience because they just want free games, they're not in it for the right reasons.
Me personally I like to store my ROMs and emulators in seperate folders, makes it less of a hassle if decide to switch emulators, especially since I run my games through Launchbox
I was really looking forward to this one. I've always hated Retroarch and its garbage UI since it started trending and my friends would act like I was crazy. The amount of superfluous options that can likely break things or not do what you want or expect them to do makes for such a bloated, feature creep, headache inducing interface. I long for the day in which the handful of handy exclusive features like run ahead and shaders become easily usable across the board without the need for Retroarch so that it can be rendered truly obsolete, at least on desktop machines.
Eh. I'm competent enough to use Retroarch for most things. I tend to use standalone emulators for systems with more unique control schemes(IE connecting a Wii Remote to Dolphin)
It’s such a shame there are some really awesome shaders on retroarch. If it weren’t for that I wouldn’t use it at all. Retroarch reminds me of those multi-tools you see advertised on tv. They do a lot sure but break easily and you’re better off just using specific tools for specific jobs.
I think Retroarch is not that bad as you said, anyway I am using it with ps1 or older, you don't have to use HDR with CRT-Guest-Advanced which is the best so far, also you can play online with netplay in Retroarch
I use Retroarch on my phone (yes, I know) and standalone emulators on my PC. I wanted to play slow paced Gameboy games on my phone, for which a virtual controller should be fine, I thought. Android support for standalone emulators is sometimes only done through Retroarch, anyway. So I really hate Retroarch lol. I had to spend a lot of time searching and researching just to disable diagonal inputs on the virtual controller! It was in some really weird place, and also gave you a menu with 1000000 gradual options for diagonals sensitivity (of which i clicked 0). Why was it like that! The menus are so clunky! I still have a bunch of superfluous shoulder buttons on my virtual controller, because i can't be bothered with the menus. A Gameboy doesn't need an R3 button, but i can leave it. . Also, when looking for free games, use Yandex and not Google or Bing. Pro tip.
Linux user here. As much as I hate Retroarch's UI and would prefer to use a standalone emulator, I started using it simply because for this operating system I couldn't find a standalone NES emulator with acceptable input latency. My test was just whether I could dodge Mr. Sandman's uppercuts in Punch-Out, on Nestopia on Windows I could do it easily but on linux I needed to tinker with Retroarch's video synchronisation settings since every other standalone emulator I tried was just too laggy. When I was still on windows months ago I also preferred using standalone emulators for their convenience. Now it's a mix between Retroarch and standalone since other solutions don't work well enough for me.
Yeah. Retroarch also launches to emulators/cores much more neatly on Linux versus Windows, you have that upper hand. Windows you stare at desktop thinking is it thinking or did it die again.
I have a server and multiple computers i like standalone emulators but many standalone doesnt support remote installs or install staff on a per computer folder like app data files retroarch assures me some emulators are remote and easy to backup wen stuff goes wrong. I ve ben in emulation scene since forever i had a pc cd that was a emulator with front end i fought was a pc colection of games i has retroach on my iphone 6 before the ios 11 broke 3d compatbility so maybe thats wy i am so used to the clunkyness on retroarch but its true i have a friend that is used to dealing with pc. And windows issue and he cant just cant use retroach even tough he tried many times and i mean many
retroarch is a total waste of time. any convenience you get from "consolidating" in retroarch is completely invalidated by the awful user interface, terrible file navigation, and atrocious design language. it's awful. if you want to use it on your desktop, you're fucked. pick up a controller and use it that way, and if you don't have one, enjoy suffering. it's literally faster to have the multiple emulators that retroarch and other multi-platform emulators claim to replace. look at it this way: you're only using one emulator at a time. why do you need one that can emulate everything? to over-complicate the experience?
Yeah Retroarch is kind of a mess. I mostly use it for 2D stuff with shaders and stick to stand alone emulators for the more advanced 3D systems where I can just crank up the resolution.
Arcade emulation is also slightly nicer on retroarch thanks to easier ... easier, not easy as apple pie individual setups per game, but what you say is what I do too. Though I still play actual PS2 more than emulate it, but PS1, hell yeah. though I retroarch that.
I felt like I was the only one who thought RetroArch was overly complicated. I tried setting it up multiple times on my PC and on my Xbox Series X in Dev mode and it was a huge pain in the butt. I finally do have RetroArch set up on my Xbox because as of now it's basically the only way to play N64, Saturn and pre-SNES, but what I wouldn't give to get Ares instead on the console. This video was cathartic to watch for me.
Heck I made like a fifteen bible long comment defending retroarch against some stuff said in this video but initial shock against retroarch is absolutely a damn learning curve you could use as unusual psychological torture in right setting. Put your friend into a saw trap and give him ten minutes to setup retroarch for the first time in their life and you have a dead friend for sure. Still, once it is setup, or your emulator, or your game specific tweaks, they usually stick and hopefully stay that way until you have to wipe them because retroarch loosened itself on the floor again. But for me, retroarch is thing I have on a Switch, on a 3DS (standalones on 3DS are better though, RA is good only for things without standalone on 3DS), Vita and PS3, and also PC because I already committed to it like a two way abusive relationship.
RetroArch really should just have a "simple" mode that trims out all the fat, cuz right off the bat it's already pretty compatible and doesn't need that much configuring other than a controller
At least XMB UI mode, though all of them IIRC give you option to hide, essentially remove menu elements, so you can customize that. There is also "Kiosk mode" you can enable that locks the thing down to "simple mode" basically that needs a passcode or manual config edit to get out of, mainly for child proof, or say, public lounge arcade machine etc setups.
Only a mixture of the two will cover all bases. Sometimes standalone is better, but other times it is better with the cores in RA. Whatever works is what I'm interested in.
Sadly this is true. I avoid RA when I can but for some systems the best emulator by far is stuck as a RA core. I wish there was a better up-to-date standalone for Genesis, for example
I love using Retroarch for everything up to PS2. However it did require a lot of setup and would not recommend if you just wanna play a game. If you want a nicely curated library Retroarch does the job for me. I guess I am just a big nerd because I like and understand all the options even if the UI isn't perfect.
Aye, same. Would not claim it is not a learning curve but I supported less willing friends through it who like simplicity and shaders of set up Retroarch. Especially if you say, slap a arcade stick on your desk where your keyboard used to be and do not even want to access your mouse and keyboard.
For years it was Kega Fusion, ZSNES (or Snes9x or BSNES), VBA, and Win Kawaks for Sega Genesis, SNES, GBA, and Neo Geo. Today I'm perfectly fine with Retro Arch and its cores on Linux. Works great for me. And, yes, I'm a tinkerer (Linux duh), and it's candyland for me.
As a weird Linux guy, I ended up just writing a script that creates .desktop files to launch games in Retroarch (because I'm a shader whore). It basically went something like, _if this directory is called NES, create a desktop file for each file inside that tells Retroarch's NES core to load this ROM_ After that, I configured Retroarch to close when I closed my game. So I technically use Retroarch, but I spent something like six hours learning intermediate BASH scripting to not have to use that garbage UI ever again.
@@BoxedWater123 Preference, mostly. I'm not a fan of fullscreen frontends like EmulationStation and Launchbox. And they're just weird in windowed mode.
When I used Retroarch with EmuDeck for a few weeks, it was so complicated I never there was a difference between the Retroarch controls and the Emulator’s controls so I reset my controls so often. Some of the filters and shaders were neat to play with Kirby 64, but no thanks I’ll rather play using the standalone Mupen64Plus-Next launcher or ares. Also based Hydro Station music pick.
Retroarch is terrible. The UI is one of the worst UIs I've ever seen, it's a chore to setup, it's unnecessarily confusing, performance is never as good as standalone emulators, and they are shitting up the scene.
"Emulators vs Emulator Frontend"? I feel like the video title would've been better "Standalone Emulators vs Retroarch." Capcom Arcade Stadiums were such a good deal, plagued with weird/missing standard emulation options, and, final nail in the coffin, extremely shifty Russian DRM patched into them after release. The latter one was such a dealbreaker that I uninstalled all my Capcom games on Steam and refuse to even look at any more of their titles, old or new.
the irony of retroarch is that people pick it because they want an easy all-in-one solution, only to end up with an insanely complex piece of software that you can tinker with and look up settings and have people explain everything to you for years and still don't understand what half the settings _actually_ do.
I hate how in retroarch I have to go trough a quintillion menus for the simplest of stuff but game-breaking settings are the first things available, the quest to simplify emulators (which if you have two neurons it is already simple I have been emulating since I was 7 in 2005)has led us to a piece of software that has useless functions for the emualtor you pick,bloated to hell and back and a community so devoted to the trash interface and its "simple usage", its INSANE how they forgot that retroarch and their sleazy "devs" almost killed Duckstations development last year. this is why i just stopped wasting time with retroarch and picked my emulators and learned them well, this way I know what I'm doing and why I am doing it with absolute clarity and knowing nothing I do in one will ruin the rest. -Nintendo:I know all their ins and outs and I can run anything I want with full control of their simple dedicated options NES/SNES/GB/GBC=MESEN N64(I Dont play it but if I ever wanted I have it)=RMG GC/WII=Dolphin GBA=mGBA NDS=i tend to pivot between melon and desmume -Sony:Same as nintendo PSX=DuckStation PS2=PCSX2 PS3=RPCS3
I actually can explain likely every setting in retroarch but it would be a lot of text. It is not hard to understand but it has a lot. I as user of it, recommend absolutely skinning down useless features and menu options down to relevant.
not going to argue that the retroarch ozone UI isnt flawed but this video feels very loaded- considering that its designed to be cross-platform having the options to tailor it to the huge range of hardware it runs on seems plenty warranted
hating on RA has been the cool thing in retro and emulation circles for a while. It's like people don't understand the concept of tradeoffs. They don't understand what RA brought to the table that other emulators didn't and they'd rather have a Windows style UI than useful features that actually affect playability (not just performance)
Absolutely this. I use Retroarch on PC but I have the setup because I like the concept, and had to get used to it on PS3, Switch, Vita and Wii U. I made much longer more rambling comment about these complaints, especially mentioning keyboard and mouse repeatedly like people's switch or xbox runs linux or something. There is also lot of skill issue complaints because for me, mouse works fully in ozone menu on PC. It also works with the switch touchscreen. Forgot did they get Vita's implemented yet but last try I had was nope.
@@guillermo9171 Dealing with emulation since the early 00's made me love everything that RA brings to the table. Its hard not to no use it BECAUSE of all the options
@@guillermo9171what does it bring to the table? i've been emulating for over a decade and every RA experience has been miserable. it's terribly designed, on every platform i've used it on. it over-complicates a simple experience because it claims to do everything, so it ends up sucking at it all. in the time it takes to set up "cores" i can install a standalone emulator and have my game loaded.
@@guillermo9171 I disliked the project at the start pre pandemic because I didn't know how to use it. Same w/ MPV & then I figured out how to use it & there is a lot of cool features I wish that were other emulators. If the features I need aren't on RA, I use something else. I don't know why people complaining so much, you have options. Options are always good.
So on point with what you said about Retroarch. Thankfully Emudeck has changed the game and made it so much easier to enjoy emulation as seamlessly as possible.
9:03 this doesnt suprise me with my one interaction on discord with them. They were extremely rude and condescending while also answer questions in the most convoluted way possible
I get being overwhelmed by the number of options and settings, but its one of the reasons I use it. It makes it easier to play on a crt or any other kind screen and setting up specific controllers to each core a breeze. It would be a nightmare if it didnt have all that. It already is with some standalone emulators that dont give you all those options
Full disclosure, haven't watched the video, but I HATE RETROARCH SO MUCH!! Controls often suck ass, it's like strangely laggy in the menu, once the game actually loads it's fine but sometimes I'll encounter some dumbass bug and take ages to search through the menus or use guides online to fix it. I much prefer putting my games into the window and double clicking to open it. (Tho I will say, I like how Retroarch has linear scaling as a system-wide option. Some emulators straight up don't have that as an option.)
This is weird to me, because for one, I've never bothered with more than controller setups in RetroArch, and I've never needed to finagle any video settings. It seems like Windows users really love to fidget with every setting whether they know what it does or not, and I don't get it. Just open it up and play and if it works you're done. As far as turning menu items on or off, I'd wager that was intended more for the distributors of those piracy devices that actually come with roms preinstalled. I also don't get the CRT filters. I play with an emulator instead of the original equipment, both for convenience and because I want the games to look good. I hated using a CRT when I was a kid and can't stand the degradation in image quality when using a filter. As far as pirating stuff is concerned, legal or not, I don't consider it piracy to download a rom as long as you own a copy of the game. With some, you're fine to copy things yourself, such as PS1 and PS2 games which my computer DVD drive can read with zero issues, but I don't have a copier for Genesis games and I think if the law prevents you from downloading the roms the law is wrong. As far as updates for emulator cores, I don't see that as a problem for old systems which probably don't need updating anyway. Also, if you use RetroArch on a Raspberry Pi, I personally feel like it's the best option because it compiles from source without any issues and if you set it up to autologin and run RetroArch on startup, then you can just use it like you would a console. I've got one of those clicky interrupter switches embedded in the power brick for my Pi, so I just click that and it starts up. Hit the center button on my controller and away I go. However, I'm willing to admit that it's probably easier for me than it would be for an ordinary user because I also program. Back when I first started using a Pi, the emulator I used for PS1 games, Pcsx-Rearmed, didn't even recognize my controller, which is a cheap Android device, so I had to write code to recognize it, and I even added some reconfiguration stuff so I could use Halo-style controls with the PS1 Doom. So yeah, my experiences are not likely to be anyone else's, but I will say that I haven't had to edit the code for RetroArch at all since I've been using it.
I use retrobat. The easiest and user friendly front end comes with retroarch and emulation station fusion basically using both. Scraper just make an account and your all set all ROM folders are ready to have your favorite titles put in them. And just plug a wireless controller and your all set!
I use something similar to Launchbox for all my games called Playnite, which can group together games of all sorts:emulated from retroarch, PCSX2 and Dolphin, games from Steam, Epic, GOG, Ubisoft connect and even generic windows games
Retroarch is for enthusiasts not for people who dont know how to get into their steam folder without steams assistance. Still think they can learn if they really wanted to but it being somewhat difficult to learn isn't too bad. The shaders are amazing too and easy to fiddle with. Early 3D looks like shit all sharp. You can at least get someway to mimicking crt well enough.
The issue w/ Retroarch is that people want a plugin & play type experience, and it ain't that. It's a power-user program more like MPV. Stop suggesting it to those people, and give them the equivolent of VLC
LOL you're realizing what I realized over 10 years ago Retroarch is complicated. 2 years ago I decided to learn it and since I did I've since mastered it and it is not nearly as complicated as it used to be and it is my go to emulator hub for 8-16 bit games. For 32-128 bit I prefer stand alone emulators because they usually get higher faps.
Can you get more info on what relation Retroarch has to do with Near's death? As far as I could find in 15 minutes of searching, the harassment was from KF users and I found nothing pertaining to Retroarch other than an announcement? And uh, that's kind of a really big responsibility to put on someone, so I'd like some evidence? Like, a bit more digging around and there's plenty of proof of TwinApex being abusive to all sorts of people, but I haven't seen anything tying them to Near yet. This video did prompt me to do enough of my own searching that I no longer intend to develop using the libretro core and has me considering dropping RetroArch altogether, but the haste of blaming Retroarch for Near's death with seemingly no sources cited that corroborate that kinda make me think I shouldn't have too much trust in the video content.
Same problems retroarch can have, stand alone emulators can have it to, the problem is that every PC is so diferent one from another that your issues with retroarch, ar almost as personal as issues other people can have with stand alone emulators, so any route one takes, is a rout filled with problems, configuration files, managing windows files systems as sutch, i use retroarch more as i see the convenience to have everything in one place, at least until dreamcast, gamecube and wii era, as other newer emulators like rpcs3, vita 3k or even ryujinx, have their own internal file storing where you have to literally install the games on it (i know rpcs3 also manage isos, but updates, and DLC have t be installed, and ryujinx can manage separate packaged files), but this is the thing.....there is no ultimate easy solution to have the perfect emulation eviroment, because even chinese consoles with preinstalled and preconfigured emulation station (that in the end is retroarch with beauty makeup), have their issues, and configure RPCS3 to work, o xenia (xbox360) is a pain in the ass. Retroarch is not perfect but standoalone emulators are not perfect either.
Despite people hating Retroarch, it's my favorite and go to emulator. I hardly even use the other ones. I've gotten so used to it that I just can't use the other emulators. Except for Dolphin. Thats the only outside emulator I would use. It's pretty easy for me to use. I've just gotten so used to it. As for finding my roms, its not even hard. I have a separate drive where I can easily find them. It's all organized. As for shaders, I used to use them before I just bought a CRT and hooked my computer for it. In my opinion, I don't think its too hard to get used to. You just gotta use it.
You have to realize some people want program to just play games. Someone said this a plug & play experience (am I right?) & RA isn't really offering that. It's providing a program that allows u to tinker w/ things. In era of computer illteracy, this is a big hurdle to cross. A lot of frustration is that.
@@Zetrain This is a good take. I guess for some it is indeed plug and play. I tinkered so much in Retroarch. I kind of wish the video touched more on that. There are some things that Retroarch offers that some stand-alone emulators don't have.
In my opinion i hate retroarch i pefer using standalone emulators over using retroarch any day of the week only reason i even use retroarch at all is due to retroachevements
This video is a little bit too focused on PC in my opinion, repeating how keyboard and mouse and stuff is superior, but retroarch is multiplatform project aimed especially towards consoles and console like setups, where you do not have keyboard and mouse. The balancing act of powerful enthusiast options in a menu that you can use with your controller is introducing bloated menus, that you can cut off in options to what you personally need. Also, XMB GUI is partially usable with mouse, and my 2 minute test on steam with Ozone UI show that is FULLY mouse supported. Maybe you had option for mouse navigation turned off? The GUI is based off Switch and made mainly for such device that might have both touchscreens and controllers, since it liberally steals from nintendo switch. Confusing labeling and having to learn a whole new language with the GUI of retroarch I agree with, but it is also best thing I can use on my switch, PSVita, PS3 and PC and cross pollinate my game lists and saves around rather easily between devices. This video to me misses the point of retroarch and then complains about the point of retroarch. It is also weird to complain about too many menu options and then complain about the power to do something about it. It is possible because you can do it. Kiosk mode is there to make it not possible if you do not want someone else to fuck it up. I cannot evangelize much about nicely setup retroarch on many systems, but I like the playlist and graphical approach to retro games it brings, and the main system I use it on, Switch, as other modded consoles, it absolutely best option for many target systems. I agree it could be less clunky and devs could be less of arse about it, aside many other silly small bugs that tend to linger for way too many updates . But it is a specific thing for specific type of device, setup or taste, and understanding that even if you are not the target would minimize useless complaints. Retroarch has it's set of strengths, that you do not care about and are not target for, and weaknesses that you stress slightly too strongly. But I have been a self trained retroarch user. Pointing out retroarch UI ligma is like pointing out terminal ligma to long time Linux user. Way too used to it and even grown a tastebud for some things. I myself, on PC, like that I setup retroarch and emulators I use once and they stay that way, and it is relatively easy to do game or emulator specific tweaks and save them. Different shader, background, audio processing whatever per game, emulator or folder you can tweak and save it specifically for X and hopefully never touch it again. Or become a retroarch tweaker addict that indeed is a fate worse than death or actual substance abuse, don't ask I am recovering.
Retroarch is ass. I respect the concept, and it's great for getting emulators on new platforms before they actually get ported, but the UI is garbo and performance takes a big hit using libretro instead of native code. I really only use it for a handful of specific games, where I want to use a shader but can't use ReShade for one reason or another.
Mega Bezels Project. That's the only reason I wanted to use Retroarch. But it's way to bothersome to do so. I use standalone emulators to play my totally not illegally procured roms collection.
I agree with how complicated and convoluted RetroArch can be. Standalone emulators are not "couch friendly" so I installed Batocera Linux. It has awesome cover art, and it's basically a huge frontend for RetroArch. It can boot from a USB stick so you can take it anywhere. Most often it can automatically configure your controllers for you, leaving out all the hassle work. It also typically uses the best settings available for any given emulator, but you can change it very easily (even with a controller, no mouse/keyboard required) in their menu system. I have also found that controllers respond better using Batocera vs. Windows. Probably something to do with Linux being more lean and mean.
There are two main reasons why I use RetroArch for most emulation. One is the thumbnails on the playlist view, being able to neatly view the games I boot up like that just feels nice. Which is why I don't use RetroArch for my GC/Wii/PSX and PS2 games, their emulators already have that feature. Second reason is because of Retro Achievements, I feel like it has the best integration towards the site based on the graphics and sound when you unlock a trophy and the progress view is better here than in other supported emulators (again not counting the ones towards GC etc.)
My gripes with RA: - Too bloated. It has an entire (somewhat hidden) Qt desktop UI, aside from the UI you get. It doubles the size of the emulator and no one ever uses it. You gotta compile it yourself with no Qt GUI if you don't want it. - Crashes, it has no error handling. - When it crashes, you lose your SRAM, yep, saves gone, this is by default, you can setup a timer to write SRAM to disk every 10 seconds or so. Also your configurations changes are gone too. - Too many crashes. - Menus upon menus, I can navigate them but cmon - Quick Settings, this is the biggest beginner trap ever, it holds the emulator core settings. - Two different input menus, one in the main menu to map your controllers then one in quick settings to map your mapped controllers to the console mappings. The only reason I like it that you can set it up once and use it for every system, set your shaders up and controller, play any game. Like FB Neo is annoying to setup controllers and visuals.
24:05 Wait, what’s the beef with reshade? I’ll admit I get lost in all the shaders at times but I’ve had no where near the frustrations as what you’re describing.
well I do use reshade for PS2 (pcsx2) to add CRT-Guest-Advanced shader, it's not perfect and it's has many bugs and problems, and the setup is more painful that anything he mention in the video, also it can't detect resolution change but that maybe not a problem in PS2, but it's a problem in PS1
Bullying, abuse, not keeping up with newer versions, forking from open source emus and screwing up the core, users coming at the emu dev for old outdated crap in Retroarch or their own hacked up version, ya there are lots of reasons the actual emu devs doing the hard work (a front end is much easier by any stretch of the imagination). But perhaps the worst part is that Retroarch makes money. They don't do it for free. Unlike the emu devs who do give away the actual emulators, doing the hard work, with no compensation. If Retroarch tracked what cores were used and engaged in profit sharing then that would be a good thing. The alternative is talented emu devs (and there aren't as many as you think making these games playable today) is either exiting entirely, or releasing closed source emus. So no one benefits from their research. Either way everyone loses.
I only use Retroarch, just because RetroAchievements. Otherwise, I already have my list of favorite emulators for each system. They are even more easy to setup than Retroarch.
FINALLY, someone actually knocked RetroArch down a peg. Almost no RUclipsrs ever bring up just how bloated in features and random crap it really is, especially for just basic ease of use. I just hate how so many options could be in any 5 different places, or having to mess with a controller config for both RetroArch AND the core, having to juggle custom configs for each game that aren’t obvious what you changed, and that you can’t even edit them in the menu without being in a game. And half the time, those cores for more complex systems are just super out of date, and with little hope that they’ll ever get fixed. Oh and get this, I somehow got RetroArch in a state where the in-game menu could run in the background, and the game would run FASTER when the menu is up! Fuck. RetroArch.
@@lostsektorwhat do you mean about pcsx2? Oh okay it'll be outdated, it'll be fine in a few years I hope(like the "complex" emulators will atleast get updated to a fairly competent version)
Most of the stand alone emulators that you liked best have their UI made with something called QT. The CRT shaders and the Mednafen cores (Beetle) are the main reason why to use Retroarch since using Mednafen by itself is a nightmare.
@@alicevioleta3184 I only use it as Beetle cores on RetroArch because even using the stand alone version of Mednafen with frontends is a pain as these don't help much and lack features.
The most important thing of RetroArch are the high quality overlays. That basically makes RA a must for correct 2D Gaming. The shaders on HDR Oled TVs are just mindblowing!
You're absolutely right about retroarch, but I love it on my switch. There's switch homebrew that lets you use other bluetooth controllers (such as PS4) on switch, so syncing new controllers is seamless. Still a pain in the ass to set up retroarch itself, but when it's done, I have one organized list of every system until the dreamcast (dreamcast runs surprisingly well). Especially nice for playing with friends. I'll still use DuckStation for PS1 on switch though.
I will say I am glad that EMUVR uses RetroArch as its very simple to interface with the multiple consoles and for the entire system library backups sources i found have been a Godsend. Especially after the 3DS and Xbox 360 eshops both being closed
MiSTer FPGA has been a game changer for me. So much more streamlined than any PC emulator. Unfortunately, that doesn't cover GameCube/PS2 and onward, so that's when I need to delve back into this hellscape.
![Tee Grizzley - Blow for Blow (feat. J. Cole) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/wNLN5xsx5dc/mqdefault.jpg)
Retroarch is seamless and easy until it isn't. There is a big learning curve when you start wanting to customize (get layouts and overlays working across multiple systems as an example). It's really good for handheld Linux systems abd stuff like that but itjust doesn't have the functionality that standalones have. Dolphin has GBA to GC emulation, Drastic has GBA to DS support, Project 64 can emulate the Transfer Pak, mGBA can emulate the e-reader, etc. If you want a UI that is controller friendly or want your games to be organized just use a front end like LaunchBox. It's best to just learn how to utilize both options, but i think the scale tips in favor of standalone
With mobile devices, it’s pretty bad to use retroarch really. Desktop it’s ok but using emulation station with stand alone emulators which give better performance and more settings.
Main thing I use retro arch for is to have neat libraries, saved settings that are easy to make specific for emulator, game etc. and tons of graphical output options and such. Yes I loose features but once you have new thing you have to tweak, once tweaked it stays tweaked until you tweak it again. It is also best thing you can use on modded consoles like PS3 or Switch, which is main birth point for retroarch, it actually was a PS3 aiming project at first hence the XMB UI too.
0:53 Bro took a page from Nerrel’s book.
Smart
I still have nightmares about that Star Wars video...
DUDE I WAS THINKING THE SAME THING! As soon as that bit came up I was like "Damn, didn't realize I was watching Nerrel all of a sudden".
My biggest problem with Retroarch is that the menu is miserable to navigate with mouse+keyboard. I understand making a controller first UI, but why does the menu not recognize scroll wheel input.
You pretty much need to use the psp like ui to have somthing usable. All the others seem hard to use.
Scroll wheel is recognized in at least XMB UI. I woudl not recommend ozone, but it is default for being touch input friendly as it is mimicking Switch system menu design.
I also tested and mine does work with mouse wheel dunno what is up with people having randomly issue others don't but... That is "the patented retroarch quality" even as user I cannot defend how that is just how it be with retroarch. Some PSvitas have issues others don't. Some have issues on switch others don't and it goes and goes.
@@SumeaBizarroxmb is the best design ever created, I genuinely am baffled of how many people don't even know of it's existence nowadays
@@SumeaBizarro The scroll wheel works for me too. I did have to downgrade my Retroarch install because the update just refused to accept controller inputs, no idea why as it works perfectly fine on another PC.
I’ve never really understood RetroArch. I understand the appeal of offering an all-in-one emulation experience that’s friendly with controllers. But every time I try to use it I just end up getting confused or frustrated and going back to using the individual emulators.
I'm using RetroArch right now it has its ups and downs but when you get the hang of it it Is really handy to use.
@@YOUTURKEY-t3e I'm sure. I'd honestly be more willing to give it another shot if EmuDeck wasn't ported to Windows recently. I want to try that one next since it just adds emulator games to Steam.
Its a shame that a lot of young people today don't know what a filesystem is since they grew up using phones. It's so limiting. Companies have been trying for years to eliminate users managing their own files and it's sad that this is how they achieved it. Don't store you own data trust us! What's the worst that can happen?!
Digital literacy among kids & young adults has got to be at an all time low
@@HJHawley7677 unfortunately true
as an IT, I've been working in schools recently and found that ChromeOS is used even in computer labs, mindblowing to me. You would think that computer literacy would become more common with time, but it seems like the opposite is the case, due to the simplicity of managing ChromeOS from an administrator's perspective, the cheap price and relative durability of Chromebooks, and the lacking tech literacy of school admins and teachers.
I just wanted to say before my comment gets buried that your videos have helped me a ton when it comes to what i like in retro gaming. Without your videos i wouldve never been into things like crt shaders which has greatly improved my gaming experience. Thank you for putting as much effort as you do into these videos
Good job your comment is on the top of the pile
19:00 "why is this even possible?" For the same reason that I can delete the bootloader on Linux.
Finally someone called out their bullshit, The reason why duckstation is no longer open source is because of retroarch staff treating other emu developers like crap. That's why I vowed to never use retroarch, and use the original emulators. Literally the FTX of game emulation
Duckstation is still Open Sourced...
I really don't like the ui in Retroarch either. I much prefer the standard drop down menus to access setting in standalone emulators
I need a full edit of Pirates of the Caribbean now
Why even let Steam run in the background while emulating in the first place? The first thing I always do is set off Steams Autostart. It will never interfere.
I hate how in retroarch I have to go trough a quintillion menus for the simplest of stuff but game-breaking settings are the first things available, the quest to simplify emulators (which if you have two neurons it is already simple I have been emulating since I was 7 in 2005)has led us to a piece of software that has useless functions for the emualtor you pick,bloated to hell and back and a community so devoted to the trash interface and its "simple usage", its INSANE how they forgot that retroarch and their sleazy "devs" almost killed Duckstations development last year.
this is why i just stopped wasting time with retroarch and picked my emulators and learned them well, this way I know what I'm doing and why I am doing it with absolute clarity and knowing nothing I do in one will ruin the rest.
-Nintendo:I know all their ins and outs and I can run anything I want with full control of their simple dedicated options
NES/SNES/GB/GBC=MESEN
N64(I Dont play it but if I ever wanted I have it)=RMG
GC/WII=Dolphin
GBA=mGBA
NDS=i tend to pivot between melon and desmume
-Sony:Same as nintendo
PSX=DuckStation
PS2=PCSX2
PS3=RPCS3
I only use RetroArch for some Consoles like: N64, SNES / NES, Dreamcast...
But here is what I don't like using on RetroArch: PS2 > PCSX2, PS1 > DuckStation
Mesen and Mesen-S (older versions that are separate exe's) and Parallel Launcher satisfy my needs. I try to stay away from Retroarch because it's so tedious and complicated.
I use SwanStation on Retroarch as well as PPSSPP
Same.
I've never had a problem with retroarch, I use it on my phone and pc. Don't really see how people have trouble with it
Same here, I think it's just the overcomplicated menus
The way you organize your ROMs and emulators frustrates me to no end lol
Organizing my emulators and roms in well named and placed folders>>>>>retroarch
congratulations you have more braincells than the average retroarch user
Also with RetroArch vs the standalone Emulator the emulation cores that represents the emulators can be behind in terms of development vs the the actual standalone emulator as well which is another negative thing against RetroArch. Also some of the standalone emulators already have individual game settings just like RetroArch such as DuckStation, Dolphin and PCX2 to name a few.
Yeah bro the quick menu thing. Drove me up the wall for a while.
The mouse calibration in RA will haunt me ever after my death.
My first experience with Retroarch on PC was pretty bad. After downloading and extracting to the folder, I tried to play an OoT randomizer seed I had made and found that Retroarch was picking up my analog stick movement backwards in the game. So moving up would move me down, and moving left would move me right for instance. I tried everything I could to fix the problem, and the only thing I managed to do was mess up the controls in the menu too. I ended up deleting the Retroarch folder and re-extracting it, and ended up encountering the same issue with the controls being messed up in the game AND the menu still. I never did figure out what was causing the issue because the controller worked in everything else, so it had to be Retroarch. Somehow the borked settings persisted through a deletion. I thought perhaps there was a folder in appdata or something that it saved settings to, but at the time "Everything" found nothing when searching for it. That would only leave the registry left. It would be pretty strange for it to save settings to the registry though.
In comparison, every standalone emulator I have used has required little to no configuration to work.
To be fair, I did end up using Retroarch again some time later and it worked fine at the time. Same controller, so I guess the version I downloaded previously must have had a bug with controllers or something. But even then, I prefer if I can avoid Retroarch. Standalone emulattors typically work with little to no configuration required and you only need to do it once typically. Whereas I found that every time I need to use Retroarrch, I have to reset one or more settings for it to work properly. And often times it forgets per-game and per-core settings too which defeats the purpose imo.
For me, I’ve always preferred using Mesen and Mesen-S for my NES and SNES emulation, but since Sour merged them into the Mesen2 emulator, I’m even happier. It even has PC-Engine support as well as GB and GBC.
I still like retroarch, despite it's many flaws.
Thank you for your uploads bro
Great video. Good points.
I use my RetroArch for 2D games only because CRT shaders of course. Standalone emulation for everything else.
I think RetroArch covers from the basic to advanced user no doubt. Like any other software tool, you need to spend at least 10 - 20 minutes on a tutorial video of how to use it. PC is not a friendly environment, you want something simple, get a console like a sega genesis and you're good to go, multicard(FlashCard) are very affordable per say, and you just need to insert your game and go for it. Most of the people who choose the path of emulation want to experience something they don't actually own, it would be naive to say otherwise. The price to get it need to be paid. So emulation configuration is the price... After 10 minutes using RetroArch most of the people I know can figure out the tool, it is not Rock Science...
Two problems with retroarch. First… stand-alone emulators are extremely more up to date than their cores. Second… unfortunately… the best crt shader, mega bezel, is only available in there.
Gonna be honest I utterly _hate_ RetroArch. Its UX is simply terrible. It’s way better to just install each emulator individually.
fr. I tried retroarch. I had to config controller for each console with mouse clicking. what the...? I had to click button A button B etc. It's crazy.
@@quas3728 truly awful. What were they thinking lmao
It’s not even hard to make a good controller setup menu, just copy the way emulators like CEMU or Ryujinx do it…
frontend like Launch Box and Playnite & Standalone emulator's combo is the most convinient ones. I don't understand why people even prefer Retroarch over frontend + standalone. because frontend's UI is so clean and it is way more easier to use than retroarch. also I love random game picker feature. the organize is easier too. and it still uses standalone emulator.
Retrobat improves Retroarch by providing a better UI and options for each console and game.
I love RA aside from the outdated cores, so I did find this video pretty harsh. I think anyone truly interested in emulation would be able to figure it out, it's just a learning process like anything technical is. It's a cakewalk compared to trying to learn how a game engine like Unity works from scratch. Also maybe this is a hot take, but emulation should be an underground thing for enthusiasts anyway. I couldn't really care less if Joe Normie the casual console gamer who doesn't even know what a refresh rate is can't figure out something as basic as emulation settings and integer scale. If they truly cared, they would be happy to educate themselves or learn by trial and error like the rest of us.
The problem is people want a plug & play type deal & that's fair. RA ain't that & that's cool. PS1 & Down there are multiple standalone options!
Baffling take. You don’t care that the UI is worse than it should be because you don’t want others to enjoy a hobby of yours? Why the gatekeeping lol
@@HJHawley7677 Learning how to tinker with a program and understanding its features is an important part of the enjoyment of emulation in my opinion.
Let me give you an example. Your comment uses proper grammar, right? That's because you took the time to learn it. Maybe sometimes you made mistakes when you first learned how to write. But in the end, you figured it out because you cared about being able to communicate properly through text.
I think you know where I'm going, so I'll respect your intelligence and let you figure it out.
@@TiwillI see where you’re trying to go, I’m saying it’s condescending and silly. Bad UI ≠ better options for tinkering. PCSX2 has loads of options that are fun to tinker with and they’re fun to mess with, AND they’re intuitive to use.
Anyway, your original point seemed to imply that people who struggle to wrestle with bad UI don’t “deserve” to enjoy retro games and if you don’t see why that’s a snobby position I don’t see much of a point trying to convince you.
@@HJHawley7677 It could be subjective, but I don't find RA's UI to be "bad". Standalone emus tend to have better controller configuration screens, but RA automatically configures your controller when you first plug it in, so most people shouldn't have to touch anything.
Basically, after you pick a core and import your games, you're good to go. That's no different from standalone emus. So why is it a problem that it has a lot of settings? If they seem too complex, don't touch 'em.
Even if you can't figure it out, there should be tutorials on the internet to help you out, and this video could have been one. Instead of complaining, he could have shared what he learned.
I'm not trying to say people don't "deserve" emulation, but if someone expects a one-button plug & play experience because they just want free games, they're not in it for the right reasons.
I love your content man, always exited when a new video drops.
Me personally I like to store my ROMs and emulators in seperate folders, makes it less of a hassle if decide to switch emulators, especially since I run my games through Launchbox
Sorry but in no world is RetroArch easier to use than standalone emulators
It mostly is as easy. Mostly. It ain't easier nor it is harder, hard and easy are not the true differing metrics anyway.
They are about the same difficulty at this point.
I mostly use Retroarch for consoles with really terrible emulator UIs, like PC-Engine CD and PS1 (before duckstation)
Bro you need to learn to configure HDR properly on Windows. Your setup is not working correctly at all.
I was really looking forward to this one. I've always hated Retroarch and its garbage UI since it started trending and my friends would act like I was crazy. The amount of superfluous options that can likely break things or not do what you want or expect them to do makes for such a bloated, feature creep, headache inducing interface. I long for the day in which the handful of handy exclusive features like run ahead and shaders become easily usable across the board without the need for Retroarch so that it can be rendered truly obsolete, at least on desktop machines.
Eh. I'm competent enough to use Retroarch for most things. I tend to use standalone emulators for systems with more unique control schemes(IE connecting a Wii Remote to Dolphin)
It’s such a shame there are some really awesome shaders on retroarch. If it weren’t for that I wouldn’t use it at all.
Retroarch reminds me of those multi-tools you see advertised on tv. They do a lot sure but break easily and you’re better off just using specific tools for specific jobs.
I think Retroarch is not that bad as you said, anyway I am using it with ps1 or older, you don't have to use HDR with CRT-Guest-Advanced which is the best so far, also you can play online with netplay in Retroarch
I use Retroarch on my phone (yes, I know) and standalone emulators on my PC. I wanted to play slow paced Gameboy games on my phone, for which a virtual controller should be fine, I thought. Android support for standalone emulators is sometimes only done through Retroarch, anyway.
So I really hate Retroarch lol. I had to spend a lot of time searching and researching just to disable diagonal inputs on the virtual controller! It was in some really weird place, and also gave you a menu with 1000000 gradual options for diagonals sensitivity (of which i clicked 0). Why was it like that! The menus are so clunky! I still have a bunch of superfluous shoulder buttons on my virtual controller, because i can't be bothered with the menus. A Gameboy doesn't need an R3 button, but i can leave it.
.
Also, when looking for free games, use Yandex and not Google or Bing. Pro tip.
Linux user here. As much as I hate Retroarch's UI and would prefer to use a standalone emulator, I started using it simply because for this operating system I couldn't find a standalone NES emulator with acceptable input latency. My test was just whether I could dodge Mr. Sandman's uppercuts in Punch-Out, on Nestopia on Windows I could do it easily but on linux I needed to tinker with Retroarch's video synchronisation settings since every other standalone emulator I tried was just too laggy.
When I was still on windows months ago I also preferred using standalone emulators for their convenience. Now it's a mix between Retroarch and standalone since other solutions don't work well enough for me.
Yeah. Retroarch also launches to emulators/cores much more neatly on Linux versus Windows, you have that upper hand. Windows you stare at desktop thinking is it thinking or did it die again.
The irony of piracy while Nintendo is filing lawsuits for freedom. 😂
HDR issues are due to Microsoft.
Whats the song at 31:00?
You're going to be huge.
Personally prefer standalone emulators over retroarch, but I mainly use retroarch because I like retroachievments so much
retroachievements are available trough forks of the real emulators
@TheManudo00 I know Parallel for N64 but that'd be the extent of my knowledge for that
When a better Saturn emulator comes out I'll stop using retroarch also this video just turned out to be a massive rant on retroarch😅
I have a server and multiple computers i like standalone emulators but many standalone doesnt support remote installs or install staff on a per computer folder like app data files retroarch assures me some emulators are remote and easy to backup wen stuff goes wrong. I ve ben in emulation scene since forever i had a pc cd that was a emulator with front end i fought was a pc colection of games i has retroach on my iphone 6 before the ios 11 broke 3d compatbility so maybe thats wy i am so used to the clunkyness on retroarch but its true i have a friend that is used to dealing with pc. And windows issue and he cant just cant use retroach even tough he tried many times and i mean many
You should try RetroBat.
I use Retroarch + Ares + Mednaffe best emulator hub
Damn. The young generation only use tablets?? Wow.
retroarch is a total waste of time. any convenience you get from "consolidating" in retroarch is completely invalidated by the awful user interface, terrible file navigation, and atrocious design language. it's awful.
if you want to use it on your desktop, you're fucked. pick up a controller and use it that way, and if you don't have one, enjoy suffering.
it's literally faster to have the multiple emulators that retroarch and other multi-platform emulators claim to replace.
look at it this way: you're only using one emulator at a time. why do you need one that can emulate everything? to over-complicate the experience?
It's the same speed actually.
Yeah Retroarch is kind of a mess. I mostly use it for 2D stuff with shaders and stick to stand alone emulators for the more advanced 3D systems where I can just crank up the resolution.
Arcade emulation is also slightly nicer on retroarch thanks to easier ... easier, not easy as apple pie individual setups per game, but what you say is what I do too. Though I still play actual PS2 more than emulate it, but PS1, hell yeah. though I retroarch that.
Everything up to Dreamcast, I use retroarch. Everything else is standalone
I felt like I was the only one who thought RetroArch was overly complicated. I tried setting it up multiple times on my PC and on my Xbox Series X in Dev mode and it was a huge pain in the butt. I finally do have RetroArch set up on my Xbox because as of now it's basically the only way to play N64, Saturn and pre-SNES, but what I wouldn't give to get Ares instead on the console. This video was cathartic to watch for me.
Heck I made like a fifteen bible long comment defending retroarch against some stuff said in this video but initial shock against retroarch is absolutely a damn learning curve you could use as unusual psychological torture in right setting. Put your friend into a saw trap and give him ten minutes to setup retroarch for the first time in their life and you have a dead friend for sure. Still, once it is setup, or your emulator, or your game specific tweaks, they usually stick and hopefully stay that way until you have to wipe them because retroarch loosened itself on the floor again. But for me, retroarch is thing I have on a Switch, on a 3DS (standalones on 3DS are better though, RA is good only for things without standalone on 3DS), Vita and PS3, and also PC because I already committed to it like a two way abusive relationship.
It's poorly designed to the point of it seeming like a parody
RetroArch really should just have a "simple" mode that trims out all the fat, cuz right off the bat it's already pretty compatible and doesn't need that much configuring other than a controller
At least XMB UI mode, though all of them IIRC give you option to hide, essentially remove menu elements, so you can customize that. There is also "Kiosk mode" you can enable that locks the thing down to "simple mode" basically that needs a passcode or manual config edit to get out of, mainly for child proof, or say, public lounge arcade machine etc setups.
Only a mixture of the two will cover all bases. Sometimes standalone is better, but other times it is better with the cores in RA. Whatever works is what I'm interested in.
Sadly this is true. I avoid RA when I can but for some systems the best emulator by far is stuck as a RA core. I wish there was a better up-to-date standalone for Genesis, for example
I love using Retroarch for everything up to PS2. However it did require a lot of setup and would not recommend if you just wanna play a game. If you want a nicely curated library Retroarch does the job for me. I guess I am just a big nerd because I like and understand all the options even if the UI isn't perfect.
Aye, same. Would not claim it is not a learning curve but I supported less willing friends through it who like simplicity and shaders of set up Retroarch. Especially if you say, slap a arcade stick on your desk where your keyboard used to be and do not even want to access your mouse and keyboard.
For years it was Kega Fusion, ZSNES (or Snes9x or BSNES), VBA, and Win Kawaks for Sega Genesis, SNES, GBA, and Neo Geo. Today I'm perfectly fine with Retro Arch and its cores on Linux. Works great for me. And, yes, I'm a tinkerer (Linux duh), and it's candyland for me.
As a weird Linux guy, I ended up just writing a script that creates .desktop files to launch games in Retroarch (because I'm a shader whore). It basically went something like, _if this directory is called NES, create a desktop file for each file inside that tells Retroarch's NES core to load this ROM_
After that, I configured Retroarch to close when I closed my game. So I technically use Retroarch, but I spent something like six hours learning intermediate BASH scripting to not have to use that garbage UI ever again.
Why not just use a frontend?
@@BoxedWater123 Preference, mostly. I'm not a fan of fullscreen frontends like EmulationStation and Launchbox. And they're just weird in windowed mode.
i agree, UNTIL I TURN ON THE XMB MENU
When I used Retroarch with EmuDeck for a few weeks, it was so complicated I never there was a difference between the Retroarch controls and the Emulator’s controls so I reset my controls so often. Some of the filters and shaders were neat to play with Kirby 64, but no thanks I’ll rather play using the standalone Mupen64Plus-Next launcher or ares.
Also based Hydro Station music pick.
Retroarch is terrible. The UI is one of the worst UIs I've ever seen, it's a chore to setup, it's unnecessarily confusing, performance is never as good as standalone emulators, and they are shitting up the scene.
"Emulators vs Emulator Frontend"? I feel like the video title would've been better "Standalone Emulators vs Retroarch."
Capcom Arcade Stadiums were such a good deal, plagued with weird/missing standard emulation options, and, final nail in the coffin, extremely shifty Russian DRM patched into them after release. The latter one was such a dealbreaker that I uninstalled all my Capcom games on Steam and refuse to even look at any more of their titles, old or new.
the irony of retroarch is that people pick it because they want an easy all-in-one solution, only to end up with an insanely complex piece of software that you can tinker with and look up settings and have people explain everything to you for years and still don't understand what half the settings _actually_ do.
I hate how in retroarch I have to go trough a quintillion menus for the simplest of stuff but game-breaking settings are the first things available, the quest to simplify emulators (which if you have two neurons it is already simple I have been emulating since I was 7 in 2005)has led us to a piece of software that has useless functions for the emualtor you pick,bloated to hell and back and a community so devoted to the trash interface and its "simple usage", its INSANE how they forgot that retroarch and their sleazy "devs" almost killed Duckstations development last year.
this is why i just stopped wasting time with retroarch and picked my emulators and learned them well, this way I know what I'm doing and why I am doing it with absolute clarity and knowing nothing I do in one will ruin the rest.
-Nintendo:I know all their ins and outs and I can run anything I want with full control of their simple dedicated options
NES/SNES/GB/GBC=MESEN
N64(I Dont play it but if I ever wanted I have it)=RMG
GC/WII=Dolphin
GBA=mGBA
NDS=i tend to pivot between melon and desmume
-Sony:Same as nintendo
PSX=DuckStation
PS2=PCSX2
PS3=RPCS3
I actually can explain likely every setting in retroarch but it would be a lot of text. It is not hard to understand but it has a lot. I as user of it, recommend absolutely skinning down useless features and menu options down to relevant.
@@TheManudo00 The day standalone emulators have the same shader options as RA and switchres I will drop it completely. Until then...
YEP. this software sucks.
why do you need an all in one? you're not *using* more than one at a time.
U are just dumb bro, is not that complex. Is easy. U are just afraid cuz the many options lol
not going to argue that the retroarch ozone UI isnt flawed but this video feels very loaded- considering that its designed to be cross-platform having the options to tailor it to the huge range of hardware it runs on seems plenty warranted
hating on RA has been the cool thing in retro and emulation circles for a while. It's like people don't understand the concept of tradeoffs. They don't understand what RA brought to the table that other emulators didn't and they'd rather have a Windows style UI than useful features that actually affect playability (not just performance)
Absolutely this. I use Retroarch on PC but I have the setup because I like the concept, and had to get used to it on PS3, Switch, Vita and Wii U. I made much longer more rambling comment about these complaints, especially mentioning keyboard and mouse repeatedly like people's switch or xbox runs linux or something.
There is also lot of skill issue complaints because for me, mouse works fully in ozone menu on PC. It also works with the switch touchscreen. Forgot did they get Vita's implemented yet but last try I had was nope.
@@guillermo9171 Dealing with emulation since the early 00's made me love everything that RA brings to the table. Its hard not to no use it BECAUSE of all the options
@@guillermo9171what does it bring to the table? i've been emulating for over a decade and every RA experience has been miserable.
it's terribly designed, on every platform i've used it on. it over-complicates a simple experience because it claims to do everything, so it ends up sucking at it all. in the time it takes to set up "cores" i can install a standalone emulator and have my game loaded.
@@guillermo9171 I disliked the project at the start pre pandemic because I didn't know how to use it. Same w/ MPV & then I figured out how to use it & there is a lot of cool features I wish that were other emulators. If the features I need aren't on RA, I use something else. I don't know why people complaining so much, you have options. Options are always good.
So on point with what you said about Retroarch. Thankfully Emudeck has changed the game and made it so much easier to enjoy emulation as seamlessly as possible.
I hate Emudeck (Windows), it's just a big ball of powershell scripts and external tools mangled up together.
@@EverRusting on Steam OS it's money
That pirates bit wouldn't be out of place in a nerrel video.
9:03 this doesnt suprise me with my one interaction on discord with them. They were extremely rude and condescending while also answer questions in the most convoluted way possible
Had it coming. They have a good page on Kiwifarms if you'd like to know more.
I get being overwhelmed by the number of options and settings, but its one of the reasons I use it. It makes it easier to play on a crt or any other kind screen and setting up specific controllers to each core a breeze. It would be a nightmare if it didnt have all that. It already is with some standalone emulators that dont give you all those options
Das what I'm sayin!!!
Full disclosure, haven't watched the video, but I HATE RETROARCH SO MUCH!! Controls often suck ass, it's like strangely laggy in the menu, once the game actually loads it's fine but sometimes I'll encounter some dumbass bug and take ages to search through the menus or use guides online to fix it. I much prefer putting my games into the window and double clicking to open it. (Tho I will say, I like how Retroarch has linear scaling as a system-wide option. Some emulators straight up don't have that as an option.)
This is weird to me, because for one, I've never bothered with more than controller setups in RetroArch, and I've never needed to finagle any video settings. It seems like Windows users really love to fidget with every setting whether they know what it does or not, and I don't get it. Just open it up and play and if it works you're done. As far as turning menu items on or off, I'd wager that was intended more for the distributors of those piracy devices that actually come with roms preinstalled. I also don't get the CRT filters. I play with an emulator instead of the original equipment, both for convenience and because I want the games to look good. I hated using a CRT when I was a kid and can't stand the degradation in image quality when using a filter.
As far as pirating stuff is concerned, legal or not, I don't consider it piracy to download a rom as long as you own a copy of the game. With some, you're fine to copy things yourself, such as PS1 and PS2 games which my computer DVD drive can read with zero issues, but I don't have a copier for Genesis games and I think if the law prevents you from downloading the roms the law is wrong. As far as updates for emulator cores, I don't see that as a problem for old systems which probably don't need updating anyway.
Also, if you use RetroArch on a Raspberry Pi, I personally feel like it's the best option because it compiles from source without any issues and if you set it up to autologin and run RetroArch on startup, then you can just use it like you would a console. I've got one of those clicky interrupter switches embedded in the power brick for my Pi, so I just click that and it starts up. Hit the center button on my controller and away I go. However, I'm willing to admit that it's probably easier for me than it would be for an ordinary user because I also program. Back when I first started using a Pi, the emulator I used for PS1 games, Pcsx-Rearmed, didn't even recognize my controller, which is a cheap Android device, so I had to write code to recognize it, and I even added some reconfiguration stuff so I could use Halo-style controls with the PS1 Doom. So yeah, my experiences are not likely to be anyone else's, but I will say that I haven't had to edit the code for RetroArch at all since I've been using it.
I use retrobat. The easiest and user friendly front end comes with retroarch and emulation station fusion basically using both. Scraper just make an account and your all set all ROM folders are ready to have your favorite titles put in them. And just plug a wireless controller and your all set!
I use something similar to Launchbox for all my games called Playnite, which can group together games of all sorts:emulated from retroarch, PCSX2 and Dolphin, games from Steam, Epic, GOG, Ubisoft connect and even generic windows games
Despite the long video length I feel like this video still saved me a ton of time from otherwise messing around with Retroarch.
I love how much of a chore it is to get HD texture packs working with N64 games in Retroarch compared to a regular emulator. It's just a mess.
Skill issue
Retroarch is for enthusiasts not for people who dont know how to get into their steam folder without steams assistance. Still think they can learn if they really wanted to but it being somewhat difficult to learn isn't too bad. The shaders are amazing too and easy to fiddle with. Early 3D looks like shit all sharp. You can at least get someway to mimicking crt well enough.
The issue w/ Retroarch is that people want a plugin & play type experience, and it ain't that. It's a power-user program more like MPV. Stop suggesting it to those people, and give them the equivolent of VLC
LOL you're realizing what I realized over 10 years ago Retroarch is complicated. 2 years ago I decided to learn it and since I did I've since mastered it and it is not nearly as complicated as it used to be and it is my go to emulator hub for 8-16 bit games. For 32-128 bit I prefer stand alone emulators because they usually get higher faps.
Can you get more info on what relation Retroarch has to do with Near's death? As far as I could find in 15 minutes of searching, the harassment was from KF users and I found nothing pertaining to Retroarch other than an announcement? And uh, that's kind of a really big responsibility to put on someone, so I'd like some evidence?
Like, a bit more digging around and there's plenty of proof of TwinApex being abusive to all sorts of people, but I haven't seen anything tying them to Near yet.
This video did prompt me to do enough of my own searching that I no longer intend to develop using the libretro core and has me considering dropping RetroArch altogether, but the haste of blaming Retroarch for Near's death with seemingly no sources cited that corroborate that kinda make me think I shouldn't have too much trust in the video content.
Same problems retroarch can have, stand alone emulators can have it to, the problem is that every PC is so diferent one from another that your issues with retroarch, ar almost as personal as issues other people can have with stand alone emulators, so any route one takes, is a rout filled with problems, configuration files, managing windows files systems as sutch, i use retroarch more as i see the convenience to have everything in one place, at least until dreamcast, gamecube and wii era, as other newer emulators like rpcs3, vita 3k or even ryujinx, have their own internal file storing where you have to literally install the games on it (i know rpcs3 also manage isos, but updates, and DLC have t be installed, and ryujinx can manage separate packaged files), but this is the thing.....there is no ultimate easy solution to have the perfect emulation eviroment, because even chinese consoles with preinstalled and preconfigured emulation station (that in the end is retroarch with beauty makeup), have their issues, and configure RPCS3 to work, o xenia (xbox360) is a pain in the ass. Retroarch is not perfect but standoalone emulators are not perfect either.
Despite people hating Retroarch, it's my favorite and go to emulator. I hardly even use the other ones. I've gotten so used to it that I just can't use the other emulators. Except for Dolphin. Thats the only outside emulator I would use. It's pretty easy for me to use. I've just gotten so used to it. As for finding my roms, its not even hard. I have a separate drive where I can easily find them. It's all organized. As for shaders, I used to use them before I just bought a CRT and hooked my computer for it. In my opinion, I don't think its too hard to get used to. You just gotta use it.
You have to realize some people want program to just play games. Someone said this a plug & play experience (am I right?) & RA isn't really offering that. It's providing a program that allows u to tinker w/ things. In era of computer illteracy, this is a big hurdle to cross. A lot of frustration is that.
@@Zetrain This is a good take. I guess for some it is indeed plug and play. I tinkered so much in Retroarch. I kind of wish the video touched more on that. There are some things that Retroarch offers that some stand-alone emulators don't have.
In my opinion i hate retroarch i pefer using standalone emulators over using retroarch any day of the week only reason i even use retroarch at all is due to retroachevements
This video is a little bit too focused on PC in my opinion, repeating how keyboard and mouse and stuff is superior, but retroarch is multiplatform project aimed especially towards consoles and console like setups, where you do not have keyboard and mouse. The balancing act of powerful enthusiast options in a menu that you can use with your controller is introducing bloated menus, that you can cut off in options to what you personally need. Also, XMB GUI is partially usable with mouse, and my 2 minute test on steam with Ozone UI show that is FULLY mouse supported. Maybe you had option for mouse navigation turned off? The GUI is based off Switch and made mainly for such device that might have both touchscreens and controllers, since it liberally steals from nintendo switch.
Confusing labeling and having to learn a whole new language with the GUI of retroarch I agree with, but it is also best thing I can use on my switch, PSVita, PS3 and PC and cross pollinate my game lists and saves around rather easily between devices. This video to me misses the point of retroarch and then complains about the point of retroarch. It is also weird to complain about too many menu options and then complain about the power to do something about it. It is possible because you can do it. Kiosk mode is there to make it not possible if you do not want someone else to fuck it up.
I cannot evangelize much about nicely setup retroarch on many systems, but I like the playlist and graphical approach to retro games it brings, and the main system I use it on, Switch, as other modded consoles, it absolutely best option for many target systems. I agree it could be less clunky and devs could be less of arse about it, aside many other silly small bugs that tend to linger for way too many updates . But it is a specific thing for specific type of device, setup or taste, and understanding that even if you are not the target would minimize useless complaints.
Retroarch has it's set of strengths, that you do not care about and are not target for, and weaknesses that you stress slightly too strongly. But I have been a self trained retroarch user. Pointing out retroarch UI ligma is like pointing out terminal ligma to long time Linux user. Way too used to it and even grown a tastebud for some things. I myself, on PC, like that I setup retroarch and emulators I use once and they stay that way, and it is relatively easy to do game or emulator specific tweaks and save them. Different shader, background, audio processing whatever per game, emulator or folder you can tweak and save it specifically for X and hopefully never touch it again. Or become a retroarch tweaker addict that indeed is a fate worse than death or actual substance abuse, don't ask I am recovering.
Retroarch is ass. I respect the concept, and it's great for getting emulators on new platforms before they actually get ported, but the UI is garbo and performance takes a big hit using libretro instead of native code. I really only use it for a handful of specific games, where I want to use a shader but can't use ReShade for one reason or another.
Retroarch is made by people who hate user experience with the passion of a billion suns
Nah man, you can't just say lives have been taken over RetroArch and not explain. WTF dude?
Mega Bezels Project. That's the only reason I wanted to use Retroarch. But it's way to bothersome to do so. I use standalone emulators to play my totally not illegally procured roms collection.
I agree with how complicated and convoluted RetroArch can be. Standalone emulators are not "couch friendly" so I installed Batocera Linux. It has awesome cover art, and it's basically a huge frontend for RetroArch. It can boot from a USB stick so you can take it anywhere. Most often it can automatically configure your controllers for you, leaving out all the hassle work. It also typically uses the best settings available for any given emulator, but you can change it very easily (even with a controller, no mouse/keyboard required) in their menu system. I have also found that controllers respond better using Batocera vs. Windows. Probably something to do with Linux being more lean and mean.
There are two main reasons why I use RetroArch for most emulation. One is the thumbnails on the playlist view, being able to neatly view the games I boot up like that just feels nice. Which is why I don't use RetroArch for my GC/Wii/PSX and PS2 games, their emulators already have that feature. Second reason is because of Retro Achievements, I feel like it has the best integration towards the site based on the graphics and sound when you unlock a trophy and the progress view is better here than in other supported emulators (again not counting the ones towards GC etc.)
My gripes with RA:
- Too bloated. It has an entire (somewhat hidden) Qt desktop UI, aside from the UI you get. It doubles the size of the emulator and no one ever uses it. You gotta compile it yourself with no Qt GUI if you don't want it.
- Crashes, it has no error handling.
- When it crashes, you lose your SRAM, yep, saves gone, this is by default, you can setup a timer to write SRAM to disk every 10 seconds or so. Also your configurations changes are gone too.
- Too many crashes.
- Menus upon menus, I can navigate them but cmon
- Quick Settings, this is the biggest beginner trap ever, it holds the emulator core settings.
- Two different input menus, one in the main menu to map your controllers then one in quick settings to map your mapped controllers to the console mappings.
The only reason I like it that you can set it up once and use it for every system, set your shaders up and controller, play any game.
Like FB Neo is annoying to setup controllers and visuals.
You can build w/o QT, How?
24:05 Wait, what’s the beef with reshade? I’ll admit I get lost in all the shaders at times but I’ve had no where near the frustrations as what you’re describing.
well I do use reshade for PS2 (pcsx2) to add CRT-Guest-Advanced shader, it's not perfect and it's has many bugs and problems, and the setup is more painful that anything he mention in the video, also it can't detect resolution change but that maybe not a problem in PS2, but it's a problem in PS1
Bullying, abuse, not keeping up with newer versions, forking from open source emus and screwing up the core, users coming at the emu dev for old outdated crap in Retroarch or their own hacked up version, ya there are lots of reasons the actual emu devs doing the hard work (a front end is much easier by any stretch of the imagination). But perhaps the worst part is that Retroarch makes money. They don't do it for free. Unlike the emu devs who do give away the actual emulators, doing the hard work, with no compensation. If Retroarch tracked what cores were used and engaged in profit sharing then that would be a good thing. The alternative is talented emu devs (and there aren't as many as you think making these games playable today) is either exiting entirely, or releasing closed source emus. So no one benefits from their research. Either way everyone loses.
Original xbox emulation is absurdly behind.
retroarch setup, once you understood the main caveats once - is a breeze. And then i have per-game settings, global hotkeys for savestates and so on
I only use Retroarch, just because RetroAchievements. Otherwise, I already have my list of favorite emulators for each system. They are even more easy to setup than Retroarch.
FINALLY, someone actually knocked RetroArch down a peg. Almost no RUclipsrs ever bring up just how bloated in features and random crap it really is, especially for just basic ease of use. I just hate how so many options could be in any 5 different places, or having to mess with a controller config for both RetroArch AND the core, having to juggle custom configs for each game that aren’t obvious what you changed, and that you can’t even edit them in the menu without being in a game. And half the time, those cores for more complex systems are just super out of date, and with little hope that they’ll ever get fixed.
Oh and get this, I somehow got RetroArch in a state where the in-game menu could run in the background, and the game would run FASTER when the menu is up!
Fuck.
RetroArch.
Skill issue, and Yes there is no reason to use retroarch for more complex consoles like ps2. Retroarch is easy to use.
@@lostsektorwhat do you mean about pcsx2?
Oh okay it'll be outdated, it'll be fine in a few years I hope(like the "complex" emulators will atleast get updated to a fairly competent version)
Most of the stand alone emulators that you liked best have their UI made with something called QT. The CRT shaders and the Mednafen cores (Beetle) are the main reason why to use Retroarch since using Mednafen by itself is a nightmare.
as a linux user who likes the console... mednafen is atrocious. i will never recommend it.
@@alicevioleta3184 I only use it as Beetle cores on RetroArch because even using the stand alone version of Mednafen with frontends is a pain as these don't help much and lack features.
The most important thing of RetroArch are the high quality overlays.
That basically makes RA a must for correct 2D Gaming.
The shaders on HDR Oled TVs are just mindblowing!
You're absolutely right about retroarch, but I love it on my switch. There's switch homebrew that lets you use other bluetooth controllers (such as PS4) on switch, so syncing new controllers is seamless. Still a pain in the ass to set up retroarch itself, but when it's done, I have one organized list of every system until the dreamcast (dreamcast runs surprisingly well). Especially nice for playing with friends. I'll still use DuckStation for PS1 on switch though.
I will say I am glad that EMUVR uses RetroArch as its very simple to interface with the multiple consoles and for the entire system library backups sources i found have been a Godsend. Especially after the 3DS and Xbox 360 eshops both being closed
MiSTer FPGA has been a game changer for me. So much more streamlined than any PC emulator. Unfortunately, that doesn't cover GameCube/PS2 and onward, so that's when I need to delve back into this hellscape.