Running AmigaOS in 2026: MiSTer FPGA vs Amiberry on Pi

AmigaOS 3.2.3 runs beautifully both on FPGA and on modern ARM boards — the question is which trade-offs you're willing to accept.

Two Roads to the Same Workbench

• MiSTer with the Minimig-AGA core — the most hardware-authentic option. Native resolution tops out around 800×600, with RTG (Picasso96) support pushing that up to 1080p. Timing accuracy and near-zero input latency make it the pick for demos and cycle-sensitive software.
• Amiberry on a Raspberry Pi — the flexible option. Running headless (no X11 desktop, straight from the console/KMS framebuffer) is the single biggest performance lever — the difference between a laggy desktop and a snappy 60fps Workbench.
• The HDF minefield — hard disk image files either carry an RDB partition table or they don't, and getting the geometry parameters (surfaces/sectors/reserved blocks) wrong produces the classic "Not a DOS disk in device DH0" error. Reformatting through HDToolBox from a fresh install is often faster than debugging geometry math.
• Picking a monitor — a 4:3 panel at native 1280×1024 (like an older NEC MultiSync) gives the most period-accurate Workbench experience; anything widescreen needs scaling compromises.

Both setups now run side by side without any real winner — MiSTer for authenticity and demos, the Pi for tinkering and RTG resolutions.