Advanced User Manual

Introduction

Recalbox is a system that will allow you to play retro games easily.

It runs on a microcomputer called Raspberry Pi and uses a batch of optimized emulators.

I - First use

The necessary package:

Category	Raspberry 0/0w/1/2/3	Odroid C2	Odroid XU4	PC (32 or 64 bits)
Storage	8GB+ µSD card (pi1: SD)	8GB+ µSD card	8GB+ µSD card	8GB+ USB stick or Hard drive
Power Supply	Good quality µUSB 2.5A	Good quality µUSB 2.5A	Use the official Odroid power supply	Standard PC power supply
Video	HDMI cable, HDMI2VGA, HDMI2DVI	HDMI cable	HDMI cable	HDMI, VGA (and probably DVI and DP)
Controllers	USB or Bluetooth	USB or Bluetooth	USB or Bluetooth	USB or Bluetooth

See recalbox.com/diy for more information on the first installation.

After the installation, the first thing you have to do is to connect the recalbox to the TV with the HDMI cable.

To power on the recalbox, just plug the micro USB power cable in.

Many controllers work from the box, but if you want to configure a USB controller directly, plug in a USB keyboard and see Add a USB controller.

To shut down the system:

From the system screen, press START and choose “QUIT” then “SHUTDOWN SYSTEM”. (Shortcut: Press SELECT to show the shutdown menu only)
Wait until the green/orange light on the PI stops blinking (so as not to destroy the SD card).
Disconnect the power cable.

II - Configuration

A - Controllers

PS3 Dualshock and Xbox 360 wired and wireless controllers are supported. Many USB and Bluetooth controllers are also supported. For more information, see the device compatibility list.

Note: By default, the PS3 controller is selected in the configuration. If you are using other controllers, it may be necessary to deselect the PS3 controller, select the controller you are using, save the configuration and restart. Find your controller below for more details.

1 - PS3 Controllers

To associate a PS3 controller, first connect the controller to the USB port and wait 10 seconds. You can then disconnect the controller and press the Home button to start the wireless connection.

For Asian copies of the PS3 DualShock 3 (such as GASIA or SHANWAN), you will need to adjust certain settings. See PS3 controllers drivers.

If in doubt about the power supply and consumption of the connected devices, try to avoid charging the SixAxis on the RPi as this may cause stability problems. In this case, connect the controller to the recalbox only to associate your controller to your recalbox.

If you understand the settings involved or if you want to try to use the SixAxis via a USB connection, you need to disable the Bluetooth PS3 driver in recalbox.conf by setting controllers.ps3.enabled=0

Remember that the configuration of the controllers in recalbox is based on the assignment of the SNES buttons:

PS3 Pad	SNES Pad
x	B
◯	A
⬜	Y
△	X

Note: The default HOTKEY button is the PS button. The one in the middle of your controller.

For more info about HOTKEY actions like saving/loading see the Special Commands section.

2 - Xbox 360 Controllers

Note: Xbox 360 Wireless Controllers require specific wireless receiving equipment.
Since version 4.1, the Xbox configuration does not require you to activate a specific driver. It works right out of the box and can even be used with DualShock pads (which was not the case in 4.0).

Remember that the configuration of the controllers in recalbox is based on the assignment of the SNES buttons:

Xbox Pad	SNES Pad
A	B
B	A
X	Y
Y	X

Note: The default HOTKEY button is the HOME button. The big one in the middle of your controller.

For more info about HOTKEY actions like saving/loading see the Special Commands section.

3 - Add a Bluetooth controller

To add a Bluetooth controller, set your controller in pairing mode.
Then go to the menu using the Start button or a keyboard and select Controller Settings.

Select PAIR A BLUETOOTH CONTROLLER:

A list of detected controllers appears, just select yours and the controller is now paired! You can now configure it if it is not already a supported controller!

For 8bitdo users, see 8bitdo on recalbox.

4 - Configure a controller

You can add USB controllers on the recalbox.

Most models are compatible, see Compatibility List.

After plugging your USB controller or pairing your Bluetooth controller, press START with an already configured controller (or ENTER on the keyboard) and select "CONFIGURE INPUTS".

Then follow instructions.

The last button, the HOTKEY is a button that will activate buttons combination (see Special Commands). For Xbox 360 and PS3 gamepads, the default hotkey button is HOME or PS. It is recommended to use L3 (joystick click on Dualshock) or SELECT

Buttons assignment is based on the Super Nintendo controller:

The L and R buttons (with L2 R2 L3 R3) are based on Playstation controllers.

Pass the buttons you don't have by pressing any button for 2 seconds.

Back on the configuration screen, you can assign the controller to a player. Your controller is now configured!

5 - Buttons mapping

For 6 buttons controllers (SNES, PSX, Arcade etc) the buttons are mapped to corresponding buttons on the original controller.
For 2 buttons controllers (NES, PC Engine, Game Boy etc) the mapped buttons are B and A.

6 - Keyboard mapping

If you totally failed at the controller configuration or just want to configure a controller, you can attach a wired USB keyboard to the recalbox. Enter is START, Space is SELECT, S is BACK, A is OK

7 - GPIO controllers

You can connect your arcade controllers and buttons directly on the raspberry GPIOs. See GPIO Controllers

You can connect original controllers from PSOne, Nes, Snes, Megadrive and other. See DB9 and Gamecon Controllers

8 - Virtual Gamepads

With Miroof's Virtual Gamepads you can add up to 4 controllers with your phones! The virtual Gamepad is based on the SNES controller. Just start your Internet Navigator on your phone, and type the recalbox IP followed by the communication port (port=8080). You can get the recalbox IP in the setting menu NETWORK SETTINGS.

For more info see Virtual Gamepad

B - System Settings

You have two ways to configure your recalbox. The frontend EmulationStation offers many configurations features. See EmulationStation settings.

But if you want to fine-tuning emulators one by one, you should have a look at recalbox.conf.

Please note that the N64 controller will require a custom configuration.

III - EmulationStation

A - Presentation

When you start the recalbox system, the frontend EmulationStation shows up.
You can select your systems, launch your games, or access configuration menu from here.

The first screen is the system screen:

It shows all the available systems.

B - Settings

By pressing start, you will be able to change some system settings.

1 - SYSTEM SETTINGS

You will access system information, language selection, overclock settings, updates settings and Kodi settings.
You can change the overclock of your RPI. The overclock speed order for RPI1 is:
NONE < HIGH < TURBO < EXTREME
Extreme may void your warranty but is the only one that will give you really good performance for all emulators on RPi1.

It is also recommended to overclock your RPi2 if you want to emulate the N64 and have the best gaming experience.

2 - GAME SETTINGS

You can set game options: video ratio (16:9, 4:3), image smooth, rewind and autosave/load.
The rewind option allows you to turn back time in games.
This feature may slow down some emulators (SNES, PSX) if you enable it by default. You can enable it via the emulator in recalbox.conf.

The autosave/load option allows you to auto-save a savestate when you exit a game, then reload automatically this savestate when you restart this game. Once the game started, and the savestate loaded, if you want to return to the title screen of this game, use the Special Command reset. You can enable it via the emulator in recalbox.conf.

You can also easily configure shaders for your systems. The shader set configuration contains the shader sets available for recalbox. The scanlines shaders enable scanlines on all systems to look like a CRT television. The retro shaders is a set of the best shaders, chosen by the community, that will offer you the closest to original gaming experience!
More info on the Shaders Configuration page.

You can also switch shaders in-game using your controller. Use the Special Commands Hotkey + R2 or Hotkey + L2 to see the next or previous shader.

3 - CONTROLLER SETTINGS

You can configure your controllers.

4 - UI SETTINGS

You will have access to the frontend setting. You can set the overscan here if you have black border or a cropped image. See Overscan Settings for more information.

5 - SOUND SETTINGS

You can enable or disable background sounds in EmulationStation, set system volume and choose output device (auto, jack or HDMI)
Select jack to force analog output.

6 - NETWORK SETTINGS

You can enable and configure the wifi and the hostname, get the recalbox IP Type the SSID of your network and the network key with a keyboard.
Once you validate, the wifi is activated.
A known bug exists that does not allow you to enter all the characters you need for the SSID or the Key. You can configure this directly from your wifi using recalbox.conf.

C - Controls

Frontend commands:

B → Select
A → Back
Y → Switch Favorite on the ROMs list, contextual help in a menu X → Launch Kodi Start → Menu
Select → Options (reboot menu on systems screen)
R → Next Page
L → Previous Page

When you select a system with A, the screen change and show all available games.

When the game is running, go to the section During the game to see how you can go back to the frontend.

D - Favorites

You can set a game as a favorite by pressing the Y button. The game will be on top of the game list with a ☆ before its name. Toggle the favorite with Y. It is necessary to turn off/reboot the system properly with the EmulationStation menu to save your favorites and then find them in the next startup.

E - Scraper

For each game, you can get the cover art and information about the games you have stored while browsing your games lists in the EmulationStation. Press START and go to SCRAPPER. Then follow the instructions.

IV - During the game

When you are in the game, there are special commands available.

A - Saves

Emulators bring a very useful feature: save state. A saved state is a quick save of the game and allows you to reload the game at this point.

With save states, you will never have to seek for a saved point again!

You can save more than one state per game if you change the save slot.

You can save a state with Hotkey + Y. You can load a state with Hotkey + X.

B - Special commands

Hotkey + Y → Save State
Hotkey + X → Load State
Hotkey + Up → Select Save Slot -1
Hotkey + Down → Select Save Slot +1

Hotkey + Start → End Game and Return To Main Menu
Hotkey + A → Reset Game
Hotkey + B → Retroarch Menu
Hotkey + L1 → Screenshot

Hotkey + Right → Speedup game
Hotkey + Left → Rewind (if activated in options)

Hotkey + R2 → Next shader preset
Hotkey + L2 → Previous shader preset

In FBA and Mame, press Select to add a credit.

You can access the retroarch configuration menu with Hotkey + B If you want to configure retroarch and save the config, you can select the "Save Settings on Exit" in the retroarch menu. After that, all configuration you make in RGui will be saved.

V - Updates

The recalbox update can be done in the frontend menu. Configure the wifi or plug an ethernet cable on the recalbox, press Start and select "SYSTEM SETTINGS" with A, then "UPDATES" and "START UPDATE".

After the update, the system will reboot.

VI - Network Features

If you configured the wifi or plugged an Ethernet cable on the recalbox, it shares files on your local network. On your computer, got to Network on Windows explorer, and select the recalbox:

If you don't see the recalbox in your network, try to type \\RECALBOX in the explorer address bar. If it doesn't work, go in the recalbox menu, NETWORK SETTINGS and note the IP. Then type your IP in the explorer address bar, for example, \\192.168.1.30

You can access all recalbox shared folders:

ALTERNATIVE:

You can open recalbox in your web browser at http://recalbox/ or http://recalbox.local/ or using the actual IP, for example, http://192.168.1.30. There you can see the system status, configure recalbox and also upload ROMs and BIOS.

Depending on your recalbox installation you can also use the new user-friendly web-based manager 2.0 - https://www.recalbox.com/blog/en/post/blog-2017-03-06-manager2/

A - Add your games

Just copy the files in the corresponding folder. You can use either .zip files or uncompressed ROMs. To refresh the game library, go to the Menu, then Games Settings then Update Games Lists.

Don’t hesitate to talk about your favorite games in the recalbox forum! https://forum.recalbox.com/

B - Arcade games

If you want to add arcade games on your recalbox, you should read the Mini How-To Easy Arcade on Recalbox and learn how to check your ROMs version.
Then you can also enable the Neogeo Unibios to have more options with your games.

C - Scummvm games

When you add a Scummvm game, create a folder with the name of the game followed by the ".scummvm" extension and copy files of the game in it. In this folder, you will have to add a single file, named [gameshortname].scummvm.

You can find short names for all supported games at http://scummvm.org/compatibility/

For example, you can copy the game "Broken Sword" in the directory "Broken Sword 1.scummvm" under the scummvm directory. In this folder create a file named sword1.scummvm.

scummvm
|- Broken Sword 1.scummvm
|  |- sword1.scummvm
|  |- ... other files of the game

The name of your directory will be displayed as the name of the game in Recalbox menu. Selecting it will start the game.

You can quit the game and get Scummvm options by using the Ctrl + F5 shortcut.

D - Screenshots

Press Hotkey + L1 in emulators to take a screenshot. The png file is saved in the "screenshots" directory, you can access on the network.
Share your best screenshots with us on http://blog.recalbox.com/forums/.

E - Save your saves

The saves folder share contains all saves and saved states. You can copy all the files if you want to secure them.

VII - Kodi Media Center

By pressing the X button on your controller, you can launch Kodi Media Center, aka XBMC. You can also access Kodi by pressing start and launching it from the menu.

To quit Kodi, Navigate to the lower-left power icon and select "Power Off System" in the program, and you will come back to recalboxOS. Currently(3.3.0b17) using the "Exit" button may lock up your PI.

The controllers are now supported in Kodi, but if you prefer, you can use HDMI CEC or a smartphone remote application. More info on the Mini How-To Kodi on recalbox.

VIII - Troubleshooting

A - Controllers:

The PS3 controller is blinking but does not associate
Plug a controller on the recalbox and wait 10 seconds. You can now unplug the controller and press the Home button.
The PS3 controller seems dead
You must reset the controller by pressing a little button behind the controller in the little hole, with a paperclip.

B - Other

Black border, image too large
Use your tv remote to find the image menu, and set the image size to 1:1 pixel or full.
If it doesn't work, try to activate the overscan in the recalbox menu System Settings.
See Overscan Settings for more information.
Black screen on PC monitor If you have a black screen on PC monitor (HDMI or DVI) edit the config.txt file (MAJ at start) and remove the line hdmi_drive=2.
More info in Mini HowTo - Connect your recalbox to a DVI screen

C - Hard reset

If you want to reset the system, plug a USB keyboard and press Shift at startup. You can reinstall recalboxOS from here. All your data will be erased.

D - Root Access

Use the username root and the password recalboxroot
You can connect through ssh to the recalbox.
You can access a terminal by quitting SmulationStation with F4 and then press ALT+F2.

More info in Mini How-To - Root access on terminal

IX - recalbox.conf

The file recalbox.conf shared in the samba system directory is used to modify other settings that will not appear in the frontend. See recalbox.conf.

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