Fresh install on a pi b3+ fails to start emulationstation

parkingmeter

Pi Model or other hardware: 3B+
Power Supply used: 5v 3A charger
RetroPie Version Used: 4.8
Built From: Pre made SD Image on RetroPie website: "retropie-buster-4.8-rpi2_3_zero2w.img.gz"
USB Devices connected: keyboard
Controller used: N/A
Error messages received:

Error creating SDL window!
Could not create GLES window surface
Renderer failed to initialize!
Window failed to initialize!
Wi-Fi is currently blocked by rfkill.
Use raspi-config to set the country before use

Verbose log (if relevant): N/A
Guide used: https://retropie.org.uk/docs/First-Installation/
File: N/A (no customization to the config)
Emulator: N/A
Attachment of config files: N/A
How to replicate the problem:

Download the pi 2/3/zero2w image from retropie.org.uk
Extract the .img file
Write img to SD card (I used dd)
Boot rpi with SD card
After systemd gets to the login prompts target, see errors and the command line prompt for the pi user

After reading other posts about the same errors, I've checked the following:

Running emulationstation from the command line results in the same errors.
No desktop environment is loaded, but I tried using raspi-conifg to only login to the command line with no change (same error)
commented out the dtoverlay=vc4-kms-v3d line in config.txt, no change
running retropi_setup.sh and choosing Basic Install or Update, same errors

mitu

Are you sure yo have a 3B+ model ? These kind of errors happen when you're using the wrong image for your Pi model.

What does retropie-setup reports as System when you first start it ? The header of the setup scripts will show something like:

System: rpi4 (aarch64) - running on Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)

what does this print for you ?

parkingmeter

@parkingmeter
I was able to get this to work on a computer monitor, but when I have this connected to a TV (through a A/V receiver) I still get the same errors.

Are some resolutions not supported? What else would cause this to work on some screens but not others?

mitu

@parkingmeter said in Fresh install on a pi b3+ fails to start emulationstation:

Are some resolutions not supported? What else would cause this to work on some screens but not others?

It depends on the list of resolutions reported by the display, but for a TV the usual NTSC/PAL 'resolution' are usually supported by it and by the Pi. A Pi 3b+ supports up to 1080p, if your display doesn't offer anything less (i.e. 4k only) then it's not going to work.
If you run from the terminal, after the error is shown, the command:

tvservice -m CEA
tvservice -m DMT

what's the output ?