Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

LaunchBox VS Mame

Compare LaunchBox VS Mame and see what are their differences

LaunchBox logo LaunchBox

LaunchBox is a portable, box-art-based games database and launcher for DOSBox, emulators, arcade cabinets, and PC Games. Download it free!

Mame logo Mame

MAME stands for Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator.
  • LaunchBox Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-30
  • Mame Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-05

LaunchBox features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    LaunchBox offers an intuitive and sleek interface that makes it easy for users to organize and access their game library, even if they are not tech-savvy.
  • Wide Emulator Support
    It supports a wide range of emulators, allowing users to play games from multiple platforms within a single application.
  • Customizability
    LaunchBox provides various options for customizing the look and feel of your game library, including custom themes and artwork.
  • Big Box Mode
    Big Box is a premium feature that offers a full-screen, TV-friendly interface ideal for home theater setups or those using a game console setup.
  • Regular Updates
    The software is regularly updated with new features, improvements, and bug fixes, ensuring that users have a continuously improving experience.
  • Community Support
    LaunchBox has a strong community of users who contribute to forums, share custom themes, and create guides, making it easier for newcomers to get started.

Possible disadvantages of LaunchBox

  • Cost
    While LaunchBox offers a free version, many advanced features such as Big Box mode require a paid license, which might be a drawback for some users.
  • Resource Intensive
    The application can be resource-heavy, particularly when dealing with large game libraries, potentially affecting the performance of older or less powerful systems.
  • Setup Complexity
    Initial setup can be time-consuming and somewhat complicated, particularly for users new to emulation or those with extensive game collections.
  • Dependency on Emulators
    The quality of the gaming experience often depends on the performance and compatibility of third-party emulators, over which LaunchBox has no control.
  • Limited Native Features
    Some features, like automatic game configuration, are not natively built into LaunchBox and require additional plugins or manual setup.

Mame features and specs

  • Wide Game Support
    MAME supports a vast library of classic arcade games, making it a versatile choice for vintage gaming enthusiasts.
  • Preservation
    MAME's main goal is to preserve the history of arcade games, which it achieves through its effort to replicate classic games accurately.
  • Regular Updates
    The MAME development team is active, providing regular updates and improvements to enhance compatibility and add support for more games.
  • Cross-Platform
    MAME is available on multiple platforms, including Windows, macOS, and Linux, making it accessible to a wide range of users.
  • Extensive Documentation
    There is a wealth of documentation available for MAME, helping users understand its configuration and functionalities better.

Possible disadvantages of Mame

  • Complex Setup
    MAME can be challenging to set up for beginners, as it requires a good understanding of ROM management and emulator configuration.
  • High System Requirements
    Some arcade games emulated in MAME can have high system requirements, meaning older or less powerful computers may struggle with performance.
  • Legal Issues
    While MAME itself is legal, obtaining ROMs for games can be legally questionable if the user does not own the physical game.
  • User Interface
    MAME's user interface is not as user-friendly as some other emulators, which can be intimidating for casual users.
  • Limited Online Play
    MAME offers limited or no support for online multiplayer experiences, focusing instead on offline gameplay and preservation.

LaunchBox videos

The Best Emulation Frontend For Windows? - LaunchBox / Big Box

More videos:

  • Review - LaunchBox - Review and Setup Guide!
  • Review - LaunchBox Review and Setup

Mame videos

Mame: Musical Hell Review #9

More videos:

  • Review - Man Cave Arcade Custom MAME Cabinet Review - Rerez
  • Review - MAME Review

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to LaunchBox and Mame)
Gaming
80 80%
20% 20
Emulators
77 77%
23% 23
Gaming Tools
77 77%
23% 23
Games
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare LaunchBox and Mame

LaunchBox Reviews

Best Free Game Launcher for Windows PC
The initially DOSBox emulator front end, LaunchBox, has integrated more features to its stacks. It allows you to play previously downloaded games. LaunchBox is pretty flexible, you can set the settings as well as customize it as per your likes.
5 best game launcher software for Windows PC
The software is partnered with EmuMovies so that you can quickly add associated box art, fan art, logos, screenshots and videos to your game database. LaunchBox will also find all associated metadata of title, genre, release, platform, etc.
The Three best Windows game launcher software to organize your game library
This software is compatible with Windows platforms from Vista on, and the publisher hints there might also be future Mac and Linux versions. LaunchBox has a freeware and Premium version with extra customization options and a Big Box Mode. The Premium version of the software is currently retailing at $20. LaunchBox is comparable to Photon Game Manager as it enables users to...
Source: zobuz.com
Top 6 best launcher games to launch and organize PC games
Depending on the launcher, LaunchBox may not find your game. Therefore you need to add it manually. However, if you are looking for a launcher that can handle Pitfall as well as the latest Tom Clancy game, Launchbox is worth considering.
Source: tipsmake.com

Mame Reviews

We have no reviews of Mame yet.
Be the first one to post

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Mame seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 14 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

LaunchBox mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of LaunchBox yet. Tracking of LaunchBox recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Mame mentions (14)

  • SF III 3d strike japan no cd - can you change region?
    Why not just recommend a proper version of MAME from mamedev.org. Source: about 2 years ago
  • CPS3 games having character sprite issues
    If you're using an official MAME build from mamedev.org then there's no logical reason why something would fail in the middle of writing out the NVRAM files, leaving them in a corrupt state, unless you've done something really stupid like write protected some corrupt files in there? Source: about 2 years ago
  • Need Help: Playing a TI99/4A Game for Christmas
    I tried running the .wav file from the download link you gave in MAME 0.249 using the ti99_4a driver. The command "takpie" is recognized, and other six-letter commands, like "sayelv, are deemed invalid and bring up statements like "INCORRECT STATEMENT" and "I DO NOT KNOW". The game does not appear to crash, so it might just be an issue with your copy of MAME. I recommend getting the latest version from... Source: over 2 years ago
  • Help w/Student Project with older CPUs
    Get the latest release of MAME from https://mamedev.org/. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Question: Original DK Arcade Cab - RBP Build or 60in1?
    You can use any PC (I recommend an i5 or newer so you can go back 10+ years easy for a junker). To set it up, all you need to do is install MAME (just unzip the file you get from mamedev.org) and install your front end of choice (I am using MaLa on my DK but I also like Attract Mode and Gamelauncher). Point the front end to mame.exe and make sure your games are in the roms folder (that is in the mame zip file). ... Source: over 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing LaunchBox and Mame, you can also consider the following products

RetroArch - RetroArch is a frontend for emulators, game engines and media players.

Playnite - Source code generated using layoutit.com

Kawaks - Winkawaks Emulator Official Website,Latest version of Winkawaks,Best Neo Geo Emulators,and Neo Geo Game Roms Download, The King of Fighters Download.

Batocera.linux - Batocera.linux is an open-source and completely free retro-gaming distribution that can be copied to a USB stick or an SD card with the aim of turning any computer/nano computer into a gaming console during a game or permanently.

OpenEmu - Console and Arcade video game emulator for macOS.

HyperSpin - HyperSpin is an animated arcade frontend for Windows for use on Home Arcade Machines.