Retro Emulation Gaming Linux

All-in-one retrogaming for any device — ready in minutes.

Dreamed up by retro fans and open-source tinkerers, REG Linux turns SBCs, handhelds, laptops, and desktops into polished gaming rigs with a curated stack and friendly guides.

  • Immutable Buildroot-based root filesystem, optimized builds, and rescue workflows
  • REG-Station frontend tailored by the REG team with curated RetroArch cores
  • Wiki documentation covering flashing, architecture, builds, and community resources
REG-Station logo
REG-Station
RetroArch logo
RetroArch
Linux Kernel logo
Linux Kernel
REG Linux logo
REG Linux

REG Linux blends a customized REG-Station frontend with curated RetroArch cores on top of a rock-solid Linux foundation.

What makes REG special

Feature-rich out of the box

REG Linux ships with the pieces you expect from a dedicated retro rig—carefully tuned frontends, tested emulators, community-requested ports, and a focus on reliability.

REG-Station Frontend

REG-Station, a bespoke REG frontend, delivers a slick nostalgic UI that is simple to tweak.

Feature rich curation

An ever-growing catalog of native ports, engines, and tools sits alongside the default emulator stack.

Rock solid OS

Immutable Buildroot base plus an integrated rescue workflow keep experiments safe, backed by a community that keeps the system stable and well maintained.

Endless gaming possibilities

Play arcade, console, and computer classics, switching cores or ports with a single menu action.

Wide hardware support

From aging laptops to modern SBCs and handhelds, REG targets diverse devices with tuned kernels.

Pre-configured emulator stack

REG ships with the most requested emulators ready to play: RetroArch, MAME, and specialist cores for handhelds, arcades, and microcomputers. Inputs, shaders, and hotkeys are pre configured, so you can jump straight into the fun.

  • RetroArch (multi-system) with curated core presets
  • MAME builds tuned for arcade accuracy
  • Additional native ports for DOS, ScummVM, Pico-8–style engines, and more

Hardware coverage

Works where you play

REG relies on mainline LTS kernels whenever possible, making it easier to support SBC boards, handhelds, mini consoles, and desktops. The wiki installation guide lists coverage for ARM (Allwinner, Rockchip, Amlogic), AArch64 (RK3588, Snapdragon), RISC-V (K1, JH7110), and x86_64 mini PCs, so you can pick the proper guide for your hardware.

Single-board computers

From Raspberry Pi-style boards to RK3588 powerhouses, default settings ensure video, audio, and I/O just work.

Handhelds & mini consoles

REG keeps controls responsive and includes handheld-friendly themes plus suspend-safe defaults.

Laptops & desktops

Install on internal storage or boot from USB for a dedicated gaming partition that remains isolated.

Boot and play

Getting started with REG Linux

  1. Choose the right image. Visit the download page, consult the wiki installation guide for supported devices, and grab the latest release that matches your hardware.
  2. Flash to storage. Follow the wiki's recommended tools — balenaEtcher, Raspberry Pi Imager, or plain `dd` — and verify the image on your SD card or SSD.
  3. First boot & setup. Power on, let the one-time setup run through, pair controllers, and reference the wiki for troubleshooting or controller mapping tips.
  4. Load your library. Add ROMs via network share, USB drive, or the built-in file manager, then refresh the gamelist per the wiki's guidance.

Need help?

Read the wiki, join Discord, or open a GitHub issue — contributors are active and eager to assist.

Get support

Open source & community

Build with the REG team

REG Linux is driven by volunteers. Whether you file bugs, port engines, design themes, or help with docs, every contribution keeps the project thriving.