How to install ARpiCADE on the Raspberry Pi 5

Written By: Cherie Tan

Dash icon
Difficulty
Easy
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Steps
8
RaspberryJAMMA acts as a bridge between the Raspberry Pi and an existing arcade cabinet, allowing you to experience a wide range of RPi software and emulators as if they were running on a traditional JAMMA board. ARpiCADE serves as the operating system that drives the RaspberryJAMMA, providing seamless integration and smooth gameplay. 

To set up your Raspberry Pi 5 as a fully functional arcade cabinet with ArPiCade, you'll need a few essentials: an 8GB or larger MicroSD card, an SD card reader compatible with your computer, a Raspberry Pi 2, 3, 4, or 5, and the RaspberryJAMMA adapter. 

Follow this guide step by step to transform your Raspberry Pi 5 into an arcade powerhouse, ready to transport you to the golden age of gaming with pixelated adventures and joystick battles galore!

Step 1 Preparing the MicroSD Card

Download the image: Grab the latest release from  https://arpicade.com/download/
Note: At this time of writing, the download link for Arpicade 3.7 full release is broken. Fortunately, we were able to find a download link for Arpicade 3.10 on the Arpicade forums as well as the release for Arpicade 5 for the Raspberry Pi 4 and 5 (found on the Arpicade forums here).



Step 2 Extract the image

Unzip the downloaded file using 7zip (Windows) or Keka (MAC) to get a .img file.


Step 3 Install writing software


  • MAC: Use Apple-Pi Baker or Etcher.
  • Windows: Use Etcher.


Step 4 Write the image

Fire up your chosen software and write the OS image to the SD card.
Once writing is complete, remove and reinsert the SD card into your Raspberry Pi!

Step 5 Starting the Arcade

  1. Add ROMs:
    • Arcade ROMs: Place zipped ROMs in the correct emulator subfolders within /boot/romsArcade/. Daphne ROMs have a unique structure, check for details.
    • Console ROMs: Place unzipped ROMs (except for advmess) in their respective emulator subfolders within /boot/romsConsoles/. Name them clearly for easy identification.
  2. Insert SD card: Plug the SD card with ROMs into your JAMMA cabinet.
  3. Power up and play: Turn on your cabinet and start gaming!


Step 6 ROM Scanning and Gamepacks

Automatic ROM Scanning:
ROMs are usually scanned automatically at startup.
To scan manually, use the service menu (helpful if autoscan is disabled).

OpenBOR Gamepacks:
Unpack .pak files in /boot/romsBOR/ using the service menu.
Scan unpacked OpenBOR games manually from Attract-Mode's menus.

Step 7 Joystick Shortcuts


  • Exit game to menu: Hold 1P Start for a few seconds.
  • Insert credit: Press 1P Start + P1B1.
  • Pause/Unpause: Press 1P Start + P1 Joy Down.
  • MAME menus (MAME only): Press 1P Start + P1 Joy Right.
  • Retroarch menus (Retroarch emulators only): Press 1P Start + P1B6.


Step 8 Customizing Hotkeys


  • Modify shortcuts in /boot/hotkeys.ini (back it up first).
  • Disable the hotkey system entirely in /boot/run.sh if preferred.

For more information on MAME, how to safely shut down the board, changing software to low to high resolution, rotating the system for a vertical monitor, and more tips, check out this guide here.