LaunchBox 13.19 Released!

[AstroBob]

Version 13.19 - Released February 13th 2025

Release Summary

Full Changelog: https://www.launchbox-app.com/about/changelog

 

Improvements:

• Improved speed at which the Game Details View loads in LaunchBox
• This update replaced LaunchBox's legacy XML-based local game database with a high-performance SQLite database. Expect a noticeably faster startup time, lower memory usage, and a solid foundation for even more performance gains in upcoming releases
• LaunchBox has now been upgraded to .NET 9.0 (from .NET 6.0)
• The LaunchBox Game Details Default view now features Related Games in a dedicated, easily accessible section, for a more performant and user-friendly experience
• The ability to disable individual Related Games sections has been added in LaunchBox, accessible under Options > Visuals > Game Details
• The included version of VLC has been updated to version 3.0.21, bringing performance improvements, bug fixes, and updated codec support

 

Fixed:

• The auto-import feature for Playstation Vita games using the Vita3k emulator is now working correctly
• Restored the expected behaviour for the top background image in the Default theme's Game Details view. It will now prioritize images from your Background image group before using a Gameplay Screenshot as a fallback
• Resolved an issue where image loading could be disrupted by multi-threaded gremlins
• Corrected an error introduced in version 13.18 where dragging and dropping non-ROM game files would incorrectly assign an unassigned emulator value
• Eliminated the unnecessary prompt to select a RetroArch core for platforms that have already been imported
• Restoring saves on an Additional App could inadvertently overwrite the save data of the primary game
• Resolved an error that occurred under specific conditions when using UNC paths

 

Known Issues

Getting Crashes on Loading
If you’re experiencing crashes with an error when opening LaunchBox or Big Box, please check any third-party plugins you have installed. We’ve received multiple reports from users encountering issues with plugins that haven’t been properly updated for .NET 9.0.

To troubleshoot, try temporarily removing all plugins from your LaunchBox\Plugins directory. The plugin causing the issue will likely be referenced in the error report.

See this post for more details: 

 

Importing DOS Games Crashes
There is a known issue when using the DOS importer wizard. Unfortunately, there is no workaround at this time, but it will be addressed in a future beta update. If needed, you can revert to version 13.18 by running the installer found in your LaunchBox\Updates folder.

 

Flickering Issues on Dolphin
If you’re experiencing flickering when launching games via Dolphin, try the following:
    1.    Go to Tools > Manage > Emulators, then select Dolphin.
    2.    Under the Details tab, find the option “Attempt to hide console window on startup/shutdown.”
    3.    Uncheck this option and try launching the game again.

We’re currently investigating a known issue related to this setting, but unchecking the box should resolve the flickering.

 

Vita3K Not Launching
If Vita3K is not launching properly, follow the same steps as Dolphin:

• Go to Tools > Manage > Emulators, select Vita3K, and ensure that “Attempt to hide console window on startup/shutdown” is unchecked.

[AstroBob]

Added section for known issues

[Kevin_Flynn]

After moving to a database, are all data changes required to go through the front-end? What happens to our old method of updating via XML files in the data folder?

[dragon57]

1 hour ago, Kevin_Flynn said:

After moving to a database, are all data changes required to go through the front-end? What happens to our old method of updating via XML files in the data folder?

I assume if you want to look at the insides, you just use one of the SQLite tools to lookup and edit the tables. I am sure this is not supported, but I have played around inside of the LaunchBox.Metadata.dB file (never do this with LB or BB running and make a backup first) and had success editing areas/data myself. This is the one I use:

[Kevin_Flynn]

Thanks, I just wasn't sure if they became obsolete or not.

[AlabasterSlim]

Are all our playlists and platforms in SQLite as well?  Or are those still xml files?

[dragon57]

Here is the current structure of the SQLite dB, if it helps.

[C-Beats]

@Kevin_Flynn @AlabasterSlim only the local copy of the games database we use to scrape metadata/media was converted to Sqlite. Your local files are still the same XML files they've always been.