Windows versions
RetroBar on Windows 11
RetroBar 1.22.122 runs on Windows 11, including 25H2 and Arm PCs, and on Windows 10. This page covers what we saw on Windows 11 in our tests, what RetroBar takes over from the Windows 11 taskbar, and the few things Windows 11 does differently that you should know about.
On this page 9 sections
Short answer
Does RetroBar work on Windows 11?
Yes. We installed and ran RetroBar 1.22.122 on Windows 11 Enterprise 25H2 (build 26200) on an Arm64 PC, and on Windows Server 2025, which shares Windows 11 24H2's code. All 19 themes, every screen edge, the menus and the Properties window worked. It needs the .NET 10 Desktop Runtime, which the installer adds if it is missing.
What we tested on Windows 11
| Check | Windows 11 25H2 (Arm64) |
|---|---|
| Installer | Ran without administrator rights; installed the native Arm64 build |
| Windows taskbar while RetroBar runs | Hidden |
| All 19 themes | Load and draw correctly (screenshots) |
| Top, left and right edges, 3 rows, 150 % scale | Work |
| Start button and Windows key | Open the Windows 11 Start menu, or Open-Shell's if installed (guide) |
| Exit RetroBar | The Windows 11 taskbar comes back |
| Uninstall | Removes RetroBar; the Windows taskbar comes back (details) |
Full list and raw results: how we test.
What happens to the Windows 11 taskbar
RetroBar does not change Windows' taskbar; it hides it and draws its own. While RetroBar runs, it switches the Windows taskbar to auto-hide and keeps it out of sight. When you exit RetroBar, it restores your setting. So everything on the Windows 11 taskbar that RetroBar does not reproduce is out of view while it runs:
- Search box, Task View, Widgets and Copilot buttons: not on RetroBar's taskbar.
- Pinned and centred icons: RetroBar has text buttons on the left instead. Your pinned apps appear in its Quick Launch, which reads the same folder.
- Windows 11 taskbar settings (alignment, small buttons, combining) no longer apply; RetroBar's own settings take over.
Windows 11 can now move its own taskbar
Since the August 2026 update (KB5120998, rolling out gradually to 24H2 and 25H2), Windows 11's own taskbar can sit at the top, left or right: Settings › Personalization › Taskbar › Taskbar behaviors › Taskbar position, according to Microsoft's release notes. If moving the taskbar is all you want, try that first. RetroBar is still what you need for the classic look, text task buttons, several rows, Quick Launch, or auto-hide on the side, which Microsoft says its side positions do not support yet.
Notification area on Windows 11
- Wi-Fi icon: since Windows 11 24H2 it is no longer available to other taskbars, RetroBar's maintainer explains (#902). Click RetroBar's volume icon instead: it opens Windows 11's quick settings, with Wi-Fi.
- Clock: clicking it opens Windows 11's notification centre by default; you can choose a calendar instead (Properties › Notification area › Clock click action).
- White icons on a light theme: RetroBar inverts Windows 11's white system icons for the classic themes (“Invert system icons”).
Vista Aero looks different on Windows 11
With “Allow blur behind transparent taskbar” on (the default), Windows 11 blurs what is behind RetroBar's Vista Aero theme, which makes it a light, frosted bar instead of Vista's dark glass. Untick it in Properties › Advanced for the dark look. Both, side by side.
Several displays
Turn on “Show on multiple displays” in RetroBar's Properties › Advanced. If a second screen flickers or shows the Windows taskbar, turn off Windows' own Show my taskbar on all displays (Settings › Personalization › Taskbar › Taskbar behaviors), the fix confirmed in #1423.
Arm PCs (Snapdragon and others)
RetroBar ships a native Arm64 build since version 1.8. The installer picks it automatically; in the portable zip it is the ARM64 folder. Our Windows 11 test machine is an Arm64 PC, and every test there used the native build. It needs the Arm64 .NET 10 Desktop Runtime, which the installer downloads if needed.
Windows 10
Everything on this page applies to Windows 10 too, with two differences: the Wi-Fi icon change came with Windows 11 24H2, and Windows 10 also has a 32-bit RetroBar build. Our Windows Server 2022 test machine, built on Windows 10's code, ran all the same tests. Windows 10 itself reached the end of support in October 2025; RetroBar 1.22.122 still supports it.
Questions
Will a Windows 11 update break RetroBar?
Big Windows 11 updates have occasionally affected it, and RetroBar's releases then fixed it (for example, 1.17 fixed a crash loop when Explorer restarted on Windows 11). Keep RetroBar up to date; it shows “Update available” in its menu when a new version is out.
Can I still use the Windows 11 taskbar sometimes?
Yes: right-click › Exit RetroBar brings it back at once; start RetroBar again from the Start menu.
Is there RetroBar for Mac or Linux?
No. RetroBar is a Windows program: it replaces the Windows taskbar, and its README lists Windows 7 SP1, 8.1, 10 and 11 as the only supported systems.
Does RetroBar work with Windows 11 Home?
Nothing in RetroBar depends on the Windows edition (its source code has no edition check), and it needs no administrator rights. Our tests ran on Enterprise and Server editions.
Keep going
Found something out of date or wrong? Tell us at hello@retrobar.dev and we will fix it.