Launch box on Android not launching game in retroarch

[markwodberry]

I've got launch box for Android and retroarch. Everytime I try to launch a game in launch box, it switches to retroarch but doesn't actually launch a game. It will just go to whatever screen I was on last in retroarch.

[g0d53nd]

@markwodberry did you ever figure this problem out? I am having the same problem all of a sudden.

[markwodberry]

No I haven’t unfortunately 

[Retro808]

Moving to Android subforum as it would likely get a response there. I cannot help as I have not use the Android version much.

[naptownmark]

I'm having the same problem has anyone found a solution 

[Matches]

I've had the same exact problem.   This is extremely frustrating.  Not only does it do this for retroarch but for every other emulator I use. 

[Retro4Ever]

I believe it's an issue with Retroarch itself not Launchbox.  I used it on my Nvidia Shield and if I open a game thru Retroarch, the 1st game I play will load.  Yet when I'm done playing and I try to play another it won't load.  I have to go into the Apps settings and force close Retroarch just to launch another game.  I since then dropped Retroarch as I was having nothing but issues and I been getting the actual APKs for emulators and installing them.  I've even noticed I can't open the Retroarch app itself twice without having to manually force close it first.  The first time the app opens but the second time it's a blank screen.

Edited February 23, 2020 by Retro4Ever
Added more info.

[Matches]

This is the same thing that I have experienced with my android phone(S8+).  I cannot get any of the emulators in Retroarch to work correctly.  I kind of thought that I would be able to pick a game in LB and play it.  Not have to shut down the emulator and then pick another game.  I am having the same issue with the Mupen 64 emulator.  I am assuming that the issue lies with the emulators and not LB but, I followed ETA Primes videos exactly and this is what's happening.  The only emulator I can get to work as advertised is ePSXe.  That one works flawlessly

[neil9000]

Sounds like the emulators dont accept a rom passed via commandline when a rom has already been passed and loaded. You would need to set hotkeys in the emulators to ACTUALLY close them out, as it sounds like they are simply being task switched and moved to the background at the moment.

[Matches]

I was kind of thinking along the same lines with the hotkey and that is understandable.  The problem is though if the emulator is being started for the first time it should open up the game right away.  The Mupen emulator does not do this for instance.  Upon  opening a game for the first time it takes you right to the actual emulator.  You then have to hit play on the emulator and this was a recommended emulator for this.  Also, it takes forever for my box art and backgrounds to load from the DB and before anyone asks I am a direct high speed wifi connection.

Edited February 24, 2020 by Matches

[Thatman84]

I just got back to messing with Android LB since release today. I will have a play and see if it happens for me.

I have an older build on my phone as the current 64bit RA doesn’t have all availiable cores. I’m running 1.7.4 32bit

[Thatman84]

Yeah RetroArch must be closed to allow launching to Rom. Seems pretty standard to me.

Easy enough to close after playing via controller and hotkey or just touchscreen through the menu or normal android app closing methods

[neil9000]

18 minutes ago, Thatman84 said:

Yeah RetroArch must be closed to allow launching to Rom. Seems pretty standard to me.

Easy enough to close after playing via controller and hotkey or just touchscreen through the menu or normal android app closing methods

Yup, agreed. Thought i should put it into text though for people who are not as savvy about commandlines and such.