Improve Game-Specific Online Play and Netplay Lobby Access

📋 Summary

Improve online multiplayer access by adding a game-specific Play Online option that connects users more directly to available netplay lobbies for the selected game.

❗ Problem

LaunchBox supports browsing RetroArch Netplay lobbies, but the flow is separate from the normal game browsing experience.

If a user wants to play a specific retro game online, they may need to:

Open the general netplay lobby browser
Search for a matching game manually
Coordinate with another player outside LaunchBox
Configure or launch the correct setup separately

This makes online play feel disconnected from the game library.

💡 Proposal

Add a Play Online or Find Online Match option from a game’s context menu or details view.

For supported games and emulators, this could show:

Active lobbies for the selected game
Join or spectate options
Basic lobby details such as host, core, player count, and status
A shortcut to create or host a compatible netplay session
Clear messaging when no lobbies are available

Voice chat could be considered separately, but should likely start as an external integration or optional link rather than a built-in LaunchBox voice system.

🧩 Use Cases

A user selects a game and immediately checks if anyone is playing online
A Big Box user joins a compatible netplay lobby from the couch
Users can host a session without navigating through a separate lobby browser first
RetroArch netplay becomes easier to discover and use from the normal game view

📦 Benefits

Makes online retro multiplayer easier to access
Builds on existing netplay functionality instead of replacing it
Reduces friction for users who want to play a specific game online
Adds a stronger social layer without requiring a full first-party matchmaking service

⚠️ Considerations

Initial scope should focus on supported emulator/netplay systems
Built-in matchmaking and voice chat would be much larger features and may not be appropriate for a first version
Lobby matching depends on compatible cores, ROMs, emulator settings, and network conditions
Any social or communication features would need privacy and moderation planning

Posted by Blackhaartz · Aug 28

Open To Community3

AstroBob changed status to Open To Community

Team•

Sep 12

Pinned

Hi there!

Thanks so much for submitting this request and for taking the time to explain your use case — that context is always super helpful.

I’ve gone ahead and fleshed out the main idea using the info you provided, and I’m opening it up to the community for further discussion and feedback. Please let me know if this fleshed-out version doesn’t match your original intended request.

Feel free to let me know if you have any extra thoughts, examples, or edge cases you think might be relevant!

Cheers,
The LaunchBox team

Blackhaartz
•
Sep 28
I did give it some more thought and considered that with all the games out there, hanging around in a game lobby could take a pretty long time. To minimize downtime, I thought what if there was a way to also put a flag in the game lobby/chatroom that allows yourself to be contacted via email or through the LaunchBox Console if someone else joins the game lobby. They can send you a message and then people can schedule a time to play without hanging around all day in a lobby - this can also be expanded as well so you don’t necessarily have to join each game lobby to flag yourself available to play. Maybe have the flags expire after a day/week and/or limit flags to 3/5/20/100? games so people can’t just spam flags for all games and they have to really think about which games they really want to play with someone else.
My intent with these ideas is to drive interaction between players, since I think at the core that is what everyone really wants. To that end, I have other ideas like reliable voice support via LaunchBox, friends list, guilds, messaging systems (so you don’t need to use email to tag a person to play) and so on - without relying on secondary programs like steam or discord. Sure you could use discord, but if you can make the friend experience seamless by keeping it within LaunchBox it also makes LaunchBox a more essential tool for the player without going through all the rigamarole of opening a second/third program.
Anyway, just a thought

Blackhaartz

•

Sep 12

Online Game Lobbies & Matchmaking - with voice chat as option

Would it be possible to expand LaunchBox’s social features by adding an online lobby/matchmaking system for games - as well ?

For example, if I wanted to play an SNES, arcade, or other retro game with someone online, I could open the game’s mini-lobby directly from LaunchBox and see other people looking to play that same game. I could then join an existing lobby or create my own and be matched with another player, rather than having to coordinate everything through an external service.

Ideally, the lobby could include things like:

Joinable lobbies for specific games
Quick matchmaking/queueing with other players looking for the same game
The ability to create or host a lobby
Voice chat between players
Basic player information/status, such as who is ready or waiting
Automatically launching/configuring the game once everyone is matched

The goal would be to make playing retro games online with random people feel as simple as selecting a game, choosing “Play Online,” and being placed into a lobby with someone else who wants to play.

I think this could add a really interesting social layer to LaunchBox and make the massive library of retro games feel much more alive and accessible for multiplayer.