# RetroArch

Cross-platform, sophisticated frontend for the libretro API. Licensed GPLv3.

Repository: https://github.com/libretro/RetroArch
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/retroarch
Homepage: http://www.libretro.com
Language: C
License: GPL-3.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: libretro, c, retroarch
Last push: 2026-08-26T14:38:53+00:00
Link (homepage): http://www.libretro.com
Link (site_page): https://docs.libretro.com/
Link (site_page): https://www.libretro.com/index.php/getting-started-with-retroarch
Link (site_page): https://www.libretro.com/index.php/retroarch-1-17-new-netplay-features

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 80/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 99, release rhythm 45, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 5942, "days_push": 7, "days_rel": 286, "gap_med": 60.5, "n_releases_24m": 5}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 13577, forks 2188 (observed 2026-08-28T04:11:03.576279+00:00)

## What it is
RetroArch is the reference frontend for the libretro API, unifying emulators, game engines, and media players as loadable 'cores' behind a single cross-platform interface. It provides unified settings, shader support, netplay, rewind, and input handling across a very wide range of platforms.

## Use cases
- play classic retro games on pc
- emulate old consoles with one app
- apply CRT shaders to retro games
- play emulated games online with netplay
- unified emulator frontend for all my consoles
- rewind gameplay in retro games
- run emulators on android tv or raspberry pi

## When to choose
- you want one unified interface for many emulators and platforms
- you want advanced features like shaders, rewind, run-ahead latency reduction, or netplay
- you need a gamepad- and touchscreen-friendly UI across desktop, mobile, and consoles

## When to avoid
- you want a standalone emulator with a minimal, per-system setup
- you prefer simple per-core configuration over a unified settings system
- you need a lightweight solution and find its feature set overwhelming

## Facets
- artifact type: application
- maturity: stable
- function: gui, graphics, audio-processing, game-engine, plugin-system, cli
- domain: gaming-tools, cross-platform
- platform: cross-platform, windows, cli
- tags: emulation, libretro, retro-gaming, frontend, shaders, netplay, gamepad, save-states, rewind, media-player, game-development, linux, macos, android, ios, desktop

## Member repositories
- libretro/RetroArch (main) score 80
- libretro/libretro-database (infra) score 76
- libretro/glsl-shaders (plugin) score 77
- libretro/common-shaders (plugin) score 66

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:03.576279+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:13:11.973217+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/libretro/RetroArch (fetched 2026-08-28T04:11:03.576279+00:00, sha 4fb6d1d2f6c7)
  - homepage: http://www.libretro.com (fetched 2026-08-29T08:08:01.324141+00:00, sha 0f11e0ba2dc7)
  - site_page: https://docs.libretro.com/ (fetched 2026-08-29T08:08:01.337908+00:00, sha a2254514f0a9)
  - site_page: https://www.libretro.com/index.php/getting-started-with-retroarch (fetched 2026-08-29T08:08:01.339872+00:00, sha 1a248062d6d4)
  - site_page: https://www.libretro.com/index.php/retroarch-1-17-new-netplay-features (fetched 2026-08-29T08:08:01.341726+00:00, sha a71890ab40ab)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.