Everything you need to get up and running with OmniEmu
1. Download the .dmg file from the releases page.
2. Open the .dmg and drag OmniEmu.app to your Applications folder.
3. On first launch, macOS may block the app. Right-click the app and select Open, or run this terminal command:
sudo xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine /Applications/OmniEmu.app
1. Download the .exe installer from the releases page.
2. When SmartScreen appears, click More Info then Run Anyway.
3. A portable .zip version is also available if you prefer not to install.
1. Download the .AppImage file from the releases page.
2. Make it executable and run it:
chmod +x OmniEmu-*.AppImage
./OmniEmu-*.AppImage
3. If the app doesn't launch, you may need to install libfuse2:
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install libfuse2
# Fedora
sudo dnf install fuse-libs
When you open OmniEmu for the first time, you'll see the main dashboard. The app will detect your operating system and show the emulators available for your platform.
The interface has three main areas:
Install, update, and manage your emulators. This is where you'll spend most of your time during setup.
Browse your scanned ROM library with cover art, organized by platform.
Configure ROM directories, theme preferences, and app behavior.
OmniEmu supports one-click installation for 20 emulators. Here's how:
1. Navigate to the Library tab in the sidebar.
2. You'll see a list of all supported emulators with their status (Installed / Not Installed).
3. Click the Install button next to any emulator.
4. OmniEmu will download, extract, and auto-configure the emulator for you.
5. Once installed, the button changes to Launch and you can open the emulator directly.
OmniEmu can scan your ROM folders and build a browsable library with cover art.
1. Go to Settings in the sidebar.
2. Find the ROMs Directory setting and click Browse to select the folder where your ROMs are stored.
3. Click Scan to have OmniEmu detect all supported ROM files.
4. OmniEmu will match each ROM to its platform and fetch cover art automatically.
5. Head to the Games tab to browse your library.
ROMs/Nintendo 64/, ROMs/PlayStation/) for cleaner organization. OmniEmu will scan subdirectories automatically.
OmniEmu recognizes a wide range of ROM file types including .zip, .7z, .iso, .bin, .cue, .n64, .z64, .gba, .nds, .gbc, .nes, .sfc, .smc, .chd, .pbp, and many more.
Once your library is set up, launching a game is easy:
1. Open the Games tab to see your library.
2. Browse by platform using the filter chips at the top, or scroll through your full collection.
3. Click on a game to select it, then click Play.
4. OmniEmu will automatically launch the correct emulator with the right settings.
OmniEmu supports navigating the entire UI using a gamepad, so you never need to touch your keyboard or mouse.
Some emulators require BIOS files to function. OmniEmu can scan and manage these for you.
1. Go to Settings and find the BIOS Manager section.
2. Click Scan to detect BIOS files in your configured directories.
3. OmniEmu will check which BIOS files are present and which are missing.
4. Click Update Config to automatically update RetroArch's BIOS configuration.
scph1001.bin), PlayStation 2 (SCPH-70012.bin), Sega Saturn, PC Engine, and more.
OmniEmu supports both light and dark themes.
1. Go to Settings in the sidebar.
2. Find the Appearance section.
3. Choose from:
OmniEmu checks for updates automatically on launch. When an update is available:
1. A notification will appear in the app.
2. Click Update to download and install the latest version.
3. OmniEmu will restart with the new version applied.
.yml files in releases are metadata used by the auto-updater system. You can ignore them if downloading manually.
This happens because the app isn't code-signed. Run this command:
sudo xattr -rd com.apple.quarantine /Applications/OmniEmu.app
Click More Info then Run Anyway. This is normal for unsigned applications.
Ensure you have libfuse2 installed. On Ubuntu/Debian: sudo apt install libfuse2
Check your internet connection and available disk space. Some emulators require 200+ MB. Try restarting OmniEmu and attempting the install again.
Ensure your ROM files are in supported formats and that the directory path in Settings is correct. OmniEmu scans subdirectories, so you can point it at a parent folder.
Make sure your BIOS files have the correct filenames and are placed in a standard BIOS directory. Some emulators expect specific file names (e.g., scph1001.bin for PS1).
Game art scraping requires an internet connection. If artwork doesn't appear, check your connection and try rescanning the library.