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Onyro vs Playnite: which game launcher is better for couch gaming?
Both can put PC games on a big screen. They are not the same product. Onyro is a narrow, controller-first shelf. Playnite is a library you configure.
Side by side
| Question | Onyro Game Room | Playnite |
|---|---|---|
| Controller-first use | Built to be driven with a controller on a TV. | Fullscreen mode exists. A lot of setup happens with a mouse. |
| Several launchers | Finds installed games from Steam, Xbox, Epic, GOG, EA, Ubisoft, Battle.net, Rockstar, Riot and itch.io. No store accounts to connect and no plug-ins to install. Open Onyro once, turn on the optional startup helper, and it appears when you sign in to Windows. | Imports many libraries. You configure sources, metadata and add-ons. |
| Customisation | A small set of themes, including Clear Black for OLED. Not a theme workshop. | Themes, extensions and library metadata. That is the point of it. |
| Built-in controller mouse | Yes. Hold Start + Select for 3 seconds while Onyro is running. Doing the same again hides the mouse. | Not built in. People add a separate tool or stay in Steam Input. |
| Who it suits | Someone who sits on the sofa and wants installed games on one shelf. | Someone who is happy to configure a library. |
Playnite is free and open source. This page is not saying Onyro is open source. The Onyro app source is not public.
Choose Onyro for a focused, controller-first way to launch installed games from the sofa. Choose Playnite for a highly customisable library you are happy to configure.
Free for personal, non-commercial use. Read the personal use term. Free forever. A small optional donation reminder appears every 10th launch, dismiss it with one button.
Updated 2 November 2026. Version 0.2.10-beta.