First Steps

A quick walkthrough for getting started with Retro Multi Tools after installation.

1. Launch the Application

Run the application from your platform’s executable (RetroMultiTools.exe on Windows, ./RetroMultiTools on Linux/macOS). The main window opens with a sidebar listing all available tools.

2. Browse Your ROM Collection

  1. Select ROM Browser from the sidebar.
  2. Click Select Folder and choose the directory containing your ROM files.
  3. The browser scans the folder recursively and lists all recognized ROMs across 46 systems.
  4. Use the System dropdown to filter by console or computer type.
  5. Click any ROM to view artwork and header information in the detail panel.

See ROM Browser Guide for a comprehensive walkthrough.

3. Set Up RetroArch (Optional)

If you want to launch ROMs directly from the browser:

  1. Go to Settings in the sidebar.
  2. Under RetroArch, click Auto-Detect or Browse to set the RetroArch executable path.
  3. Click Check Cores to see which libretro cores are installed.
  4. Click Download Missing Cores to install any cores you need.

See RetroArch Integration for full details.

4. Try Big Picture Mode

Big Picture Mode provides a fullscreen, controller-friendly interface designed for couch gaming.

  1. Open the ROM Browser and scan a folder.
  2. Click Big Picture Mode in the toolbar.
  3. Use arrow keys (or a game controller) to browse, and press Enter to launch a ROM.
  4. Press H for a help overlay showing all keyboard shortcuts.
  5. Press Escape to return to the standard view.

See Big Picture Mode Guide for a full guide.

5. Explore the Tools

The sidebar organizes all tools into categories:

Category What You’ll Find
Browse & Inspect ROM Browser, ROM Inspector, Hex Viewer
Patching & Conversion ROM Patcher, format converters, extractors
Analysis & Verification Checksums, DAT verification, duplicate finder
Headers & Trimming Header export, SNES header tool, ROM trimmer
Utilities Archives, cheat codes, emulator config, gamepad key mapper, metadata scraper, ROM organizer
MAME ROM set auditor, CHD verifier/converter, DAT editor, rebuilder
RetroArch Playlist creator, shortcut creator, achievements
Mednafen Emulator path configuration and ROM launching
Analogue Pocket, Mega SG, NT / Super NT, 3D management
Settings Application preferences, RetroArch/MAME paths, language

6. Change the Language

Retro Multi Tools supports 20 languages. To change:

  1. Go to Settings in the sidebar.
  2. Select your language from the dropdown.
  3. The change takes effect immediately — no restart required.

Supported languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Korean, Russian, Dutch, Polish, Turkish, Arabic, Hindi, Thai, Swedish, Czech, Vietnamese, Indonesian

Where to Go Next