Lutro is not exactly a console: it is a game engine built into Libretro, able to run games written in Lua. Recalbox files it under fantasy consoles because it plays the same role: providing a minimal, purely software platform on which a complete game can be written in a few dozen lines of code. There is no imaginary machine here, and no imposed palette or resolution limits — the game itself decides its resolution and its colours.
Lutro's API mirrors that of LÖVE (also known as Love2D), the free Lua framework released in 2008 and widely used for indie 2D games. Lutro implements a subset of it: drawing, sound, gamepad input and timing functions carry the same names. A developer used to LÖVE can therefore port a small game to Lutro with few changes, and the result then runs anywhere Libretro runs — including on a Raspberry Pi Zero 2.
| Type | Lua game engine (Libretro) |
| Author | Libretro community |
| Inspiration | LÖVE / Love2D (2008) |
| Language | Lua |
| Resolution | defined by the game |
| Controller | Mandatory |
📷 Screenshot coming soon:
system-lutro.png
Emulator availability per board:
| Emulator | RPI3/RPI02W | RPI4/400 | RPI5/500 | OGA/OGS/RG351 | PC | RG353 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Libretro lutro | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
The system relies on a single emulator, Libretro lutro, available on every board. Netplay and RetroAchievements are not available on this system. CRT output is supported.
No BIOS is required for this system.
Put your games in:
/recalbox/share/roms/lutro/
Accepted extensions: .lua, .lutro, .zip, .7z
A Lutro game is a set of files whose entry point is a main.lua, along with its images and sounds. You can either copy the game folder and launch its main.lua, or use a .lutro or .zip archive containing that same main.lua at its root.
Commercial LÖVE games and large Love2D projects will not run as they are: Lutro only implements part of the LÖVE API. Use games designed for Lutro, or adapt your own.