A retro gaming console provides an opportunity to enjoy classic video games from the past. Through such a device, it becomes possible to revisit favourites like Space Invaders and Pac-Man from the Atari era, or even Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo NES.
Gamers can equally return to the adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog from the Sega Genesis. By employing gaming emulation software, these vintage games can be installed onto a Raspberry Pi, offering an experience very similar to how it was back in the day.
Custom Handheld Retro Gaming Console (Photo: Retro Gaming Console/Shutterstock)
RetroPie Gaming Emulation Software
RetroPie functions as a gaming emulation platform. Emulation software is designed to mimic specific computer systems. RetroPie, in particular, emulates several classic gaming systems such as the Apple II, Atari, Commodore 64, Nintendo NES, SNES, Gameboy, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis, and even early versions of the PlayStation.
Games are added through the use of ROMs, which serve as the digital form of traditional game cartridges. ROMs can be sourced online and installed onto the Raspberry Pi. However, one must be cautious, as numerous games remain under copyright protection, and downloading or installing such ROMs without permission could be illegal.
The following components will be necessary to assemble a complete retro gaming console:
It is advisable to opt for the latest version of the Raspberry Pi. Many of these games require substantial processing capability to operate smoothly without lagging.
A microSD card with a minimum of 16GB storage space is recommended. Choosing one with higher capacity ensures more room for games, reducing the concern of running out of storage.
How to Install RetroPie
Among several available methods to install RetroPie, the simplest option will be described here. The Raspberry Pi Imager will be used to write the RetroPie image onto a microSD card.
First step is to download and install the Raspberry Pi Imager onto a computer. The installation file for Raspberry Pi Imager can be found here.
After installing the Raspberry Pi Imager, insert the microSD card into the computer. Depending on the computer’s setup, a microSD card reader might be required.
Launch the Raspberry Pi Imager application:
Select RetroPie from the operating system list.
Pick the RetroPie version that matches the Raspberry Pi model being used.
Before the writing process begins, the Raspberry Pi Imager will prompt whether to delete all files currently on the microSD card. Grant permission by selecting yes.
The writing process generally takes about five minutes, with an additional few minutes needed for verification. Once completed, the microSD card will be unmounted and a confirmation that RetroPie has been successfully installed will appear.
Configuring Game Controllers
Display of Controller configuration (Photo: Controller configuration/Alamy)
Upon the first startup, RetroPie will prompt to press and hold a button on the game controller to begin configuration:
RetroPie supports a wide variety of controllers. Follow the instructions displayed on the screen to complete the setup. If the controller runs out of buttons for the required configurations, hold down any available button to skip. At the “OK” prompt, press the button previously set as “A”.
To exit at any point, pressing F4 will close the current menu and return to the command line. Typing the command emulationstation will bring the user back to the main menu.
Basic Setup
From the main menu, different emulators can be selected for playing:
Settings related to volume, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi are located in the RetroPie submenu. This submenu also offers access to the file manager.
By default, Wi-Fi is disabled on the RetroPie image that was installed. To enable ROM transfers via Wi-Fi rather than using USB or Ethernet, Wi-Fi setup must be completed first. This is done by opening the Wi-Fi menu.
Locate and select the SSID, which is the name of the Wi-Fi network.
Input the correct password for that Wi-Fi network.
To find the IP address, either press F4 to reach the command line and type ifconfig or select “Show IP” in the RetroPie menu, where the IP address will be displayed.
After obtaining the IP address, SSH can be enabled through the raspi-config menu. Additional guidance on using SSH to access the Raspberry Pi can be found in the tutorial titled “How to Use PuTTY to Access the Raspberry Pi Terminal from a Computer”. SSH access can also be configured through the RetroPie menu.
Once SSH is active, connection to the RetroPie console can be made from another computer. This setup allows the retro gaming console to operate without the need for an attached monitor or keyboard, as gaming will occur through a computer connected to the Raspberry Pi via SSH.
Transferring and Installing ROMs
ROMs, which are digital versions of games, are first downloaded onto a computer. They must then be transferred onto the Raspberry Pi and properly installed through the RetroPie software.
The easiest method for transferring ROMs involves using Samba Share, a program that permits access to files over a Wi-Fi network and comes pre-installed with RetroPie.
On a computer, type \\retropie or \\[your IP address] into the Windows Explorer file path bar:
Inside the ROMs folder, place the downloaded ROM into the specific emulator’s folder it belongs to. After completing this step, reboot the Raspberry Pi. The newly installed game should now be visible within the RetroPie main menu.
