EmulationStation

EmulationStation is a free and open-source graphical frontend for game emulators. It provides a user-friendly interface for browsing and launching games from various retro gaming systems. Developed primarily in C++, EmulationStation organizes game ROMs by system and displays metadata such as box art, game titles, and descriptions.

The primary goal of EmulationStation is to offer a visually appealing and intuitive way to manage and play a large collection of emulated games. It is highly customizable, allowing users to change themes, adjust layouts, and configure controller input. EmulationStation itself does not perform emulation; instead, it acts as a launcher, calling upon external emulator programs to run the games.

It supports a wide range of emulators for numerous platforms, including arcade machines, home consoles like the NES, SNES, PlayStation, and handheld devices like the Game Boy. Users typically need to have the emulator executables and the game ROM files separately, and then configure EmulationStation to point to these locations.

EmulationStation is often distributed as part of larger retro gaming distributions like RetroPie and Lakka, simplifying the setup process for users who want a complete, pre-configured retro gaming experience. Its development is community-driven, with ongoing updates and improvements contributed by enthusiasts. The software is cross-platform, with support for Windows, macOS, and Linux.