Help Needed: Can I have RetroPie and RaspberryPi OS on the same SD card?

RaspFox

I need help since I am new to Raspberry Pi. This is my first time on this website and I want to download RetroPie for Raspberry, but I don't know if I need a different SD card. I am using 64-Bit Raspberry Pi OS on my RPi400. Do I need a separate card for RetroPie? I have tried to find anything to help but I was futile. Can someone help me?

Folly

@RaspFox

You should look in the docs, most things are described there :
https://retropie.org.uk/docs/First-Installation/

If you want to install RetroPie on top of your Raspi OS 64bit then you can follow the guide on github :
(do it on Debian 10/Buster | not supported for Debian 11/Bullseye)
https://github.com/RetroPie/RetroPie-Setup
(be aware of the fact that there are no binary packages for 64bit, when installing packages you have to install from source code)
So if you want to use binary package installs then install RetroPie on top of 32bit Buster.

windg

There is another way, unofficial. To use the PINN program: https://github.com/procount/pinn . With this you can create dual boot of your desktop OS and RetroPie.

RaspFox

So it won't work for Bullseye? Is there a way to save some apps that I have downloaded such as Pi Apps.

Folly

@RaspFox said in Help Needed: Can I have RetroPie and RaspberryPi OS on the same SD card?:

So it won't work for Bullseye?

Well it can work on bullseye but you have to edit some files.
Without a lot of experience it could be quite difficult for you and you can encounter some more problems.
Take a look at this thread/post :
https://retropie.org.uk/forum/topic/31924/could-not-successfully-build-sdl2-on-bullseye/8

Is there a way to save some apps that I have downloaded such as Pi Apps.

if you go with Buster these Pi Apps should probably work too.
Just use a second SD card and try it before you wipe your first SD.
Than you can work out if it will work.