The kit you need

Here is everything you need to get from “download” to “playing”, grouped by device. The links are Amazon affiliate links: buying through them supports Arcade Punks at no extra cost to you. Thanks!

For every setup

• A computer to download and prepare the build. Usually a Windows PC or laptop. A Mac works too for most jobs.
• Enough free space for the download. You need room for the archive files and the unpacked build at the same time, so roughly double the build’s size while you work. An extra internal SSD helps if your PC is tight on space.
• A controller. Most builds are set up for an Xbox-style pad, and any USB or Bluetooth controller in that style is a safe choice. Arcade sticks and light guns work too. See Setting up your controller.

Raspberry Pi

1. The Pi itself. The Raspberry Pi 5 is the strongest and the one new builds target; the Raspberry Pi 4 is cheaper with hundreds of builds. A Pi 3 or Pi Zero 2 W works for lighter systems. Make sure you buy the board your chosen build was made for. See Which device should I use?
2. A microSD card one size bigger than the build. Card sizes vary slightly between brands, so a “256GB” build may not fit on a 256GB card. Buy a size up: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB or 1.5TB. Stick to known brands like SanDisk and Samsung and look for A2 on the label. See Buying SD cards and What Size SD Card or Drive Do I Need?.
3. A USB microSD card reader, so you can write the build from your PC. Cheap and worth having even if your laptop has a slot.
4. The right power supply. Underpowered supplies cause crashes, boot loops and rainbow screens. Use the official Raspberry Pi supply: 5V/3A USB-C for a Pi 4 and 5V/5A USB-C for a Pi 5. A phone charger is usually not enough.
5. A micro-HDMI cable for the Pi 4 and Pi 5 (the Pi 3 uses full-size HDMI). On a Pi 4 or 5, use the HDMI port nearest the power socket.
6. A case with cooling. A fan or a good heatsink case keeps the Pi from slowing down during long sessions, especially a Pi 5.
7. Optional SSD. Some builds can run from a USB SSD for extra speed and reliability. A USB-to-SATA cable lets you connect an SSD to the Pi or to your PC to write it.

A complete Pi kit (board, case, fan, power supply and card in one box) is the easy button if you would rather not pick each part.

Windows PC

• A drive with room for the build. An SSD gives much faster loading than a hard drive. You can fit an internal SSD or use a USB SSD. Smaller builds can run from a USB stick.
• A controller, as above.
• The better the PC, the smoother the heavier systems like PS2 and GameCube. See Build Your Retro Gaming PC.

Spare PC for a bootable build

• A drive that will become the boot drive. Writing a bootable image wipes it completely, so use a spare SSD or hard drive.
• A USB-to-SATA cable so you can connect that drive to your main PC to write the image.
• A controller.

Steam Deck

• A big, fast microSD card. Deck builds are often large: 512GB, 1TB or 1.5TB. Again, go a size up.
• A card reader for your PC to write the card.

See Steam Deck builds.

Software (all free)

• WinRAR or 7-Zip to unpack the archives.
• balenaEtcher or Raspberry Pi Imager to write images.
• A downloader for your chosen method, such as NZB Grab for NZBs or Tixati for torrents. See Which download option should I pick?

Still stuck? Read Finding the right build next, or ask on our Discord.