RetroArch now on Windows Package Manager!

Libretro Team

Windows 10/11 users now have an even more convenient way of installing RetroArch! RetroArch is now available from the Windows Package Manager (see here).

  • Stables are identical to the ones found on our website/buildbot.
  • They are digitally signed, meaning they pass the Windows Defender SmartScreen Protection. You will not get a warning from SmartScreen when attempting to install RetroArch this way. Useful if you are in a protected environment where your system administrator has locked down your ability to install unsigned third-party applications on your system.

The video will show you how to install it.

First, start up the Command Prompt. You can go the Start Menu and type in ‘Command Prompt’ and then click on it to start it up, or simultaneously press Windows key + R key, and then type in ‘cmd’.

How to search for RetroArch

Once on the command line, you can search for packages to see if they exist. To search for RetroArch, tyep in the following:

winget search RetroArch

Lowercase ‘retroarch’ will work as well. An entry should show up.

How to install RetroArch

Now that we know the package exists on the package manager, we should be able to install this. Simply type on the commandline:

winget install RetroArch

It will now install RetroArch without requiring any user interaction. Note that this version of RetroArch will not attempt to install the DirectX9 SDK in case it doesn’t already exist. We assume on modern Windows you will use the Direct3D 10/11/12 or Vulkan/OpenGL drivers anyway.

Once installed, you should be able to find it from the Start Menu as a recently added application.

How to uninstall RetroArch

Uninstalling RetroArch once installed is similarly easy. Simply type the following on the commandline:

winget uninstall RetroArch

RetroArch’s presence on app stores

Our aim with RetroArch is to be available on as many storefronts and outlets as possible. We have made some impressive progress over the years.

  • RetroArch is available on Steam for Windows and SteamOS/Linux (see here).
  • RetroArch is available on the Windows Package Manager for Windows 10/11 (see here).
  • RetroArch is available on the Google Play Store for regular Android devices (see here). A Plus version with additional features is also available here.
  • RetroArch is available on the Huawei AppGallery for Huawei branded Android devices (see here).
  • RetroArch is available on the Samsung Galaxy Store for Samsung branded Android devices (see here).
  • RetroArch is available on the Amazon App Store for Amazon branded Android devices (see here).
  • RetroArch is available on itch.io (see here).
  • RetroArch is available on Canonical Snapcraft (see here).
  • RetroArch is available on Flathub (see here).
  • RetroArch has a Humble Bundle page (see here).

    • We have even more plans to expand that we cannot talk about yet!

RetroArch now on the Samsung Galaxy Store!

Libretro Team


We keep expanding!

We’re happy to announce that RetroArch is now available on the Samsung Galaxy Store! For free, of course.

Q&A

How can I download RetroArch from the Galaxy Store?

The Galaxy Store should be pre-installed by default on Samsung phones. It is a storefront available exclusively for Samsung-branded devices.

Open the app on your device, type in RetroArch in the search bar, and download it from there.

How does this version differ from the Google Play Store version?

The version available on the Galaxy Store is identical to the version you can download from our website.

It has a couple of big advantages over the Google Play Store version:
* There is no set core limit. For RetroArch Plus on the Play Store, it is up to 127 cores that can be installed. We have to hand-pick these cores specifically so that users can install them on the Google Play Store.
* Cores are distributed from the Libretro buildbot infrastructure. There are far more cores available than on the Play Store.

Should I use this version or the Google Play Store version?

On a Samsung phone, you have the choice to choose between either version. Regardless, we highly recommend you use the Galaxy Store version over the Google Play Store version. Reasons are listed above, but on top of that, the Google Play Store version has not been updated for a while because of increasing restrictions and requirements that we haven’t caught up with yet.

Bottom line, we anticipate the Google Play Store version to become more and more nerfed as time goes on unfortunately. There is nothing we can do about this, these are restrictions and limitations imposed by Google to have the software available for distribution on the Play Store. To get a more full-featured version, download the Galaxy Store version.

RetroArch should now be available on the Google Play Store, Amazon App Store, Huawei App Gallery, and Samsung Galaxy Store. No matter what device you are on and which ecosystem you are in, we try to have you covered.