Single Board Computers
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There are numerous SBCs out there, but only some are easy to turn into a gaming SBC. The way we have sorted the SBCs here is to present them in a way that showcases their capabilities alongside their usability.

General Performance Comparison of Common Gaming SBCs

Consoles

Raspberry Pi SBC Info Note: Information may be slightly incorrect as little to no optimizations were done on a standard RetroPie install (barring doing so for SNES on the RPi0): some systems may perform better if resolution is decreased for them.

Legend

💚 = Good - Emulation is largely known to be full speed without bugs.
💛 = Fair - Emulation is generally full speed without bugs, but there are exceptions.
❤️ = Poor - Emulation is generally not full speed with bugs, but there are exceptions.
🖤 = Bad - Emulation is largely known not to be full speed and/or buggy, or nonexistent.
❓ = Unknown - No user data available.

System RPi0W RPi3B RPi3B+ ODROID-XU4
3DO - 3DO Interactive Multiplayer 🖤 🖤 🖤 💛
Atari - 2600 💚 💚 💚 💚
Atari - 5200 💛 💛 💛 💛
Atari - 7800 💚 💚 💚 💚
Atari - Jaguar 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤
Coleco - ColecoVision 💚 💚 💚 💚
Fairchild - Channel F 🖤 💚 💚 💚
GCE - Vectrex 🖤 💚 💚 💚
Magnavox - Odyssey² 💚 💚 💚 💚
Mattel - Intellivision 💚 💚 💚 💚
NEC - PC Engine SuperGrafx 🖤 💚 💚 💚
NEC - PC-FX 🖤 🖤 🖤 ❓
NEC - TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine 💚 💚 💚 💚
NEC - TurboGrafx-CD/PC Engine CD 💚 💚 💚 💚
Nintendo - Famicom Disk System 💚 💚 💚 💚
Nintendo - NES 💚 💚 💚 💚
Nintendo - Nintendo 64 🖤 🖤 ❤️ 💛
Nintendo - Satellaview 🖤 💚 💚 💚
Nintendo - SNES - Regular Games 💛 💚 💚 💚
Nintendo - SNES - SA1 Games 🖤 💛 💚 💚
Nintendo - SNES - Super FX GSU-1 Games 🖤 💚 💚 💚
Nintendo - SNES - Super FX GSU-2 Games 🖤 💛 💛 💚
Nintendo - Virtual Boy 🖤 💚 💚 💚
Philips - Videopac ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Philips - Videopac+ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Sega - 32X 🖤 💛 💛 💛
Sega - Dreamcast 🖤 🖤 ❤️ 💛
Sega - Genesis/Mega Drive 💛 💚 💚 💚
Sega - Master System 💚 💚 💚 💚
Sega - Saturn 🖤 🖤 🖤 💛
Sega - Sega CD/Mega CD 💛 💚 💚 💚
Sega - SG-1000 💚 💚 💚 💚
SNK - Neo Geo 💛 💚 💚 💚
Sony - PlayStation ❤️ 💛 💛 💛

Handhelds

Legend

Raspberry Pi SBC Info Note: Information may be slightly incorrect as little to no optimizations were done on a standard RetroPie install: some systems may perform better if resolution is decreased for them.

💚 = Good - Emulation is largely known to be full speed without bugs.
💛 = Fair - Emulation is generally full speed without bugs, but there are exceptions.
❤️ = Poor - Emulation is generally not full speed with bugs, but there are exceptions.
🖤 = Bad - Emulation is largely known not to be full speed and/or buggy, or nonexistent.

System RPi0W RPi3B RPi3B+ ODROID-XU4
Atari - Lynx 💚 💚 💚 💚
Bandai - WonderSwan 🖤 💚 💚 💚
Bandai - WonderSwan Color 🖤 💚 💚 💚
Nintendo - Game & Watch 💚 💚 💚 💚
Nintendo - Game Boy 💚 💚 💚 💚
Nintendo - Game Boy Advance 💛 💚 💚 💚
Nintendo - Game Boy Color 💚 💚 💚 💚
Nintendo - Nintendo DS 🖤 💛 💛 💛
Nintendo - Pokémon Mini 💛 💛 💛 💛
Sega - Game Gear 💚 💚 💚 💚
SNK - Neo Geo Pocket 🖤 💚 💚 💚
SNK - Neo Geo Pocket Color 🖤 💛 💛 💛
Sony - PSP 🖤 🖤 ❤️ 💛

Beginner SBCs

These SBCs are generally recommended due to their company and/or community support.

Raspberry Pi Foundation

Raspberry Pi 3B+

The best Raspberry Pi model you can buy currently.

+ RPi3B+ - System Emulation Performance

Raspberry Pi 3A+

Same emulation capabilities as a RPi3B+ outside of needing to alter the default CPU/GPU memory split if attempting N64 emulation. Mostly useful for those aiming to build a decent handheld gaming SBC, though could be used as a console gaming SBC if not severely limited in case choices outside of 3D printing and the fact it only has one USB port for input.

+ RPi3A+ - System Emulation Performance

Raspberry Pi 3B

This SBC is only recommended if a RPi3B+ or RPi3A+ can't be obtained. Largely emulates the same systems, but SA1/SFX2 enhancement chip games on the SNES would suffer performance issues, forget about N64/Dreamcast/PSP, and the extra power of the RPi3B+ or RPi3A+ allows for hacks like RetroArch's RunAhead latency removal.

Overclocking could be done to get this model closer to the performance of a RPi3B+ or RPi3A+, which would clear up on slowdown in SA1 enhancement chip games on the SNES, improve SFX2 enhancement chip games on the SNES, and allow for RetroArch's RunAhead latency removal, but any possible overclocking potential of any Raspberry Pi should never be considered a certainty.

+ RPi3B - System Emulation Performance

Hardkernel

ODROID-GO

A handheld you can build with ease.

Pros:

  • Cheap.
  • Emulates NES, Master System, Game Boy, Game Gear, and Game Boy Color.
  • Has some community support adding emulation for other systems.

Cons:

  • Screen tearing with some emulation, though reduced after updates and changing the video mode to original aspect ratio instead of fullscreen.
  • Slowdown with some emulation, though reduced by changing the video mode to original aspect ratio instead of fullscreen.

Buy:
Hardkernel
Ameridroid

Advanced SBCs

These SBCs are generally recommended for emulation of systems that weaker SBCs can't handle or for special purposes.

PINE64

ROCKPro64

  • Has more power than the XU4
  • No Built-in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
  • Uses at least 12v/3a Power Supply, can buy on Pine64's page.
  • No current stable release of retropie, but there are builds of Recalbox, Lakka, Batocera Linux, and preview build of Odroid Retro Arena.
  • Can go up to PSP and run smoothly.

Hardkernel

ODROID-XU4

  • Additional option of eMMC storage.
  • No built-in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth
  • 5V/4A Power supply recommended.
  • Best current choice for emulation of N64 and up.
  • Can build Retropie using Ubuntu Minimal, but there are other options.
+ ODROID-XU4 - System Emulation Performance

Buy:
Hardkernel
ameriDriod

Raspberry Pi Foundation

Raspberry Pi Zero W

Mostly useful for building a low power consumption handheld, though a RPi3A+ is a better choice for something custom outside of less battery life.

+ RPi0W - System Emulation Performance

Raspberry Pi Zero

Mostly useful for building a low power consumption handheld, though a RPi3A+ is a better choice for something custom outside of less battery life, and lack of wireless access would make doing everything software-side more difficult.

+ RPi0 - System Emulation Performance

Problematic SBCs

These SBCs aren't generally recommended due to: not emulating more than what a common SBC can, having poor company support, having poor community support, being hard to use, and/or simply being outdated.

Hardkernel

ODROID-C2

  • Older than ODROID-XU4.
  • Probably not as good of a choice as the ODROID-XU4 for N64 Emulation, but will still handle SNES and below well.
  • Does not come with Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
  • Can build RetroPie for this like the ODROID-XU4, but there are other options.

Asus

Tinker Board S

  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built-in.
  • Same form factor as Raspberry Pi 3B.
  • Unlike the Tinkerboard, it includes eMMC.
  • Not as much developer support, but has a decent fan community.
  • Special build of Retropie done by fans.
  • Runs N64 better than Raspberry Pi.

Tinker Board

  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built-in.
  • Same form factor as Raspberry Pi 3B.
  • Not as much developer support, but has a decent fan community.
  • Special build of Retropie done by fans.
  • Runs N64 better than Raspberry Pi.

Raspberry Pi Foundation

Raspberry Pi 2B

No reason to use due to the existence of the RPi3B/RPi3A+/RPi3B+.

+ RPi2B - System Emulation Performance

Raspberry Pi 1B+

No reason to use due to the existence of the RPi3B/RPi3A+/RPi3B+.

+ RPi1B+ - System Emulation Performance

Raspberry Pi 1A+

No reason to use due to the existence of the RPi3B/RPi3A+/RPi3B+.

+ RPi1A+ - System Emulation Performance

Compute Module 3+ - 32GB - 16GB - 8GB - Lite

Only useful for those adventurous enough to design their own handheld PCB for this to slot into. Has the same emulation capabilities as a RPi3B.

+ RPiCM3+ - System Emulation Performance

Compute Module 3 - 4GB - Lite

No reason to use this due to the existence of the CM3+. Has the same emulation capabilities as a RPi3B.

+ RPiCM3 - System Emulation Performance

Compute Module 1

No reason to use this due to the existence of the CM3+ and the fact a RPi0 would perform better. Has the same emulation capabilities as a RPi1.

+ RPiCM1 - System Emulation Performance
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