RetroArch News

Hello fans of Steam, Libretro, and RetroArch!

This is Saftle, and I'm volunteering as Steam Community Coordinator.

As it is the last day of Q3, we figured we owed everyone an update on the status of our Steam launch! As you have already guessed, yes we will be delaying the release again. However, worry not! For those unaware, the same version that we were intending on releasing (current stable without any Steam services integrated), is available on https://www.retroarch.com and https://www.libretro.com. So anyone dying to dive into their old content, can do so now!

Why are we delaying the Steam launch... again?!

1. Buildbot Server: Our Buildbot server is in the process of being updated both on a hardware and software level. This has been something that has needed to happen for a long time now, even before Steam was planned. Progress on this front is steady now, but there were a few hiccups at the beginning that we had to first sort out before we were able to dive in fully.
   
   
2. Steam Depot integration: After the buildbot is ready for primetime and works with the current infrastructure, the plan is to automate the Steam builds and distribution. This is a job that I'm responsible for, but due to a medical emergency I won't be able to tackle this at the moment. Hopefully, by the time the buildbot is finished, I will be back on my feet. However, just in case, we may need to find a replacement for me. This is the main reason for the delay sadly.
   

In order to not keep letting you down with undetermined release dates, at the moment just expect RetroArch to be released as soon as we can, and if you can't wait you can always grab it for free from the two sites above!

I hope everyone understands that we are just as excited as you guys are to see this land on Steam. Please don't give up on us, and we'll let you know as soon as we have something more concrete! Until then, take care everyone and keep gaming!

In order to do this release justice, we have some infrastructure work remaining to do that will take more time. Our new release estimate therefore is sometime later this quarter. We will keep you updated on our progress.

The net positive of this is that we can ensure the release is more polished and that it will meet the user expectations of your average Steam user.

So RetroArch is finally coming to Steam two weeks from now!

RetroArch is the official reference frontend of the popular Libretro API. While there is nothing particularly about RetroArch or the Libretro API that has anything to do with emulators, most do it use it for this purpose.

We want to grow our base and as of this month we have been putting a heavy focus into making sure that RetroArch can run originally bought content on game discs. There are further announcements to follow in the coming weeks, and we are open to dialogue with game developers/publishers that have the rights to original IP who want to bring their games over to Steam through the use of RetroArch*.

Do note that RetroArch is an agnostic frontend/backend application that can be used to run modular programs. As such, it can run real games, media engines, and emulators, as long as these programs are converted/ported into modular pieces of software known as 'Libretro cores'.

So, without further ado, here's the details on our initial release:

• Free.
  
• Windows version first, Linux and macOS versions will release later. We're a bit wary of the support burden that will come with a much wider audience, so we want to do the Windows version first to make sure we can handle the demand.
  
• At the beginning, there will not be any difference between the version you can get on Steam and the one available on our own website. As such, no Steamworks SDK functionality will be present at launch or any additional Steam features. However, after the initial launch, we will begin exploring options on how we can start leveraging Steam's functionality as a platform.
  
• Release date will be approximately 30th of July.
  

RetroArch as a program serves as the fundamental backbone of many retro gaming machines out there in the wild. Even when it is not deliberately namechecked, chances are it's running in the backend of said retro program. Same goes for its sister project Libretro. For instance, several programs available on Steam already, such as Grid Cartographer, and New Retro Arcade, integrate Libretro support to allow you to run the software that has been ported to the Libretro API. As for Libretro, this API is being leveraged by several retro gaming companies right now to serve as the backbone of their retro emulation services. Given all this interest and burgeoning activity, we feel now is the time to finally bring the official Libretro frontend to Steam. RetroArch is truly in a class of its own on a technical level when it comes to latency, shader features, and now soon-to-be disc loading and disc dumping. We can't wait to bring you complete control over your retro gaming library coming this summer on Steam!

* Our only condition is that we have to abide by the GPL license and any derivative works.