This application is a specialized frontend for the Android platform that allows you to run and play with the original PICO-8 (specifically the Raspberry Pi build) on your Android device.
Note: This application is a wrapper/launcher; it does not contain PICO-8 itself. You must provide your own legally purchased copy of the PICO-8 Raspberry Pi executable at the start of the application.
To enable the execution of the external PICO-8 executable provided by the user, this application targets an older Android SDK version.
- Why? Newer Android versions restrict the execution of binaries downloaded or copied to the device storage for security reasons. Targeting an older SDK bypasses this restriction.
- Result: You may see a system warning stating that this app was built for an older version of Android. This is expected and necessary for the app to function.
The application requires permission to access the device's storage (specifically the media/documents folder).
- Usage: This is needed to copy the default PICO-8 configuration files into
/Documents/pico8/data. - You will be asked to grant this permission upon first launch.
The current version of the APK has the following requirements:
- Operating System: Android 9.0 (Pie) or higher (API level 28+)
- Architecture: 64-bit (arm64-v8a)
- Note: 32-bit devices (armeabi-v7a) and versions older than Android 9 are not supported.
The /Documents/pico8/data folder is automatically populated during the first execution of PICO-8, exactly mirroring the behavior of a standard PC installation.
- Cross-Platform Compatibility: Because the structure is identical, if you have an existing PICO-8 installation on another platform, you can copy your
carts, favorites, and save data directly into this folder. - Migration: simply copy your files into the corresponding subfolders in
/Documents/pico8/datato carry over your progress and library to Android. - Synchronization: You can use external tools like Syncthing to keep this folder in sync with your other devices (PC, raspberry pi, etc.). Please refer to the specific documentation of your chosen tool for setup details.
This fork introduces several enhancements to improve the experience on Android devices:
- Landscape Mode: Optimized UI and display for landscape orientation.
- Controller Support: Full support for external game controllers.
- Android Handheld Support: Tested and verified on devices like the RG Cube.
- Virtual Keyboard: Access the Android keyboard at any time by sliding up from the bottom of the screen.
- Options Menu: Access the side menu for settings and options by sliding from the left side of the screen.
frontend/: Godot app part; sets up environment and handles video output and keyboard/mouse input.bootstrap/(in git soon): Enviroment for running PICO-8, including scripts, proot, and a minimal rootfs.shim/: Library LD_PRELOAD'ed into PICO-8 to handle streaming i/o and making sure SDL acts exactly as needed.
- Download Godot version ≥4.4.1.
- Put
package.datfrom Releases in the projector build it from bootstrap/ (soon); this is the bootstrap package and is pretty essential - In Godot, Project > Install Android Build Template
- then just do the normal Project > Export
First and foremost, a massive thank you to Zep (Joseph White), the author of the fantastic PICO-8 fantasy console.
A huge thank you to UnmatchedBracket, the original creator of this Android wrapper. He did all the heavy lifting of building the bridge between native PICO-8 and Android; without his incredible effort, this project would not be possible.
Also, a big thanks to kishan-dhankecha for his contributions and modifications to the original frontend which this fork builds upon.
If you enjoy this project and would like to support its ongoing development and future improvements, please consider buying me a coffee! Your support is greatly appreciated.
