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.

Discussion

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