Smart library management
Organise your games and scan folders from one place.
Features
Built around the way you play.
A focused desktop experience for your Game Boy library.
Automatic cover artwork
Bring your library to life with game covers.
Favourites & recently played
Keep your favourites close and pick up where you left off.
Controller-first navigation
Navigate the launcher and play using a controller.
Save & load states
Keep snapshots of your progress while you play.
Quick menu & fullscreen
Reach essential controls without leaving your game.
Graphics & audio settings
Adjust your display, sound and emulation settings.
Themes & performance mode
Choose your accent colour and reduce launcher effects.
Browser play
Explore the catalogue or open a game from your device.
Desktop & browser
Choose how you play.
The desktop app brings your local library, artwork and controller navigation together. Online play uses EmulatorJS/mGBA and has its own controls and browser save storage.
Getting started
Set up GBAx and launch your first game.
Controllers & saves
Make your setup feel like home.
Inside GBAx
Explore the hardware and emulation.
Build from source
Find the platform build guides.
Preview 1 includes GBA, GB and GBC emulation. Automatic application updates, FFmpeg recording, Lua scripting and Discord presence are disabled in this desktop release profile. See the release notes for each build’s exact features.
Choose your setup
Desktop and browser, explained.
Choose the desktop application for an organised local collection and launcher navigation. Choose the browser player when you want to open a game from a web page. Their controls and storage are separate, so moving between them needs an explicit save transfer.
| Capability | GBAx desktop | Current website player |
|---|---|---|
| Starting a game | Scan a ROM folder and launch from the library. | Open a configured catalogue game or select a local file. |
| Library experience | Covers, favourites, recently played and a continue-playing entry. | Website catalogue pages; no automatic desktop library sync. |
| Controls | Launcher controller shortcuts and separate in-game mappings. | EmulatorJS controls, subject to browser and device support. |
| Progress | Cartridge saves and emulator state files in configured locations. | Browser storage and player import/export; keep exported backups. |
| Presentation | Window/fullscreen and the settings supplied by the desktop build. | Embedded player and browser fullscreen. Original game artwork remains the source. |
| Runtime | Native Qt frontend with the mGBA-derived core. | EmulatorJS using an mGBA WebAssembly core. |
Make the library yours.
Choose the ROM folder, control subfolder scanning and download missing artwork. Favourites and recent games help you revisit a collection without browsing every cover. Launcher themes and Performance Mode adjust the interface’s appearance and effects.
Read the launcher documentation →Keep progress portable.
Normal game saves and save states solve different problems. Use the game’s save system for persistent progress, states for convenient snapshots, and backups before changing versions or devices. Cross-core state compatibility should never be assumed.
Understand saves and backups →Your next adventure
Ready to play?
Rediscover your favourites. Find your next adventure.