The team behind the operating system / frontend Recalbox has just launched a crowdfunding campaign for a Raspberry Pi JAMMA adapter that starts at only $65! I think the timing for this release is perfect, as RPi’s are finally available and back to normal pricing – You can even get the RPi 4b 8GB, which is the most powerful version and the best for emulation performance. There’s a ton of great info and lag test results on the crowdfunding page, plus you can check out the trailer above and the livestream I did below:
More Info: https://retrorgb.link/recalboxjamma
Raspberry Pi 4 2GB: https://amzn.to/3CHxFqR
Raspberry Pi 4 4GB*: https://amzn.to/3CzOIev
Raspberry Pi 4 8GB*: https://amzn.to/3CyBa38
MicroSD (256GB recommended): https://www.amazon.com/shop/retrorgb/list/2ZTMQP0SZ7GRK
CPS2 -> CPS3 Kick Adapter: https://www.mikesarcade.com/cgi-bin/store.pl?sku=CPS2-KickAdapter
Recalbox Software: https://www.recalbox.com/
So let’s be blunt: This JAMMA adapter, the fastest RPi, Micro SD card and kick harness (if even needed) is cheaper than just a DE-10 Nano. Don’t misunderstand – I friggin LOVE the MiSTerFPGA project. It is absolutely the project to use for both arcade and console enthusiasts. But the price can be restrictive…and not everyone needs near-perfect emulation. You can have an awesome experience with a RPi, that’s good enough for most people. In fact, you can use any RPi you have lying around to start…but if you’re going to buy one, I’d suggest getting the fastest so you won’t see big performance hits.
But what if you already own a MiSTer JAMMA solution and you’re waiting for more arcade cores to be ported over? Why not use both!? If you already own an arcade machine and have some extra money to spend, why not get this for everything that’s not currently supported on MiSTer? The investment is probably less than just one of the arcade boards you recently bought, so why not?
*The RecalBox team says all you need is a 2GB RPi4, however I always end up using my RPi’s for multiple uses. If you know you’re building a dedicated JAMMA adapter, maybe save some cash and get the 2GB? But if you’re a tinkerer like me, maybe get the 8GB, just in case…
Once again, please check out the crowdfunding page for all the details, but here’s a livestream demo of it in action:
