The Best Place to Find and Download RetroPie ROMs (Free and Legally)

Have you been stuck on how to freely download RetroPie ROMs? In this article, we would guide you on how to successfully download RetroPie ROMs freely and legally without stress. Now let’s go there!

You have just set up your Raspberry Pi with RetroPie, it’s plugged into the TV, you have got a controller in your hand when GASP! You don’t have any games to play.

In case, you are looking for a place to get free games legally, we have got you covered! This guide includes everything you need to download ROMs (game files) for the most popular RetroPie consoles. So, once you have got something to play, don’t forget to visit our guide on how to add ROMs to RetroPie.

This is the three major things you need to know about ROMs:

1. Types of ROMs
2. List of public domain ROMs
3. List of homebrew ROMs

Types of ROMs

RetroPie ROMs come in many different file formats and varieties. Not only do they vary between consoles, but they often fall into different legal territories. Therefore, The most common types of ROMs include copyrighted, abandonware, public domain, and homebrew.

• Copyrighted

ROMs are owned and licensed by existing businesses or people. In many countries, downloading these ROMs is considered a crime. Some countries allow citizens to maintain a backup copy of games or titles they already own. So, it’s best to research applicable legal regulations before pursuing any of these titles.

While you can also find ROMs in a RetroPie ROMs pack on any torrent site, you should not download any copyrighted titles as this may be illegal.

• Abandonware

This includes content in a sort of legal “gray area”. The businesses or people responsible for the copyright are either unavailable or no longer pursuing their licensing rights.

• Public domain

ROMs are legally available to the public. These ROMs can be downloaded for personal use.

• Homebrew

ROMs are created by individuals or small teams. Most of these ROMs were created recently, long after the prime of the respective console. For example, Little Sound DJ was released in 2001 to help musicians create chiptune music using original GameBoys (for more examples of modern GameBoy tech, check out our official list of GameBoy mods). However, it’s important to remember that just because something is homebrew doesn’t mean it’s free or legal to download without purchasing.

List of public domain ROMs

This list includes a selection of ROMs available in the public domain space. We have highlighted major consoles, but more can be found on the website sources provided.

List of homebrew ROMs

This list is comprised of free homebrew ROMs that are ok to download and play! Major consoles are listed in the table, but more are available on the provided website sources.

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