Lakka

A lightweight Linux distribution built entirely around RetroArch, turning a Raspberry Pi or similar small computer into a dedicated retro-game-emulation console.

Embedded & IoTembeddedemulationretro-gamingRetroArchsingle-purposeDownload ↗Official site ↗Docs / Wiki ↗

Based on

Independent (built on the same base philosophy as LibreELEC)

First released

2014

Package manager

None (locked-down appliance image)

Desktop environments

None (boots directly into the RetroArch/Lakka interface)

Lakka takes the same single-purpose-appliance approach LibreELEC applies to Kodi and applies it to RetroArch, the popular frontend for dozens of emulator 'cores' covering game consoles from the 1970s through the early 2000s -- the device boots straight into a console-like emulation interface rather than a general desktop. It supports a wide range of small, inexpensive single-board computers (Raspberry Pi models prominently among them) as well as standard PC hardware, with per-platform performance tuning so even a low-power board can emulate many older console generations acceptably. Like LibreELEC, updates are applied as whole-image reflashes rather than individual package updates, keeping the appliance simple and consistent.

MirrorNest doesn't mirror distro ISOs — installation media should always come straight from the project's own official download page (linked above), so you get the correct checksum/signature to verify against.