How Do I Assemble My PiBoy Kit?
We have both a written tutorial with pictures and an assembly video to walk you through the assembly process. The written tutorial can be found here. The video can be found here.
Where Can I Find More Information About the PiBoy DMG?
Our tutorials, covering all aspects of the PiBoy, can be found here. They are organized by category for convenience. You might also find our YouTube channel useful.
How Do I Install Games on My PiBoy?
We have a tutorial covering how to install games on the PiBoy DMG here. There are several methods to install games on the PiBoy, the tutorial covers just one of them. The official image is based on RetroPie so any method to install games that works with RetroPie will work with the PiBoy as well.
How Do I Troubleshoot My PiBoy?
We have a tutorial dedicated to troubleshooting the PiBoy that covers most problems. It can be found here. We also have a troubleshooting video on YouTube, you can find it here.
Where Can I Find the Official Image For the PiBoy DMG?
The official and recommended image for the PiBoy DMG can be downloaded from this page. The official image only supports the Pi 4. When using other versions of the Pi a stock Retropie installation with the addition of our scripts is recommended.
What Models of the Raspberry Pi Does the PiBoy Support?
The PiBoy DMG supports the Raspberry Pi Zero (both versions), 3B+ and 4B.
What Size and Type of Micro SD Card is Recommended?
We recommend at least a 32GB card. More importantly, the card must be rated at minimum of class A1. We also suggest you avoid potentially buying a counterfeit card by buying from a reputable physical electronics store. We have a tutorial discussing selecting a micro SD card for the PiBoy here.
Is the 8GB Version of the Raspberry Pi A Useful Upgrade?
From our experience testing various versions of the Pi 4 we’ve found that the 4GB version of the Pi 4 is more than enough for even the most demanding of emulators. There is no real benefit to using the 8GB version.
Can The PiBoy Be Overclocked?
Since the PiBoy uses standard Raspberry Pi hardware it can be easily overclocked. We have a tutorial, found here, that walks you through the process of overclocking your Pi. Some emulators will benefit from a mild overclock.
What Game Systems Can the PiBoy Emulate?
When using a Pi 4, which is our recommendation, the PiBoy can emulate just about any system up to the N64 and Dreamcast.
Is the Fan Necessary?
When using a Pi 4 or overclocking any other version of the Pi the fan is necessary to keep the Pi from throttling the CPU and lowering performance.
What Can I Customize on the PiBoy DMG?
You can customize both the physical aspects of the PiBoy DMG as well as the software. We sell new shells for the PiBoy in a variety of colors, you can find them on our store page. We also sell interchangeable buttons in a variety of colors, you can find them here.
In addition to changing the look of the PiBoy, you can also change certain aspects of how the PiBoy operates. The On Screen Display of the PiBoy displays information about the battery status, current draw, CPU utilization and network status. You can change what and how it’s displayed via a configuration file, see this article to learn how.
You can also control when the fan turns on and how it changes speed based on temperature, see this article to learn about customizing the fan curve.
The brightness of the power LED is something that customers have asked for control over. You can now customize how bright or dim the power LED is. See this article to learn how to set the brightness.
Finally, if you need more performance out of your Raspberry Pi you can overclock both CPU and GPU. This article explains how to do so easily.
How Do I Fix Button Problems?
Often problems with the buttons can be fixed by re-seating the rubber pads underneath them or, if the pad has been improperly installed, rotating the pad 180 degrees.
What Are The Main Things to Look For When Troubleshooting the PiBoy?
Likely sources of problems when troubleshooting the PiBoy are: an improperly seated LCD cable, an improperly seated white ribbon cable, an improperly seated SD card adapter, an SD card that was not burned properly and a defective SD card. Our full troubleshooting article can be found here.
Why Does My PiBoy Reboot Itself after Booting from a Newly Flashed SD Card?
During the first boot of a newly flashed SD card the PiBoy will reboot itself several times to allow the operating system and custom software to finish the initial installation process. This is normal and does not mean anything is wrong with your PiBoy. The process of initial boot cycling may take up to several minutes. Do not turn off the PiBoy during this process.
How Do I Contact Support?
You can contact support by using the form found here.
Article last updated on: 10 Nov 2021
