Open "Non-Default" emulator

[W4rCh1ld]

When you right click a game it gives the option to "open" emulator, but only lists the default emulator, is there anyway to make launchbox list the other emulators too? As often i'll set a 2nd backup (or mainline version) emulator so that retroarch is the default (for ease of controls, settings, etc as a more seemless approach / presentation) but also want the more regularly updated / more powerful / more settings exe version too as an option (many examples; dolphin core / dolphin standalone, Swanstation Core / Duckstation, Flycast Core / Redream, etc etc) and would like the option to open the other emulator in the dropdown too, not just as a "launch with" option but also the "open" too. 

[skizzosjt]

nope. only launch with

[W4rCh1ld]

On 3/26/2025 at 5:38 PM, skizzosjt said:

nope. only launch with

Frustrating, as im more likely to want to boot into non default apps than i am the default one. lol

[skizzosjt]

3 hours ago, W4rCh1ld said:

Frustrating, as im more likely to want to boot into non default apps than i am the default one. lol

I assume because you actually have these alternative emulators assigned to at least a single game for whatever platform your in? if so, if you can recall which game(s) specifically have the alternative emulator already assigned as its default emulator, you can go to that game and launch the emulator from right clicking on it there.  so if you have every game using the same default emulator that plan falls apart.

 

another way would be to add the emulator as an additional app to the game(s). you can then use the additional apps menu from the right click context menu to open the alternative emulator. there is a bulk additional app plugin that would do the tedious work for you

additional apps can be configured to either do nothing when you launch a game (which is what you want to do here) but they also can be configured to either launch before a game launches, or after a game exits. just leave all that stuff unchecked which means it can only be launched through the user manually doing it through the right click context menu in LB or the game's detail screen in BB

after trying this just now the only downside I see is if you have startup/shutdown screens enabled they seem to get triggered just from launching an additional app?! I don't necessarily recall that being the way it worked in the past but I could be wrong there. so it's annoying to let the startup screen come up and time out before you can actually see/interact with the emulator you just opened

[W4rCh1ld]

6 hours ago, skizzosjt said:

I assume because you actually have these alternative emulators assigned to at least a single game for whatever platform your in? if so, if you can recall which game(s) specifically have the alternative emulator already assigned as its default emulator, you can go to that game and launch the emulator from right clicking on it there.  so if you have every game using the same default emulator that plan falls apart.

 

another way would be to add the emulator as an additional app to the game(s). you can then use the additional apps menu from the right click context menu to open the alternative emulator. there is a bulk additional app plugin that would do the tedious work for you

additional apps can be configured to either do nothing when you launch a game (which is what you want to do here) but they also can be configured to either launch before a game launches, or after a game exits. just leave all that stuff unchecked which means it can only be launched through the user manually doing it through the right click context menu in LB or the game's detail screen in BB

after trying this just now the only downside I see is if you have startup/shutdown screens enabled they seem to get triggered just from launching an additional app?! I don't necessarily recall that being the way it worked in the past but I could be wrong there. so it's annoying to let the startup screen come up and time out before you can actually see/interact with the emulator you just opened

Yeah it because im trying to make the default emulator retroarch as much as possible, but also have the more regularly updated / more powerful / more settings exe version for some platforms too, (many examples; dolphin core / dolphin standalone, Swanstation Core / Duckstation, Flycast Core / Redream, etc etc) and with retroarch being able to get into its setting with F1, where as the non default often i want to make game specific changes before launch so its alot more often / common to want to boot the non default vs the actual default... but you have made me think that yeah i could just go with some sort of work around (which honestly is kinda dumb and far from "neat" and pleasing etc) like you've suggested, but as its not "really" for certain / specific single game instances but just because i want to access the emulator as and when i want without manually going to its folder and booting it... so what ive done is;  

Added the emulator as "a game" called it - !1 [Emulator Name], 

Set its exe as the Launching/ Application Path, 

Unchecked the "use an emulator to play this game" box

Favorite'd it. 

This launches the emulator directly, has it listed first and foremost in the systems game list (due to being called !1 and fav),

Kinda dumb imo, but it works.

Edited Saturday at 08:28 PM by W4rCh1ld

[skizzosjt]

17 hours ago, W4rCh1ld said:

Yeah it because im trying to make the default emulator retroarch as much as possible, but also have the more regularly updated / more powerful / more settings exe version for some platforms too, (many examples; dolphin core / dolphin standalone, Swanstation Core / Duckstation, Flycast Core / Redream, etc etc) and with retroarch being able to get into its setting with F1, where as the non default often i want to make game specific changes before launch so its alot more often / common to want to boot the non default vs the actual default... but you have made me think that yeah i could just go with some sort of work around (which honestly is kinda dumb and far from "neat" and pleasing etc) like you've suggested, but as its not "really" for certain / specific single game instances but just because i want to access the emulator as and when i want without manually going to its folder and booting it... so what ive done is;  

Added the emulator as "a game" called it - !1 [Emulator Name], 

Set its exe as the Launching/ Application Path, 

Unchecked the "use an emulator to play this game" box

Favorite'd it. 

This launches the emulator directly, has it listed first and foremost in the systems game list (due to being called !1 and fav),

Kinda dumb imo, but it works.

ahh ok that works, it's the same idea but has a dedicated entry rather than being an additional app to existing entries.

you can leave the standard title as something more pleasing like "Duckstation" so it reads normal and then use the sort title field to cram it up to the #1 spot. call it "!1Duckstation" or whatever needed in the sort title so it becomes first. depending on if you have the setting enabled in Big Box, making a game a favorite can also automatically cram it into the top/first slot of the game wheel.

It's not dumb if it works and gets the job done!

[W4rCh1ld]

4 hours ago, skizzosjt said:

ahh ok that works, it's the same idea but has a dedicated entry rather than being an additional app to existing entries.

you can leave the standard title as something more pleasing like "Duckstation" so it reads normal and then use the sort title field to cram it up to the #1 spot. call it "!1Duckstation" or whatever needed in the sort title so it becomes first. depending on if you have the setting enabled in Big Box, making a game a favorite can also automatically cram it into the top/first slot of the game wheel.

It's not dumb if it works and gets the job done!

Thanks! Yes the same idea adapted as i just wanted a quick link directly to the secondary emulator's when there is more than one for that platform, so i just made the 2nd link myself (as close to being able to right click and select as i could) and now need to do it per platform (as my aim is to have Retroarch default and a Standalone option for each system i have). Also that does look nicer like that, definitely more pleasing with a clean name too and isnt so bad with abit of cover art. So yeah i think the solution is pretty good tbh, i meant the fact that a workaround is needed at all is kinda dim. lol.

Edited Sunday at 06:40 PM by W4rCh1ld