2016-09-27, 18:19
Kodi is part of a large software ecosystem that enables retro gaming.
libretro ecosystem
The biggest player in the scene is libretro, a C-based interface between emulator backends and user-facing frontends. The following projects are in the libretro ecosystem:
RetroArch
The first frontend, designed to run on every OS and every major console. RetroArch has been around since 2011.
Kodi
In 2012, I wrote a new player core named RetroPlayer. It was the second frontend for the libretro API.
RetroPie
Runs on Raspbian, uses EmulationStation as a frontend launcher for RetroArch.
Lakka
The official Linux distribution of RetroArch and the libretro ecosystem. Uses RetroArch's graphical frontend. Based on OpenELEC.
OpenELEC / LibreELEC
Kodi on barebones Linux. First builds to include RetroPlayer were released in 2013.
Recalbox
Like RetroPie, uses EmulationStation as the frontend to launch multiple standalone emulators (including RetroArch and its cores). Lifehacker did a comparison between RetroPie and RecalBox here.
Gamestarter
Add-on for Kodi on Raspberry Pi. Defaults to RetroArch, possible to install EmulationStation.
OpenEMU ecosystem
OpenEMU is only for Mac OSX. Written in Objective C, they apparently have ported all the emulators themselves.
libretro ecosystem
The biggest player in the scene is libretro, a C-based interface between emulator backends and user-facing frontends. The following projects are in the libretro ecosystem:
RetroArch
The first frontend, designed to run on every OS and every major console. RetroArch has been around since 2011.
Kodi
In 2012, I wrote a new player core named RetroPlayer. It was the second frontend for the libretro API.
RetroPie
Runs on Raspbian, uses EmulationStation as a frontend launcher for RetroArch.
Lakka
The official Linux distribution of RetroArch and the libretro ecosystem. Uses RetroArch's graphical frontend. Based on OpenELEC.
OpenELEC / LibreELEC
Kodi on barebones Linux. First builds to include RetroPlayer were released in 2013.
Recalbox
Like RetroPie, uses EmulationStation as the frontend to launch multiple standalone emulators (including RetroArch and its cores). Lifehacker did a comparison between RetroPie and RecalBox here.
Gamestarter
Add-on for Kodi on Raspberry Pi. Defaults to RetroArch, possible to install EmulationStation.
OpenEMU ecosystem
OpenEMU is only for Mac OSX. Written in Objective C, they apparently have ported all the emulators themselves.
