RetroArch, free and open-source front-end for emulators, game engines, released version 1.8.5 one day ago as the latest stable version.

RetroArch 1.8.5 brings Cheevos improvements, including support for extended Sega CD memory, queue multiple popups, prevent buffer overflow when encountering an unknown macro, don’t block Sameboy core as it only exposes some memory, etc.

The new release also adds Menu Scroll Acceleration option, new timedate styles, DPI-based scaling, ‘Nord’ and ‘Gruvbox Dark’ Ozone themes, ‘Flux’ RGUI theme, and many other UI improvements.

Also it adds ‘Arcade DAT Filter’ option for scanner, supports for scanning Korea, Asia PS1 discs, and PSP Korean. And it adds disk control interface API extension, and brings stability improvements for 3DS, Linux, and video widgets etc. See CHANGELOG for details.

How to Install RetroArch in Ubuntu:

For Ubuntu 18.04 and higher, RetroArch snap package (runs in sandbox) can be simply installed from Ubuntu Software utility. Though it’s still v1.8.4 at the moment, the snap version will be updated automatically once installed.

Libretro Stable PPA maintains the most recent .deb packages for Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.10, and Ubuntu 20.04.

1. Open terminal either by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard or by searching for ‘terminal’ from application menu. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libretro/stable

Type your password (no asterisk feedback while typing) when it prompts and hit Enter.

2. After that, you can install RetroArch by running commands:

sudo apt update

sudo apt install retroarch

The PPA also contains a list of games available to install via command: sudo apt install libretro-*

Uninstall:

To remove the software, run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove retroarch libretro-*

And remove the PPA repository by launching “Software & Updates” utility and navigating to “Other Software” tab.

RetroArch, the official frontend for the libretro API, released version 1.7.8 a day ago with OCR and Text To Speech services.

RetroArch enables you to run classic games on a wide range of computers and consoles through its slick graphical interface.

The latest 1.7.8 release brings new AI service. After setup the server URL (local network or public IP/URL), and bound a button or key via Settings > Input > Hotkeys, you can use the AI service in two mode:

• Speech Mode – Press hotkey to read out the text currently on the screen.
• Image Mode – Press hotkey to pause the game and wait for text translation to come back. Press again to continue.

For more details, see the official release note.

How to Install RetroArch 1.7.8 in Ubuntu:

RetroArch can be installed via Libretro Stable PPA, Snap package, or Flatpak package.

As Libretro Stable PPA and Snap package are not updated at the moment, here’s how to install RetroArch 1.7.8 via the Flatpak package in Ubuntu 18.04 and higher.

1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut or by searching for ‘terminal’ from application menu.

When terminal opens, paste command below and hit run to install flatpak framework:

sudo apt-get install flatpak

2. Add flathub repository, which contains the RetroArch flatpak package:

flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

4. Finally install it via command:

flatpak install flathub org.libretro.RetroArch

Once installed, launch the software from application menu and enjoy!

Uninstall:

To remove RetroArch flatpak package, run command in terminal:

flatpak uninstall org.libretro.RetroArch

RetroArch game emulator reached the 1.7.0 release a few days ago with tons of changes. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.04, Ubuntu 17.10 via PPA.

RetroArch 1.7.0 release highlights:

• Integrated Bliss-box 4-Play support
• Badges for achievements
• Improved lightgun support
• Windows 95/Windows 98 (non-SE) support
• Many important improvements for PlayStation3 port
• New menu shader effects
• PSP port works again
• Wii U port works again
• Automatic scanning of content
• See the release note for more.

How to Install RetroArch 1.7.0 in Ubuntu:

There’s a stable PPA repository that contains the latest packages for Ubuntu 14.04, Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 17.04, Ubuntu 17.10, and their derivatives.

1. Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T or by searching for ‘terminal’ from app launcher. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:libretro/stable

Type your password (no visual feedback while typing) when it prompts and hit Enter.

2. After that, you can install RetroArch and a list of games either via Synaptic Package Manager, or by running commands:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install retroarch libretro-*

Uninstall:

To remove the software, run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove retroarch libretro-*

And remove the PPA repository by launching “Software & Updates” utility and navigating to “Other Software” tab.