Tip: Move favorites file to create a custom playlist

RetroArch General
#1

Edit: Thanks to the newest RetroArch update, we don’t need this workaround anymore. More about here: RetroArch update 1.19 introduces “Add to Playlist” option

There are many ways to create a custom playlist. Here is one simple way basically everyone can understand and do. But it requires moving a file on the filesystem first. Just go to the retroarch main directory and move the file “content_favorites.lpl” to the “playlists” folder, rename it to something more useful. And that’s it. Now this will appear as a custom playlist and your original Favorites is empty now. It is easy to mix and add games with the favorites system of the RetroArch UI. However once you “exported” the favorites into a custom playlist, adding new games to it isn’t easy. In that case you can reverse the process to get a favorites file back for editing purposes.

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#2

Hi! It’s fun to dive in and explore settings and it’s fun to see people’s solutions to common problems. That said, I have some news for you: Press F5 and you’ll be able to create custom playlists at will! You can add folders or individual items.

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#3

I use the Desktop Menu on my PC for certain things too (such as easily adding folders of unknown games), but it is not available on all platforms (Steam version in example). Not support all features from the main application, but the Desktop Mode has an excellent “All Playlists” search functionality that actually finds everything. But it feels a bit awkward to open a new window with a complete different UI and search playlists and game to add, while I could just hit “add to favorites” the current playing game in fullscreen from the menu. So it has its cons too in daily usage. Still a useful second UI, but not available for everyone.

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#4

What I’d like to see in RA is a function like : “Add to Playlist…” -> select playlist from list

@c9f5fdda06 Desktop menu does not help much in this situation, right? I think there is no “drag & drop” from a playlist to another one, am I missing something?

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#5

I see what is being advocated now. Good workaround!

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#7

This is very useful, What a great trick!

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#8

With the newest RetroArch 1.19 update, this is finally added! We no longer need this workaround. But you have to enable it (at least in my case), because it was disabled for me at:

Settings > User Interface > Menu Item Visibility > Quick Menu > Show ‘Add to Playlist’ = ON

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I’m so happy, thank you RetroArch/Libretro team!

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#9

updating… :partying_face:

EDIT:

Quick test -> works like a charm!

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#10

Just made a playlist of shoot em ups for FBNeo: 175 handpicked STGs, the bests plus some classics according to my taste!

download here

to add this playlist you need to place it in ../retroarch main folder/playlists/ folder and also replace 2 lines using something like notepad++ (Search -> Replace…).

E:\\PATH\\TO\\FBNEO\\ROMSET

Replace this line(s) with your path to Fbneo Romset:

ie. D:\\Emu\\Roms\\FBneo\\Arcade

and

E:\\PATH\\TO\\RETROARCH

Replace this line(s) with your path to Retroarch main folder

ie. C:\\Emulation\\Retroarch

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Also you can add icons, with the same name of the playlist, for playlist and content in your assets directory.

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Enjoy!

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#11

This is awesome, I really like custom playlists with a specific focus. And I just had to try my script to import playlists out and … it failed (I’m a Linux user and paths are different here, plus things like core extension). Now its updated to handle Windows paths too: RetroArch Import Playlist (Python script) (but no idea if it works under Windows itself). BTW I named your playlist “Arcade_Custom - STGs - Hari-82.lpl”, which shows up under my Arcade lists and as “STGs - Hari-82”.

I imported your STG playlist and you went all in with 175 entries. It’s a nice list to go through. Now that my emulation setup is ready again, I can dive back into Arcades. :slight_smile: Curious to see whats in there. Hopefully more people will create custom lists with their own taste and ideas.

Edit: Here is a playlists I created earlier: 150 Uncommon Arcade Games

Edit v2.0: Have a look at kingdmgp.zip - “Kingdom Grandprix (World)” . It’s an unusual Shmup (or STG as you call it). And fun fact, both composers for this game are also music composers for Final Fantasy Tactics.

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#12

Yeah custom playlist are a nice way to explore libraries and discover new games, I’ll try to import your list later today!

Yes, that is in my list as: Shippu Mahou Daisakusen, is the second entry in the serie: the first one is Mahou Daisakusen (highly reccommended, very fun and not extremely difficult) also first game by Rizing that later will develop many staple of the genre like Battle Garegga!

EDIT:

I successfully imported your list with just few line replacing! vey interesting list, may games I didn’t know at all and also some shmups that I didn’t included in my list!

I think in the next few days/weeks I will create some more genre focused playlists, I already have a small fighting games list and I might do a beat em up and maybe run 'n gun / platformers and single screen style games (ie. bubble bobble).

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#13

I made 2 more playlists for fighting games and beat em ups with most classics and the best for the genre according to my taste, those playlist are not as big as the shmups one but it can be a good starting point!

Download here

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#14

Thanks for this. I will look into it later.

Edit: (Redacted)

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#15

I think is a good idea!

not sure how to do that tho…

will be sharing more playlists here as I make em in the meanwhile

#16

Today I have recreated the Nintendo Switch Online Classic offerings as playlists. A new post dedicated to sharing playlists will be created and a Github repository as a better place for sharing those lists. Idea is to have a consistent filenames and paths, so one could easily batch replace them regardless from where the lists come from. Therefore all paths are replaced in the form of:

"path": "$roms/gb/BurgerTime Deluxe (World).gb"
"core_path": "$cores/sameboy_libretro.so"

so its easier to replace them. Also each playlist will have their own readme file with additional notes (in example why a certain version) or general description what this playlist is about.

We could teach people how to edit and adapt the files or even provide scripts and programs to automate this process. Any ideas and comments are appreciated. Maybe I am over thinking this very niche things.

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#17

Sounds good!

   {
      "version": "1.5",
      "default_core_path": "",
      "default_core_name": "",
      "label_display_mode": 0,
      "right_thumbnail_mode": 0,
      "left_thumbnail_mode": 0,
      "thumbnail_match_mode": 0,
      "sort_mode": 0,
      "items": [
        {
          "path": "$roms/gb/BurgerTime Deluxe (World).gb",
          "label": "BurgerTime Deluxe (World)",
          "core_path": "$cores/sameboy_libretro.so",
          "core_name": "Sameboy (don't remember)",
          "crc32": "00000000|crc",
          "db_name": "Nintendo - Game Boy.lpl"
        }
      ]
    }

Something like this? leaving the first part mostly blank so that just 2 lines must be replaced.

#18

Exactly. However for playlists with multiple systems it gets little bit more involved. In example when we have a Mega Man list of all games, then one need to replace each individual system, when not using an automated script.

#19

Yes, multiple systems playlists are going to be very difficult to manage…

#20

BTW we can also have DETECT and default for the cores, like in this:

{
  "version": "1.5",
  "default_core_path": "$cores/fbneo_libretro.so",
  "default_core_name": "Arcade (FinalBurn Neo)",
  "label_display_mode": 0,
  "right_thumbnail_mode": 2,
  "left_thumbnail_mode": 0,
  "sort_mode": 0,
  "items": [
    {
      "path": "$roms/fbneo/avspirit.zip",
      "label": "Avenging Spirit",
      "core_path": "DETECT",
      "core_name": "DETECT",
      "crc32": "6707417D|crc",
      "db_name": "FBNeo - Arcade Games.lpl"
    },
  ]
}

The "core_path": "DETECT" will then use the default for the playlist at "default_core_path": "$cores/fbneo_libretro.so" , which means this needs to be edited in only one place. This makes is much more simple and clear to edit. But multi systems are still a pain (if its not automated, my script automates this, no issues there :wink: ).

#21

that’s right, in this way there are even less lines to replace.

Would be nice to have a “default_content_path” to make it even easier!

I think that there are many single system playlists that can be made, so I think I will be focused on them for the time being!

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