Fantasy console emulators

add: these consoles and computers

Fantasy consoles are fictitious video game consoles. they aim to recreate the experience of retrogaming without the need to emulate real hardware, allowing specifications of their emulated hardware surpassing the real hardware specifications of the consoles they are molded after.

PICO-8

PICO-8

Developer	Lexaloffle Games
Type	Fantasy console
Emulated	✓

PICO-8 is a fantasy console created by Lexaloffle Games. It recreates the limited graphics (color and resolution) and audio capabilities of the 1980s/8-bit machines it is modeled after.

The popular game Celeste was originally created in PICO-8 during a game jam before later being recreated for releases on computers and consoles, with the PICO-8 version being retroactively titled 'Celeste Classic'.

PICO-8 emulators

Name	Platform(s)	Latest Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
PC / x86
PICO-8		0.2.6b	✗	✓	✓
tac08		git	✓	✗	!
Mobile / ARM
PICO-8		0.2.6b	✗	✓	✓
Web
PICO-8		Website	✗	✓	✓
Console
fake-08		git	✓	✓	!
PS4-P8		git	✓	✗	!
zepto8		git	?	✗	!
Other
PICOLOVE	LÖVE	git	✓	✓	!

TIC-80

TIC-80

Developer	Vadim Grigoruk (Nesbox)
Type	Fantasy computer
Emulated	✓

TIC-80 is a free and open-source (MIT Licensed) fantasy computer created by Vadim Grigoruk (Nesbox). It recreates It recreates the limited graphics (color and resolution) and audio capabilities of the 1980s/8-bit machines it is modeled after.

TIC-80 emulators

Name	Platform(s)	Latest Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
PC / x86
TIC-80		git	✓	✓	✓
Mobile / ARM
TIC-80		git	✓	✓	✓
Web
TIC-80		Website	✓	✓	✓
Console
TIC-80		git	✓	✓	✓

imeight

imeight emulator

Developer(s)	tchibo
Latest version	N/A
Active	No
Platform(s)	Web
Emulates	imeight (fantasy machine)
Compatibility	N/A
Website	SourceForge
Download(s)	SourceForge
Programmed in	JavaScript
Source code	SourceForge

An HTML5 emulator of a machine that never existed. The emulator brings back memories from the 1980s, offers graphical features like sprites, character generator, 16-color palette.

One goal is to create a framework for making games with 8-bit look and feel, including the process of programming.

The programming tutorial helps beginners enter the world of programming in a gamified way.

imeight emulator

Name	Platform(s)	Latest Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
Web
imeight		Try-it Page	✓	✓	✓

Vircon32

Vircon32

Developer(s)	Carra
Latest version	v1.1 (BIOS) v24.3.2 (emulator) v1.1 (libretro core)
Active	Yes
Platform(s)
Emulates	Vircon32 (fantasy console)
Compatibility	N/A
Website	Website
Download(s)	Official emulator Libretro core
Programmed in	C and Assembly (BIOS) C++ (emulator)
Source code	Console software Computer software

Vircon32 is a fantasy console created by Carra. As the name implies, it is a 32-bit virtual console inspired by the 16-bit and 32-bit generations of video gaming.

Vircon32 emulators

Name	Platform(s)	Latest Version	FLOSS	Active	Recommended
PC / x86
Vircon32 vircon32_libretro		Website git libretro core	✓	✓	✓
Mobile / ARM
Vircon32		git	✓	✓	✓
vircon32_libretro		git	✓	✓	✓
Console
vircon32_libretro		git	✓	✓	✓

See also

• CHIP-8 - predecessor to fantasy consoles.