Bringing retro gaming back to life on modern Linux
Welcome to Arqa-Core. We're an open-source project building a beautiful, focused retro gaming and emulation platform. Our goal is to make classic games feel great again by combining clean design, solid technology, and interfaces that just work.
Arqa-Core is creating a complete ecosystem for emulation, from the base operating system and hardware all the way to the launcher you actually use. We want to make retro gaming accessible and enjoyable without the usual tinkering, while keeping everything beautiful looking and feeling cohesive.
- Emulation First — Built for games, not a general-purpose desktop
- Looks Matter — Everything follows one clean visual language
- No Fuss — It should just work, especially with a gamepad
- Community Focused — Open source and welcoming to contributors at any level
- Modular — Components that play nicely together
The foundation of the whole platform.
- Base: Fedora Atomic (bootc) derivative built on Bazzite
- Goal: A ready-to-go Linux system optimized for emulation kiosks and living-room setups
- Highlights:
- Wayland compositor (Cage) for stability
- Automatic kiosk login
- Custom Plymouth boot animation
- Built-in ArqaLauncher
- Easy image building (ISO, QCOW2, raw disk)
Quick Start:
git clone https://github.com/Arqa-Core/ArqaOS.git
cd ArqaOS
just build
The interface you'll actually see and use.
- Tech: Electron + React (fullscreen)
- Style: Heavy PS3 XMB inspiration — horizontal, flowing, nostalgic but modern
- Features:
- Automatic ROM scanning
- Gamepad-first navigation
- Support for RetroArch, Dolphin, PCSX2, and more
- Fully offline
- Clean settings system
Quick Start:
git clone https://github.com/Arqa-Core/ArqaLauncher.git
cd ArqaLauncher
npm install
npm start
- ArqaThemes — Theme engine and community themes (in development)
- ArqaCore — Shared utilities and types
- ArqaDocs — Central documentation
- ArqaSync — Cloud save sync (early concept)
flowchart TD
User[User] --> Launcher[ArqaLauncher<br>XMB-style Interface]
Launcher --> OS[ArqaOS<br>Custom Fedora Atomic]
OS --> Base[Bazzite + Fedora Atomic]
Everything follows a dark, moody PS3 XMB-inspired aesthetic:
- Main Background:
#05030c - Gradient Accents: Deep purples and blues
- Highlight Color:
#8a54ff(with glow) - Text: Bright
#eef0fffor primary, darker tones for secondary
This palette is used across the boot screen, launcher, wallpapers — everything. When contributing, please keep the visuals consistent.
(You can host a simple palette image or use a public CC0 retro UI mockup)
- Grab the latest ISO from Releases
- Write it to a USB:
dd if=arqaos-latest.iso of=/dev/sdX bs=4M status=progress
- Boot it up — it should drop you straight into the launcher
You'll need: Linux (or WSL2), just, podman/docker, and npm.
git clone https://github.com/Arqa-Core/ArqaOS.git
git clone https://github.com/Arqa-Core/ArqaLauncher.git
cd ArqaOS
npm install --prefix ../ArqaLauncher
just build-devWe love contributions! Whether it's code, themes, documentation, or just testing and feedback.
The basics:
- Fork the repo
- Make a branch
- Keep the visual style consistent
- Test your changes
- Open a PR with a clear description
We follow standard practices: shellcheck for scripts, ESLint for JS, etc.
ArqaOS: Fedora Atomic + bootc, Cage Wayland, SDDM, Plymouth, Podman builds
ArqaLauncher: Electron 42 + React 18, pure CSS animations, Electron Forge packaging
- Now: Stabilizing core OS + launcher, fixing bugs, gathering feedback
- Q3 2026: Theme engine, multi-profile support, performance work
- Later: Cloud saves, community theme sharing, remote management tools
- Issues & Discussions: github.com/Arqa-Core
- Discord: Coming soon
All projects are licensed under GPL V3.0.
Made with passion by the Arqa-Core community
Last updated: June 2026