What hardware do you use Lakka on? (Version 2.0)

Libretro Lakka
#22

ARM or x86-64?

Because ARM wise, the XU4 can pull that off @ $62: https://ameridroid.com/products/odroid-xu4

x86-64 wise, the Chromebox can run circles around that nettop for emulation and approaches $100 for the Samsunug version…on AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-XE300M22-A01US-Series-3-Chromebox/dp/B007Y8DJEA/ref=pd_sbs_147_7?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B007Y8DJEA&pd_rd_r=BQ5WHJWE7Q51GT4S67HC&pd_rd_w=dpSYr&pd_rd_wg=NbcGX&psc=1&refRID=BQ5WHJWE7Q51GT4S67HC (I’m only listing the Samsung edition of the Chromebox because it falls well within your sub-$150 price point).

Want an x64 shaped like a Raspberry Pi 3? https://up-shop.org/4-up-boards

#23

Thank you for the excellent reply. These all look very compelling.

ARM or x86-64 would depend on core support, though I’m open to both and will likely build at least one of each to get a feel for them. I understand that they both have advantages and disadvantages, but I wasn’t able to find which builds support which cores with high speed and compatibility.

Regarding the XU4, I see that it has a lot of required options to end up with a functional unit. I’m not experienced with ARM, so I’m not sure what all is required to get it up and running–any recommendations to that end, and a general idea of what systems ARM has issues with?

The UP board looks pretty awesome, I love that form factor. I’m currently looking at https://up-shop.org/up-boards/94-up-squared-celeron-duo-core-4gb-memory32gb-emmc.html but I’m wondering if you’ve got a better recommendation. I’m assuming this series just needs case/SSD/power supply?

#24

For Hardware Performance Grades: http://www.lakka.tv/doc/Hardware-support/

The XU4 cores can be expanded by going here: https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/linux/armhf/latest/. Don’t run Saturn on ARM. The Dreamcast core is kind of finicky at the moment. N64 runs like a champ.

For x86/x64, all bets are off, and you can blow the doors off of any core. Even the Saturn runs great with the Chromebox (with its little 1.4 GHz dual-cored Celeron 4th-generation Haswell self!). PSP only gets testy when you push past 30fps on HD. Dreamcast and N64 run perfect.

I only use a Micro SD card and a wired Dual Shock 3 controller personally. for the XU4 which I use as a spare road gaming unit. Since Lakka can accept USB drives, you can put your ROMs/ISOs on an external USB flash drive or even an external USB hard drive (the USB 3.0 ports can handle a 1 TB Seagate thin drive without external power).

#25

Got ahold of a micro computer unit the size of an early mac mini but super simple to open and repair. But it’s near impossible to get information on it as it is an out of date digital signage unit based on (i’m guessing) laptop hardware using some form of Intel core 2 duo. (What I could determine with the super sluggish windows 7 install on it) I tried to start Lakka on it and was slow to boot (and I mean really slow.) And once it finally booted, it stopped at a flower screen and nothing further. Upon further investigation, (loading Linux Mint for simplicity) I found it was lacking in RAM, and for some odd reason it was seeing a laptop display (1024x768) and it was mirroring it to the actual connected display. I will have to work with it more later when I have time and can figure out how much of what kind of RAM it can use.

#26

After much deliberation, I went with the XU4 and just placed an order: unit, case, power supply, adapters, as well as a supplementary order on Amazon for controllers, HDMI cable, and a good Micro SD card. I can’t wait to see how it all comes together when it arrives.

#27

Do it right, and you’ll be up and running on the XU4 in less than 10 minutes flat. I have to admit, for the price, and if you want good video game emulation for some of the systems the Raspberry Pi 3 has trouble with (mainly N64/DC/PSP) in the single-board computer form factor, it’s a great little SBC. Some tips and recommendations:

Get a USB 3.0 drive for those ports to house your ROMs/ISOs. You’ll thank me later.

Store the Lakka OS on a 32 GB Micro SD card at least if you want to trick out your frontend with boxart, graphics, screenshots from the scraper. You’ll need the room.

Download the MAME 2010 core from the link I showed you and run it on the XU4. It has wonderful compatibility with a TON of arcade games and seems to fly on the XU4. Works worlds better than the 2003 core and has a much bigger ROM compatibility set.

If you dare run Sega Saturn, just turn on every option, including frameskip.

Careful with Mupen64Plus/Parallel64 cores, their compatibility sets are different (NFL Blitz, for example).

Almost forgot, the XU4 can also accept eMMC with the 2.1 release: http://www.lakka.tv/articles/2017/11/26/lakka-21-stable-release/.

#28

An exciting prospect. MAME 2010 sounds like a go–Saturn, probably not so much. Regarding the differing N64 cores, can I use Mupen/Parallel64 on my x64 home PC to test compatibility? I’d love to end up with a playlist that launched the right core for the right game.

I ordered a 32GB Micro SD card from SanDisk, class 10, with oodles of positive reviews. I’d been hoping to leave the USB 3.0 port open for a future expansion (to hold PSX games)–what sort of calamity do I have to look forward to if I hold the bulk of my collection on the SD card?

#29

Personally, not a whole lot! It’s good to have them there, just in case the SD card gets corrupted and you don’t have to start over loading ROMs/ISOs (just flash the card again and you’re good to go). Just personal preference and experience.

#30

Gosh, I can’t wait to get the XU4 and get to work.

So I can go ahead and start getting prepped: it occurs to me that I don’t know the procedure for installing Lakka onto the XU4. Does it vary significantly from the x64 installation, which was about as simple as flashing a USB stick and choosing to boot from it?

#31

There is nothing unique about the install on XU4, its the same as installing the x86 or RP3 builds.

SD cards, at least in my experience, are notoriously unreliable. You should keep a backup of whatever you store on them for when they eventually fail, because they will fail.

#32

I’m using Lakka on an Odroid C2 and on my PC via a live USB Drive. I really, really appreciate kiosk mode in 2.1.

(Request: Could you wonderful folks include Odroid’s WirinigPi fork in the 2.2 release?) https://wiki.odroid.com/odroid-c2/application_note/gpio/wiringpi

#33

Which is also why I included the link about the eMMC portion of the update for 2.1 for the XU4. :slight_smile: I also have an eMMC-enabled XU4 as well (flashed with GameStation Turbo at the moment, just for experimentation).

#34

Parts came in today. I’m juuust about to get started, I’ve got curry simmering on the stove. Had a thought the other day: could holding everything on eMMC lead to a longer lifespan before the storage medium fails?

#35

Yup, sure could. eMMC has been proven to have a longer life span than MicroSD, especially with the XU4 is concerned. But it’s also more expensive (we’re talking 2x the cost of the same capacity micro SD). So, a 32 GB eMMC is going to set you back $45 on average as opposed to a $20 for a micro SD card.

#36

I am using Lakka on a MSI Cubi I found it cheap at Frys. I had extra RAM and a SSD so I didn’t spend much on it. I use 2 PS4 controllers connected via Bluetooth. It has an Intel I-3 5005U 2.0 GHz, 16 GB of RAM, 256 Gb SSD, USB 3.0 etc. It works great and it looks nice too.

#37

I am using Lakka on Rock64 board and the experience is awful, the iso is not optimized and does not receive updating, Lakka is affected by random and constant freezing, N64 does not work well at all, Snes crash on save state, pc-engine got freeze randomly, psx does not work well. I had better to buy an odroid-ux4 me too.

I hope to the next generation of Rockchip arm will have a better support…

#38

Intel Nuc-i5 and Nuc-i7

Both run everything from c64 nes up to n64, psx and gamecube.

My nucs also runs pcsx2 pretty ok if.

Fans go wild so put the nuc in another room if your brain hates the noice.

I also use the raspberry pi 3 but that machine can’t handle n64 jaguar psx very well and gamecube is out of the question.

#39

Odroid Xu4, pretty stable and clean at higher resolutions too. n64 is phenomenal compared to the c2 and even Rpi3

#40

I want to run Saturn Bomberman with mednafen core and I know this core requires high CPU. This game will run properly at 60 fps in next mini pc?

A) Vorke v1 plus:

CPU: Intel Apollo Lake J3455 (1.5-2.3Ghz) GPU: Intel HD Graphics 500 RAM: LPDDR3 4GB (1600MHz)

B) Maxesla Mini PC

Intel Atom x5-Z8350 procesador (2 MB de caché, hasta 1,92 GHz) Procesador gráfico: Intel HD Graphics 400 RAM: 2GB DDR3

C) N34 Mini PC

Intel Processor N3450; 2M Cache, up to 2.2 GHz Processor Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 500 Installed RAM: DDR3 4GB

Thanks in advance.

#41

I initially used it on an old PC, but it was too weak for some of the supported systems, so I bought an Odroid-XU4. Lakka runs fine off the eMMC (8GB if I remember correctly, might be 16GB), while I’m using a 500GB USB hard drive to store games.