Rename this folder “retropie,” all lowercase.Īutomatically Create ROM Folder StructureĮject, or if you’re someone who likes to live dangerously, yank your USB out of your computer. With your USB formatted to FAT32, create a folder at the root of the USB. For El Capitan and above, click the Erase button, select “MS-DOS (FAT)” and click the Erase button again. For Yosemite and below, click on the “Erase” tab, select “MS-DOS (FAT)” from the drop-down box and click the Erase button. With Disk Utility open, click on your USB drive in the panel on the left. If you are on a Mac, plug in the USB and open “Disk Utility.” The Disk utility program can be found by following this path “Applications -> Utilities -> Disk Utility.” Alternatively, you can type “Disk Utility” into Spotlight. The second one from the top should be labeled “File system.” Click on the arrow and select “FAT32.” Finally, click on the “Start” button at the bottom to format the USB. From here, click on “Format.” A window will pop up with a few drop-down menus. Right-click on the USB, and a menu will appear.
If you are on a Windows PC, plug in your USB and open the File Explorer.
This isn’t essential, but it makes life a little easier in later steps. Additionally, we suggest using a USB that has an indicator light that flashes when the USB is in use. Ensure that the USB you are using does not contain data you do not want to lose. Be aware that reformatting a drive will always result in data loss. For simplicity’s sake, this guide will focus on transferring ROMs to RetroPie without Internet connectivity.īefore you can transfer ROMs to your Pi, you’ll first need to format your USB to FAT32. This would then allow you to use Samba or SFTP to transfer your ROMs. Technically, you can achieve Internet connectivity with a powered USB hub and a USB WiFi adapter. Pi Zero), USB is your only practical option. For Pi’s that do not have Internet connectivity (e.g. USB is the fastest and arguably the easiest method. There are three ways to transfer ROMs to a Raspberry Pi running RetroPie: Samba, Secure File Transfer Protocol and USB.
Just follow the steps below, and you’ll be reliving your childhood in no time! Transferring ROMs to RetroPie Now that you have your ROMs, you’ll need to get them loaded onto your RetroPie. Because of this we won’t be telling you how or where to obtain ROMs. The legality of video game ROMs is murky and not something we’re going to get into here. Essentially, a ROM is a digital copy of a game. What Is a ROM?įun fact: ROM stands for Read-Only-Memory. So how do you get your games a.k.a ROMs onto your Pi? There are a couple of different ways, but one of the easiest is via a regular old USB. While RetroPie is super easy to set up, it doesn’t actually come pre-installed with any games.