EmulationStation has been one of the best emulation frontends for years, and with the recent update to the ES-DE Frontend Android port, I wanted to see how far I could push it. It provides a great simulation UI, but can it do more? Can it replace my main launcher on Android?

After a few days of testing on the REDMAGIC 10 Pro, the answer is yes, it can. However, there are some huge caveats to consider before injecting a retro console interface into your daily driver Android smartphone.

If you are not familiar with ES-DE Frontend, it is a paid app that has everything you need Integrate emulators and games into a unified UI. It’s a port of EmulationStation, which has long been a mainstay on PC, Linux, and other devices. It’s not available on the Play Store due to permission requirements, but is available for about $5 on Patreon, Samsung Galaxy Store, Or Huawei App Store.

Importantly, it doesn’t imitate anything. You still need to set up RetroArch and any standalone emulators you want to use separately. This is always the most time-consuming process for me, but it’s crucial to get it right for the best experience. Once the emulator is properly configured, the application can launch all emulated games from a single menu.

Thankfully, setting up ES-DE is easy. I grabbed the APK from the link Patreon sent after payment, and the on-screen instructions walked me through the basics. Once that was done, I imported all the ROMs, scraped off the box art, and picked out some fun themes.

This last one is important because there are tons of themes to choose from. They all bring a different vibe to the experience and are very different from any Android launcher I’ve used.

Each theme takes a while to download, but you can swap between them at any time. You can also customize each item by increasing the font size, changing the layout from list to grid, and more.

However, after the initial setup, one big thing is missing, and that’s everything but the emulator. I want ES-DE to replace my home screen, which means I also need a way to access all my Android apps. There’s currently no way to do this natively within the app (although the developers say it may be added in version 3.2.0), but there are tools that can fill this gap.

First, I downloaded some XML files from this GitHub page. Once added to the “custom_systems” folder in the ES-DE directory, they will add several new platforms to the launcher. These include console hacks, Switch/WiiU, and most importantly Android apps and games.

After that, I sideloaded an app called ES Launcher. This allows you to select applications and games to display in ES-DE. You can add a calculator, but for me it’s all about adding the hottest Android games like Infinity Nikki. Don’t judge me.

The only thing left at this point was to change my launcher in settings, and my phone is now a true retro gaming console, complete with modern Android games and apps. When I turn the phone on, it boots directly into ES-DE Frontend, but I can still access the notification menu and settings by swiping down from the top.

At first, this was great. It works just like my Linux-based TrimUI Smart Pro gaming handheld, but is more powerful and versatile. However, after just a few hours of use, the shortcomings became apparent.

While the ES-DE is great for gaming, it’s simply not up to the task of other day-to-day use. My biggest complaint is the lack of touch controls, which is a huge pain when your phone isn’t connected to the controller. When using ES-DE on Android-based gaming handhelds, I always have the controller overlay turned off, so being forced to use it is a pain.

Also, I have to manually scroll through all game systems to access apps. Checking email or opening WhatsApp is a chore. Saving them as favorites really helps because it creates a new kind of home screen using the apps I use most. Still, I had to use on-screen controls to open them, and there weren’t any widgets to provide information at a glance.

Another big drawback is that ES-DE can only be used in landscapes. It does support the square aspect ratio, which is found on many retro gaming handhelds, but not the vertical aspect ratio. This means that when I launch most native Android apps, I have to open my device. The phone (actually Android) is obviously not designed to be used in landscape orientation all the time, so it’s very uncomfortable.

Thankfully, there’s a simple solution to my complaints, and that’s Tasker. By setting up automation to switch my launcher to ES-DE when a controller is connected, I can skip a step when I need to play a game. This is the best of both worlds, although it’s not much faster than simply opening an ES-DE application when I need it.

But ultimately, it’s incredible how far this EmulationStation Android port has come. While I wouldn’t recommend using the ES-DE Frontend as your primary launcher, no matter how keen you are on retro gaming, it’s an absolute must-have for Android-based gaming handhelds like the Retroid Pocket series or the Ayaneo Pocket Evo of.

Who knows? Maybe after a few updates it will be ready for the main stage. In my opinion, anything that can replace the same looking Android skin is more than welcome.