BIOS is an acronym for Basic Input/Output System, and these files play an important role in operating emulators of retro video games. When you install an emulator on RetroPie, you might be prompted to add BIOS files before you can start gaming. During the process, you might be wondering if it is necessary to add BIOS on RetroPie.
So, do you need to add BIOS to RetroPie? You only have to add BIOS to RetroPie if the emulator you have installed requires BIOS to work. Not all emulators require BIOS; RetroPie has published a chart showing all the systems that require a BIOS to function properly. If an emulator requires BIOS, you have to download them and copy them to the emulator folder.
Many websites have BIOS for RetroPie emulators; therefore, ensure you only download the required BIOS files from a website approved or recommended by RetroPie developers. Some emulators that require BIOS include Amiga, CoCo, Atari 7800, gba, psx, neo geo, and Sega Saturn. Visit the RetroPie official website to see all the emulators that require BIOS files.
Setting up an emulator on RetroPie can be a simple task if you know all the requirements needed to make the emulator work. Some of the files or software you might encounter when setting an emulator include ROMsets and BIOS files. Read on to find out if you need BIOS files in RetroPie, where to put PSX BIOS in RetroPie, and where to put MAME BIOS in RetroPie.
Gamers who use Raspberry Pi and love playing classic video games can use the RetroPie emulator. After installing RetroPie on your Raspberry Pi, you need to set up the emulators and other files that make the emulators work properly. When setting up an emulator, you might find that it includes a BIOS folder, and you might be wondering if you need to add BIOS on RetroPie to start gaming.
You only need to add BIOS to RetroPie if the emulator you are using requires the BIOS files to work properly. Some emulators will not work if you fail to add BIOS, while others will function as usual even if you do not add BIOS. On RetroPie’s official website, a chart includes all the emulators that will require BIOS to function.
If the emulators you want to use on RetroPie are not in the chart, you can go ahead and set it up without adding the BIOS files. You can download the BIOS from any website that offers them; however, you need to be careful and only download BIOS that are safe to use and are free from any licensing rights.
The BIOS files are important in ensuring that the emulator boots up correctly and all the critical elements in the game are running. If you fail to add the BIOS file to the emulator’s folder, it will not load any game. However, not all emulators on the RetroPie BIOS chart will not work if you do not add the BIOS files.
For example, the Atari 7800 emulator known as lr-prosystem includes an optional BIOS named “7800 BIOS (U).rom.” This BIOS file only adds the Atari logo at the beginning of games and does not have any effect on the game. Therefore, if you do not need to see the Atari logo every time you load a game using the Atari 7800 emulator, you can skip adding a BIOS file on RetroPie.
When adding BIOS to an emulator, you need to ensure that it is the correct BIOS file and named properly. Each BIOS file has a name and when you are copying it to the emulator folder, first check if it is named correctly. If one symbol is missing or a letter has been changed to a lower case instead of upper case, it will not work when you copy it.
You also need to ensure you copy the BIOS file in the correct folder. If you are unsure where to copy the BIOS file, the RetroPie official website has information on all emulators. You can see where you are supposed to copy the BIOS file by reading the information of a specific emulator.
For example, suppose you have installed the Sega Saturn emulator on RetroPie. In that case, you are required to put the copy of the file in the BIOS folder inside the RetroPie folder (/home/pi/ RetroPie/Bios).
Where To Put PSX BIOS in RetroPie?
PSX is a PlayStation emulator that allows you to play classic PlayStation 1 games on other gaming systems. After the PlayStation 1 emulator is installed on RetroPie, you must include the PSX BIOS files to make the emulator work properly. When setting the emulator, you might ask yourself where you put the PSX BIOS files in RetroPie.
You should put the PSX BIOS in the BIOS folder inside the RetroPie folder on your RetroPie. You have to download the BIOS files from the internet, and the easiest way to transfer them is using the Micro SD card. The BIOS files inside the RetroPie folder usually contain all the BIOS files; therefore, you do not have to create another folder inside the BIOS files.
If the BIOS files are in zip format, you have to extract them and name them correctly before putting them in the BIOS files. All PlayStation 1 games require the BIOS files to run properly on RetroPie, and if you do not put the BIOS in the correct folder, you will not be able to play the games.
The PSX BIOS files are a separate download after you have downloaded and installed the PSX emulator. You can download the BIOS files on any website that you trust, is legal or one that is recommended by RetroPie’s developers.
Most BIOS files are in zip format, and you are required to extract the files before you can copy them to the BIOS folder inside the RetroPie folder. You should note that there are several ways to copy the BIOS files to RetroPie, and the easiest one is using the Micro SD card on your Raspberry Pi and a computer. You cannot use your Raspberry Pi to do so.
The PlayStation 1 has four emulators you can use, and each has its own specific BIOS files required to boot games. When downloading the BIOS files, ensure that you are downloading the correct files. On RetroPie’s official website, you can find information on all the PlayStation 1 emulators.
Check the name of the BIOS files you want to copy to RetroPie and ensure it matches the one indicated on the website. For example, if you have installed the PCSX-ReARMed, the BIOS file that you should put in the BIOS folder is “SCPH1001.BIN.” If you extract a BIOS file for PCSX-ReARMed and it does not match, do not use it.
Some of the PlayStation 1 emulators have several BIOS files, and you can only use one BIOS file at a time. After extracting the BIOS files, you might see several BIOS files, and you need to pick one that or RetroPie will select one if you are using lr-beetle-psx.
In the case of lr-beetle-psx, the BIOS file will be automatically chosen based upon the region of the ROMset you are using. The chosen BIOS will be in all lowercase, and it is case-sensitive; hence, it will not work if you change the letters to uppercase.
If you have installed lr-pcsx_rearmed, the BIOS file that is the latest version will be automatically chosen. The chosen BIOS file is also case sensitive and must be in all uppercase to work.
To put the PSX BIOS files, connect the Micro SD card to your computer and open the file. Go to the RetroPie section, open the “Home” folder, the “Pi” folder, and the “RetroPie” folder. You will see the “BIOS” folder; double-click to open the folder.
Go to your computer and open the folder containing the PSX BIOS files that you want to transfer to RetroPie. If the BIOS files have not been extracted, extract them from any location on your computer. Select the BIOS files you need, copy and paste them in the BIOS folder on the Micro SD card. Eject the Micro SD card from your computer and insert it back into your Raspberry Pi.
Where Do I Put MAME BIOS in RetroPie?
MAME (Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator) is one of the most popular arcade video game emulators. There are twelve MAME emulators you can install on RetroPie, and some of them require BIOS to work properly. If the MAME emulator you have installed requires a BIOS file, you might be wondering where you can put it in RetroPie.
You should put the MAME BIOS file in the MAME folder inside the BIOS folder in the RetroPie folder. You can use this shortcut to find the MAME folder “/home/pi/RetroPie/BIOS/mame.” Not all MAME emulators require a BIOS file to function, but those that do will not boot any game until you add the BIOS files.
You can download the BIOS files, extract them on your computer, and transfer them to RetroPie using different means. There are a variety of websites that have MAME BIOS files; therefore, it is not hard to find BIOS files that work perfectly with your MAME emulator. The most common and easiest means of copying the BIOS file to RetroPie is using the Micro SD card on your Raspberry Pi.
MAME BIOS files are designed to interact with your gaming system’s processor to ensure that every critical element of your installed emulator is activated to boot your game. Most arcade games are protected by licensing rights; hence, the BIOS are created with data from the games and need licensing rights in certain regions.
Some game developers have not provided licensing rights to MAME BIOS creators; hence, downloading their BIOS files might be illegal in certain regions. Therefore, when you visit a website with MAME BIOS, ensure that they have the appropriate licenses to provide all the BIOS files to the public.
To put the MAME BIOS in RetroPie, eject the Micro SD card from your Raspberry PI and insert it into your computer. Open the RetroPie section and double-click the “Home” folder. Open the “Pi” folder, the “RetroPie” folder, then the “BIOS” folder. Inside the “BIOS” folder, you will see various folders and BIOS files for other emulators.
Open the “mame” folder and go back to your computer. Open the folder containing the MAME BIOS files and select the file or files you need to put in RetroPie. Copy the BIOS files and paste them on the “mame” folder on the Micro SD card.
Once it is done copying, close all the folders on your Micro SD card and eject it from your PC. Insert it in the Raspberry Pi and re-launch RetroPie to start using the MAME emulator to play retro arcade games.
BIOS files have to be compatible with the emulators installed in RetroPie for them to work properly. Some MAME emulators have multiple compatible BIOS files, while others only have one.
If the MAME emulators are compatible with multiple BIOS files, you should use the most recent version if you want to play many games using that emulator. You can also check if the MAME BIOS is legitimate through your computer.
Before ejecting the Micro SD card, go to your computer’s command line, go to the MAME directory, and type “mame -verifyroms.” Press the Enter key, and this command will analyze and verify if all the BIOS copied on the Micro SD card are legitimate.
Final Word
BIOS files play an important role in allowing gamers to play retro arcade video games using RetroPie. However, not all emulators require BIOS files to work properly; therefore, only download and add BIOS on RetroPie if the emulator requires it.
Some emulators have BIOS, but they do not play any role in booting games; hence, you have the option of using them or not. Such BIOS files only add a few minor things to the game, such as displaying the console’s logo.
Where you put the BIOS file also plays a huge role in making the emulator work. If you place the BIOS files in the wrong folder on the Micros SD card containing RetroPie, it will not work. Some BIOS files are also case-sensitive and when you extract them; therefore, ensure that the name is written in the correct case before copying the file on the BIOS files.
Finally, you should exercise caution when downloading BIOS files for RetroPie. The games might be old, but the copyrights are still working, and it is important to own BIOS files that have the appropriate license.
