Atari 2600 emulators

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Atari VCS / Atari 2600
Atari-2600-Wood-4Sw-Set.png
Developer Atari, Inc.
Type Home video game console
Generation Second generation
Release date 1977
Discontinued 1992
Introductory price US$199.99 (equivalent to $1005.27 in 2024)
HGSF US$19.99 (equivalent to $100.48 in 2024)
Predecessor Home Pong, Super Pong, Video Pinball
Successor 5200 SuperSystem
Emulated

The Atari 2600 (also known as Video Computer System or simply VCS) is a second-generation console released by Atari on September 11, 1977. It had a 6507 CPU at 1.19 MHz with 128 bytes of RAM. It had a 160x192 16-color, out of 128, display.

Despite the apparent simplicity of the console and its games, emulation of the 2600 is surprisingly difficult relative to other early consoles due to its unusual primitive hardware designed as a cost-saving measure, including the complete lack of a framebuffer and resulting need to "race the beam" to display graphics. Despite this, at least two emulators have offered highly accurate 2600 emulation for years.

Emulators[edit]

Name Platform(s) Latest version Retro
Achievements
Hardware features
and peripherals
Accuracy License Active Recommended
x86
Stella
stella_libretro
stella2014_libretro
Windows Linux macOS FreeBSD 7.0
libretro core[N 1]
[N 2] ~ Cycle GPLv2 (Copyleft)
MAME Windows Linux macOS FreeBSD git artifacts[N 3]
0.272
libretro core[N 4]
? Cycle GPLv2
BSD-3-Clause
Pantheon Windows 14.620 ? High Proprietary ~
ares Windows Linux macOS v141 roadmap ? ? ISC (Permissive ~
PCAE Windows MS-DOS 2.6
2.7
? High GPLv2 (Copyleft) ~
z26 Windows Linux macOS FreeBSD MS-DOS 4.07 ? High GPLv2 (Copyleft) ~
javatari
javatari.js (old)
Web 5.0.3 ? ? AGPLv3 (Copyleft) ~
BizHawk
(Original)(Stella)
Windows Linux Dev builds
2.10-rc2
? ?
(Core dependent)
MIT (Permissive)
GPL
~
Gopher2600 Windows Linux 0.35.2 ? High GPLv3 (Copyleft)
CLK Linux macOS FreeBSD 2024-10-19 ? Mid MIT (Permissive)
EMU7800 Windows 5.5.0.0 ? Mid GPLv2 (Copyleft)
Stellarator Windows Linux macOS FreeBSD git ? ? BSD-3-Clause (Permissive)
ARM
Z64K Java 2.0.0 ? Cycle Proprietary
stella_libretro
stella2014_libretro
Android iOS Linux GP32 libretro core ~ ? GPLv3 (Copyleft)
Stella - Pyra Dragonbox Pyra 0.1 ? ? ?
2600.emu Android Dragonbox Pyra 1.5.77
1.5.46.02 Pyra
? ? Proprietary
Ataroid Android 1.0.4 ? ? Proprietary
g2600 Android 7.2.0 ? ? Proprietary
Console
stella_libretro
stella2014_libretro
PlayStation 3 PSP Vita
Wii Wii U Nintendo 3DS Switch
Xbox One Xbox Series X/S
libretro core ~ Mid GPLv2 (Copyleft)
StellaDS Nintendo DS git
1.2
Phoenix Edition
? ? GPLv2 (Copyleft)
(Phoenix Edition)
Wii2600 Wii git ? Mid GPLv2 (Copyleft) ~
PSP2600 PSP 1.2.0
Source (1.2.0)
? Mid GPLv2 (Copyleft)
Stella GC GameCube 18-12-2007 ? Mid ?
PVCS Reloaded PlayStation 2 0.3 ? Mid GPLv2 (Copyleft)
Stella DC Dreamcast 0.2F ? ? Proprietary
Game
1FPS Atari 2600 Emulator Minecraft 0.2 ? ? ?
  1. Even though it's updated frequently, some hardware features are exclusive to the standalone version. Therefore, using the standalone version is recommended.
  2. Exclusive to libretro core.
  3. CI-Windows CI-Linux CI-Macos
  4. As 0.251, 0.139 (2010), 0.78 (2003), 0.37b5 (2000)

Hardware features and peripherals[edit]

Name Stella
Amiga mouse
Atari mouse
AtariVox
Booster Grip
Driving Controller
Sega Genesis
Atari Keypad
Kid Vid Controller
MindLink
Atari Paddles
SaveKey
Trak-Ball
XE Light Gun
QuadTari
Joy 2B+
Atari 7800 console button
Atari 7800 game
HyperShot ?
Track & Field Controller ?
Atari Space Age Joystick ?
Flight Commander ?
Overlay ?
Space Shuttle ?
Foot Craz ?
Joyboard ?
Kid's Controller ?
Remote Control Joysticks ?
Video Touch Pad ?
MarJac Romscanner ?
Frying

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

Internet Archive[edit]

Atari logo.png
Consoles: Atari 2600Atari 5200Atari 7800Atari XEGSAtari JaguarAtari VCS
Handhelds: Atari Lynx
Computers: Atari 8-bitAtari ST