V14 helpfully introduced the Section property for AdditionalApplications - visible in the [Platform].xml file. This will be super useful for plugin developers who need to distinguish between Game Files, genuine additional Apps, links and documents (and any other future categories). At the moment, the only option is hacky: reading the platform xml files directly.

stigzler 4 days ago

New PDF reader needs a solution for PDF manuals that have two pages on one PDF page. The single page setting mostly works, except the major issue is that the front and back cover are stretched. No fit settings resolve this. This is the major thing keeping me from using the new reader as the default option as the experience is worse. I think there needs to be a specific setting for documents that have two pages on one PDF page. The more minor issue is that the ‘page turning’ animation would need to come from the middle rather than the left. Also, the page turning is really fast when going forward, but better when going back. A speed setting would be great.

Dugular 4 days ago

14.0.1

📋 Summary Allow users to use LaunchBox Save Management with non-emulated games by manually defining save locations or using suggested save paths from trusted sources such as PCGamingWiki. ❗ Problem Save Management is extremely useful for supported emulated games, but many users also have non-emulated games in their LaunchBox library. PC games from Steam, GOG, Epic, itch.io, and standalone.exe installs often store saves in different locations, such as Documents, AppData, Saved Games, the game install folder, or storefront-specific folders. Without a way to tell LaunchBox where those saves are, users have to manage backups manually or rely on custom scripts. 💡 Proposal Add Save Management support for non-emulated games. For each game, users could define one or more save locations, including: A save file A save folder Multiple save locations Optional labels for each save location LaunchBox could also suggest save locations using public metadata sources such as PCGamingWiki when available. Suggested paths should be editable before use, since save locations may vary depending on storefront, operating system, Proton/Wine usage, cloud-save behavior, and user-specific folders. Once configured, LaunchBox could include those saves in existing Save Management workflows, such as manual backups, automatic backups, backup on game close, version history, and restore. 🧩 Use Cases Automatically suggest save locations for known PC games Back up saves for Steam, GOG, Epic, itch.io, and standalone games Track saves for games that do not use an emulator Preserve save data before moving LaunchBox to another PC or drive Replace batch-file backup workflows with built-in Save Management 📦 Benefits Expands Save Management beyond emulated games Helps prevent lost PC game saves Reduces manual save-location research Makes LaunchBox more useful as a full game library manager Provides a consistent save backup experience across more game types ⚠️ Considerations This should support both manual setup and suggested paths. PCGamingWiki or similar sources should be treated as a helpful starting point, not guaranteed truth. LaunchBox should let users review and edit detected paths, warn when a configured path is missing, and clearly show whether a backup contains files, folders, or multiple save locations.

Tayley 5 days ago

2

I would like the option to orient badges vertically as well as horizontally in the recently added FastBoxesContentView. I’m a bit badge-crazy myself, so I have quite a few custom badges that require a vertical view to see all of them clearly. The case may be similar for other users that like to use many badges at the same time. It’s a small visual gripe I’ve had with the most recent versions of the default theme, which I’ve worked around by using older custom themes, but I would like to be able to benefit from the faster box view without being stuck with horizontal badges.

d66dle 12 days ago

📋 Summary Add a setting that lets users choose whether titles beginning with articles like “The,” “A,” or “An” are sorted by the article or by the main title. ❗ Problem LaunchBox commonly sorts titles while ignoring leading articles. For example, The Legend of Zelda may appear under L instead of T. Many users prefer this behavior, but others expect strict alphabetical sorting based on the full displayed title. Users can manually adjust Sort Title for individual games, but doing this across a large library can be tedious. 💡 Proposal Add a global sorting preference for leading articles. Possible options: Ignore leading articles when sorting Sort by full title, including leading articles This should affect title-based sorting and alphabet navigation where appropriate. 🧩 Use Cases Sort The Legend of Zelda under T Keep all games beginning with The grouped together Avoid manually editing Sort Title for many games Match users’ preferred library organization style 📦 Benefits Gives users more control over alphabetical sorting Reduces manual Sort Title cleanup Supports different cataloging preferences Makes sorting behavior easier to understand ⚠️ Considerations The existing behavior should remain the default, since many users expect articles like “The,” “A,” and “An” to be ignored when sorting. The setting should also avoid overriding games where the user has manually entered a custom Sort Title.

Millisar 16 days ago

2

Currently on simple, non-UI involved plugins when e.g. a process/action is completed, we can notify the end user via a MessageBox or even System.Media.SystemSounds.Asterisk.Play();. These can be boring or in the case of a MessageBox, can get ‘lost’ behind LaunchBox’s UI. Having access to LaunchBox’s Notification System for ‘simple messages’ will make for a clean, non-intrusive yet visible means of notifying/informing the end user.

JoeViking245 17 days ago

1

📋 Summary Add an option to the MAME Full Set Importer that lets users prioritize the MAME-defined parent ROM as the default version of a game. ❗ Problem When importing a MAME full set, LaunchBox currently uses region and variant preferences to help choose the primary version when related parent/clone sets are grouped. That works well for many users, but some users prefer the default version to match the parent ROM defined by MAME itself, regardless of region or player-count preferences. 💡 Proposal Add a checkbox or advanced option to the MAME Full Set Importer, such as: Prioritize MAME parent ROMs Prefer parent ROM as default version When enabled, LaunchBox would use the MAME-defined parent ROM as the main/default version when importing grouped MAME games. If the parent ROM is unavailable or not working, LaunchBox could fall back to the existing region and variant priority behavior. 🧩 Use Cases Keep imported MAME games aligned with MAME’s parent/clone structure Make the parent set the default launch option Avoid a clone becoming the primary version when the user prefers the parent Still allow region/variant preferences as a fallback when needed 📦 Benefits Gives users more control over MAME import behavior Better supports users who organize around parent sets Preserves existing region/variant behavior for users who prefer it Reduces manual cleanup after importing full MAME sets ⚠️ Considerations This should be optional and should not replace the existing region and variant priority options. The current behavior should remain available for users who prefer regional or player-count prioritization.

dukdukgoos 22 days ago

2

❗ Problem For some games, local playtime tracking may be less accurate than playtime tracked by an external service. LaunchBox already benefits from using external playtime data where available, such as Steam playtime. RetroAchievements now exposes user playtime data for supported games, which could provide a more accurate playtime source for retro games played through supported emulators. 💡 Proposal Add an option to use RetroAchievements playtime as a playtime source for matched games. When a user has connected their RetroAchievements account, LaunchBox could check supported games and update playtime using RetroAchievements data where available. This could apply to: Games linked to RetroAchievements entries Games with matching RetroAchievements achievement sets Games launched through supported emulators Library views and filters that use playtime 🧩 Use Cases Keep retro game playtime accurate across emulator sessions Reflect playtime earned outside of LaunchBox when using the same RetroAchievements account Improve playtime tracking for users who rely heavily on RetroAchievements Make playtime-based sorting and filtering more accurate for retro libraries 📦 Benefits More accurate playtime for RetroAchievements-supported games Better consistency across devices and emulator sessions Makes existing RetroAchievements integration more useful Improves playtime-based library organization ⚠️ Considerations This should be optional, since some users may prefer LaunchBox’s local playtime tracking. Syncing should also respect RetroAchievements API limits and avoid excessive requests, likely by caching results and refreshing playtime on a schedule or after gameplay.

AstroBob 22 days ago

📋 Summary Add autocomplete support when typing into multi-select metadata fields such as Genre, Series, and supported custom fields. ❗ Problem Some metadata fields can contain long lists of existing values. When editing game metadata, users may need to scroll or type exact values manually, which can slow down bulk editing and increase the chance of inconsistent entries. For example, typing rac should quickly suggest or jump to Racing instead of requiring the user to find it manually. 💡 Proposal Improve multi-select metadata fields so typing filters and suggests matching existing values. This could include: Showing matching values as the user types Highlighting the best match Allowing Enter or Tab to accept the suggestion Supporting partial matches, such as rac for Racing Applying the same behavior to Genre, Series, and similar multi-select/custom fields 🧩 Use Cases Quickly add Racing to several games Select a Series without scrolling through a long list Reuse existing custom field values consistently Speed up metadata cleanup for large libraries 📦 Benefits Faster metadata editing Less scrolling through long value lists Reduces duplicate or inconsistent values Improves usability for large libraries ⚠️ Considerations Autocomplete should clearly distinguish between selecting an existing value and creating a new one where custom values are allowed.

GodElite 24 days ago

2

📋 Summary Add a new Timeline View that lets users browse their game library chronologically by release date. ❗ Problem LaunchBox can sort and arrange games by release date, but there is not currently a dedicated way to explore a library as a historical timeline. Users who enjoy seeing the evolution of games, platforms, genres, series, or publishers may want a more visual way to browse their collection across years and eras. 💡 Proposal Introduce a Timeline View that displays games along a chronological timeline based on release date. The view could group games by: Decade Year Month, when available Platform era Console generation Users could scroll through time and see which games were released in each period. The timeline should work like other LaunchBox views, allowing users to apply filters such as platform, genre, series, playlist, publisher, developer, favorites, completed status, or custom fields. 🧩 Display Ideas Timeline entries could appear as: Horizontal or vertical chronological rows Year-based sections with game covers A zoomable timeline that can move between decades, years, and months Compact mode for large libraries Cover-focused mode for visual browsing Selecting a game would show normal game details and launch options, just like other views. 🧩 Use Cases Browse the history of a platform from oldest to newest See how a series evolved over time Explore games released in a specific year or console generation View a playlist as a historical timeline Discover older games that are easy to miss in normal library views 📦 Benefits Adds a new historical way to explore a library Makes release date metadata more useful Improves discovery in large collections Works naturally with playlists and filters Creates a more museum-like browsing experience for game history fans ⚠️ Considerations Games with missing or incomplete release dates should be handled gracefully, such as placing them in an “Unknown Release Date” section. The view should also support large libraries without becoming difficult to navigate.

AstroBob about 1 month ago

📋 Summary Show whether leaderboard games are installed in the user’s local library and allow installed games to be launched directly from the Big Box leaderboard screen. ❗ Problem When browsing global high score leaderboards in Big Box, users may find a game they want to play immediately. Currently, they need to leave the leaderboard screen, search for the game in their library, and launch it separately. 💡 Proposal Add two improvements to Big Box leaderboards: A clear installed/available indicator for games already in the local LaunchBox library A direct Play Game action for installed games This would let users move from viewing a leaderboard challenge to launching the game with minimal friction. 🧩 Use Cases See whether a leaderboard game is already available locally Launch an installed game directly from its leaderboard entry Quickly attempt to beat a high score after viewing rankings Browse leaderboards as a way to discover what to play next 📦 Benefits Smoother leaderboard-to-game flow Better use of leaderboards as a play discovery tool Fewer steps for competitive players More engaging Big Box experience ⚠️ Considerations The launch action should only appear when LaunchBox can confidently match the leaderboard game to an installed local game.

Mike Nelson about 1 month ago

4

📋 Summary Add an option to keep the selection rail visible in the main game view instead of only showing it on hover. ❗ Problem The new selection rail is useful for quickly jumping through games based on the current “Arrange By” setting, such as jumping to a letter when arranged by title. However, requiring the user to hover in a specific area before the rail appears can feel clunky, especially for users who rely on it frequently. 💡 Proposal Add a setting to always show the selection rail in the main game view. Users who prefer the current cleaner layout could keep the hover behavior, while users who want faster access could enable the rail permanently. 🧩 Use Cases Quickly jump to a letter when arranged by title Keep navigation controls visible in large libraries Reduce extra mouse movement when browsing Make the rail easier to discover and use 📦 Benefits Improves usability for large collections Makes the selection rail more accessible Gives users more control over the main view layout Reduces friction for frequent rail users ⚠️ Considerations This should be optional so users who prefer a cleaner interface can keep the current hover-based behavior.

Retrofrogg about 1 month ago

2

📋 Summary Improve LaunchBox behavior when a drive runs out of space during imports, media downloads, or file updates. ❗ Problem If a drive becomes full while LaunchBox is downloading artwork or updating files, users may see an error and be unsure how to recover. This can be especially confusing for less technical users who later move or clone their library to a larger drive but do not know whether LaunchBox can continue normally. 💡 Proposal When LaunchBox detects that storage is full, provide clearer recovery options and guidance. This could include: A clear “drive is full” message The affected folder or drive path A retry option after space is freed Guidance to free space or move the library/media folder Better handling of incomplete media downloads 🧩 Use Cases A user runs out of space while downloading game artwork A user moves their LaunchBox setup to a larger drive A user wants to retry failed downloads after freeing space A less technical user needs clearer instructions on what went wrong 📦 Benefits Reduces confusion after storage-related errors Helps users recover failed downloads Prevents LaunchBox from feeling broken after a full-drive issue Improves reliability for large libraries ⚠️ Considerations LaunchBox should not attempt to resize drives or partitions itself, but it can provide clearer messaging and recovery tools when storage problems occur.

stephenslaunchbox2025 about 1 month ago

3

📋 Summary Add support for managing a local folder of game installers and compressed game packages within LaunchBox. ❗ Problem Some users keep offline backups of PC game installers, DRM-free games, homebrew games, or compressed game packages in local folders. LaunchBox can manage installed games well, but it does not currently act like a local storefront where users can browse, install, launch, and manage games from installer files stored on their own drives. 💡 Proposal Allow users to choose one or more local folders for LaunchBox to scan for game installers or compressed packages. Initial support could focus on simpler cases, such as: Single-file installers like.exe or.msi Compressed games such as.zip,.7z, or.rar Basic filename matching to identify games Running the installer or extracting the package Letting the user confirm the installed game folder and launch executable Later improvements could add better installer detection, multi-file installer support, uninstall handling, and smarter game matching. 🧩 Use Cases Manage DRM-free installer backups from a local drive Import homebrew or fan games distributed as archives Reinstall games without manually browsing folders Keep offline PC game collections organized inside LaunchBox 📦 Benefits Makes LaunchBox more useful for local PC game collections Helps users manage installer backups Reduces manual setup after installing or extracting games Provides a foundation for more advanced local library management later ⚠️ Considerations Save syncing, AI-assisted detection, cloud storefront support, and community-maintained save paths should likely be separate follow-up requests because they significantly increase complexity.

GameTag about 2 months ago

2

📋 Summary Add an option to sort games alphabetically within grouped Arrange By sections. ❗ Problem Some Arrange By options group games into sections, such as Star Rating or Release Year. When these groups are created, users may still want the games inside each section to be sorted alphabetically by title. Without this, grouped views can feel harder to browse, especially in large libraries. 💡 Proposal Add an option to sort games alphabetically within each Arrange By group. For example: Arrange By: Star Rating Groups: 5 Stars, 4 Stars, 3 Stars Games inside each group: sorted A-Z by title This could apply to grouped Arrange By views such as star rating, release year, and other similar categories. 🧩 Use Cases Browse 5-star games alphabetically View games by release year while keeping each year easy to scan Restore a preferred browsing style for users who liked the previous behavior 📦 Benefits Makes grouped views easier to navigate Improves browsing for large libraries Gives users more control over sorting behavior Preserves flexibility for different library organization preferences ⚠️ Considerations This should likely be an optional secondary sort setting so users who prefer the current behavior can keep it.

Parse9 about 2 months ago

3

📋 Summary Improve ROM import title detection by filtering common filename tags before matching games to metadata. ❗ Problem Some ROM filenames include extra information that is not part of the actual game title. Examples: 7th Sector [01004B200DF76000] incl v1.0.2.xci 88 Heroes 98 Heroes Edition [010006A0042F0000] + (v65536 UPD) During import, LaunchBox may treat parts like incl v1.0.2, +, title IDs, or update labels as part of the game name. This can cause incorrect titles and failed metadata matches. 💡 Proposal Improve ROM filename parsing to ignore common non-title metadata during import. Examples of text to filter could include: Title IDs in brackets Version/update labels UPD, Update, or patch indicators incl v... style text Standalone symbols like + when used as separators Other common ROM release tags LaunchBox should use the cleaned title for metadata matching while still preserving the original filename. 🧩 Use Cases Import Switch ROMs with title IDs and update labels Improve metadata matching for ROM sets with release-group style naming Reduce manual title cleanup after import Prevent games from being skipped or unmatched due to filename clutter 📦 Benefits Better automatic metadata matching Less manual cleanup after importing Smoother import experience for modern ROM collections More accurate game titles in the library ⚠️ Considerations Filename cleanup should be conservative so valid game titles are not accidentally changed. Ideally, users could review or edit detected titles before finalizing the import.

Mighty_Richman about 2 months ago

2

I have 2 screens, and would love big box running on my second screen while I have something else open on my first screen. Big box stays open, but the screen is frozen. can this be changed?

feo75555 about 2 months ago

1

📋 Summary Allow users to customize LaunchBox’s existing keyboard shortcuts from Options. ❗ Problem Current LaunchBox system shortcuts are fixed and may conflict with other software, feel inconvenient, or be difficult to use with certain keyboard layouts. 💡 Proposal Add a Keyboard Shortcuts page where users can: Change or disable existing shortcuts See warnings for conflicting assignments Restore individual shortcuts or reset all defaults 🧩 Use Cases Resolve conflicts with other applications Choose easier-to-remember combinations Adapt shortcuts for different keyboard layouts 📦 Benefits More flexible and accessible controls Fewer accidental activations and conflicts A quicker workflow tailored to each user

AstroBob 2 months ago

📋 Summary Add an official way for plugins to cancel a game launch before it begins. ❗ Problem Plugin developers can currently respond to game launch events, but there is no clear supported way to stop a launch from continuing. This forces developers to rely on unsafe workarounds, such as temporarily changing launch settings or redirecting the launch to a dummy application. These workarounds can be fragile and may risk altering a user’s emulator or game configuration. 💡 Proposal Add a supported launch cancellation option to the plugin API. When a plugin runs before a game or additional app launches, it should be able to safely cancel that launch and optionally provide a reason that can be shown to the user. 🧩 Use Cases A plugin blocks launching when required files are missing A plugin prevents launch until a custom confirmation prompt is accepted A parental control or playtime plugin cancels launches based on rules A plugin checks dependencies before allowing an emulator to start 📦 Benefits Makes launch-related plugins safer Prevents accidental changes to emulator or game configuration Gives plugin developers a clean supported workflow Improves reliability for custom launch validation tools Helps users understand why a launch was stopped ⚠️ Considerations The cancellation design should avoid breaking existing plugins. It may be better to add a new cancellable launch event or launch arguments object rather than changing existing plugin behavior directly. Cancellation should work consistently in both LaunchBox and Big Box.

stigzler 2 months ago

2