How To Build A Commodore 64 With Raspberry Pi Zero For Under $50

Now that your Commodore 64 emulator is setup and files are copied over to its Micro-SD card, you are ready to roll.

Combian 64 and VICE behave very much like a real Commodore 64. You’re able to input basic programs right from the initial prompt and run countless numbers of classic games – there is a collosal amount of software available for the Commodore 64 – it’s primitive by today’s standards, but it’s out there.

We were impressed with how easy Combian 64 was to setup and get running. In addition, we didn’t encounter any software compatibility issues with the handful of games we tried. We, however, did not get any audio from our Pi initially, because it wasn't outputting in a compatible format. If you encounter this issue, first make sure VICE is configured to output in stereo and secondly try the various audio output formats available -- all of the options are listed right under Sound Settings in the VICE main menu (available by hitting F8).

Combian 64 was recently updated with the latest version of VICE and enhanced with a few additional features, which make it easy for anyone with a modicum of computing knowledge to use. We should also point out that while we focused on the Commodore 64 here, Combian 64 and VICE have the ability to emulate a myriad of 8-bit Commodore machines from back in early days, including the PET, Plus 4, and even the Commodore 128, among others. Switching to different machines is as easy as exiting VICE and choosing the machine you want to emulate right from the Combian 64 main menu.

We hope you enjoyed this DIY Commodore 64 emulator project as much as we did. The C64 holds a special place in computing history and introduced millions of people around the globe to the concept of an affordable personal computer. Now go build your own and have some fun!

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