Virtual Boy emulators
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| |
| Developer | Nintendo |
|---|---|
| Type | Luggable |
| Generation | Fifth generation |
| Release date | 1995 |
| Discontinued | 1996 |
| Introductory price | US$179.95 (equivalent to $359.77 in 2024) |
| Predecessor | Game Boy |
| Successor | Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance |
| Emulated | ✓ |
The Virtual Boy is a fifth-generation luggable game console released by Nintendo and created by Game Boy creator Gunpei Yokoi on August 14, 1995. It has a NEC V810 CPU. It was the first games console to utilize 3D effects, however, is notable for only displaying graphics in red and black, as well as requiring users to attach the console to their head, usually while rested on the included tripod. The product was pulled shortly after release due to the majority of users getting headaches from using it. Notably, it was rushed to market and was never meant to be released in its current form.
Emulators[edit]
| Name | Platform(s) | Latest version | libretro | Retro Achievements |
VB Link | Netplay | License | Active | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC / x86 | |||||||||
| Mednafen Beetle VB |
    
|
1.32.1 libretro core |
✓ | ~[N 1] | ✗ | ✓ | GPLv2 (Copyleft) | ✓ | ✓ |
| VBjin |
|
SVN r103 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | GPLv2 (Copyleft) | ✗ | ~ |
| Rustual Boy |
|
git | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Dual licensed (Permissive) (Apache 2.0 or MIT) | ✗ | ✗ |
| MAME |
|
0.272 | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | GPLv2 BSD-3-Clause |
✓ | ✗ |
| Planet Virtual Boy emulator |
|
2019-03-27 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | zlib License (Permissive) | ✗ | ✗ |
| Red Dragon |
|
0.38 Final | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ? | ✗ | ✗ |
| Mobile / ARM | |||||||||
| Beetle VB |   
|
libretro core | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | GPLv2 (Copyleft) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Virtual Virtual Boy |
|
git1.11.0 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Hippocratic License 2.1 | ✓ | ~ |
| Console | |||||||||
| Beetle VB |      
|
libretro core | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | GPLv2 (Copyleft) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Red Viper |
|
0.9.6 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Custom[1] Non-commercial MIT |
✓ | ✓ |
| Red Dragon |
|
1019 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Proprietary | ✗ | ✗ |
| r3Ddragon |
|
git | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Custom[1] Non-commercial MIT |
✗ | ✗ |
- ↑ Exclusive to libretro core.
Comparisons[edit]
- Mednafen
- Has 100% compatibility with commercial games. Lets you change the Virtual Boy's color output to any hex color. For example, changing it to white shows all the games in greyscale instead of red, which really helps. 3D is enabled by default, but you can turn it off. To play it on platforms not supported by Mednafen use the libretro port which also supports SBS 3D by using glsl shaders, check this Reddit post for instructions. Doesn't seem to run at playable speeds on 3DS using the latest nightly build as of 2020-06-15. (Side by side 3D is now available built into the normal Beetle core options. A special shader is not necessary.)
- VBjin
- Also has 100% compatibility with commercial games. Has a fork that supports the Oculus Rift.
- Rustual Boy
- Claims 100% compatibility, however, accuracy isn't as good as Mednafen or even VBjin, and speed is even worse.
- Red Viper
- An updated fork of r3Ddragon, which itself is based on Reality Boy / Red Dragon. Runs all officially released Virtual Boy games at full speed on the original 3DS and has 3D support.
- Planet Virtual Boy emulator
- A Virtual Boy emulator written in Java and it was first released in 2018. 3DS support was planned. Forum thread
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Consoles: Color TV-Game • Nintendo Entertainment System (Family Computer) • Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Super Family Computer) • Nintendo 64 • GameCube • Wii • Wii U • Nintendo Switch Handhelds: Game & Watch • Game Boy/Color • Virtual Boy • Game Boy Advance • Nintendo DS • Nintendo DSi • Nintendo 3DS Related: Family Computer Disk System • Satellaview • 64DD • Super Game Boy • e-Reader • Amiibo • Triforce (Arcade) • Namco ES3 (Arcade) |
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Reality Boy is code is licensed under a Custom Non-commercial license
