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# Retro8 - RetroBIOS

Type | libretro
Classification | game_engine
Source | https://github.com/libretro/retro8
Upstream | https://github.com/Jakz/retro8
Version | 0.1b
Profiled | 2026-03-25
Cores | retro8
Systems | pico8

Technical notes

Open-source PICO-8 fantasy console reimplementation by Jacopo Santoni. Runs .p8 and .p8.png cartridge files. The PICO-8 font is compiled into the binary as a byte array (gen/pico_font.h, loaded in gfx.cpp:9). The Lua API shim is compiled as a string constant (gen/lua_api.h, loaded in lua_bridge.cpp:1126). The core never calls GET_SYSTEM_DIRECTORY and performs no file I/O from the system directory.

No BIOS or firmware files required.

Why no files

all engine resources (font, Lua API, color palette, audio synth) compiled into the binary

Generated on 2026-03-25T14:56:43Z