Libretrobased

Libretro-based refers to software that is built on the Libretro API, enabling modular components known as cores to be loaded and executed by Libretro-compliant frontends. The model is designed to decouple the behavior of a system or engine from the user interface, allowing developers to reuse code across different projects and platforms.

Libretro is an open-source development interface that defines a lightweight, portable API for emulation and multimedia processing. The API outlines callbacks and conventions for video, audio, input, and timing, while a core implements the functionality of a particular system or engine. A frontend handles user interaction, menus, and rendering and loads a chosen core to run.

The most widely used Libretro frontend is RetroArch, though other frontends exist for various operating systems and devices. In practice, cores can be shared among frontends, and a frontend can run multiple cores, enabling cross-platform compatibility. Typical cores cover classic consoles, arcade hardware, and some computer systems, with both emulation-focused and non-emulation use cases.

Cores and frontends are released under a variety of licenses, often GPL, LGPL, or permissive licenses depending on the contributor. The Libretro project maintains guidelines for licensing and distribution to encourage openness and collaboration. Libretro-based software has been influential in game preservation, hobbyist development, and educational contexts due to its modular, reusable design.