RetroDECK/wiki-rtd/docs/wiki_about/what-is-retrodeck.md

What is RetroDECK?

Instead of having several different software on your system for a variety of emulators and frontends you only need to have one: RetroDECK.

RetroDECK is a EmulationStation Desktop Edition (ES-DE) powered flatpak application that builds-in a variety of emulators and other software that allows you to play your favorite retro (and even not-so-retro) games in one complete package.

So what does that mean?

It means that RetroDECK takes all the emulators and frontend, configures them for you and put them into one application you can download from flathub.

By being one application RetroDECK can put all important files in one location for all the emulators, instead of having them spread out over your entire system and even add features on top.

What else?

RetroDECK also adds the RetroDECK Framework and the RetroDECK Configurator on top of the emulators and ES-DE interface that allows deeper integrations between emulators and easier exposure to a variety of features that you otherwise need to set per emulator basis to create a uniformity between them.

We ship:

• Tools for compressing games.
• Tools for file management.
• Tools for troubleshooting (BIOS Checker, Multi-File Structure Checker, Partial or full reset of functions)
• Tools for auto installing some BIOSes
• Prebuilt Steam Input profiles.
• Presets that can be acitivated to configure things over many emulators in one go like: RetroAchievements, Borders, Widescreen Mode, Swaping A/B X/Y for Nintendo Games.
• Easier management of mods roms texture_packs scraped media screenshots saves / states gamelists and more.

Inspiration for RetroDECK and goals

It's inspired by embedded emulation systems like:

• AmberELEC
• EmuELEC
• CoreELEC
• Lakka
• Batocera

The RetroDECK team consists of several veterans from some of the projects mentioned above as well as a bunch of other talented other individuals.