top of page
Search

🖥️ Turning Your Windows Handheld or PC into a Retro Console

Updated: Apr 25, 2025

Hey fam 👋


So you’ve got a Windows-based handheld like the ROG Ally, OneXPlayer, or even just a regular desktop or laptop with an AMD CPU — and you're wondering, “Can I make this feel like a plug-and-play retro console?”


Short answer: Yes, yes you can. 🙌


Whether you want to dual-boot a whole new operating system like SteamOS, run a sleek launcher on top of Windows, or just install some apps and start gaming, I got you. Let’s break it down nice and easy.


🧠 What’s the Idea Here?

The goal is to make your Windows device feel less like a computer and more like a dedicated gaming console. We’ll walk through:

  • 💽 Installing Steam Deck OS or Batocera

  • 🕹️ Setting up RetroArch & other emulators as your backend

  • 🎮 Adding a frontend like EmulationStation Desktop Edition (ES-DE)

  • 🧰 How to make everything auto-launch like a real console


🧰 Option 1: Dual Boot or Wipe for a Console OS

You can either create a new partition on your hard drive or wipe the whole thing and install a console-like operating system.


🎮 Option A: SteamOS (Steam Deck OS on PC)

SteamOS is Valve’s custom Linux-based OS used on the Steam Deck. It’s slick, console-like, and optimized for gaming.

Pros:

  • Full console UI at boot

  • Great controller support

  • Built-in Steam features (Big Picture Mode, cloud saves, etc.)

Cons:

  • Might need driver tweaks (especially for non-Deck hardware)

  • Some learning curve during setup

🎮 Option B: Batocera

Batocera is a Linux distro made just for retro gaming. You boot straight into a frontend (like EmulationStation) with emulators ready to go.

Pros:

  • Console feel out of the box

  • Preconfigured emulators

  • No need for a keyboard or mouse after setup

Cons:

  • Focused more on retro, not modern PC gaming

  • Requires external USB install or partitioning

Get it here:🔗 Batocera.linux

🧠 What’s a distro?A “distro” is short for Linux distribution — basically, a full operating system package based on Linux.

🧰 Option 2: Keep Windows, Just Add the Console Feel

If you want to keep Windows (understandably!), you can still make it feel console-like by combining frontends and backends.

🎨 Frontends: The Pretty Menu Interface

These apps act like a dashboard for all your games. They help you browse, organize, and launch them in style.


✅ EmulationStation Desktop Edition (ES-DE)

💸 Free on Windows🔗 Get ES-DE here

Pros:

  • Beautiful and customizable UI

  • Console-like experience

  • Auto-scrapes box art and metadata

  • Supports tons of emulators and systems

Cons:

  • Initial setup takes a little time

  • Needs folder structure to be tidy

Perfect for: Gamers who want the full console vibe on Windows without sacrificing power

✅ Pegasus Frontend

💸 Free🔗 Get Pegasus here

Pros:

  • Ultra-smooth interface

  • Stylish layouts with full theme support

  • Works well with metadata and videos

Cons:

  • Requires custom config files

  • Not beginner-friendly

Perfect for: Tinkerers and theme lovers who want the most modern-looking setup

✅ LaunchBox (and Big Box)

💰 Free tier available – Premium for Big Box UI🔗 Get LaunchBox here

Pros:

  • Very user-friendly

  • Supports nearly every emulator

  • Premium version (Big Box) is highly polished

Cons:

  • Premium features locked behind paywall

  • Can be heavy on system resources

Perfect for: Retro fans who want slick visuals and are okay with spending a little

⚙️ Backends: The Emulators That Power It All

Now that you’ve got a frontend, you need to plug it into a backend — aka the actual emulator that runs the games.

Let’s go over the big ones:


🎮 RetroArch

Pros:

  • All-in-one emulator

  • Netplay, save states, shaders, achievements

  • Tons of core systems (NES, SNES, PS1, etc.)

Cons:

  • UI is confusing for beginners

  • Takes time to set up right

Why it matters:RetroArch is ideal if you want a multi-platform backend. One app, many systems.

🎮 DuckStation (PlayStation 1)

Pros:

  • Clean and easy-to-use UI

  • Amazing compatibility and upscaling

  • Fast performance

Cons:

  • Limited to PS1

🎮 PPSSPP (PSP)

Pros:

  • Top-tier emulator for PSP

  • Smooth performance even on lower-end PCs

Cons:

  • PSP-only

🎮 AetherSX2 (PS2)

Pros:

  • Great performance and accuracy

  • Can upscale games beautifully

Cons:

  • Development paused

🎮 Dolphin Emulator (GameCube/Wii)

Pros:

  • Excellent compatibility

  • Tons of settings to fine-tune

  • Wii and GameCube in one

Cons:

  • May need some tweaking for specific games

🕹️ How to Consolize Your Setup on Windows

Want your handheld to boot directly into your frontend (like ES-DE) instead of the Windows desktop?


Here’s how to “console-ify” your setup:

🔧 Step-by-step:

  1. Install your chosen frontend (e.g. ES-DE)

  2. Enable full-screen mode at launch

    • Most frontends have this option in settings

  3. Set it to auto-launch on startup

    • Press Win + R, type shell:startup, and place a shortcut to your frontend in this folder

  4. (Optional) Hide Windows UI

  5. Plug in a controller and boom — instant console mode


💬 Final Thoughts

Converting your Windows PC or handheld into a slick, retro gaming console is totally doable, and doesn’t always mean wiping your system.

Ask yourself:

  • Do I want dual-boot or to keep Windows?

  • Am I okay setting up folders and themes?

  • Do I care more about visuals or simplicity?


There’s no one-size-fits-all here, and that’s the beauty of it. You get to shape your experience your way 🎨


Got a cool setup? Need help figuring something out? 👉 Jump in the forum — let’s talk shop, troubleshoot builds, and share our retro rigs!


Until next time — happy gaming 🕹️


P’Nick ✨


bottom of page