You have to copy the bios files 5200.ROM ATARIBAS.ROM ATARIOSA.ROM… take a look to atari800.cfg samples online.
For those who have successfully gotten Atari 5200 games to run with the libretro-atari800 core - have you found the colors to be off? I’ve been using the standalone atari800 emulator on a Raspberry Pi3/Retropie setup and it works fine. I installed the libretro port this week and noticed the colors are way brighter to the point of looking completely washed out. Something weird with my setup or is this others experience on this core as well?
Glad to hear I am not the only one. Today I tried it on my Windows 10 x64 PC and on that platform the colors look right. I am running RetroArch 1.6.7 on Windows, while the Pi is upgraded to 1.6.9. So I’ve got some more comparing to do to see if I can figure out what is up.
UPDATE - After doing some more troubleshooting, it looks like the issue had to do with my original (standalone) Atari800 configuration file. I guess the RetroPie install of the Libretro core also links to this config file to pull settings in, and I’m assuming some video brightness setting was turned way up on my config file as when I deleted my config and relaunched the core the video looks correct now.
First screenshot is the loading screen on Windows. Second screen is the same ROM on the Pi3.
I’ve tried this. I loaded roms and modified the configs as per this link:
But I still get the same message as before: “Sorry this program needs a real Atari/OS visit the Web pages to find out more”
Anyone else have any tips?
Anyone fixed the F4 - Start button issue?
I have determined that this is not an emulator issue or a configuration issue, as I can load and play 5200 roms by launching them through the Retroarch UI. But when I attempt to run them via the command line, that is when I see the “real Atari/OS” message. Here are the command line args that I’m currently using:
D:\RetroArch\retroarch.exe “D:\ARCADE\Atari\Atari 5200\ROMS\Asteroids (USA) (Proto).zip” -L D:\Retroarch\cores\atari800_libretro.dll
Does anyone know if it’s possible to print the commands that Retroarch uses to launch a game? When it launches a cmd window, the command is not displayed, only the program’s output.
I have all ROMs correct in .atari800.cfg, but when I load a game after the cartridge selection screen it always goes to MEMO PAD screen. Any ideas what I am doing wrong?
Okay so I had to change to
MACHINE_TYPE=Atari 5200
and that has me to an Atari logo screen, but I always get “”!!! this Atari computer has crashed !!!"
Okay, so my problem here was the ROM path entries in .atari800.cfg. I had them as absolute Windows’ paths (e.g. “ROM_OS_A_PAL=C:\RetroArch\system\ATARIOSA.ROM” ) simplifying them to relative paths with Linux slashes thus, ROM_OS_A_PAL=system/ATARIOSA.ROM, made it progress from the memo pad and into the games.
I have been using this core on the Android TV version for a few months, but since 1.7.1 update it no longer works - anyone else with a similar experience?
I have dowloaded the latest core via the core updater, no other settings have changed and whenever I try and run a 5200 or Atari 800 game image (.a52, xex, atr etc) reproach crashes…
sTeVE
Is there a guide to get this working? Which BIOS, where to put it, .a52 no intro roms. If I run them from launchbox, they work, but incorrectly so I wanted to try different emulators. If I load the atari 800 core and find content is says I need a genuine atari os
Best one I could find was here
Just remember that F4 is the Start key for 5200, or you’ll be left frustrating close!
I can’t get the packaged Atari 5200 emulator to work with my 5200 ROMs, it gives a blue/green “emulation halted” message. I am not savvy under the hood of the game creating workarounds. It would be nice if there were 3-5 other emulator core choices when one goes bust. There seems to be a bunch for other games. But not such luck with the 5200 sadly. 
Solved, by resetting audio gain to zero!
I’ve got 5200 running using Atari800, but have a weird sound issue. I’ve grabbed two ROMs, and with Berzerk it works but the sound is a bit weird, speech isn’t right and not all sounds present. Pac Man - no sound at all. Any one have any ideas?
I’m hoping someone can help. I have the Firestick 4K Max with Retroarch installed. When I try and run an Atari 800 game using either the Atari 800 or Atari 5200 Bios I get a blue screen saying “Sorry this program needs a real Atari/OS. Visit the web pages to find out more”.
Has anyone been able to get this to work?
Thanks in advance,
here’s a link to the core documentation: https://docs.libretro.com/library/atari800/
Like the error says, you need to put the appropriate BIOS (listed on that page) in your ‘system’ directory, the location of which you can find by going to settings > directory.
Download A5200 core from http://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/linux/x86_64/latest if you use Linux or browse to anothers paths to download the A5200 for your OS. A5200 is an good core.
there are a lot of problems and in some games you can’t even emulate two buttons.