Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Batocera.linux VS Playnite

Compare Batocera.linux VS Playnite and see what are their differences

Batocera.linux logo Batocera.linux

Batocera.linux is an open-source and completely free retro-gaming distribution that can be copied to a USB stick or an SD card with the aim of turning any computer/nano computer into a gaming console during a game or permanently.

Playnite logo Playnite

Source code generated using layoutit.com
  • Batocera.linux Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-27
  • Playnite Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-05

Batocera.linux features and specs

  • Wide Emulation Support
    Batocera.linux supports a vast range of gaming consoles from retro to current-gen, making it a comprehensive solution for emulation.
  • User-Friendly Interface
    The system’s user interface is designed to be intuitive and accessible, which makes it suitable for users of all technical skill levels.
  • Open Source
    Being open-source, Batocera.linux allows users to contribute to its development and customize it to suit their preferences.
  • Active Community
    Batocera.linux has an active community that provides support, tutorials, and updates, helping users troubleshoot issues and stay informed about new features.
  • Plug and Play
    The system is easy to set up and can be run from a USB stick or SD card without requiring extensive installation, making it accessible to beginners.
  • Regular Updates
    Batocera.linux frequently receives updates that add new features, improve performance, and fix bugs, ensuring a continually improving user experience.
  • Multi-Platform
    Batocera.linux can be installed on various devices, including PCs, Raspberry Pi boards, and more, making it versatile for different hardware configurations.

Possible disadvantages of Batocera.linux

  • Limited Hardware Compatibility
    While Batocera supports a range of hardware, there are instances where certain devices might not be fully compatible, leading to suboptimal performance or lack of support.
  • Resource-Intensive
    Some of the more advanced emulators can be quite resource-intensive, requiring more powerful hardware to run smoothly.
  • Complex Configuration for Advanced Users
    While the basic setup is straightforward, advanced configurations can be complex and might require a deep understanding of emulation and Linux systems.
  • Potential Legal Issues
    Emulating certain games might lead to legal issues, especially if users don’t own the original copies of the games they are emulating.
  • Lack of Official Support
    As an open-source project, Batocera might not offer the same level of official support that users might expect from commercial software.
  • Occasional Bugs
    As with many open-source projects, Batocera.linux might have occasional bugs or stability issues, which can impact the gaming experience.
  • Learning Curve
    New users may face a learning curve when first using Batocera.linux, especially if they are unfamiliar with Linux-based systems.

Playnite features and specs

  • Unified Library
    Playnite allows you to consolidate games from different platforms into a single, unified library, making it easier to manage and access your game collection.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source project, Playnite offers transparency and the ability for community-driven updates and features. Users can contribute to its development.
  • Extensible with Plugins
    Playnite supports various plugins, which can extend its functionality to include additional features such as game tracking, alternative themes, and integrations with other services.
  • Customizable UI
    The user interface in Playnite is highly customizable, allowing users to personalize their game library view according to their preferences.
  • Supports Multiple Game Platforms
    Playnite supports integration with many gaming platforms like Steam, GOG, Epic Games, Origin, and Uplay, providing one-stop access to all your games.
  • Automatic Game Import
    It can automatically import games from numerous platforms and even detect locally installed games, which saves time and effort.

Possible disadvantages of Playnite

  • Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive set of features and customization options, new users might experience a learning curve while getting acquainted with Playnite.
  • Occasional Bugs
    As an open-source project, Playnite might experience occasional bugs and glitches, especially with new updates or changes in supported game platforms.
  • Limited Mobile Support
    Playnite is primarily focused on desktop platforms, and there is limited to no support for mobile devices, which could be a drawback for those looking for cross-platform accessibility.
  • Dependency on Third-Party Plugins
    While plugins add great value, they can also introduce dependency issues. If the plugins are not well-maintained or become incompatible with new versions of Playnite, it can lead to functionality problems.
  • Manual Setup for Some Features
    Certain features or game integrations might require manual setup and configuration, which can be cumbersome for non-tech-savvy users.

Batocera.linux videos

Turn a USB Flash Drive into a Portable Gaming "System"!

Playnite videos

Checking out the Playnite 5.5 Update and it's damned good

More videos:

  • Review - Is the best Launcher even BETTER? - Playnite 5 Review
  • Review - Playnite games launcher Quick Look and Impressions
  • Demo - Youtube.com

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Batocera.linux and Playnite)
Gaming
34 34%
66% 66
Emulators
48 48%
52% 52
Games
0 0%
100% 100
Gaming Tools
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare Batocera.linux and Playnite

Batocera.linux Reviews

  1. Very difficult to configure.

    While it has the potential to be amazing, like most linux-based options, it falls apart in the area of user experience, with automatic misconfigurations, failure to recognize supported devices and the requirement to SSH into the host system from yet another system (that you may not even have). in order to enter complicated commands just to turn basic supported features on and off. If you do spend a few days getting it to a basic level of functionality, it may be worthwhile, but the problem is that you shouldn't have to. Extra layers of unnecessary complexity seem to have been added simply to maintain that unapproachable aura that most Linux distros have.

    🏁 Competitors: Lakka
    👍 Pros:    Good UI
    👎 Cons:    Confusing set-up|Complicated configuration|Vague instructions|Automatic mis-configurations|Cannot use standard installation methods|Supported devices require complex configuration

Best Linux Distro for Gaming
Batocera.linux is a lightweight distro that turns your computer into a gaming machine, similar to Lakka. Batocera is arguably better than Lakka considering the number of emulators, and the active community behind Batocera. Although it’s worth trying both distros. It’s still being actively developed, with new emulators and software being added to the distro. Instead of going...
Source: linuxstans.com

Playnite Reviews

Best Free Game Launcher for Windows PC
Presenting you, Playnite, a game launcher, containing a nice set of features. In this, you can scan the games on your device, get a nice combination of features with a user-friendly UI. You will not only get a launcher but also emulators.
Top 6 best launcher games to launch and organize PC games
This is due to the open source of the project. Playnite has many contributions and so it grows quickly. In addition to the launcher, Playnite also supports many emulators, it can handle retro games effectively.
Source: tipsmake.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Playnite should be more popular than Batocera.linux. It has been mentiond 287 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

Batocera.linux mentions (43)

  • Turn your old laptop into low-end gaming machine
    I thought this post would recommend Batocera, which I think is probably the better option: https://batocera.org/ It's a Linux distro that turns any ancient machine into a retro emulation box that's heavily optimized for old devices and retro handhelds. It also allows you to install Flatpaks so you can add Steam to it as well. - Source: Hacker News / 3 months ago
  • Intel N100 Radxa X4 First Thoughts
    Im validating it on a desktop pc at the moment, but have a minipc in the mail that should handle it fine (minisforum um790 pro). No links for pre-loaded if you mean roms, but batocera is a much more pre-loaded experience if you mean emulators and config. Its a much more rigid experience than retropie. You can get it at the homepage: https://batocera.org/ The nice thing is that it is designed to be run from a... - Source: Hacker News / 5 months ago
  • Looking for input setting up emulation machine
    The OS you probably want is Batocera. I have a couple external SSDs that I use to run it on my VCSs, and they're great. It's definitely an easier setup than Windows with Launchbox, and you don't have to deal with licensing, forced updates, and all the other Windows garbage. Source: over 1 year ago
  • So I had an Arcade1UP Partycade modded with 12,000 games. I have no clue how to use this. I can only play a few games. I hope someone knows how to use this?!?
    This subreddit is for the completely free and open-source distribution that you would find at https://batocera.org/ which comes with absolutely no copyrighted ROMs(games). You will only get support here for that and that alone. Unfortunately if you bought a preconfigured system ("unofficial image"), your issues are with the people who sold it to you. Nobody here can help you with anything outside the scope of the... Source: over 1 year ago
  • MiSTer vs Super Nt for my needs?
    Alternatively, since you just built a nice PC, you can take the free options and just software emulate classic systems and run MAME. If you don't have time to set much up, look into a Batocera boot drive https://batocera.org/. Source: over 1 year ago
View more

Playnite mentions (287)

  • Microsoft Says Apple's 30% Fee Makes Xbox Cloud Gaming iOS App 'Impossible'
    The surprising thing is that PC is an open platform where people could compete with Steam on even terms if they actually tried. Gamers don't like installing 5 different game launchers and Steam is the oldest one with all their games and is mostly a neutral party. I recently installed Playnite [1], an open source game library manager and its been incredible. It pulls in games from all launchers/sources and gives... - Source: Hacker News / 4 months ago
  • I wrote an app for myself to filter my library by HLTB
    I've done something similar before with Playnite (an open-source PC game library manager), which has an HLTB plugin. Source: about 1 year ago
  • Tags no longer register and i've finally had it with galaxy 2.0. Any recommended alternatives?
    Playnite: The one with the most features and libraries available via addons and has a lot of options for customization. In my opinion the best one available for this purpose. Source: about 1 year ago
  • What tools do I install?
    As for my LGO, the only other app I've installed outside of the standard launcher was Playnite to consolidate all games into one place as Legion Space doesn't detect everything I have installed and I don't want to manage manually adding games to their launcher. Source: about 1 year ago
  • Login in to various stores when launching games
    Use playnite instead of the individual launchers. Source: about 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Batocera.linux and Playnite, you can also consider the following products

RetroArch - RetroArch is a frontend for emulators, game engines and media players.

LaunchBox - LaunchBox is a portable, box-art-based games database and launcher for DOSBox, emulators, arcade cabinets, and PC Games. Download it free!

EmulationStation - a graphical emulator front-end

Lutris - Lutris is an open source gaming platform for GNU/Linux.

Lakka - Lakka is the official Linux distribution of RetroArch and the libretro ecosystem.

GOG Galaxy - Truly gamer friendly, DRM-free online gaming platform.