Command Line Options to Launch Games via LaunchBox

📋 Summary

Add official command line arguments for LaunchBox.exe (and optionally BigBox.exe) to launch a specific game, platform, or playlist even when LaunchBox is not already running.

❗ Problem

Some users want to trigger game launches from external tools (e.g., Stream Deck, scripts, shortcuts), but currently:

• Third party tools often require LaunchBox to already be running

• Directly launching emulators bypasses LaunchBox features such as:

  • Play counts and play time tracking

  • Startup and shutdown apps

  • Pause screens and themes

  • Loading screens and other launch flow features

Users want a reliable way to launch through LaunchBox without needing to keep the app open.

💡 Proposal

Add command line options that allow:

• Launch a game by title, ID, or database key

• Optionally filter by platform or playlist to resolve duplicates

• LaunchBox starts in the background, launches the game, and records play data as normal

Example usage:

• LaunchBox.exe -launch "Game Name"

• LaunchBox.exe -platform "Nintendo 64" -launch "GoldenEye 007"

• LaunchBox.exe -playlist "Favourites" -launch "Game Name"

📦 Benefits

• Enables Stream Deck and automation workflows without plugins

• Preserves LaunchBox tracking and launch features

• Reduces scripting complexity and avoids emulator-specific launch logic

• Makes LaunchBox easier to integrate with external tools and front ends

💡 Notes

• Should work whether LaunchBox is running or not

• If multiple games match, return an error or log a list of candidates

• Consider an option to start minimized or hidden when launched via CLI