There are a ton of options for software, but it might require actually setting it up yourself. It's possible to get a far more powerful PC for cheap (or free!), but that entails more variables than buying a Pi. That said, I don't think you're wrong in pointing out that there are better options around. Makes it a quick, easy solution that many people will be happy with. Buy a short list of inexpensive, readily-available parts, follow some very simple instructions, and you get something that works very well for the fairly negligible cost and effort required.

In turn, while it does support some other hardware now, predominately, RetroPie is there as a preconfigured image for the most popular single board computers on the market. Like a modded X-Box or Wii, RetroPie is a consistent, known option that'll be mentioned by name. I think the underlying theme is simplicity. Mine is a little box, roughly 3 inches x 4 inches x 2 inches that can turn any TV in my house into an X-Men vs Street Fighter machine with the flip of a switch. The one that I have is a few years old now and I set it up back when I knew next to nothing about Linux - it does HDMI out, has enough horsepower to run PSX and PSP games with no hitching or slowdown and supports 1st party licensed or branded controllers and arcade sticks. Retropie actually uses all of the emulation software you referenced but has a really nice and functional front end via emulation station. The entire thing is installed on a small memory card allowing you to instantly convert the raspberry pi into a different configuration or use by just popping a micro sd card in and out. A decent raspberry pi plus enclosure and memory can be purchased in kit form for less than $50.Įase of use - retropie is actually an OS that sits on top of the raspberry pi hardware. Coincidentally, I just fired up my Retropie for the first time in a while last night to play some SNK Gals Fighters on a big screen TV.

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