Simple Launcher is an open-source emulator frontend.
Main Window
Main Window in Grid View
Main Window in List View
Global Search Window
Favorites Window
If you like the software, please give us a star and consider making a donation.
Download the application from the release page.
Extract the ZIP file into a writable folder. We do not recommend using a network folder or installing it inside C:\Program Files.
If necessary, you may need to grant "Simple Launcher" administrative access. The application requires write access to its own folder.
- Click the Edit System menu item.
- Click the Easy Mode menu item.
- Follow the steps to install a system.
- Add ROM files for that system in the designated folder.
- Add cover images for that system in the designated folder.
- Return to the Main Window.
- If no system is selected, a visual System Selection Screen will help you choose your gaming platform. Otherwise, select the added system from the dropdown menu.
- Click the All button (or a letter/number filter) to display games for that system.
- Click the game you wish to launch.
- Intuitive User Interface: Modern WPF interface with light and dark themes, and customizable accent colors.
- System Selection Screen: A visual way to choose your gaming platform.
- Navigation Panel: Quick access to common actions like Global Search, Favorites, Play History, and UI adjustments.
- Dual View Modes:
- Grid View: Displays game covers as interactive buttons.
- List View: Shows game details in a sortable table, including file size, play count, and playtime.
- Easy Mode: Simplifies adding new systems by automatically downloading and configuring common emulators and cores.
- Expert Mode: Allows manual and detailed configuration of systems, emulators, paths, and launch parameters.
- Global Search: Quickly find games across all your configured systems.
- Favorites Management: Mark games as favorites for easy access.
- Play History Tracking: See which games you've played, how many times, and for how long.
- Global Stats: Get an overview of your game library, including total systems, games, and image counts.
- Fuzzy Image Matching: Helps find cover images even if filenames don't perfectly match.
- Image Pack Downloader: Download pre-made image packs for various systems.
- Context Menus: Rich right-click menus for games to launch, manage favorites, open external links (video/info), view local media (covers, snapshots, manuals), take screenshots, and delete game files.
- Gamepad Support: Navigate the UI using Xbox and PlayStation controllers (configurable deadzone).
- Customizable UI: Adjust thumbnail sizes, button aspect ratios, and games per page.
- Automatic Updates: Keeps Simple Launcher up-to-date with the latest features and fixes.
- Multilingual: Translated into 17 languages.
- Single Instance Enforcement: Prevents multiple copies of the application from running simultaneously.
Simple Launcher comes with a suite of command-line utilities accessible via the "Tools" menu to help manage your game library:
- Batch Convert ISO to XISO
- Batch Convert to CHD (supports CUE/BIN, ISO, IMG, ZIP, 7z, RAR)
- Batch Convert to Compressed File (ZIP or 7Z)
- Batch Verify CHD Files
- Batch Verify Compressed Files
- Create Batch Files for PS3, ScummVM, Sega Model 3, Windows Games, and Xbox 360 XBLA.
- FindRomCover (Organize System Images)
We do NOT provide ROMs or ISOs.
Image packs for some systems can be downloaded via Edit System -> Download Image Pack. If an image pack is not available, or for more comprehensive collections, you can download cover images from websites like Libretro Thumbnails or EmuMovies. Simple Launcher's Fuzzy Image Matching feature can also assist in finding relevant covers.
For more detailed information on Expert Mode, emulator parameters, and advanced configurations, please refer to our Wiki. A list of common emulator parameters can be found here.
- MAME Utility: A tool for managing full MAME driver information in XML format available on the MAME website. It can generate multiple simplified (and smaller) XML subsets and copy ROMs and image files based on the generated XML.
- FindRomCover: An application that helps organize your cover image collection. It attempts to match image filenames with ROM filenames, and users can choose from different similarity algorithms.
Simple Launcher is developed in C# using Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) and Microsoft .NET 9 Framework.
This program is Windows-only and has been tested on Windows 11.
Did you enjoy using the Simple Launcher frontend?
Consider donating to support the project or simply to express your gratitude!
- Peterson Fernandes - GitHub Profile
- RFSVIEIRA - GitHub Profile