How to Turn a Raspberry Pi Into a Game Console

We’ve updated this for the Raspberry Pi 4.

The Raspberry Pi is a $35 computer that can do a lot of things, but few projects are as popular as turning it into a retro-gaming console; imagine something the size of an NES or SNES Classic mini console with a few hundred games on it instead of a few dozen. With about half an hour of free time and some lightweight technical know-how, you can convert this card-deck–sized computer into a console capable of emulating nearly every classic video game system from the 1970s, ’80s, and ’90s.

The Raspberry Pi is powerful enough to emulate every classic 2D console and a few of the 3D ones as well.

May be out of stock

*At the time of publishing, the price was $55.

Emulation is best done on the newest, fastest Raspberry Pi, because even old games require a lot of processing power. Right now, that's the Raspberry Pi 4. Compared with previous models, the 4 is slightly more powerful and has improved wireless connectivity. For game emulation the 2 GB model is plenty, as the 4 GB or 8 GB models won't improve performance.

The budget version of our microSD card pick will provide plenty of room for Recalbox and all your retro games.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $16.

Most people will be fine with a 64 GB (or less) microSD card for storing the operating system and games. Generally, games for older, cartridge-based consoles need less space, while games for newer, CD-based consoles need more.

This is the best of the many SNES-style controller replicas, and it works great with Recalbox and RetroPie.

*At the time of publishing, the price was $23.

The kind of controller you need depends on the type of games you want to play; we like the DualShock 4 controller if you plan on playing both 2D and 3D games, or the Buffalo Classic USB Gamepad for 2D games.

This case fixes one of the most annoying things about the Raspberry Pi by adding a power button.

Any Raspberry Pi 4 case will work, but we like this one that's shaped like a Nintendo Entertainment System, comes with a power cable, fan, and has a functional power button. The SSD enclosure is a bit overkill for most, but it's a fun extra. If you don't care about it looking like an old console, this case has excellent cooling and a power button. You'll also need an HDMI cable and access to a Mac or Windows computer for the setup process. I also keep a mini wireless keyboard like this one around to help deal with any troubleshooting, but that's optional.

An emulator is software that makes a computer work like another computer. There are emulators to make your Raspberry Pi work like a video game console, such as a Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Genesis, PlayStation, or even a DOS-based PC. Most games come in the form of individual files called ROMs, named for the read-only memory chip of the game cartridge they were originally copied from.

ROMs are usually copyrighted material; making a digital copy of your own cartridges for use on these emulators is a legal gray area and usually requires specialized hardware, but companies like Nintendo have made it clear that they consider using emulators for games without permission from the copyright holder illegal. Some independent developers make original games, referred to as "homebrew," for classic consoles, and this is completely legal. Popular homebrew games include D-Pad Hero, Alter Ego, and Blade Buster. If you’re curious about the homebrew scene, ROMhacking is a great site to start with. Some companies do offer ROMs for purchase, including the ROMs in the Atari Vault collection, Neo Geo games from GOG, and the Sega Mega Drive and Genesis Classics packages, though you’ll still have to manually transfer the games from your computer to your Raspberry Pi.

Using a Raspberry Pi as a game emulation machine is such a popular project that several operating systems exist for this sole purpose.

Using a Raspberry Pi as a game-emulation machine is such a popular project that several operating systems exist for this sole purpose. Each operating system includes emulators for nearly every console that's ever existed, from popular consoles like the Super Nintendo to more obscure systems like the Sinclair Spectrum.

RetroPie was the first operating system like this, but others have followed, including Recalbox, Batocera, and Lakka. For this guide, we’ll use Recalbox, which is the easiest to set up and maintain.

Building a cheap emulation machine with a Pi comes with caveats. The Raspberry Pi can reliably emulate older, 2D-focused consoles like the Nintendo, Super Nintendo, or Sega Genesis. When it comes to 3D consoles, PlayStation, Dreamcast, and PSP titles work well, but Nintendo 64 games are hit-and-miss, and emulators for newer consoles usually aren't even included because the Pi isn't fast enough to run them. You might notice some input lag on certain games (this can sometimes be fixed by turning Game Mode on in your TV settings), especially if you’re using Bluetooth controllers. You’ll run into other quirks, too—the sound might randomly cut out, or the Raspberry Pi may stop outputting video for no reason. These things don't happen often and troubleshooting is arguably part of the fun of a Raspberry Pi project, but keep in mind this isn't as reliable as an off-the-shelf product.

As with any Raspberry Pi operating system, the first step is downloading and burning (writing) a file to a microSD card:

When it's done, take out the SD card, insert it into your Raspberry Pi, plug in your controllers, then plug the Pi into the power supply and your TV or monitor.

When you first boot up Recalbox, it will automatically run through a few setup steps, so let it do its thing until the main menu pops up.

Recalbox includes several free homebrew games for different consoles. If you don't immediately see a console you’re looking for, that's because Recalbox hides any emulator that doesn't have a game installed. If you have a supported USB controller hooked up, you can navigate the menus with the D-pad or use a keyboard to do the same. Before you start playing games you’ll want to configure a few things:

Once you’re done with the setup, scroll through the included games and give a few of them a try to make sure everything is working as expected.

Recalbox includes a basic file and configuration manager you can access within your home network via a Web interface in your browser. Using this Web interface, you can copy ROMs over to your Raspberry Pi, manage basic settings, and more. To show how to transfer a ROM from your computer to the Pi, we’ll use a copy of D-Pad Hero, a free homebrew NES ROM.

The Recalbox manager can do other things, too. You can access a variety of settings from the Web manager, including wireless network settings and shaders. You can even press a button to take a screenshot when you’re playing games. If you don't like the browser-based manager, you can also access your Raspberry Pi in Windows Explorer or Finder on Mac, similar to how you’d use a network-attached storage device.

Emulators allow you to save games, even in old ones that don't have a built-in save system. These are called "save states," and they saves the exact moment you’re at in a game. In order to save, load, and exit games on Recalbox, you use hotkeys by tapping two buttons on your controller at once.

If you have a PS4 controller, the hotkey is the PS button. If you have a classic controller like the Buffalo controller, the hotkey is the select button. On an Xbox controller, the home button is the hotkey. The button assignments are based on the Super Nintendo controller layout, so use whatever button is in that location on your controller. Here are some useful shortcuts to get you started:

Recalbox has a lot of tricks up its sleeve beyond the basics we’ve covered here, so be sure to check out the manual for extra guides and troubleshooting tips.

Recalbox Manual, GitHub, January 23, 2018

FAQ, Recalbox.com

SSH (Secure Shell), Raspberry Pi

Creating Your Own EmulationStation Theme, GitHub, August 1, 2017

EmulationStation

RetroPie

Thorin Klosowski

Thorin Klosowski is the former editor of privacy and security topics at Wirecutter. He has been writing about technology for over a decade, with an emphasis on learning by doing—which is to say, breaking things as often as possible to see how they work. For better or worse, he applies that same DIY approach to his reporting.

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