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RetroArch, one of the best emulation options on the market, has been released on the iPhone App Store.
This follows the release of Delta, Gamma and several other emulators on Apple's iOS platform.
RetroArch is different from many of its rivals because it's actually a front-end rather than a self-contained emulator. It's possible to download emulator cores within RetroArch – many of which are available individually in some form or another – and configure them with universal option settings, making it one of the best one-stop solutions for retro gaming.
RetroArch has been around for years and supports a wide range of platforms, including home computers, consoles, arcade systems and handhelds.
It's also one of the most feature-rich emulator front-ends out there when it comes to settings and options; not only do you have full control over the way games look and sound, but you've got features such as save states, net play, rewinds, RetroAchievements and even latency options, such as RetroArch's 'run ahead' capability, which drastically reduces input lag.
RetroArch is available now on the App Store and requires iOS version 14.2 or above.
[source apps.apple.com]
Comments 9
Yunno, they call retroarch a front-end, but I mean... the UI for any emulator is a front end for that emulator, but we don't say that. Retroarch is as much an emulator as most others. Calling it a front-end feels wrong now that there are so many dedicated forntends which function completely differently.
@Poodlestargenerica RetroArch has no emulation capability whatsoever. All of that is down to the inclusion of cores, which are entirely optional – you can remove and download the cores you want, so it's absolutely a front-end.
I’ve only got my iPad to tinker with these iOS emulators and with Delta not yet having full iPad support I’ve not really taken the concept for a whirl. But now I’ve just fired up Abadox on the NES core with my M30 pad and quite enjoyed myself. I might just do more of my retro gaming on iPad via Retroarch despite having all the original hardware readily available for my classic gaming
So I just fired up 19XX on this app for my iPad Pro in portrait orientation, and I think that’s the best way I’ve played an arcade shootemup in emulator. Very nice.
It's a good time to start a business where you charge £50 to teach people how to use Retroarch
I think I’ll use retroarch to play arcade games on ios, for nintendo games I already have delta 😃
@Damo Yeah I'm not correcting your usage, they literally say it on their front page iirc, and legally it's a front end. I think this is more of a language difference between pc and Android. On PC some emulators will be unusable without a separate UI/fontend, whereas on android it's just an incorporated feature. We'll I've done 99% of my emulating on android, so the homogenous quality of retroarch features are basically exactly the same as the UI for any standalone, including negative aspects like not being able to set hot keys on a core by core (or game by game) basis, whereas frontend on android more typically refers to what is essentially a standalone launcher, which offers a game menu, but no other features to link things in the way retroarch does. You can potentially try to replicate the homogeinity of retroarch by setting individual features, but honestly the lack of actual gameplay customization options makes retroarch feel much more like a complete standalone product to me.
@snk2d4life That's a good idea, and I've been doing it free for years
this turns the ipad into an extremely good retro gaming device, especially an ipad pro. of course the ipad pro is cost prohibitive, but if you have one for other reasons it just gained a great use case. great screen, VRR, native 4:3 AND 3:4, enough power to emulate anything you'd want. mediocre controller support is the only downside
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