diff --git a/pkgs/misc/emulators/retroarch/default.nix b/pkgs/misc/emulators/retroarch/default.nix
index 6752ec8720a6..ac1998901ef6 100644
--- a/pkgs/misc/emulators/retroarch/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/misc/emulators/retroarch/default.nix
@@ -22,12 +22,13 @@ with lib;
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation rec {
   pname = "retroarch-bare";
-  version = "1.9.13.2";
+  # FIXME: retroarch >=1.9.3 doesn't load the cores
+  version = "1.9.2";
 
   src = fetchFromGitHub {
     owner = "libretro";
     repo = "RetroArch";
-    sha256 = "sha256-fehHchn+o9QM2wIK6zYamnbFvQda32Gw0rJk8Orx00U=";
+    sha256 = "sha256-Dwv0hl+d99FbVMG4KnkjO1aYfAw0m4x+zvrbyb/wOX8=";
     rev = "v${version}";
   };
 
diff --git a/pkgs/misc/emulators/retroarch/wrapper.nix b/pkgs/misc/emulators/retroarch/wrapper.nix
index 4cc7ad404be0..b8fbd70ecc46 100644
--- a/pkgs/misc/emulators/retroarch/wrapper.nix
+++ b/pkgs/misc/emulators/retroarch/wrapper.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-{ stdenv, lib, makeWrapper, retroarch, cores }:
+{ stdenv, lib, makeWrapper, retroarch, cores ? [ ] }:
 
 stdenv.mkDerivation {
   pname = "retroarch";
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ stdenv.mkDerivation {
 
   buildCommand = ''
     mkdir -p $out/lib
-    $(for coreDir in $cores
+    for coreDir in $cores
     do
-      $(ln -s $coreDir/* $out/lib/.)
-    done)
+      ln -s $coreDir/* $out/lib/.
+    done
 
     ln -s -t $out ${retroarch}/share