● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportLow impact1 neutral
Pokémon Emerald Ported to Raspberry Pi Pico 2, Running Natively at 60 FPS
Key points
- Pokémon Emerald runs natively on a Raspberry Pi Pico 2 (RP2350B) microcontroller.
- The port achieves a consistent 60 frames per second with HDMI output.
- The game's code was recompiled from ARMv4T to Cortex-M33.
- Game Boy Advance video hardware is emulated in software on the second core.
Native Execution on Low-Cost Hardware
Pokémon Emerald now runs natively on the Raspberry Pi Pico 2, specifically the WeAct Studio Core2350B board, which costs approximately $6. The full game, including code, graphics, maps, and music, is stored as an 11.7 MB image executed directly from flash memory. This implementation does not use an emulator.
Technical Implementation Details
The port recompiled the game's decompiled ARMv4T code to the Cortex-M33 architecture of the RP2350B. The Game Boy Advance's video hardware is reimplemented in software and handled by the microcontroller's second core. Core 0 manages game logic, while Core 1 handles PPU rendering, outputting to a 240x160 RGB565 framebuffer which is then upscaled to 640x480p60 for HDMI output.
Performance and Features
The game maintains a locked 60 frames per second in most scenes, with the exception of one specific intro cinematic. It supports real buttons, HDMI output, and saves that persist through power cycles. The port is playable from start to finish, including booting, intro sequences, new game starts, overworld navigation, battles, and saving.
Development Process
The port leveraged an existing WebAssembly (WASM) port of Pokémon Emerald, which had already abstracted away dependencies on real GBA hardware. This allowed the developers to adapt the existing code by adding MCU-specific implementations rather than re-doing the entire de-hardwaring process. The GBA memory map structure was preserved in the port.
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Primary sources
GitHub cmc_internal/api GitHub github/collect GitHub mattdeeds/pokeemerald-rp2350 GitHub _private/browser GitHub get-started/accessibility GitHub open-source/sponsorsReporting from
Pokémon Emerald has been successfully ported to run natively on a $6 Raspberry Pi Pico 2 (RP2350B) microcontroller, achieving 60 frames per second with HDMI output and persistent saves. This was accomplished by recompiling the game's decompiled ARMv4T code to Cortex-M33 and implementing the Game Boy Advance's video hardware in software on the second core.