Why ZimaBoard 2 is the Ultimate PS1 Arcade Heart ?

Eva Wong

IceWhale author

Eva Wong is the Technical Writer and resident tinkerer at ZimaSpace. A lifelong geek with a passion for homelabs and open-source software, she specializes in translating complex technical concepts into accessible, hands-on guides. Eva believes that self-hosting should be fun, not intimidating. Through her tutorials, she empowers the community to demystify hardware setups, from building their first NAS to mastering Docker containers.

Why ZimaBoard 2 is the Ultimate PS1 Arcade Heart ? - Zima Store Online

Introduction

At ZimaSpace, we are constantly inspired by the boundary-pushing projects created by our community. Today, we are thrilled to showcase a remarkable build from the talented creators at Leap (specifically the team behind the Leap Tech/Leap Cade series).

In their latest video, the Leap team takes us behind the scenes of a custom 3D-printed arcade cabinet project. While they are renowned for their free Maker World files that support gaming up to 32-bit on standard hardware, they recently hit a performance ceiling. To break through, they integrated the ZimaBoard 2 to power a dedicated, full-set PlayStation 1 (PS1) arcade machine. We want to extend a huge thank you to Leap for choosing our hardware to bring this retro-gaming beast to life. This post summarizes their experience, technical setup, and why they believe this board is a "game-changer" for high-end emulation.

The Quest for More Power: Why Raspberry Pi Wasn’t Enough

The team at Leap has spent years perfecting 3D-printed arcade cabinets. However, their newest ambitious goal—creating a machine that hosts every PS1 and PS2 game ever released in Europe—required more than what a Raspberry Pi 5 could offer.

"The ZimaBoard 2 made much more sense to us than using a Raspberry Pi 5," the creator explains, citing the board’s raw processing power and superior storage options. While the Pi 5 is a capable SBC (Single Board Computer), the ZimaBoard 2 provides a more "user-friendly" experience for those willing to invest in heavy-duty performance.

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ZimaBoard 2 - Hyper Performance Single Board Home Server

Single board computer zimaboard2

Hardware Excellence: Built Like a Beast

One of the first things the Leap team noticed was the industrial-grade build quality. When using standard hobbyist boards, makers often spend extra on fans and heatsinks just to prevent thermal throttling.

Integrated Cooling: The ZimaBoard 2 features a unique passive cooling design (the "fin" structure) that keeps it silent and cool 24/7 without extra bulky add-ons.
Connectivity Out-of-the-Box: With Dual 2.5G Ethernet and Native PCIe, you don’t need "hats" or "shields" to get the connectivity you need for a robust home server.
Storage Flexibility: The ability to plug-and-play an M.2 NVMe drive (up to 2TB) allowed the team to store every single PS1 game on one high-speed drive for instant access.

The Technical Setup: Ubuntu, RetroPie, and Custom Emulation

Although this wasn't a strict step-by-step tutorial, the Leap team shared their "secret sauce" for getting the arcade running smoothly:

The Environment: They started with ZimaOS to enable SSH (Secure Shell, a protocol to operate the board remotely), then transitioned to a virtual machine running Ubuntu.
The Software: They used a heavily modified version of RetroPie. The team made significant tweaks to the emulators and heavy modifications to ensure the controls were mapped perfectly to their USB arcade kits.
The Test: They ran the ZimaBoard 2 side-by-side with a Pi 5. The result? The ZimaBoard 2 was significantly smoother, running PS1 titles absolutely flawlessly.

Inside the Cabinet: Real-World Installation 🛠️

To house the "beast," the team used their tried-and-tested Leap Cade two-player arcade machine.

The Mount: A custom mount was designed to secure the ZimaBoard 2 inside the rear of the machine. (Pro tip: In the prototype phase, they even used Gorilla Tape to ensure it stayed put!)
Versatility: The creator noted that while they used it for gaming, the board’s Native SATA and PCIe expansion make it just as capable of being a high-speed home server or a 4K media center.

A person playing a classic side-scrolling video game on a custom green "Leap Cade" 3D-printed arcade cabinet with physical joysticks and buttons.

The Verdict: Is It Worth the Price?

The creator was honest about the price point: "It is pricey... but I believe the performance it gives makes it well worth it." By the time a user buys a high-quality case, cooling, and storage adapters for a standard Pi, the price gap narrows, but the performance gap remains wide.

The ZimaBoard 2 is more than just a toy; it’s a home server in a form factor that fits inside a handheld arcade cabinet. "We’ve not had a glitch or a problem with using it at all," the Leap team reported. In fact, they were so impressed that they have already purchased a second unit to power their upcoming PlayStation 2 (PS2) machine project!

What’s Next?

The files for this arcade build will eventually be released for free on Maker World, staying true to Leap’s mission of supporting the maker community.

If you are looking for a platform that can handle media streaming (Plex), firewalls (pfSense), or AI containers while doubling as the world’s most powerful retro-gaming console, the ZimaBoard 2 is ready for you.

Ready to build your own "Beast"?

Special thanks again to the Leap team. Keep your eyes peeled for their full PS1 and PS2 machine releases later this year!