Comparison of features between Pure and Core

[Torinde]

I want to try RetroArch with DOSbox and I was looking at Pure and Core. Is there somewhere a comparison between those two (and also with DOSbox original in RetroArch and using DOSbox-X/Staging inside "bash loader for RetroArch" and "DOSbox original run normally on a host")?

What I found so far comparing Pure and Core:

• Pure seems to have more features and is listed in the Libretro library
• Pure lacks the following DOSbox/Core features (if unticked):
  • [ ] Pinhack - #440
  • [x] Native MIDI for VSTi / Sound Canvas VA / etc. - #52
  • [ ] SFZ BASSMIDI - #508
  • [x] CUE CD images with split audio tracks as separate files #94
  • [x] WAV
  • [x] Ogg Vorbis
  • [ ] FLAC dr_libs
  • [ ] MP3 dr_libs
  • [ ] Opus
  • [x] serial and IPX https://github.com/schellingb/dosbox-pure/commit/91f35042ce56b7c9b33b6fd282ad6e60611d4510 (not sure about Core)
• there may be other differences: on-screen keyboard, .conf management, etc.

More generally - is it possible for both projects to be merged? Be stronger/better together, etc.?

[Torinde]

So, adding what I found for "more features" and "other differences":

• Pure supports Load games from ZIP, Store modifications in separate save files (that seems to be the major difference)
• Pure supports RetroArch Cheats, Save states, Rewind, Restart, Disc control (not sure about Core)
• Pure supports M3U/M3U8 playlist load
• Pure supports guest OS install, including save states (not sure if Core supports Win9x)
• Core lacks realnc/dosbox-core/issues/47 (Pure seems to be more flexible in controller mappings, including automatic settings)
• Pure has a Start menu that offers a gamepad controllable list of all executable files/bootable images for the loaded game.
• anything else? @realnc @schellingb