ControllerLobby 1.0.0

ControllerLobby 1.0.0 adds PlayStation (DuckStation), PlayStation 2 (PCSX2 2.7.182, including 3-4 players through a multitap) and Xbox (xemu 0.8.135) to the RetroArch and MAME support from Beta 1, plus gamepad shortcuts in the lobby: hold Back to cancel, hold Y to bypass.

Download ControllerLobby.Setup.exe, or the manual ZIP, and check them against SHA256SUMS.txt. See the changelog and release notes for details and known limitations. Feedback is welcome through GitHub Issues.

ControllerLobby v0.1.0-beta.1

ControllerLobby 0.1.0-beta.1

ControllerLobby makes local multiplayer easier in LaunchBox and BigBox. For
supported MAME and RetroArch setups, choose player order before launching a
game instead of changing controller assignments in emulator settings.

Press Start on each connected controller to join. Controllers are assigned
in join order; Player 1 presses Start again when everyone is ready to launch.
For a game that cannot use lobby mapping, a notice explains that it will launch
using existing controls without applying join order, provided the launch safety
checks pass. You can also choose Use existing controls yourself.

Compatibility

• Windows 10 / 11, 64-bit, with LaunchBox or BigBox and MAME or RetroArch already configured.
• Up to four XInput controllers, such as Xbox-compatible gamepads. PlayStation/Switch controllers must already appear to Windows as XInput devices; native DirectInput-only devices and specific translation software are not qualified.
• Emulator executables must be in subfolders inside your LaunchBox folder, with relative paths in the LaunchBox emulator entries (for example, Emulators\MAME\mame.exe). External emulator folders are not supported by Beta 1 setup.
• Includes controller mappings designed for MAME 0.279; other MAME versions are not qualified for this beta.

Standalone PC games, DOSBox and standalone emulators other than MAME/RetroArch
are outside this beta. ControllerLobby requires neither HidHide nor a virtual-controller driver.

Download and install

Use only the assets from this official Aesthetic-Engine/ControllerLobby release:

• ControllerLobby.Setup.exe — recommended guided installer.
• ControllerLobby-v0.1.0-beta.1-win-x64.zip — manual installation ZIP: Extract All, then open Install.cmd.
• ControllerLobby-source.zip — source code for this build.
• SHA256SUMS.txt — download integrity checksums.

1. Close LaunchBox, BigBox and your emulators.
2. Open ControllerLobby.Setup.exe, click Browse and select your LaunchBox folder.
3. Confirm the MAME/RetroArch entries and click Install. Existing installations offer Verify, Repair and Uninstall.
4. Wait for Setup to report success, then open LaunchBox/BigBox and launch a game using a selected emulator entry.

No additional runtime software is needed. For the supported folder layout above, Setup uses your existing LaunchBox
entries; you do not need to recreate them. Mapped launches use separate session
configuration rather than rewriting your original emulator controller settings.
The lobby also appears for single-player games using those entries: join with
one controller, or choose Use existing controls.

The installer is not digitally signed, so Windows may display a SmartScreen
warning. Compare the download against SHA256SUMS.txt, for example with
Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 -LiteralPath .\ControllerLobby.Setup.exe
in PowerShell. If the hash differs or the origin is uncertain, do not run it.
Do not disable Windows security protections. Checksums verify integrity, not
publisher identity or safety.

Help and feedback

Automated installation and maintenance checks and initial hands-on testing have
passed. Broader PC/controller coverage remains open for beta feedback.
Report a bug, ask for help or suggest a feature.
Include what you tried, your Windows/emulator versions and the error shown.
The README has a short
FAQ and links to setup, recovery and detailed qualification notes.

Original code is MIT licensed; bundled third-party notices are included.