How to Play Quake III on Raspberry Pi 5

Ben
Ben
@benjislab

Quake III Arena is a classic first-person shooter that remains popular among gamers for its fast-paced action and multiplayer capabilities. With the powerful hardware of the Raspberry Pi 5, you can enjoy this iconic game on your compact computer. This guide will walk you through the steps to set up and play Quake III on your Raspberry Pi 5.

Equipment Needed

  • Raspberry Pi 5 with Raspberry Pi OS installed
  • MicroSD card (at least 16GB)
  • MicroSD card reader
  • Internet connection
  • Power supply for Raspberry Pi
  • USB keyboard and mouse
  • Monitor or TV with HDMI input

Step 1: Prepare Your Raspberry Pi

Install Raspberry Pi OS

  1. Download Raspberry Pi OS:

Download the latest version of Raspberry Pi OS from the official Raspberry Pi website.

  1. Write the OS to the MicroSD Card:

Use Raspberry Pi Imager or Balena Etcher to write the Raspberry Pi OS image to your MicroSD card.

  1. Set Up the Raspberry Pi:

Insert the MicroSD card into your Raspberry Pi, connect it to a monitor, keyboard, and power it on. Follow the setup instructions to configure your Raspberry Pi.

  1. Update Your System:

Ensure your Raspberry Pi is up-to-date with the latest software and security patches.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Step 2: Install Quake III

To run Quake III on your Raspberry Pi, you will use the open-source version called "ioquake3."

  1. Install Dependencies:
sudo apt install git cmake build-essential libsdl2-dev
  1. Download ioquake3:

Clone the ioquake3 repository from GitHub.

git clone https://github.com/ioquake/ioq3.git
cd ioq3
  1. Build the Source Code:

Build ioquake3 from the source code.

make
  1. Copy Game Files:

You need the original Quake III Arena game files (PAK files) to play the game. Copy the baseq3 directory from your original Quake III installation to the ioq3/build/release-linux-x86_64 directory.

cp -r /path/to/baseq3 /path/to/ioq3/build/release-linux-x86_64/

Replace /path/to/baseq3 with the actual path to your baseq3 directory containing the PAK files.

Step 3: Configure and Launch Quake III

  1. Navigate to the ioquake3 Directory:
cd /path/to/ioq3/build/release-linux-x86_64/
  1. Launch the Game:
./ioq3ded.x86_64

This will start the Quake III server. To play the game, run the following command in another terminal window:

./ioquake3.x86_64

Step 4: Configure Game Settings

  1. Adjust Video Settings:

In the Quake III main menu, navigate to Setup > System to adjust video settings for optimal performance on your Raspberry Pi.

  1. Set Controls:

Configure your keyboard and mouse settings in the Setup > Controls menu to suit your preferences.

  1. Multiplayer Setup:

To play multiplayer games, navigate to Multiplayer in the main menu, select a server, and join a game.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can set up and play Quake III on your Raspberry Pi 5, enjoying a classic gaming experience on modern hardware. With the power of the Raspberry Pi 5, Quake III runs smoothly, offering both single-player and multiplayer action. Customize your settings for the best performance and dive into the fast-paced world of Quake III Arena.