diff --git a/frontend/frontend_console.c b/frontend/frontend_console.c
index 61c47551d6..bdc207c141 100644
--- a/frontend/frontend_console.c
+++ b/frontend/frontend_console.c
@@ -31,11 +31,13 @@
 
 #undef main
 
-int rarch_console_preinit(void);
-
+// Only called once on init and deinit.
+// Video and input drivers need to be active (owned)
+// before retroarch core starts.
 static void init_console_drivers(void)
 {
-   driver.video->start();
+   init_drivers_pre(); // Set driver.* function callbacks.
+   driver.video->start(); // Statically starts video driver. Sets driver.video_data.
    driver.input_data = driver.input->init();
    rarch_input_set_controls_default(driver.input);
    driver.input->post_init();
@@ -69,7 +71,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
    rarch_settings_set_default();
    rarch_config_load();
 
-   rarch_console_preinit();
+   config_load();
+   init_libretro_sym();
+   init_system_info();
 
    init_console_drivers();
 
diff --git a/retroarch.c b/retroarch.c
index 509434b065..0f11ff8df6 100644
--- a/retroarch.c
+++ b/retroarch.c
@@ -2643,38 +2643,6 @@ static void validate_cpu_features(void)
 #endif
 }
 
-#ifdef RARCH_CONSOLE
-int rarch_console_preinit(void)
-{
-   init_state();
-
-   if (g_extern.verbose)
-   {
-      RARCH_LOG_OUTPUT("=== Build =======================================");
-      print_compiler(stderr);
-      RARCH_LOG_OUTPUT("=================================================\n");
-   }
-
-   validate_cpu_features();
-   config_load();
-
-   init_libretro_sym();
-   init_system_info();
-
-   init_drivers_pre();
-
-   return 0;
-
-#if 0
-error:
-   pretro_deinit();
-   uninit_libretro_sym();
-
-   return 1;
-#endif
-}
-#endif
-
 int rarch_main_init(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
    init_state();