This is a custom theme for EmulationStation, inspired by the look and feel of classic Winamp. It’s a small tribute to those late 90s / early 2000s days — back when customizing your MP3 player skin felt like a form of self-expression.
I built this mainly for ArkOS, with a strong focus on 4:3 handheld devices like the R36S and BatleXP G350 (tested on both). It’s lightweight, pixel-friendly, and designed to feel a bit like booting up Winamp all over again — just with ROMs instead of MP3s.
| Carousel | Detailed Gamelist (w/ description) |
|---|---|
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| Main Menu | Grid View |
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| Submenu | Basic Gamelist |
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| Search | Video View (w/o metadata) |
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- UI based on the original Winamp interface
- Optimized layout for 4:3 screens (especially the R36S and G350)
- Lightweight visuals that prioritize readability
- Custom icons and minimalist animations
- Compatible with ArkOS and other EmulationStation-based systems
In EmulationStation, head to:
UI Settings > Theme Configuration
From there, you can fine-tune how things display:
-
Video Preview Options:
Choose whether the video view shows a screenshot, marquee, or thumbnail as your game's preview snapshot. -
Gamelist Options:
Decide what appears below the main image in detail view:- A description
- A marquee
- Or nothing at all for a cleaner look
These options are there to help you tailor the layout to your taste or device.
Big thanks to Matthew Wheeler, who vectorized the Winamp UI and made a fantastic Figma resource that I used to build this theme. You can find it here:
🔗 https://www.figma.com/community/file/860816931979280211
This project wouldn't exist without that work.
This theme uses:
- Pixelmix – a compact pixel font, free for non-commercial use.
- Arimo – licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0.
Unless otherwise noted (see above for Figma and fonts), all code, images, and files in this repository are released under the:
🔗 Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal License (CC0)
Feel free to use, remix, or adapt — no attribution required.
- Copy the
classic-winampfolder to your EmulationStation themes directory:/themes/classic-winamp/ - In EmulationStation, go to UI settings and switch your theme to Classic Winamp.
- Done. The theme should now be active.
If you find bugs, want to tweak it for your own device, or build on top of it — go for it. Feedback is welcome.