Seamless Switching Between LaunchBox and Big Box When Launching Executables

📋 Summary

Improve the experience of switching between LaunchBox and Big Box by allowing either application to gracefully close the other when launched directly via its executable. This would remove errors caused by overlapping instances and make switching between desktop and full-screen modes more seamless and user-friendly.

❗ Problem

LaunchBox and Big Box cannot run at the same time. Currently, users have two ways to switch:

1. Use the built-in menu options

   • Big Box from within LaunchBox

   • Switch to Desktop from within Big Box

2. Manually close one application and open the other

The second approach often leads to problems. If a user manually closes LaunchBox and immediately opens BigBox.exe (or vice versa), the background shutdown and cleanup processes can cause errors where the app reports that another instance is still running.

This becomes especially frustrating for users who:

• Launch Big Box from Steam, Sunshine/Moonlight, or other external launchers

• Have LaunchBox set to start with Windows

• Regularly switch between desktop and full-screen experiences

💡 Proposal

Add automatic detection and graceful handoff behavior when launching either application directly:

• If LaunchBox is running and the user launches BigBox.exe:

  • Prompt the user to:

    1. Close LaunchBox and open Big Box

    2. Cancel the action

• If Big Box is running and the user launches LaunchBox.exe:

  • Apply the same logic in reverse

The shutdown should be handled the same way as the existing in-app switch options, ensuring a clean exit and startup without instance conflicts.

⚙️ Additional Options

• Optional setting to:

  • Always auto-close the other app without prompting

  • Always prompt before switching

• Ensure all edits, metadata changes, and state are safely saved before closing either application

🧩 Use Cases

• Launching Big Box directly from Steam as a non-Steam game

• Streaming Big Box over Sunshine or Moonlight

• Using LaunchBox as a desktop manager and Big Box as a couch or arcade-mode frontend

• Quickly switching interfaces without worrying about shutdown timing or error dialogs

📦 Benefits

• Eliminates “instance already running” errors

• Makes executable-based launching behave as intuitively as in-app switching

• Improves reliability for streaming, automation, and external launcher workflows

• Creates a smoother, more polished transition between LaunchBox and Big Box