Frontend for emulators
Publisher’s description
What is Emulationstation?
Emulationstation by Emulationstation is open-source Windows software in the pc games category. It ranks 45th by popularity among pc games in this catalogue. It is written in C++.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides EXE (NSIS) installers for 32-bit Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. It needs Windows 10 or newer. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches.
Updates and version history
The current version is 2.0.1, released on June 13, 2021. The version history goes back to July 12, 2021: 2 releases, all linked to the official files. The last update is more than a year old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 14,395 times. The source code on GitHub (Aloshi/EmulationStation) has 2,296 stars. Similar programs include RetroArch, PPSSPP and OpenTTD.
Project description on GitHub: “A flexible emulator front-end supporting keyboardless navigation and custom system themes.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- 32-bit only
- Installation needs administrator rights
- No update for more than a year
- The official download link did not answer at the last check
In short: Emulationstation is an open-source pc game tool for 32-bit PCs. Updates have slowed down. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is Emulationstation safe to download?
- The file is served by emulationstation.org, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
70CCE8A059750A81A3F5E83CE818E889670BE7B162CD79C0B5F55A893BD7FEA5· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link did not answer when we last checked it (October 22, 2026)
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 2 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0.1Latest | June 13, 2021 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
| 2.0.1a | July 12, 2021 | — | 32-bit EXE (NSIS) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Emulationstation.Emulationstation -echoco install emulationstation.install -yemulationstation_2.0.1_win32.exe /SRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Emulationstation
- Category
- PC games
- Licence
- GPL
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/Aloshi/EmulationStation
- Written in
- C++
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10 (Windows 10+)
- Architecture
- 32-bit
- Installer
- EXE (NSIS)
- Version
- 2.0.1
- Released
- June 13, 2021
- Added to the catalogue
- June 13, 2021
- Versions listed
- 2
- Chocolatey downloads
- 14,395
- GitHub stars
- 2,296
- GitHub forks
- 910
- Website
- emulationstation.org
- winget ID
- Emulationstation.Emulationstation
- Chocolatey package
- emulationstation.install
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Emulationstation free?
Yes. Emulationstation is open-source software under the GPL licence.
Is Emulationstation safe to download?
The download comes from emulationstation.org, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Emulationstation with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can Emulationstation be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Which Windows versions does Emulationstation support?
The installer requires Windows 10 or newer and is available for 32-bit.
Does Emulationstation run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 32-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Emulationstation?
The versions page lists all 2 versions with links to their official installer files, back to July 12, 2021.
What are alternatives to Emulationstation?
RetroArch, PPSSPP, OpenTTD, Steam and ScummVM. The alternatives page compares them.
