Today, the world of televisions no longer belongs to the Japanese, but to the Koreans. Indeed, today, with the appearance of streaming platforms, they bring with them embedded processors that come from the world, cell phones, and that, for Therefore , it has the ability to run applications, but to limited way. That’s why we are going to teach you how to easily install RetroArch on an LG, as well as other applications that are not officially available a priori.
LG Televisions use an operating system called WebOS, which is not the same as Android and therefore has its own applications. Like Google’s operating system, it is based on Linux as a base, but its differences mean that applications designed for one operating system cannot be run on another, which limits the offer of applications on said SmartTVs. Well, we thought you might be interested in playing retro console games on your TV through RetroArch. However, to do so before, you will have to make a series of modifications.
With this application you can install RetroArch on your LG TV
Homebrew is any software created for a closed platform that has not been approved for use by its owner. Simply put, they have a console-like ecosystem where no software is released to the App Store without permission. Which means that certain types of software that are in legal limbo, like emulators, aren’t seen regularly. Some tolerate them and turn a blind eye, while others simply veto them.
The thing is, a Smart TV has the hardware to move retro games around and we should be able to install RetroArch on an LG with WebOS without having to depend on external hardware for it. The problem? Officially this is impossible, moreover, the manufacturer itself has blocked the permissions of the USB port of its televisions to do this, moreover, to be able to do this, you will need WebOS Dev Manager, an application that allows you to install applications on your LG TV from the PC whether you are using Windows, macOS or Linux on your computer.
Also, you won’t need to use custom firmware for this, which means it won’t compromise the health of your Smart TV in any way if you want to install emulators on it and enjoy your favorite classics from the couch. and, incidentally, save money to buy a retro console and not have another device connected to the television.
an alternative
It’s no secret that the various Korean brand televisions that can be hacked are, simply through the HP internet and which will ensure that one does not need an external PC to be able to install RetroArch on an LG it will also allow us to install applications such as Moonlight to make this mini of our Steam games hello to the TV which is the PC itself. However, there is a risk of rendering your TV completely useless. We therefore recommend that you read the documentation of the creators of this exploit.
To do this is very simple from the Internet browser included in the TV, you just have to access this web page and from there the whole process will be carried out to install the Homebrew channel, which will allow you to install applications on your LG TV beyond the official store.
What systems can I play on and with which controllers?
Well, basically, it perfectly emulates an 8 and 16 bit and portable system of this technical level up to Advance, so it does not differ much from most of the low-cost retro consoles on the market. So, unfortunately, you won’t be able to play 32-bit systems with 3D graphics, because the chip that the TV integrates is not powerful enough, but it is also not below a Raspberry Pi 4.
As for the game controller or gamepad, today you have support for PS4 and Xbox One controllers and in both their wired and wireless modes, although we don’t know how DualSense works. HP also works the PS 3 controller although the latter only if we connect it by cable. In any case, support for the peripherals you expect to play is a lottery and therefore if you have a generic controller you should try if it works for you as it may work perfectly for you or it just doesn’t recognize it.