Which Raspberry Pi Model for Gaming Console

Question

I recently decided I was going to build a retro gaming console using a raspberry pi as an emulator. Its a fairly popular project which has been discussed in detail in several articles around the web. I am trying to determine if there is any benefit to using a model B board instead of a model A for this project.

• Will the increased RAM make any noticeable difference for the purpose of this project?
• Is it better to connect multiple controllers to a powered USB hub on a model A, or should I buy the model B and use the extra USB port?
• When buying either model, should I pay extra to get a version with a pre-imaged card?

Answer 1

• It depends on which emulators you are going to run. NES will run fine on the model A, but i'm not sure if a PSx emulator will.
• If you are only going to use two controllers, the two USB ports for the B model will be enough. You can use Bluetooth and BT controllers, which would only require one USB port, and a BT dongle - check out RetroPie.
• No, install it yourself - it is cheaper and very easy.

I would definitely go for the model B, as the price isn't that much higher and the added ram might be crucial to your project. Also, the LAN port is nice if you want SSH/FTP access to transfer games.