Emuelec 38 Top May 2026

By the time EmuELEC reached version 3.8, the development team had ironed out many of the growing pains from earlier 3.x releases. Earlier versions (3.0–3.5) suffered from inconsistent Bluetooth controller support, occasional audio desync in PlayStation 1 games, and unreliable N64 emulation. Version 4.0, while newer, introduced more aggressive kernel changes that broke compatibility with some older but perfectly capable S905X boxes. Consequently, 3.8 remains the “sweet spot” —it runs on nearly all S905W/S905X/S912 devices, requires minimal tinkering, and offers performance that feels genuinely polished.

To achieve the "EmuELEC 3.8 top" experience, you need the right hardware. Not all boxes are equal. After testing dozens, here are the five best performers:

| Rank | Model | Chipset | RAM | Best For | Price Range | |------|-------|---------|-----|----------|--------------| | 1 | Beelink GT-King | S922X | 4GB | Dreamcast, PSP, N64 | $$ | | 2 | X96 Max Plus | S905X3 | 2/4GB | PS1, N64, MAME | $ | | 3 | H96 Max X3 | S905X3 | 4GB | Multi-core RetroArch | $ | | 4 | ODROID-N2 | S922X | 4GB | Arcade perfect | $$$ | | 5 | Tanix TX3 Mini | S905W | 2GB | 8-bit/16-bit era | $ |

Top Tip: Avoid boxes with "S905W" if you want N64. Go for at least S905X2 or higher. emuelec 38 top

Once in the terminal, type top and press Enter. You will see a dynamic list of running processes.

Here is the definitive "top" ranking of emulators you should run on this version.

| Rank | Console | Core Name | Performance | Notes | |------|---------|-----------|-------------|-------| | 1 | Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) | fceumm | Flawless | Zero lag | | 2 | Super Nintendo (SNES) | snes9x | Flawless | Use run-ahead | | 3 | Sega Genesis | genesis_plus_gx | Flawless | Supports 32X | | 4 | PlayStation 1 | pcsx_rearmed | Perfect | Multi-disc support | | 5 | Game Boy Advance | mgba | Excellent | Fast-forward works | | 6 | Arcade (MAME) | mame2003_plus | Excellent | 2000+ ROMs | | 7 | Nintendo 64 | mupen64plus-next | Good (80%) | Requires per-game tweaks | | 8 | PlayStation Portable | ppsspp | Good (70%) | 2x resolution on S922X | | 9 | Dreamcast | flycast | Good (65%) | V-Sync must be off | | 10 | Nintendo DS | drastic | Acceptable | Touchscreen via mouse | By the time EmuELEC reached version 3

Top Warning: Do not attempt PS2, GameCube, or Wii. EmuELEC 3.8 has zero support for these.

If you are upgrading from version 3.4 or earlier, here is what stands out:

EmuELEC 3.8 is a community-driven Linux distribution for single-board computers and TV boxes focused on retro game emulation. It bundles a lightweight OS, RetroArch cores, standalone emulators, and EmulationStation-style frontends to provide a plug-and-play retro gaming experience on Amlogic, Rockchip, and some ARM devices. Top Tip: Avoid boxes with "S905W" if you want N64

In the ever-evolving world of retro gaming emulation, software updates often bring minor bug fixes or obscure compatibility patches. However, every so often, a release arrives that represents a true maturation of a platform. EmuELEC 3.8 is precisely such a release. For owners of Amlogic-based TV boxes (such as the S905X, S912, and S922X generations), EmuELEC 3.8 is widely regarded by the community as the “top” or gold-standard version—a perfect balance of stability, performance, and feature completeness. This essay explores why version 3.8 stands out, its key features, and how to get the most out of it.

If you’ve got an unused Android TV box (S905, S912, or S905X2/X3), EmuELEC 3.8 turns it into a dedicated retro gaming powerhouse. After extensive testing, here’s why this version remains a top recommendation among enthusiasts.