How can I run RetroPie as an app on my 64 bit Bookworm Pi 5?
-
I just got a Pi 5 and installed the latest desktop PiOS called Bookworm in 64bit.
I want to keep my Pi in this configuration, but I want to utilize the second output monitor for gaming and run RetroPie.
I would love to be able to boot up my Pi, and when the desktop launches, RetroPie autoruns (or runs on command) and loads to the second monitor. That way when I want to take a break I can just pick up the controller and switch to the second screen to play games.
Everything I've found is instruction on how to make RetroPie act as the OS and load on boot, but I don't want to sacrifice my Bookworm desktop GUI because I run simultaneous programs. I also don't want to sacrifice 64 bit for 32 bit because this is why I bought the new Pi 5.
Does anyone have a way to make this work?
Here's what I've found so far:
https://linuxhint.com/install-retropie-app-raspberry-pi/#post-397856-zhx85rjaapb7This is the closest thing I've found, but it involves running my OS in 32 bit and I don't want to do that. If I can accomplish this same thing while keeping my system running in 64 bit then the goal will be achieved. I've tried just following these instructions and seeing what happens and I get the following errors when I run the 'emulationstation' command:
Error initializing SDL. Wayland not available.
Renderer failed to initialize.
Window failed to initialize.Please help!
-
RetroPie doesn't support running from a desktop environment on a Pi. It might work up to a point, but it's not supported configuration.
The tutorial page you've pointed is just re-iterating the manual installation procedure from our docs, then shows how to start EmulationStation on the desktop automatically, even if our same doc page explicitely tells it's not a supported configuration. And yes, RetroPie works on 64bit too.
If you intention is to use your Pi5 as a desktop and then occasionally game on the 2nd screen, then can you install the necessary programs (front-end and emulators) separately - without any need for RetroPie, which assumes your Pi usage will be the opposite (mainly gaming and occasionally starting the desktop) and also doesn't assume a desktop environment.
-
@mitu I appreciate the response, and I wouldn't mind installing each front-end emulator separately, however the advantages of EmulationStation that I enjoy is two-fold.
One being the nice GUI which allows you to switch between systems with ease and select a game to play, and two being the integration of a bluetooth controller; I can connect my PS5 controller, set the buttons, switch between games, and play them all with the same controller.
RetroPie utilizes RetroArch and EmulationStation to accomplish this (although is seems EmulationStation is really the program with the advantages that I enjoy). If I can't run RetroPie, can I not run EmulationStation from my desktop? If so, how?
Any ideas how I can accomplish what I'm trying to do?
-
@Sluggo said in How can I run RetroPie as an app on my 64 bit Bookworm Pi 5?:
Any ideas how I can accomplish what I'm trying to do?
Yes, install the front-end (EmulationStation) and the emulators (RetroArch or other standalone emulators) separately, not through RetroPie.
You'll have to configure your systems manually in EmulationStation the 1st time when you add them (i.e. like this), but the experience should be similar - you can configure your gamepad and then operate the front-end and choose systems/games/scrape info/start games/etc.
You'll have to do an initial configuration for RetroArch - i.e. download controller profiles, have it start fullscreen, download the cores - it's explained in docs.libretro.com, where you can also find which cores/systems are supported by RetroArch. You'll also have to configure which libretro core EmulationStation will start for a particular system (i.e.
retroarch -L <core_name> %ROM%).Pretty much the same process can be applied to another emulator you want installed - download it, configure it and then teach EmulationStation how to start the emulator for the system where you have your games/roms configured.
-
@mitu Thank you for your response, but I am a serious noob when it comes to this stuff and I don't understand how to do this.
You say "install the front-end" ... how? emulationstation.org has an SD card image and a Manual Build. The card image won't work because I'm trying to keep the Pi booting into the Bookworm 64bit desktop environment, so I don't want to override that.
If I choose the Manual Build... I don't understand the instructions. I get to the second instruction where you type: sudo nano /boot/config.txt in the terminal.. and then the config.txt file opens. The next line says: # add or replace "gpu_mem = 32" okay.. I don't see "gpu_mem = 32 anywhere so... do I add it? If so... where? What if it is there and I need to replace it... replace it with what? Very poor instructions.
I try testing some of this out but getting errors left and right. Now I don't know how to undo anything I may have already done.
If you could give me step by step instructions I would be very grateful.
-
@Sluggo You're looking at very old ES website by original author who had since then abandoned the project. It's now developed through various forks one of them is
RetroPie version which you should be looking at for compile instructions. -
@Sluggo I recently used RetroPie-Setup on 64-bit bookworm RPi4. As suggested you clone the repository from github and install packages within retropie_setup.sh via source. Most packages will compile and install - all it takes is some time - hours in my case.
-
@Sluggo I have a setup that works just fine with loading into the Debian Bookworm desktop. then I manually start retropie when i want, STILL in the desktop environment.
the only thing is that you need to exit the desktop environment to install retropie. follow the instruction on your link or the regular manual installation of RetroPie.
THEN you can go back into the desktop and continue using emlationstation while in the desktop environment.
remember you'll need more RAM to run both the desktop GUI and retropie GUI on top of that. you might get an error every now and then, but it should work just fine.
I use my emulationstation on the desktop enviro, because its easier to launch games that were install via wine or wine64.RGR (retrogamingrewind) I have a youtube channel with lots of various retropie builds and testing. ( youtube .com / @retrogamingrewind1980 )
-
@RetroGamer81 said in How can I run RetroPie as an app on my 64 bit Bookworm Pi 5?:
@Sluggo I have a setup that works just fine with loading into the Debian Bookworm desktop. then I manually start retropie when i want, STILL in the desktop environment.
As mentioned before, this is not a configuration we support. It might work most of the time, but we're not designing around the desktop or testing on it.
-
Thanks for the heads up but I think I need to be baby stepped through this. I really don't know much when it comes to this stuff. "Compiling", "cloning the repository", "build from source".. all these terms are foreign to me.
Here's what I know... I have a Pi5 8GB, and I installed Bookworm OS 64bit full desktop version from the Raspberry Pi website. So, just like my PC that boots to Windows, my Pi boots right into the desktop. So when you say "exit the desktop"... I don't know how. Pi only has Shutdown, Reboot, and Logout. So I do everything from a terminal window.
I installed retropie exactly according to those step by step instructions in my link. When it gets to the step where is says to run the emulationstation command from my terminal window.. I get the following:
Feb 10 21:30:39 lvl0: Error initializing SDL!
wayland not available
Feb 10 21:30:39 lvl0: Renderer failed to initialize!
Feb 10 21:30:39 lvl0: Window failed to initialize!So clearly I'm doing something wrong. I would love my Pi to boot into the desktop as it does, and how like in windows you can autostart certain programs when it boots up, I want emulation station (or retropie or whatever the nice GUI program is to run my roms)... to autostart and preload on the second monitor out of the Pi.
That way.. from my Pi I have 1 hdmi cable running to input1 of my computer monitor, and 1 hdmi cable running to my TV or second input of the monitor.
So in the end I'm working away on my Pi desktop, then when I want to take a retro gaming break, boom.. switch to input2 and grab my controller and play. Then switch back to input1 and grab the mouse and keyboard and continue working on the Pi desktop.
Any thoughts how to achieve this? Your YouTube vids are great so I hope you can figure this out. I'd like to do everything from 1 Pi instead of multiple Pi's which means multiple cables.
-
That's a lot of effort for some occassional gaming. Why not just make a secondary MicroSD card with Retropie properly configured that you can swap out with your production card when you want to game. Kind of like a Work card and Play card.
-
@Daistaar The reason why is because my Pi Bookworm Desktop is operating as a Plex server which needs to stay on 24/7 for friends and family. I can't have them watching something only to have it cut off on them because I want to play games.
-
Hello, I use this post as I want to use exactly same config (my pie is used as Home Asistant and collects datas).
I installed retropie using this. On Rpi5 and nvme.
https://retropie.org.uk/docs/Manual-Installation/?h=rasp#install-raspbianraspberry-pi-os
Seems to worked fine as I can launch Emulationstation after ctrl-alt-f1. But if I try to launch a game (ex SNES roms) I have a black screen and I can't quit, need to reboot.
I did something wong ? forgot somethin ? Have I to uninstall and install ES with another method ?
Thanks.
Contributions to the project are always appreciated, so if you would like to support us with a donation you can do so here.
Hosting provided by Mythic-Beasts. See the Hosting Information page for more information.