Editing Atari 2600 emulators

{{Infobox console
|title = Atari VCS / Atari 2600
|logo = Atari-2600-Wood-4Sw-Set.png
|developer = [[:Atari|Atari, Inc.]]
|type = [[:Category:Home consoles|Home video game console]]
|generation = [[:Category:Second-generation consoles|Second generation]]
|release = 1977
|discontinued = 1992
|introductory price = {{Inflation|USD|199.99|1977}}
|successor = [[Atari 5200 emulators|Atari 5200]]
|emulated = {{✓}}
}}

The '''[[gametech:Atari 2600|Atari 2600]]''' (also known as '''Video Computer System''' or simply '''VCS''') is a second-generation console released by [[wikipedia:Atari|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==
<div style="max-width:100%; overflow:auto;">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! scope="col"|Name
! scope="col"|Platform(s)
! scope="col"|Latest version
! scope="col"|<small>[https://retroachievements.org/gameList.php?c=25 Retro<br/>Achievements]</small>
! scope="col"|[[libretro]]
! scope="col"|[[Emulation accuracy|Accuracy]]
! scope="col"|<abbr title="Free/Libre and Open-Source Software">FLOSS</abbr>
! scope="col"|Active
! scope="col"|[[Recommended emulators|Recommended]]
|-
! colspan="9"|PC / x86
|-
|[[Stella]]<br/><small>[https://docs.libretro.com/library/stella/ stella_libretro]<br/>stella2014_libretro
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[https://stella-emu.github.io/downloads.html {{StellaVer}}]<br/>[https://www.retroarch.com/index.php?page=platforms libretro core]
|{{✓}}<ref group=N>Exclusive to libretro core.</ref> ||{{✓}} ||Cycle ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[MAME]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|<abbr title="Latest development version">git artifacts</abbr><ref group=N>[https://nightly.link/mamedev/mame/workflows/ci-windows/master CI-Windows] [https://nightly.link/mamedev/mame/workflows/ci-linux/master CI-Linux] [https://nightly.link/mamedev/mame/workflows/ci-macos/master CI-Macos]</ref></br>[http://www.mamedev.org/release.html {{MAMEVer}}]
|{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||Cycle ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[Pantheon]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
|[http://bostjan-grandovec.si/Content/News.htm {{PantheonVer}}]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||High ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[ares]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares/releases {{aresVer}}]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||?||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[http://pcae.vg-network.com/ PCAE]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|DOS}}
|[http://pcae.vg-network.com/ 2.6]<br />[http://www.bjars.com/emulators/pcaewin_2.7.zip 2.7]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||High ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[https://alienbill.com/2600/ z26]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD|DOS}}
|[http://www.whimsey.com/z26/z26.html 4.07]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||High ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[https://github.com/ppeccin/javatari.js javatari]<br />[https://github.com/ppeccin/javatari javatari.js (old)]
|align=left|{{Icon|Web}}
|[http://javatari.org 5.0.3]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[BizHawk]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}
|[https://gitlab.com/TASVideos/BizHawk/-/pipelines Dev builds]<br/>[http://tasvideos.org/BizHawk/ReleaseHistory.html {{BizHawkVer}}]
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
|-
|Gopher2600
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}
|[https://github.com/JetSetIlly/Gopher2600/releases 0.26.2b]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||High ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[[Clock Signal|CLK]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[https://github.com/TomHarte/CLK/releases {{ClkVer}}]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[http://emu7800.sourceforge.net/ EMU7800]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
|[https://github.com/emu7800/emu7800.github.io/releases {{EMU7800Ver}}]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|Stellarator
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[https://github.com/dpiponi/Stellarator git]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
|-
! colspan="9"|Mobile / ARM
|-
|[[Z64K]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Java}}
|[https://z64k.com/ {{Z64KVer}}]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Cycle ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[https://docs.libretro.com/library/stella/ stella_libretro]<br/><small>stella2014_libretro
|align=left|{{Icon|Android|iOS|Linux|GP32}}
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|Stella - Pyra
|align=left|{{Icon|Pyra}}
|[https://pyra-handheld.com/repo/apps/8 0.1]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|2600.emu
|align=left|{{Icon|Android|Pyra}}
|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.explusalpha.A2600Emu {{.emuVer}}]</br>[https://pyra-handheld.com/repo/apps/73 1.5.46.02 Pyra]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|Ataroid
|align=left|{{Icon|Android}}
|[https://www.zophar.net/android/a2600/ataroid.html 1.0.4]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|g2600
|align=left|{{Icon|Android}}
|[https://apkpure.com/g2600-a2600-emu/com.goodgorgon.play2600/download?from=details 7.2.0]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
! colspan="9"|Console
|-
|[https://docs.libretro.com/library/stella/ stella_libretro]<br/><small>stella2014_libretro
|align=left|{{Icon|PS3|PSP|Vita}}<br>{{Icon|Wii|WiiU|3DS|Switch}}<br>{{Icon|NDS|XboxOne|XboxSXS}}
|[https://www.retroarch.com/index.php?page=platforms libretro core]
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|Wii2600
|align=left|{{Icon|Wii}}
|[https://github.com/arocchi/wii2600/releases git]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{~}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|PSP2600
|align=left|{{Icon|PSP}}
|[https://psp.brewology.com/downloads/get.php?id=9738 1.2.0]<br>[https://psp.brewology.com/downloads/get.php?id=9736 Source (1.2.0)]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|Stella GC
|align=left|{{Icon|NGC}}
|[https://www.gc-forever.com/wiki/index.php?title=StellaGC 18-12-2007]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|PVCS Reloaded
|align=left|{{Icon|PS2}}
|[http://www.brunofreitas.com/node/26 0.3]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|Stella DC
|align=left|{{Icon|DC}}
|[https://dcemulation.org/index.php?title=Stella_DC 0.2F]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}
|-
! colspan="8"|Game
|-
|1FPS Atari 2600 Emulator
|Minecraft
|[https://sethbling.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Downloads/Builds/15seconds.zip 0.2]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|}
</div>

<references group=N />

===Accessories support===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"
|- style="font-weight:bold;"
! 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
|?
|}

==External links==
* [http://www.atarimania.com/rom_collection_archive_atari_2600_roms.html Atari 2600 VCS ROM Collection by Rom Hunter]

===Internet Archive===
* [https://archive.org/details/atari_2600_library Console Library: Atari 2600]
* [https://archive.org/details/atari2600manuals Console Manuals: Atari 2600]

{{Atari}}

[[Category:Consoles]]
[[Category:Home consoles]]
[[Category:Second-generation consoles]]
[[Category:Atari consoles]]
[[Category:Atari 2600 emulators|*]]