Video: Meet the Card Reader

A little less than a year ago, we launched the Card Reader, an accessory that turns your Recalbox into a real cartridge-based console. We wrote a blog post about it at the time, but we thought a demonstration video would be a better way to showcase this kind of accessory. So here’s a guided tour, showing you how the Card Reader works in just 8 minutes.

An accessory for reliving old memories

Launched in December 2025, the Card Reader is a module that sits on top of your RecalTower. The idea is simple: insert a RecalCard and the game linked to it launches automatically. Remove the card and you’re back at the Recalbox menu. It’s a familiar gesture for anyone who grew up with cartridges.

We’d already introduced the Card Reader in an article, but we’d never made a video to walk you through its features and the different screens for this module.

The video

For the first time on the blog, we’re embedding a video directly in an article. Over the course of 8 minutes, you’ll see the Card Reader in action: how to install it, link a game to a card, use it day to day, and check out the famous RecalCards.

More about the Card Reader

The video covers more than just the accessory itself. It also explores everything around it: RecalCards, the RecalCards Gen tool for creating your own labels, and the benefits reserved for Patrons.

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