Which integrations are available for this server?

Provides tools for interacting with RetroArch through its Network Control Interface and Network RetroPad protocols, enabling memory read/write, save state management, screenshots, emulator control (pause, frame advance, reset), and gamepad input.

How do I use mcp-retroarch?

1. Click on "Install Server". 2. Wait a few minutes for the server to deploy. Once ready, it will show a "Started" state. 3. In the chat, type @ followed by the MCP server name and your instructions, e.g., "@mcp-retroarch Save the current state to slot 2" That's it! The server will respond to your query, and you can continue using it as needed. Here is a step-by-step guide with screenshots.

mcp-retroarch

by pythoninthegrass

Overview Schema Related Servers Score Discussions

Python

Hybrid

mcp-retroarch

MCP server for RetroArch — memory r/w, save states, screenshots, pause/frame-advance/reset via the Network Control Interface, plus gamepad input via the Network RetroPad protocol (UDP).

Inspired by dmang-dev/mcp-retroarch. Rewritten in Python to eliminate the npm git-install reliability issues that plagued the original TypeScript distribution (npm install -g github:... produces a broken symlink on most systems due to a known npm bug). uv tool install git+... handles this correctly.

Requirements

Python 3.13
RetroArch with:
- Network Commands enabled for NCI tools (memory, save states, screenshots, emulator control)
- Network Gamepad enabled for input tools

Related MCP server: mcp-retroarch

Install

# Install as a persistent uv tool (recommended)
uv tool install git+https://github.com/pythoninthegrass/mcp-retroarch

# Or run ephemerally without installing
uvx --from git+https://github.com/pythoninthegrass/mcp-retroarch mcp-retroarch

RetroArch configuration

Network Commands (NCI — required for most tools)

In retroarch.cfg or via Settings → Network → Network Commands:

network_cmd_enable = "true"
network_cmd_port = "55355"

Network Gamepad (required for input tools)

In retroarch.cfg or via Settings → Input → Network Gamepad:

network_remote_enable = "true"
network_remote_base_port = "55400"

# Enable per player (p1 through p16)
network_remote_enable_user_p1 = "true"

Client configuration

Claude Desktop

~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json (macOS) or %APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json (Windows):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "retroarch": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "--from",
        "git+https://github.com/pythoninthegrass/mcp-retroarch",
        "mcp-retroarch"
      ]
    }
  }
}

If installed via uv tool install:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "retroarch": {
      "command": "mcp-retroarch"
    }
  }
}

Environment variables

Variable	Default	Description
`RETROARCH_HOST`	`127.0.0.1`	RetroArch host for both NCI and RetroPad
`RETROARCH_PORT`	`55355`	NCI UDP port (`network_cmd_port`)
`RETROARCH_RETROPAD_HOST`	`$RETROARCH_HOST`	Override host for Network Gamepad only
`RETROARCH_RETROPAD_BASE_PORT`	`55400`	Base port for Network Gamepad (`network_remote_base_port`); player N listens at base + N

Tools

Connectivity & introspection

Tool	Description
`retroarch_ping`	Verify NCI connectivity; returns RetroArch version
`retroarch_get_status`	Report playing/paused state, loaded system, game, and CRC32
`retroarch_get_config`	Read a single RetroArch config parameter by name

Memory

Tool	Description
`retroarch_read_memory`	Read bytes via the libretro system memory map (preferred)
`retroarch_read_ram`	Read bytes via the CHEEVOS address space (fallback)
`retroarch_write_memory`	Write bytes via the libretro system memory map
`retroarch_write_ram`	Write bytes via the CHEEVOS address space (no acknowledgement)

Emulator control

Tool	Description
`retroarch_pause_toggle`	Toggle pause/unpause
`retroarch_frame_advance`	Step one frame (paused only)
`retroarch_reset`	Soft-reset the loaded game
`retroarch_screenshot`	Save a screenshot to RetroArch's screenshot directory
`retroarch_show_message`	Display an OSD notification on the RetroArch window

Save states

Tool	Description
`retroarch_save_state_current`	Save to currently-selected slot
`retroarch_load_state_current`	Load from currently-selected slot
`retroarch_load_state_slot`	Load from an explicit slot number (does not change the current-slot pointer)
`retroarch_state_slot_plus`	Increment current slot pointer
`retroarch_state_slot_minus`	Decrement current slot pointer

Gamepad input (Network RetroPad)

Tool	Description
`retroarch_input_press`	Latch one or more buttons down
`retroarch_input_release`	Release one or more buttons
`retroarch_input_release_all`	Zero all buttons and analog sticks in one packet
`retroarch_input_set_analog`	Set an analog stick's X/Y position
`retroarch_input_tap`	Press, hold for a duration, then release (everyday input)

Valid RetroPad button names: b, y, select, start, up, down, left, right, a, x, l, r, l2, r2, l3, r3.

On PlayStation cores: b=Cross, a=Circle, y=Square, x=Triangle.

See docs/RECIPES.md for usage patterns.

Development

# Install with dev dependencies
uv sync

# Run tests
uv run pytest

# Format and lint
uv run ruff format .
uv run ruff check .

Docker

docker build -t mcp-retroarch .
docker run --rm -i \
  -e RETROARCH_HOST=host.docker.internal \
  mcp-retroarch

License

MIT — see LICENSE.

Install Server

license - permissive license

quality

maintenance

How are these scores calculated?

Maintenance

–Maintainers

–Response time

–Release cycle

–Releases (12mo)

Commit activity

Resources

GitHub Repository

Need Help?

Related Servers

Unclaimed servers have limited discoverability.

Looking for Admin?

If you are the server author, to access and configure the admin panel.

Tools

View all tools

Related MCP Servers

mcp-pine
Games & Gamification Developer Tools
dmang-dev
A
license
A
quality
B
maintenance
MCP server for PCSX2 and other emulators that speak the PINE protocol. Read and write 8/16/32/64-bit emulator memory and control save states for PlayStation-family emulation.
Last updated 2026-08-04
14
19
1
MIT
mcp-retroarch
Games & Gamification
dmang-dev
A
license
A
quality
C
maintenance
MCP server for RetroArch via its Network Control Interface. Drive any libretro core — read/write memory, save/load state, screenshot, pause/frame-advance/reset — across NES, SNES, Genesis, N64, GBA, PS1 and more.
Last updated 2026-08-04
17
21
2
MIT
mcp-mgba
Games & Gamification File Systems
dmang-dev
A
license
A
quality
A
maintenance
MCP server for the mGBA Game Boy Advance emulator. Read and write GBA memory, inject button presses, take screenshots, save/load state, and step the emulator through a Lua bridge.
Last updated 2026-08-05
18
41
1
MIT
mcp-bizhawk
Games & Gamification Developer Tools
dmang-dev
A
license
A
quality
B
maintenance
MCP server for BizHawk, the multi-system emulator. Drive NES, SNES, GB/GBC/GBA, Genesis, N64, PSX, Saturn and more through one Lua bridge — memory r/w across named domains, joypad input, frame-advance, screenshot, save/load state.
Last updated 2026-08-04
20
30
4
MIT

View all related MCP servers

Related MCP Connectors

Tempreon — Personal AI Memory
Person-owned, portable AI memory as a remote MCP server, readable and writable by any MCP client.
neverinfamous-memory-journal-mcp
A MCP server built for developers enabling Git based project management with project and personal…
doc2mcp
MCP server for doc2mcp documentation, generated by doc2mcp.

View all MCP Connectors

Latest Blog Posts

Who's Calling? MCP Hosts Are an Identity Blind Spot (And the Spec Knows It)
By Om-Shree-0709 on July 25, 2026.
mcp
Agent Identity
OAuth 2.1
Your AI Chatbot Just Exposed Your CEO's Salary to an Intern
By Om-Shree-0709 on July 2, 2026.
Agent Identity
MCP Security
OAuth Delegation
Why MCP Servers Need Execution Sandboxing (And Why Your Current Stack Isn't Enough)
By Om-Shree-0709 on June 30, 2026.
Agentic Ai
Prompt Injection
WebAssembly

MCP directory API

We provide all the information about MCP servers via our MCP API.

curl -X GET 'https://glama.ai/api/mcp/v1/servers/pythoninthegrass/mcp-retroarch'

If you have feedback or need assistance with the MCP directory API, please join our Discord server

mcp-retroarch

Requirements

Install

RetroArch configuration

Network Commands (NCI — required for most tools)

Network Gamepad (required for input tools)

Client configuration

Claude Desktop

Environment variables

Tools

Connectivity & introspection

Memory

Emulator control

Save states

Gamepad input (Network RetroPad)

Development

Docker

License

Maintenance

Resources

Looking for Admin?

Tools

Related MCP Servers

mcp-pine

mcp-retroarch

mcp-mgba

mcp-bizhawk

Related MCP Connectors

Latest Blog Posts

MCP directory API