Retro Achievements HUD

[TrailerVert]

Retro Achievements HUD

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# AchievementHUD_V6.6 Display Plugin

### Core Features

**Live Achievement Tracking**
- Shows all achievements for the current game with unlock status
- Displays achievement icons, descriptions, and point values
- Shows how rare each achievement is (percentage of players who've unlocked it)
- Instant detection when you unlock achievements (<100ms via RetroArch log monitoring)

**Dynamic Achievement Celebrations**
- Full-screen gold celebrations when you unlock achievements
- Text-to-speech announcements (optional, fully configurable)
- LEDBlinky integration for RGB button/joystick animations (optional)
- Audio ducking - game audio drops during announcements so you don't miss anything

**Profile Display**
- Your RetroAchievements profile with avatar, username, and rank
- Total points and "true points" (weighted by difficulty)
- Currently playing status
- Recently played games with completion percentages

**Smart Features**
- Configurable sort modes - sort achievements by popularity, points, or alphabetically
- Auto-scroll - smoothly scrolls through long achievement lists during gameplay
- "Next achievement" suggestion - shows you the most common locked achievement
- Multi-monitor support with DPI awareness
- Home screen when no game is running

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## Why a Second Monitor?

Checking achievements mid-game means pausing, opening menus, breaking immersion. With a second screen, you always know:
- What you just unlocked
- What achievements are available
- How close you are to completion
- Which achievement to go for next

It's like having the RetroAchievements website open next to you, but live-updated and game-aware.

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## Technical Highlights

**Instant Detection**
- Monitors RetroArch logs for achievement unlocks in real-time
- No polling delays - detections happen the moment RetroArch records them
- Falls back to API polling for non-RetroArch emulators

**LaunchBox Integration**
- Fully integrated with LaunchBox's game launch/exit lifecycle
- Uses LaunchBox's RetroAchievements configuration (no duplicate setup)
- Pulls game metadata directly from LaunchBox's database
- Supports Clear Logos via LaunchBox's image system (handles MAME ROM name mismatches automatically)

**Customizable Display**
- Choose your target monitor
- Adjust celebration duration
- Configure TTS voice, speed, and volume
- Enable/disable individual features (LEDBlinky, TTS, audio ducking)
- Sort achievements your way
- Auto-scroll for hands-free browsing

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## Requirements

- LaunchBox (tested with latest versions)
- RetroAchievements account configured in LaunchBox (Tools > Options > RetroAchievements)
- RetroArch for instant achievement detection (optional - API polling works with any emulator)
- .NET 9.0 runtime
- Second monitor recommended (works on single monitor but best experience is dual-screen)

**Optional Integrations:**
- LEDBlinky for RGB lighting effects
- Text-to-Speech (built into Windows)

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## How It Works

1. **Launch a game** through LaunchBox
2. **Display appears** on your configured second monitor showing:
   - Game's Clear Logo or title
   - Your achievement progress
   - Full achievement list with icons and descriptions
3. **Unlock achievements** - instant celebration on screen
4. **Track your progress** without ever pausing the game
5. **Game exits** - display returns to home screen showing your profile and recent games

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## Installation

1. Download the plugin
2. Extract to `LaunchBox\Plugins\AchievementHUD\`
3. Restart LaunchBox
4. Configure in Tools > Options > Achievement HUD
5. Set your target monitor and preferences
6. Launch a game and enjoy!

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## Credits
by: TrailerVert
Built with love for the LaunchBox and RetroAchievements communities. 
Special thanks to the LaunchBox plugin API and RetroAchievements for making this possible.

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**Current Version:** 6.6  
**Status:** Beta
**License:** Free to use

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• Submitter
  TrailerVert
• Submitted
  02/22/2026
• Category
  Third-party Apps and Plugins