Alternatives to RetroPie
Raspberry Pi-focused distribution that turns a single-board computer into a retro gaming machine. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.
The original
RetroPie
Raspberry Pi-focused distribution that turns a single-board computer into a retro gaming machine.
Replacements
Listings that take over the same core job as RetroPie.
Batocera.linux
A free, open-source retro gaming Linux distribution that boots from a USB stick or SD card.
Batocera.linux boots from a USB stick or SD card without changing the installed system, supports more than 250 systems and includes RetroAchievements, shaders, bezels and rewind.
Recalbox
A retro gaming operating system that turns a Raspberry Pi or other hardware into a multi-system console.
Recalbox supports more than 100 systems, installs through the official Raspberry Pi Imager and adds instant save, rewind, scraping, shaders and overlays behind a beginner-friendly interface.
Lakka
A lightweight Linux distribution built on RetroArch that turns small computers into retro gaming consoles.
Lakka is an open-source minimal system built entirely on RetroArch, so you get netplay, rewind and shaders but are tied to RetroArch's interface and cores.
RetroDECK
An all-in-one retro gaming Flatpak for Linux that bundles emulators with the ES-DE frontend.
RetroDECK runs as a sandboxed Flatpak on an existing Linux desktop instead of a dedicated system, with emulators and the ES-DE frontend preconfigured together.
Ubuntu GamePack
An Ubuntu-based Linux distribution preloaded with Steam, Wine and other gaming tools.
Ubuntu GamePack is a full Ubuntu-based desktop for 64-bit systems that bundles Steam, Wine and DXVK alongside emulation for older consoles and computers.
Similar software
Related functionality, not a direct replacement.
RetroArch
One front end for dozens of emulators, with unified settings, shaders and a controller setup you only do once.
EmuDeck
An installer that sets up and configures emulators on Steam Deck, SteamOS, ROG Ally and Windows.
Attract-Mode Plus
A customizable graphical frontend for browsing and launching command-line emulators and arcade games.
KNULLI
Batocera-based custom firmware that turns retro gaming handhelds into emulation devices with RetroArch and standalone emulators.
ROCKNIX
An immutable Linux distribution for handheld gaming devices, focused on retro game emulation.
Steam ROM Manager
A bulk importer that adds emulated and non-Steam games to a Steam library along with artwork.
