Things to consider when building

The most important question: will my device handle the games I want to play? A Pi 3 is fine for the older systems, a Pi 4 is great up to PlayStation 1, and a Pi 5 pushes into Dreamcast, PSP and some PS2. A PC can do the lot. Match the machine to your dream library.

Compatibility — research emulators for the systems you want (RetroPie, Batocera, LaunchBox).
Performance — NES/SNES/Genesis run on almost anything; Dreamcast/PSP/PS2 need more grunt.
Controllers — most images are pre-set for an Xbox-style pad. USB or Bluetooth both work.
Storage — ROMs range from KBs to GBs. SD cards for compact builds, SSDs/drives for big ones.
User interface — the "front-end" makes browsing your library a breeze.
Aesthetics — cases, lighting, decals; make it yours.
Budget — from cheap Pi Zero projects to high-end PCs. Track your costs.
Library content — quality over quantity. Start with favourites, expand later.

Choosing your device

🍓 Raspberry Pi Zero / Zero 2 W

The cheapest, tiniest entry point. Perfect for handheld and keyring-sized builds running 8-bit and 16-bit systems — NES, SNES, Master System, Mega Drive, Game Boy, arcade classics. Don't expect PS1; this is about cheap, cheerful, pocketable retro.

🍓 Raspberry Pi 3

Still a brilliant budget workhorse and widely supported. Handles everything up to and including a good chunk of PlayStation 1, N64 and PSP (with the right settings). A great value pick if you don't need the latest and greatest, and there are loads of images built for it.

🍓 Raspberry Pi 4

The long-time go-to. Comfortable with NES, SNES, Genesis, most PS1, plenty of N64 and PSP. Struggles with the heavier stuff like PS2 and Dreamcast. Hundreds of pre-built Pi 4 images make it an easy, well-trodden choice.

🍓 Raspberry Pi 5

A beast — handles Dreamcast, PSP and some PS2 far better than the Pi 4. Most cutting-edge new images target the Pi 5, so it's the pick for top-tier SBC performance.

Raspberry Pi 5 ↗ · Raspberry Pi 4 ↗ · MicroSD cards ↗

🖥️ A full PC or laptop

The most powerful option by miles. A modern (or even a few-years-old) PC will run everything the Pi can plus the demanding systems — PS2, GameCube, Wii, Dreamcast and beyond — at higher resolutions. Install a front-end like RetroBat, LaunchBox/BigBox, CoinOPS or RetroFE alongside Windows; your existing OS stays untouched. Best choice if you want one machine that does it all.

🧩 Small-form-factor PC / mini-PC / NUC

The sweet spot between a Pi and a big tower. Tiny boxes like an Intel NUC or other mini-PCs pack proper x86 power into a console-sized case — quiet, low-power, and far stronger than any SBC. Ideal for a tidy living-room setup that still plays the heavier systems. You can run a Windows front-end, or a dedicated bootable build like Batocera to turn the whole box into an arcade machine.

💻 A spare or old PC

Got an old laptop or desktop gathering dust? Give it a second life. With a bootable build (e.g. Batocera) the machine becomes a dedicated arcade — it boots straight into retro gaming with no Windows in sight. Free hardware reuse, and surprisingly capable.

🎮 An existing device or handheld

Already own a Steam Deck, a retro handheld, or a console you can load builds onto? You may not need to buy anything at all. These can make fantastic ready-made platforms for a loaded front-end.

Still unsure? Use the "I don't have a clue — help me!" wizard from the main menu and I'll walk you through it step by step.

Steam Deck

All Guns Blazing Batocera v43: 420 Light Gun Games for PC and Steam Deck

BooBooMan’s 1TB JRPG Batocera Build – Arcade Punks EXCLUSIVE

Boobooman 1TB Batocera CleanAF V2 – The Beast Has Landed!

[1TB] Batocera v42 Steam Deck and PC by Retro Lunatics

Hondacera v42 – 256GB Batocera Build with over 70,000 ROMs

64gb Batocera v41 built in ROM downloader – RGSX + Team Pixel Nostalgia by Boobooman

Hondas 128gb Batocera 41 Mini – Free for All!

🎯 BooBoo’s Ping Ping – 256GB Batocera Light Gun Build for PC & Steam Deck 🔫

💦 STEAMY DECK 💦 The Spiciest Build Ever Dropped on Arcade Punks

2TB Batocera 41 Image for Steam Deck and PC – Digital Hero

Honda’s 1TB Batocera 41 Image for Steam Deck and PC – GAMER’S DREAM Now Live!

Boobooman’s Clean as Fck* Batocera v40 Build for PC! – ARCADE PUNKS EXCLUSIVE

The Light Gun Lunatics’ Batocera v40 Light Gun Build – Packed with over 530 Games

Fully Loaded 512gb Batocera V40 Image for Steam Deck and PC from Honda

256gb Loaded Batocera V40 Image for Steam Deck and PC from Honda

1tb Fully Loaded (ISH) Batocera V40 “Best of The Best” Image for Steam Deck and PC

1TB & 256gb Steam Deck Build “BooBooMans BooBoo” – OLED & NON OLED (V39)

1TB Gaming Batocera v38 Build for PC or Steam Deck (Non-OLED) from BooBooMan

1TB Gaming Batocera v39 Build for PC or Steam Deck from Foclabroc

230gb Batocera Light Gun Only Build for PC or Steam Deck from Light Gun Lunatics

Fully Loaded 1TB Steam Deck (& PC) Batocera Build v2 from Q-Le

Fully Loaded 256gb OLED Steam Deck Batocera Build from BooBooMan – Also for PC!!

CoinOPS for Steam Deck – Legends 4 – Download Now!

Fully Loaded 1tb Steam Deck Batocera Retro Gaming Image from Q Le

Fully Loaded 512gb Batocera Steam Deck Retro Gaming Build from Retro Gaming Guy

Fully Loaded 1tb Batocera Steam Deck Retro Gaming Build

Fully Loaded 256gb Batocera Steam Deck Light Gun Build

Fully Loaded 256gb Batocera Steam Deck Build – Free Download

CoinOPS for Steam Deck – Legends 3