Overview of the main popular systems that can be emulated without major issues.
- For software that emulates the Wii, see Wii emulators.
Please visit Wii Guide for info on softmodding.
Multi-system
RetroArch
Available cores (as of Retroarch 1.19.1)
| Cores
|
Game/System
|
Recommended Working?
|
| 2048
|
2048
|
✓
|
| CrocoDS
|
Amstrad - CPC
|
TBD
|
| Caprice32
|
Amstrad - CPC/GX4000
|
✓
|
| anarch
|
anarch
|
TBD
|
| FB Alpha 2012
|
Arcade
|
TBD
|
| FB Alpha 2012 CPS-1
|
TBD
|
| FB Alpha 2012 CPS-2
|
TBD
|
| FB Alpha 2012 CPS-3
|
TBD
|
| FB Alpha 2012 Neo Geo
|
TBD
|
| MAME 2000
|
TBD
|
| Ardens
|
Arduboy
|
TBD
|
| Arduous
|
TBD
|
| Stella 2014
|
Atari - 2600
|
✓
|
| a5200
|
Atari - 5200
|
TBD
|
| atari800
|
TBD
|
| ProSystem
|
Atari - 7800
|
✓
|
| Beetle Lynx
|
Atari - Lynx
|
✓
|
| Handy
|
✓
|
| Hatari
|
Atari ST/STE/TT/Falcon
|
TBD
|
| Beetle Cygane
|
Bandai - WonderSwan/Color
|
✓
|
| Cannonball
|
Cannonball
|
TBD
|
| NXEngine
|
Cave Story
|
TBD
|
| JAXE
|
CHIP-8/S-CHIP/XO-CHIP
|
TBD
|
| Gearcoleco
|
Coleco - Colecovision
|
~
|
| Frodo
|
Commodore - C64
|
TBD
|
| VICE x64, fast
|
TBD
|
| VICE x64, accurate
|
TBD
|
| VICE xscpu64
|
Commodore - C64 SuperCPU
|
TBD
|
| VICE x128
|
Commodore - C128
|
TBD
|
| VICE xcbm5x0
|
Commodore - CBM-II 5x0
|
TBD
|
| VICE xcbm2
|
Commodore - 6x0/7x0
|
TBD
|
| VICE xpet
|
Commodore - PET
|
TBD
|
| VICE xplus4
|
Commodore - PLUS/4
|
TBD
|
| VICE xvic
|
Commodore - VIC-20
|
TBD
|
| PrBoom
|
Doom
|
TBD
|
| bk
|
Elektronika - BK-0010/BK-0011(M)
|
TBD
|
| FreeChaF
|
Fairchild ChannelF
|
TBD
|
| REminiscence
|
Flashback
|
TBD
|
| Game Music Emu
|
Game Music Emu
|
TBD
|
| vecx
|
GCE - Vectrex
|
TBD
|
| Gong
|
Gong
|
TBD
|
| gw
|
Handheld Electronic
|
TBD
|
| squirrelJME
|
Java ME
|
TBD
|
| Jump 'n Bump
|
Jump 'n Bump
|
TBD
|
| LowRes NX
|
LowRes NX
|
TBD
|
| lutro
|
LUA Engine
|
TBD
|
| minivmac
|
Mac II
|
TBD
|
| o2em
|
Magnavox - Odyssey2 / Philips Videopac+
|
TBD
|
| freeIntv
|
Mattel - Intellivision
|
TBD
|
| fMSX
|
Microsoft - MSX
|
TBD
|
| MicroW8
|
MicroW8
|
TBD
|
| Bomberman
|
Mr.Boom
|
TBD
|
| blueMSX
|
MSX/SVI/ColecoVision/SG-1000
|
TBD
|
| Beetle PCE FAST
|
NEC - PC Engine / CD
|
✓
|
| Beetle SuperGrafx
|
NEC - PC Engine SuperGrafx
|
✓
|
| quasi88
|
NEC - PC-8000 / PC-8800 series
|
~
|
| Beetle PC-FX
|
NEC - PC-FX
|
~
|
| fixGB
|
Nintendo - Game Boy / Color
|
✓
|
| Gambatte
|
✓
|
| Gearboy
|
✗
(Crash)
|
| gpSP
|
Nintendo - Game Boy Advance
|
✓
|
| mGBA
|
✓
|
| VBA Next
|
✓
|
| VBA-M
|
TBD
|
| FCEUmn
|
Nintendo - NES/Famicom
|
✓
|
| fixNES
|
✓
|
| Nestopia
|
✓
|
| QuickNES
|
✓
|
| PokeMini
|
Nintendo - Pokemon Mini
|
✓
|
| Snes9x current
|
Nintendo - SNES/SFC
|
✓
|
| Snes9x 2002
|
✓
|
| Snes9x 2005 Plus
|
✓
|
| Snes9x 2005
|
✓
|
| Snes9x 2010
|
✓
|
| Beetle VB
|
Nintendo - Virtual Boy
|
~
|
| mu
|
Palm OS
|
TBD
|
| retro8
|
PICO-8
|
TBD
|
| PocketCDG
|
PocketCDG
|
TBD
|
| TyrQuake
|
Quake
|
TBD
|
| XRick
|
Rick Dangerous
|
TBD
|
| ScummVM
|
ScummVM
|
TBD
|
| SMS Plus GX
|
Sega - MS/GG
|
✓
|
| Genesis Plus GX
|
Sega - MS/GG/MD/CD
|
✗
(Black Screen)
|
| Genesis Plus GX Wide
|
✗
(Black Screen)
|
| PicoDrive
|
Sega - MS/GG/MD/CD/32X
|
✓
|
| GearSystem
|
Sega - MS/GG/SG-1000
|
✓
|
| X Millenium
|
Sharp X1
|
TBD
|
| EightyOne
|
Sinclair - ZX81
|
TBD
|
| Fuse
|
Sinclair - ZX Spectrum
|
TBD
|
| Beetle NeoPop
|
SNK - Neo Geo Pocket/ Color
|
✓
|
| RACE
|
✗
(Crash)
|
| pcsx_rearmed
|
Sony - Playstation 1
|
✓
|
| numero
|
Texas Instruments TI-83
|
TBD
|
| Thomson - MO/TO
|
Thomson - MO/TO
|
TBD
|
| TIC-80
|
TIC-80
|
TBD
|
| uzem
|
Uzebox
|
TBD
|
| VAporSpec
|
VaporSpec
|
TBD
|
| WASM-4
|
WASM-4
|
TBD
|
| ECWolf
|
Wolfenstein 3D
|
TBD
|
- RA-SS
- A fork of RetroArch that aims to provide a more compact and user friendly experience. It adds several quality of life improvements such as auto-resolution switching, better multiplayer support, debloated menus, per-game and per-core settings, Wii Message Board integration, and more.
Wiimednafen
Emulates the following:
GameBoy/GameBoy Color
GameBoy Advance
Game Gear
Lynx
MegaDrive/Genesis
Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)
Neo Geo Pocket
PC Engine (CD)/TurboGrafx 16 (CD)/SuperGrafx (Fast version)
PC-FX
Sega Master System
Virtual Boy
WonderSwan
WiiMednafen has not been programmed to work in PAL systems and it will have black bars on top and bottom of the screen leading to a sort of widescreen stretch effect. Double-strike mode (240p) will not work properly on PAL systems even on a CRT and regardless of the cables used.
Arcade
| Name
|
Latest version
|
Accuracy
|
FLOSS
|
Active
|
Recommended
|
MAME Wii
(based on MAME 0.134u4)
|
1.0
|
Mid
|
✓
|
✗
|
✓
|
MAME Wii Mod (mod of MAME Wii, WiiFlow support added)
(based on MAME 0.134u4)
|
1.0 r2
|
Mid
|
✓
|
~
|
✓
|
MAME4Wii
(based on MAME 0.135)
|
1.35.2
|
Mid
|
✓
|
~
|
✓
|
| SDLMAME
|
0.125
|
Mid
|
✗
|
✗
|
~
|
Triforce Arcade
Consoles
Atari 2600
Atari 7800
ColecoVision
GCE Vectrex
Magnavox Odyssey²/Videopac
Mattel Intellivision
NEC PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16)
NEC PC Engine SuperGrafx
NEC PC-FX
Nintendo 64
| Name
|
Latest version
|
Nunchuk Support
|
Accuracy
|
Dolphin
|
Wii U
|
FLOSS
|
Active
|
Recommended
|
| Not64
|
git
|
✓
|
Mid
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
| Wii64
|
1.1
|
✓
|
Mid
|
✗ (Low Compatibility)
|
~ (Low Compatibility)
|
✓
|
✗
|
~
|
| Wii64 glN64
|
git
|
✓
|
Mid
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
TBD
|
| Wii64 Rice
|
git
|
✓
|
Mid
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
There's frequent hiccups and graphical glitches in most N64 games on either emulators. Tinkering with settings might help in some cases. (Source)
Nintendo GameCube
This requires a bit of explaining.
When the Nintendo Wii was launched, it introduced native backward compatibility with the GameCube, allowing memory cards and GameCube controllers to be used with GameCube games. This is widely known and it allowed Dolphin to support the Wii early in its open-source era. However, this compatibility was lost when Nintendo released newer models called the Wii: Family Edition (although the ports were merely stripped from the casing; the circuit board still contains the areas where the connectors would go, see Wikipedia's section on it) and the Wii Mini (which also lacks an SD card slot as well.) Also on the Wii U, the GameCube ports don't exist at all, only being offered afterward as a USB peripheral in order to play Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.
However, homebrew developer FIX94 has developed Nintendont, an interpreter that allows all versions of the Wii (and the Wii U) that can run homebrew to read and run GameCube games, not only from a disc, but from SD cards and USB devices too. This comes with the added benefit that more controllers are supported past the normal GameCube ones, which makes it possible to play on consoles that don't have GCN controller ports.
Some notable features are the ability to use other controllers like the Classic Controller, Wiimote+Nunchuck, and some HID USB controllers, memory card emulation, playing TRIFORCE arcade games (after converted to an .iso), and recently Broadband Adapter emulation using the Wii's wireless communications.
Nintendont can run standalone via HBC, but it's recommended running it indirectly through a usb loader. All big three usb loaders support it: usb loader gx, wiiflow lite, cfg loader. Make sure you're using the latest version of the loader.
Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System/Super Famicom
Snes9x-GX is optimized for compatibility, RX for speed, while TX is similar to GX including some options from RX (but not speed).
SEGA SG-1000/Master System/Genesis/Game Gear
- PicoDrive
- While it is only available as a libretro core and is behind Genesis Plus GX and WiiMednafen in terms of compatibility and accuracy, it is currently the only way to play Sega 32X games on the Wii. Same for play Sega Pico games.
Slowdown may occur when on 3D sections of Genesis games or 32X games.
SEGA Saturn
SNK Neo Geo
Anything bigger than 25MBs won't load because the Wii doesn't have enough memory. Some uncompatible roms can be modified in order to work. A good compatibility list is available on a Spanish website.
SNK Neo Geo CD
Sony PlayStation
| Name
|
Latest version
|
Accuracy
|
Dolphin
|
Wii U
|
FLOSS
|
Active
|
Recommended
|
| WiiStation (highly enhanced port of PCSX-R with elements from PCSX-ReARMed)
|
3.2
|
Mid-High
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
| WiiSX
|
4.1
|
Mid-High
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
| WiiSXR (port of PCSX-R)
|
Beta 2.3
|
Mid
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
✗
|
~
|
| WiiSXRX (enhanced port of PCSX-R)
|
3.3
|
Mid
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
✓
|
| PCSX-Revolution
|
rev.50
|
Low-Mid
|
✗ (Low Compatibility)
|
✗ (Low Compatibility)
|
✓
|
✗
|
✗
|
Handhelds
Atari Lynx
Bandai WonderSwan
LED Handheld
Nintendo DS
| Name
|
Latest version
|
DSi
|
GBA
|
Accuracy
|
Dolphin
|
Wii U
|
FLOSS
|
Active
|
Recommended
|
| DeSmuME Wii
|
r253
|
✗
|
✗
|
Mid
|
✗ (Very Slow/Low Compatibility)
|
✗ (Very Slow/Low Compatibility)
|
✓
|
✗
|
✓
|
Nintendo Game Boy/Color/Advance
emGBA has around 13%-17% worse performance than regular mGBA on heavy GBA games. (Source)
Nintendo Virtual Boy
SNK Neo Geo Pocket
Trojan LCD Game
Computers
Amstrad CPC
Apple IIe
Atari 800/XL/XE/XEGS/5200
Atari ST
BBC Micro
Commodore 64
Commodore Amiga
Microsoft MSX
NEC-PC 88 series
NEC-PC 98 series
Philips VG 5000
Sinclair ZX Spectrum
Tandy CoCo - Dragon 32/64
Tandy Radio Shack TRS-80
Other
CHIP-8
Unless you use an ancient HBC, you might receive a invalid elf error. The elf-dol_converter should workaround this.
- ↑ Loading time is not too long in the Wii port of Sonic Mania and it plays great for the most part. However, the giant ring special stages will significantly reduce the frame rate to ~5–10 fps depending on the number of 3D resources in sight but the developer plans to optimize special stage performances. Until an update with special stage optimization is released, it's best to avoid the giant ring special stages.
Other games
| Name
|
Latest version
|
FLOSS
|
Active
|
Recommended
|
| Super Mario War
|
git
|
?
|
✗
|
✓
|
