Lets take a look at their differences, and pick the best one for you.
All you need is a Raspberry Pi and the right software.
RetroPie was the first full emulator operating system for the Raspberry Pi.
Recalbox is newer, but simplifies the whole process quite a bit.
Both also look about the same, so aesthetics wont play much of a role here.
Finally, both RetroPie and Recalbox support online updates, rewind features, save states, and screenshots.
Here are the other basics.
It has been a part of our guide tosetting up a retro game console since the start.
Nowadays, its a much bigger project.
Thanks to its longevity, it also hasactive support forumsandwell-written documentation.
Out of the box, Recalbox looks pretty much identical to RetroPie.
Both are easy enough, but Recalbox is still easier and less intimidating.
While the process is nearly identical in both tools, setting up a controller in Recalbox just feels smoother.
Otherwise, youre ready to start playing games.
To cover all this,RetroPie has extensive documentationthat walks you through all kinds of different customization projects.
If this all sounds overwhelming, well, it is.
But if youre building somethinglike an arcade cabinet, then you want this much control over everything.
Conversely, Recalbox supports PS3, Xbox, Bluetooth controllers, and standard USB controllers.
RetroPie is also updated way more often.
Within days of the launch of the Raspberry Pi 3,RetroPie added support for it.
By contrast, thelast non-beta build of Recalbox was released in March of 2015 as version 3.2.11.
Which means there hasnt been a stable update since the Raspberry Pi 3 was released.
Want to just skip the setup and play the Super Nintendo games of your childhood?
Its easier to set up and works fine for a majority of popular games.
Want to play obscure games on obscure systems, likeCocoorDragon 32?
Looking to build ahandheld systemor anarcade cabinet?
RetroPie is your best bet.
