# Retroarch on Uconsole **URL:** \ **Category:** uConsole\ **Tags:** retroarch\ **Created:** [December 13, 2023, 5:20pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retroarch-on-uconsole/11907 "2023-12-13T17:20:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vindicarblack](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/vindicarblack/32/1414_2.png) [@vindicarblack](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/vindicarblack)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 5:20pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retroarch-on-uconsole/11907/1 "2023-12-13T17:20:48Z")
I see that Retroarch is preinstalled, but when I fire it up I do not see the normal (or any way) to install cores, the interface looks super basic. ![Image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/clockworkpi/original/2X/1/163a95a2dbff18f29c5966f91eea1ac8a2a0ce16.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Snoozer94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Snoozer94](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Snoozer94)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 7:19pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retroarch-on-uconsole/11907/2 "2023-12-13T19:19:13Z")
Have you tried emulationstation ---
**Author:** ![fry-guy](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/fry-guy/32/8673_2.png) [@fry-guy](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/fry-guy)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 8:34pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retroarch-on-uconsole/11907/3 "2023-12-13T20:34:16Z")
I was able to get most cores to work by manually adding the arm64 core builds from [GitHub - christianhaitian/retroarch-cores](https://github.com/christianhaitian/retroarch-cores) to the libretrocores folder in Retroarch. This post was very helpful: > [@Did anyone get Retroarch to work? How?](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/did-anyone-get-retroarch-to-work-how/10605/2): > > retroarch -L xxxxx.so rom.zip I got retroarch working by this way on devterm & uConsole seems that official retroarch does not have arm64 core pre-compilied ,that’s why the core updater will fail However, you can also just straight up install RetroPie on this system, which require less tinkering to get functional cores installed and also provide emulationstation, which is a nicer interface: ```auto cd git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup.git cd RetroPie-Setup chmod +x retropie_setup.sh sudo ./retropie_setup.sh ``` **Basic Install \>\> Quick Install** You can also switch the menu driver in Retroarch from rgui to xmb, which will switch to the higher resolution blue interface that’s more familiar from desktop installations (although I personally think the pixelated version has its charms). ---
**Author:** ![vindicarblack](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/vindicarblack/32/1414_2.png) [@vindicarblack](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/vindicarblack)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 8:39pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retroarch-on-uconsole/11907/4 "2023-12-13T20:39:20Z")
Do you know an faq for installing on the uconsole ---
**Author:** ![1337p337](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/1337p337/32/8689_2.png) [@1337p337](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/1337p337)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 9:25pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retroarch-on-uconsole/11907/5 "2023-12-13T21:25:53Z")
> [@vindicarblack](#): > > when I fire it up I do not see the normal (or any way) to install cores `apt-cache search libretro` should show you a list of cores that you can install, and you can do, for example, `apt-get install libretro-beetle-psx`. > [@vindicarblack](#): > > the interface looks super basic. That’s the `rgui` interface. It used to be the default for retroarch. If you want to use one of the other UIs, from the main menu you select `Settings`, `Drivers`, then `Menu`. ---
**Author:** ![vindicarblack](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/vindicarblack/32/1414_2.png) [@vindicarblack](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/vindicarblack)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2023, 11:28pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retroarch-on-uconsole/11907/6 "2023-12-13T23:28:36Z")
THANKS that was a big help!! ---
**Author:** ![vindicarblack](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/vindicarblack/32/1414_2.png) [@vindicarblack](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/vindicarblack)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2023, 1:26am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retroarch-on-uconsole/11907/7 "2023-12-14T01:26:51Z")
that worked great but the screen for emulation station is sideways ---
**Author:** ![Snoozer94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Snoozer94](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Snoozer94)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2023, 1:57am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retroarch-on-uconsole/11907/8 "2023-12-14T01:57:01Z")
Sorry was busy but i dont have a uconsole myself yet so my help would be limiting, my go to retro gaming is emulationstation/retropie, theres plenty of documentation online but its something i wouldnt know how you could apply to uconsole ---
**Author:** ![werone](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/werone/32/7662_2.png) [@werone](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/werone)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2024, 10:49am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retroarch-on-uconsole/11907/9 "2024-02-06T10:49:28Z")
thx for the hint, however my installation was failed with a bunch of information saying xxxx could not be installed after a long long wait. I’ve searched the internet and found that could be a problem in rpi bullseye, have you encountered any similar problem with that? ---
**Author:** ![soulmanpt](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/soulmanpt/32/5261_2.png) [@soulmanpt](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/soulmanpt)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2024, 5:11pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retroarch-on-uconsole/11907/10 "2024-02-09T17:11:19Z")
I had the same experience as you. I plan to screenshot the missing packages and see if I can get them loaded another way, and then I can try the script above again. ---
**Author:** ![CrCross](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/crcross/32/7427_2.png) [@CrCross](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/CrCross)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2024, 5:38pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retroarch-on-uconsole/11907/11 "2024-03-06T17:38:21Z")
I think the problem is that retroarch.cfg has the option to show “update core” disabled or hidden by default ---
**Author:** ![Herbmeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Herbmeister](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Herbmeister)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2024, 4:33pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retroarch-on-uconsole/11907/12 "2024-08-16T16:33:12Z")
Hi, I got RetroArch and the snes9x core working beautifully simply by installing via apt (Debian Bookworm image). But for the life of me I can’t figure out the right combination or configuration of drivers / input to map the YXBA Select Start Buttons. Whatever I do it always just shows “N/A” Help. Thanks 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Herbmeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Herbmeister](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Herbmeister)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 10:45am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retroarch-on-uconsole/11907/13 "2024-08-19T10:45:31Z")
little update: `showkey` doesn’t show anything at all either when pressing YXBA Start Select. anyone has an ideas? thanks ---
**Author:** ![mikeschnier](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/mikeschnier/32/9697_2.png) [@mikeschnier](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/mikeschnier)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 7:59pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retroarch-on-uconsole/11907/14 "2024-08-19T19:59:01Z")
Set the controller driver to SDL2. Settings \> Drivers \> Controller \> sdl2. Or, better yet, if you’re on the uConsole CM4 just use [Rex’s RetroPie build](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retropie-for-uconsole-and-devterm-cm4/13572). The performance is better, more systems work, you can use shaders without the framerate dropping. ---
**Author:** ![Herbmeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5ac83/32.png) [@Herbmeister](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Herbmeister)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2024, 9:41pm UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retroarch-on-uconsole/11907/15 "2024-08-19T21:41:45Z")
> [@mikeschnier](#): > > Set the controller driver to SDL2. Settings \> Drivers \> Controller \> sdl2. I probably already tried that because it still just says “N/A” in the settings when you press the button, BUT I figured what the hell let’s load a rom anyway and try it if the guy said so and it does work indeed! stupid quirk that it always only says N/A. Thanks!! > [@mikeschnier](#): > > Or, better yet, if you’re on the uConsole CM4 just use [Rex’s RetroPie build](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retropie-for-uconsole-and-devterm-cm4/13572). The performance is better, more systems work, you can use shaders without the framerate dropping. Nah I want a proper DE and that little bit of SNES or DOSBox emulation I do doesn’t need the best optimization. ---
**Author:** ![Nathan\_Kreeger](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/forum.clockworkpi.com/nathan_kreeger/32/16903_2.png) [@Nathan\_Kreeger](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/u/Nathan_Kreeger)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2026, 2:46am UTC](https://forum.clockworkpi.com/t/retroarch-on-uconsole/11907/16 "2026-06-21T02:46:02Z")
Sadly i tried Rex’s RetroPie build and after doing the sudo device uconsole and the reboot it would boot and respond with illegal instruction an kick me to bash prompt.