@carcamerarig Yip just run emulationstation to launch and then exit through the menu it will drop you back to the console.

retropie is a script that installs a bunch of emulators and supporting software to the machine it's running on. it can't support multiple users in a meaningful way.

you could do something like this: https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Running-ROMs-from-a-Network-Share/

No, I have not access samba shares via the mac before. I do have file sharing enabled. arp -a returned the following
Kxxxxxx-Mxxxxxx-MacBook-Pro:~ kxxxxxxxxxxxxx$ arp -a
? (10.xxx.x.x) at f4:3e:9d:3:65:15 on en1 ifscope [ethernet]
? (10.xxx.xxx.xxx) at ff:ff:ff:ff:ff:ff on en1 ifscope [ethernet]
Kxxxxxx-Mxxxxxx-MacBook-Pro:~ kxxxxxxxxxxxxx$

it does not find the Pi

Nice - thank you Petrtopie