Do you prefer a different emulator for each console or one emulator front end?

[HTBandicoot]

I'm able to do a ton through just openEmu on my laptop. However, since installing other emulators, such as Redream, I play the Dreamcast games more often. I don't know why that is. Since I'm limited on what I can play at the moment (due to carpal tunnel syndrome), I installed some others yesterday just for the heck of it. I even found a site where a guy made his own emulators for many systems. Sure, there are better ways, but I kept one of his emulators too just because it simply plays the games..which in the end, is the goal.

So which do you prefer? Do you find specific emulators have more features that front-ends don't have, like netplay, for example?

 

[GardeniaSky]

I guess I'd never really considered it. I just have a separate one for each system.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

One for each.

I'd rather have a dozen things done right than one done poorly.

 

[Omegapunch's iconOmegapunch]

I always use one emulator for each console.
I tried using an emulator that emulates multiple consoles...
That emulator was Retroarch.
I think you already know how it went.

 

[destinyduelist]

One for each, although given the opportunity to set up one for each on one unified launcher for ease of access wouldn't be bad. So long as that launcher is good. And no, I don't mean retroarch, I mean something that just launches the shortcut of the emulator on my PC, or each shortcut of a game.

 

[middler]

I do a bit of both to be honest. this is how i have things set up:

I have a folder that only has shortcuts to the emulators (standalone and retroarch). Nice and simple :)

 

[Omegapunch's iconOmegapunch]

I do a bit of both to be honest. this is how i have things set up:

View attachment 41654

I have a folder that only has shortcuts to the emulators (standalone and retroarch). Nice and simple :)

That Flash Player...
Giving me Nostalgia rn

 

[Grumpy_Old_Man]

One for each for the most part, except if you consider emulators like Mednafen, Kega Fusion or Mgba.

 

[Mahan_Native]

always one for each, i only use retroarch for PC Engine

 

[middler]

That Flash Player...
Giving me Nostalgia rn

I have it for a few reasons but the big one is 3 words: Radiskull and Devildoll

 

[Don Patch]

Depends on the physical device.
For example, I use Lakka to turn a Dell optiplex mini PC into a makeshift console. So it's all in one shebang, as the kids say.
But on my PC, I tend to go the standalone route.
So, yes-and-yes.

 

[TotzOnGaming]

I got one of each. only downside is whenever I move away from an emu after a long time I tend to forget what the functions does and had to re-learn which sometimes makes me mess things up.

 

[Glimbo]

I use Retroarch for everything 5th gen and before + Dreamcast. Standalone for everything after.
It's the most convenient for me and the CRT filters and cover art are great.

 

[Jon-Patrick-S]

Tried RetroArch for a bit years ago, generally found the UI a bit annoying to navigate and quickly figured out most systems had a better standalone option. I do keep it around just in case there happens to be any cores that happen to be better than the competition as I think there are a few expectations though I couldn't name them off the top of my head.

 

[Zachery2112]

I used to use OpenEmu on my laptop, but they stopped updating the frontend years ago. As such, I've gotten used to using individual emulators for everything. Unless you consider EmuDeck to be a frontend, I purely use individual emulators.

I object to Retroarch on a moral level.

 

[RanmyakuIchi's iconRanmyakuIchi]

I prefer standalone emulators generally for most personal usage and have about a dozen of them on my PC. That being said, I recently set up Retroarch so I could netplay with a few people from here and was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was to set up now. I know other emulators have netplay too, but Retroarch served as a simple unified option for a dozen people, some not the most tech-savvy, trying to play 4 different consoles online.

 

[Weebicon]

One for each, I'm not sure how to explain it, but it makes me feel organized. Plus, I won't have to worry about accidentally messing something up.

 

[moonbits]

I use Dolphin and Duckstation stand alone but Retroarch for everything else.

 

[PhrawzT]

I have Duckstation, Dolphin, Project 64 and PCSX2 on my computer and just use RetroArch for everything else.

 

[Kremiso]

i like to have 2/3 different emulators for each machine

i keep those that have some to me interesting options not included in the considered better ones

 

[Bakuma1997]

One for each
So far the only multiple console emulators i have are Genplus on Wii (Entire pre Saturn emulator in a confortable package) and Mesen (To test the games i will put on my NES/SNES/Genesis emulators on Wii)

 

[HextarVigar]

I run everything through Playnite, so for all intents and purpose it's just a single emulator. Like Retroarch, except it works and takes up a lot less space.

 

[Nidstang]

I use separate emulators for every console

 

[KirboDeku]

Separate. You should stop using RetroArch NOW!!!

 

[rodimusprimal]

I definitely prefer different emulators per console. I am NOT a fan of Retroarch.

I'm pleased with Mesen for SNES and NES, though I still love SNES9x. Duckstation for PS1 and I'm using Simple 64 for N64.

What I like about Mesen is that I can access the menu while the emulator is in full screen when I scroll the mouse at the top of the screen. When I want to open a game it launches IN full screen. Sega consoles I find the most difficultly right now. Kega Fusion is very much outdated but works. Ares is decent but always launches a game in windowed mode. I think Blast Em does the same, but it has yet to emulate Sega CD and 32X. The other issue with all of them is that some games are BETTER with a 3 button controller, and others with a 6 button controller. Not a single stand alone Sega emulator will save controller settings per game so that I can start one with a 6 button and one with a 3 button. Especially since now most controllers are designed like SNES/PS/Xbox with 4 face buttons.