Use Raspberry Pi as an emulator for playing
The Raspberry Pi single-board computer can be used in many different ways, for example as an emulator for video games. This practical tip shows you how you can use your Raspberry Pi as an emulator to play with.
RetroPie as an emulator for Raspberry Pi
To use your Raspberry as an emulator for game consoles, you can use the RetroPie emulator software. This is a platform that offers old game consoles and operating systems as an emulator. The software also includes drivers for keyboards and USB gamepads. RetroPie supports the following systems:
- Atari 2600 game console
- Apple 2 computer
- Commodore PET computer
- Atari 800 computer
- Intellivision game console
- Commodore VIC-20 computer
- IBM PC
- Commodore C 64 computer
- Commodore CBM-II computer
- Vectrex game console
- ZX Spectrum Computer
- MSX computer
- Nintendo Entertainment System game console
- Apple Macintosh computer
- Amstrad CPC computer
- Commodore Plus / 4 computers
- Commodore 128 computers
- Commodore Amiga computer
- Atari ST computer
- Sega Master System game console
- TurboGrafx - 16 game console
- Sega Genesis game console
- Game Boy game console
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System game console
- Sega CD game console
- Sega 32X game console
- Sony Playstation game console
- Nintendo 64 game console
- Game Boy Color game console
- Game Boy Advance game console
Install emulator on existing Raspbian system
To install RetroPie on your existing Rasbian system, you have to do the following:
- Download the current package list with the command "sudo apt-get update".
- Now execute the command "sudo apt-get install -y git dialog".
- Now you have to download the current installation script. To do this, first switch to the home directory with "cd". Then download the script with "sudo apt-get install -y git dialog".
- Change to the RetroPie folder with "cd RetroPie-Setup".
- The script must now be made executable. To do this, enter the command "chmod + x retropie_setup.sh".
- Start the setup with "sudo ./retropie_setup.sh".
- In the installation window that then appears, you can choose between 2 types of installation:
- If you want to install RetroPie quickly, choose the "Binaries-based installation". However, you will not get the latest version.
- The "source-code based installation" takes several hours. However, you will receive the latest version here.
Install the emulator as a finished image on the SD card
The faster way to install RetroPie is to download the finished image for the SD card. To do this, proceed as follows:
- Download the image suitable for your Raspberry Pi here.
- Play the image on your SD card and insert the card into your Raspberry.