Emuelec Supported Platforms May 2026
Realtek RTL8211F vs. RTL8211E vs. JL2101 (cheap clone). Each requires a different kernel module. The wrong DTB will boot but have no network.
Before looking at specific devices, you must understand SoCs (System on a Chip). EmuELEC does not support "brands" (like Xiaomi or Tanix) directly; it supports the underlying CPU/GPU combo.
The vast majority of supported devices use Amlogic processors. EmuELEC has historically aligned with the Linux kernel patches developed by the CoreELEC team, which focuses almost exclusively on Amlogic chips. emuelec supported platforms
As of the latest version (EmuELEC 4.x and the experimental 5.x branches), the supported SoCs fall into three tiers:
Crucial Warning: EmuELEC does not support Rockchip devices (like the RK3328 or RK3399 found on some Odroids and Firefly boards) or Allwinner chips (found on most Orange Pi boards). If you buy an Orange Pi 5 hoping to run EmuELEC, you will be disappointed. You need Batocera or JELOS for those. Realtek RTL8211F vs
| Budget | Recommended Box | Chip | RAM | EmuELEC Version | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Low ($25–35) | X96 Max+ | S905X3 | 2/4GB | v5.x – latest | | Mid ($40–60) | HK1 Box | S905X3 | 4GB | v5.x – latest | | High ($80+) | Odroid N2+ | S922X | 4GB | v6.x (best) | | Avoid | Any S805 / RK3328 | – | – | No support |
When you download EmuELEC, the device_trees folder contains ~200 .dtb files. The correct one is selected by renaming it to dtb.img. This is the ultimate compatibility map: Crucial Warning: EmuELEC does not support Rockchip devices
| Filename Pattern | Platform | RAM | Ethernet |
|------------------|----------|-----|----------|
| sm1_s905x3_4g_1gbit.dtb | S905X3 | 4GB DDR4 | RTL8211F |
| sm1_s905x3_2g_100m.dtb | S905X3 | 2GB DDR3 | 100M PHY |
| g12b_s922x_odroid_n2_plus.dtb | S922X | 4GB | RTL8211F |
| gxl_p281_2g.dtb | S905W | 2GB | Generic |
| EmuELEC Version | Best for Chipsets | Kernel | Notes | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | v4.6 (final 4.x) | S905, S905X, S912 | 3.14 | Last version for 32-bit only chips | | v5.0 – v5.9 | S905X2, S905X3, S922X | 4.9 | Stable, most popular | | v6.0 – latest | S905X3, S905X4, S922X | 5.15+ | Requires 64-bit chip, better Vulkan support |
