Download¶
Some retro consoles need firmware files (commonly called BIOS) to run games. Without them, the emulator either refuses to start the game or runs it with reduced accuracy. RetroBIOS maps those requirements to source-traced emulator profiles and verifies local content against the evidence each platform exposes.
This page picks the right pack for a setup. For BIOS directory paths per platform, verification, and the CLI, see Getting started.
Quick install¶
One line detects the platform and BIOS directory, downloads only missing or incorrect files, verifies their hashes, and installs them atomically. The small bootstrap checks the Python installer against an embedded SHA-256 before running it, and the installer reads its file list from that same revision.
Linux / Mac / Steam Deck:
Windows (PowerShell):
That is the complete default flow. Extra copies into detected standalone
emulator directories are deliberately opt-in with --standalone-copies, so
automatic setup never writes outside the selected platform tree unexpectedly.
Use python install.py --check from a checkout for a read-only verification.
Options, environment overrides, how each platform is detected and what the installer is allowed to write: Installer.
Manual download¶
Pick the pack that matches the setup from the latest release, download it, and extract the files into the BIOS folder listed below. The metadata and website can be newer than that release: pack publication is manual and only happens after the release gates pass.
A pack over 2 GB comes in several parts, and every part is needed. How to open them depends on their name:
PackName.part1of2.zip,PackName.part2of2.zip: each part is an ordinary ZIP. Extract them all into the same folder.PackName.zip.001,PackName.zip.002(releases up to v2026.09.04): slices of one ZIP, none of which opens on its own. Put them in one folder and open the.001with 7-Zip or PeaZip, or join them first:- Linux/macOS:
cat PackName.zip.0* > PackName.zip - Windows:
cmd /c copy /b PackName.zip.001+PackName.zip.002 PackName.zip
- Linux/macOS:
Steam Deck¶
| Setup | What it is | Pack | Extract to |
|---|---|---|---|
| EmuDeck | Installs and configures multiple emulators, adds each game to the Steam library | EmuDeck | ~/Emulation/bios/ |
| RetroDECK | Single Flatpak app, all emulators bundled, one-click install from Discover | RetroDECK | ~/retrodeck/ (the pack carries its own bios/) |
| RetroArch standalone | Installed from Discover, Steam, or Flatpak | RetroArch | Open RetroArch > Settings > Directory > System, that is the folder |
Windows¶
| Setup | What it is | Pack | Extract to |
|---|---|---|---|
| RetroArch | Multi-system emulator, loads different cores for each console | RetroArch | The system folder next to retroarch.exe |
| RetroBat | Windows frontend with EmulationStation, includes RetroArch and standalone emulators | RetroBat | The bios folder inside the RetroBat installation |
| BizHawk | Accuracy-focused multi-system emulator, popular for speedruns and TAS | BizHawk | The Firmware folder inside the BizHawk installation |
| LaunchBox | Game library manager and launcher, uses RetroArch or standalone emulators behind the scenes | RetroArch | Open RetroArch (via LaunchBox) > Settings > Directory > System |
Linux¶
| Setup | What it is | Pack | Extract to |
|---|---|---|---|
| RetroArch (native) | Installed via package manager or AppImage | RetroArch | ~/.config/retroarch/system/ |
| RetroArch (Flatpak) | Installed from Flathub | RetroArch | ~/.var/app/org.libretro.RetroArch/config/retroarch/system/ |
| Batocera | Bootable OS dedicated to gaming, runs from USB or full install, supports PC and SBC | Batocera | /userdata/bios/ |
| Recalbox | Bootable OS for retro gaming, streamlined interface, auto-configured | Recalbox | /recalbox/share/bios/ |
macOS¶
| Setup | What it is | Pack | Extract to |
|---|---|---|---|
| RetroArch | Multi-system emulator | RetroArch | ~/Library/Application Support/RetroArch/system/ |
Raspberry Pi and single-board computers¶
| Setup | What it is | Pack | Extract to |
|---|---|---|---|
| RetroPie | The classic Pi emulation setup, largest community, most online guides | RetroPie | ~/RetroPie/BIOS/ |
| Lakka | Lightweight RetroArch OS, minimal config, boots straight into the UI | RetroArch | /storage/system/ |
| Batocera | Easy setup, works on Pi 3/4/5 and many other boards (Odroid, etc.) | Batocera | /userdata/bios/ |
| Recalbox | Plug-and-play experience, good for a first build | Recalbox | /recalbox/share/bios/ |
Handhelds¶
| Setup | What it is | Pack | Extract to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Android (Retroid Pocket, Odin, etc.) | Most Android handhelds run RetroArch | RetroArch | RetroArch/system/ on internal storage or SD card |
| ROCKNIX | Linux OS for ARM and x86 handhelds (RG35XX, RG552, Deck) | ROCKNIX | /storage/roms/bios/, over SSH or the network share |
| Batocera | Also images many handhelds | Batocera | /userdata/bios/ |
FPGA¶
| Setup | What it is | Pack | Extract to |
|---|---|---|---|
| MiSTer FPGA | Hardware-level recreation of consoles on a DE10-Nano board | MiSTer FPGA | /media/fat/games/, one subfolder per core |
Self-hosted ROM manager¶
| Setup | What it is | Pack | Extract to |
|---|---|---|---|
| RomM | Web-based ROM manager, plays games in the browser via EmulatorJS | RomM | The bios folder in the RomM library, one subfolder per system |
One pack per platform¶
The latest release carries one pack for each platform, and that pack holds everything the platform runs: the BIOS list it publishes, plus every file its emulator cores load, read from their source code. There is no lighter variant to choose, because a pack that leaves out a file a core needs means a game that does not boot, with no message saying why. It is not a guarantee either: source profiles can document files nobody has dumped or that only the user can provide, all of them visible in the gap analysis.
Want less than everything? At a terminal the installer asks whether to install
everything or to choose systems, cores and regions, and --system, --core,
--region and --target make the same choice without questions (see the
installer reference). From a
clone of the repository, python scripts/generate_pack.py --platform retroarch
--region us builds the same narrowing as a pack and --required-only the bare
minimum each core needs to start; --help lists every way to build your own.
After extraction¶
Launch a game and use the emulator's firmware status screen where available. Most supported frontends find files in the documented directory automatically; standalone emulators may still need their BIOS path configured.
If a game still asks for a missing file, check the platforms section for the full file list, or the emulators section for what each core expects.