Lakka just dropped version 6.1, and the team’s calling it their biggest update in years. 6.1 moves to the LibreELEC 12.2 build system and a new long-term support 6.18 Linux kernel, which should mean better driver coverage and fewer weird hardware edge cases, especially on SBCs and older PCs. RetroArch is bumped to 1.22.2, bringing in the newer UI tweaks, latency improvements, and general QoL bits that people on other platforms have been enjoying for a while.
All the existing libretro cores have been refreshed, as well as a deluge of new cores, including lrps2 for PlayStation 2 (replacing the older pcsx2 core), panda3DS for Nintendo 3DS, melonDS and nooDS for Nintendo DS, plus a bunch of niche stuff like Tamagotchi via tamalibretro, pzretro for PuzzleScript games, and virtualxt for DOS-era Turbo PC/XT. There are also new options for Amiga (amiberry), SNES (bsnes_jg), multiple Lynx cores (gearlynx, holani), and even Cave Story via doukutsu_rs.
If you’re not hip to Lakka’s game, it’s a tiny Linux distribution built specifically to run RetroArch as a console‑like OS, with a controller‑friendly UI, automatic gamepad detection, shaders, netplay, and all the usual libretro goodness baked in. It’s especially good at breathing life into hardware that’s way too underpowered for Windows but still perfectly fine for 8/16/32‑bit stuff, and used to be a popular option for Anbernic’s RK3326 handhelds.
Lakka 6.1 ships official Pi images tuned for analog TV setups, which should make CRT fans particularly happy, as composite workflows are usually a mess of half‑documented hacks. There’s also a slick new first‑boot script that lets you pre‑configure Wi‑Fi and drop in RetroArch config overrides by editing two text files on the flashed card before you ever power on. For everyone running a drawer full of boards and old mini‑PCs, Lakka 6.1 looks like a very good excuse to reflash a card and see what that forgotten hardware can do in 2026.
Source: Lakka
