Arcade Frontends — Complete Comparison Guide

An arcade frontend is the software that sits between your emulators and your player — it's the visual interface that makes your cabinet feel like a real arcade. Choosing the right frontend is one of the most important decisions in any arcade cabinet build.

The Core Five Frontends

These are the five frontends that G&G Arcade recommends based on years of building custom cabinets:

• LaunchBox / Big Box — The Gold Standard. Best for high-end Windows builds where presentation and organization matter most.
• CoinOPS — The Plug-and-Play King. Best for builders who want a working cabinet immediately without manual configuration.
• Batocera — The Dedicated OS. Best for dedicated arcade cabinets where stability and low latency are the top priority.
• RetroBat — The #1 Trending Frontend. Best for Windows users who want the EmulationStation experience without leaving Windows.
• ES-DE — The Cross-Platform Standard. Best for builders who want a consistent experience across multiple devices.

How to Choose

If you want the fastest path to a working arcade cabinet with no configuration required, choose CoinOPS. If you want the most customizable and visually impressive result and are willing to invest time in setup, choose LaunchBox/Big Box. If you are building a dedicated cabinet that will run 24/7 and need maximum stability, choose Batocera.