The most popular way of enjoying retro systems and games today is surely by using software based emulation. Small factor computers such as the Raspberry Pi has made retro gaming even more accessible and easier to enjoy in the living room.

Unfortunately, features such as input lag and fixed video frequency stop software emulation short from being the ultimate solution for those who want to enjoy retro on a modern platform accurately. On the other hand, when a system core is running on an FPGA chip, the hardware “becomes” the machine it is implementing – providing unprecedented accuracy and virtually no input lag.

A testimony of this is the fact that during the last few years FPGA based consoles have been released. Understandably, these systems are not cheap and buying a separate unit for each system you want to use may not be ideal. This is where the MiSTer FPGA comes into. Thanks to this project one can enjoy a multitude of systems on a single platform, supported by its community through open source.