WE COMPARE TONS OF STUFF SO YOU DON’ T HAVE TO!
Michael Reed takes a look at five different systems that can turn a computer into a retrogaming paradise.
It’s time to sit back, switch on the TV and relive the old days with a game controller in hand. This month, we’re comparing five systems that can turn a computer into a full-on retrogaming system with an easy-to-use interface.
Recalbox is a complete Linux distribution in its own right, but it’s one with a primary purpose of providing emulators of classic machines, and it’s fronted by an easy-to-use, retro-themed controller-driven interface. Batocera covers similar ground and it, too, offers a polished user interface. RetroPie is a distribution that was created to turn a Raspberry Pi into an emulator-powered retrogaming system, and it features a lot of customisation options. It can also be added as a piece of software to a normal PC running a Linux distribution.
RetroArch isn’t a distribution at all, although it does power some of the retrogaming distributions. It can be installed as standalone software on practically any existing Linux desktop. It’s a good choice if you’re a part-time gamer who needs to be able to use your PC for day-to-day tasks. It’s also a good choice if you want to have total customisation control.
Installation and platform support
The supported platforms and devices, and the ease of installation.
We’re looking for a good installation experience when installing on a standard PC, but we’re also interested in support for other platforms such as the Raspberry Pi. RetroPie is a complete distro for the Raspberry Pi and a few other single-board computers (SBCs). To install it, you write the IMG file to an SD card. On first run, RetroPie expands the partition to fill the SD card, requiring a reboot before use. It can be installed on
