Official emulators
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This page lists all the emulators that were internally developed by their console manufacturers, used for either allowing backward compatibility or debugging.
Contents
Sony
Emulators on PSP
PlayStation One Portable Station (POPS):
- PS1 emulator for PSP, for playing PS1 Classics off PS Store.
Emulators on Android
PlayStation Pocket:
- PS1 emulator bundled with the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. It partially depends on hardware emulation, so it's not compatible with other phone models. It was meant to only work with select titles sold on the official web store, but it took less than a year for an injector to emerge. Emulation accuracy is mid-tier at best and the injector only works with single-track games, although multi-track games are theoretically possible.
Emulators on Vita
PSP mode. You can also run PSP version of POPS through this using VHBL and POPSLoader. With Adrenaline it's possible to boot to PSP XMB and run any PSP titles. Partially depends on hardware emulation which is basically perfect.
PlayStation One Portable Station (POPS-Vita):
- PS1 emulator for Vita, for playing PS1 Classics off PS Store. This seems to be a port of PSP's POPS loader, even using some POPS modules with PSP mode.[1]
Emulators on PS2
PlayStation One Portable Station (SLBB-00001):
- PS1 emulator for PS2 internal and USB HDD. Install POPStarter on FreeMcBoot to use. Developed by SCEI, it was published by Konami as DLC for BB Unit owners, and came with (and locked to only play) the game ビシバシスペシャル3.[2]
Compatibility Lists
Emulators on PS3
PlayStation
| Emulator | Release | Use |
|---|---|---|
| ps1_emu | FW 1.00 | Emulator for running PS1 discs. |
| ps1_netemu | FW 1.70 | Emulator for PS1 Classic downloads off PS Store. |
| ps1_newemu | FW 2.10 | For PSP remote play. |
Compatibility Lists
- Official lists: JP
More info: PS3 Developer Wiki
PlayStation 2
| Emulator | Release | Last Update | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ps2_emu | FW 1.00 | FW 4.78 | For CECHA and CECHB, doesn't emulate Emotion Engine or Graphics Synthesizer. Instead, relies on the actual EE and GS inside model CECHA/CECHB. |
| ps2_gxemu | FW 1.50 | FW 4.78 | For models CECHC and CECHE, doesn't emulate Graphics Synthesizer. Instead, relies on the actual GS inside model CECHA/CECHE. |
| ps2_softemu | FW 1.90 | FW 3.72 | First iteration of full software emulator. Had disc support. Was never enabled. Could be tested in factory test mode, but the accuracy is terrible. |
| ps2_netemu | FW 3.73 | FW 4.78 | Emulator for PS2 Classics downloads off PS Store and CFW. No disc support, only eboots packed in .pkg. |
Compatibility Lists (Software)
Compatibility Lists (Hardware)
More info: PS3 Developer Wiki
PlayStation Portable
| Emulator | Release | Use |
|---|---|---|
| psp_emulator | FW 3.15 | For playing games off the PSN store, and 'HD Remakes' of PSP games. |
| psp_translator | FW 3.15 | Unknown. |
Compatibility Lists
- PSDevWiki PSP Emulator on PS3 Compatibility List
- PShomeBREW PSP On PS3 Compatibility List
- Cobra Dongle Compatibility List
- PS3Hax Thread
More info: PS3 Developer Wiki
Emulators on PS4
All these emulators do run in PS5 through PS4's backward compatibility mode.
PlayStation
| Emulator | Release | Use |
|---|---|---|
| ps1hd | Not included in firmware, but in game pkg | For playing PS1 re-releases from the PS store |
PS4 Developer Wiki Compatibility List
PlayStation 2
| Emulator | Release | Use |
|---|---|---|
| ps2_netemu variant | Not included in firmware, but in game pkg | For playing PS2 re-releases from the PSN store, e.g. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas) |
PS4 Developer Wiki Compatibility List
PlayStation Portable
| Emulator | Release | Use |
|---|---|---|
| PSPHD | Not included in firmware, but in game pkg | For playing HD remasters of PSP games, e.g. PaRappa the Rapper Remastered) |
PS4 Developer Wiki Compatibility List
Nintendo
Multi-System
- Main article: Virtual Console
- L-CLASSICS - NES and SNES emulator used for Nintendo Switch Online.
- threeb - Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, and NES emulator used for 3DS Virtual Console titles. For GBA, it should not be confused with AGB_FIRM.
NES
- Kachikachi - Emulator used for the NES Classic Edition.
- flog - Emulator included in the Nintendo Switch firmware until v4.0.0. Plays only one game (Golf).
- Heritage - Emulator used in the NES Remix series of games.
SNES
- Canoe - Emulator used for the SNES Classic Edition.
Nintendo 64
- (codename unknown) - Emulator used for N64 titles on Wii Virtual Console. Made by NST.
- VESSEL - Emulator used for N64 titles on Wii U Virtual Console. Made by iQue.
- Hovercraft - Emulator used for the Nintendo 64 - Nintendo Switch Online app; also used in Super Mario 3D All-Stars (for Mario 64). Made jointly by NERD and iQue, originally as a fork of VESSEL.
GameCube / Wii
- Dolphin - GameCube emulator intended for debugging. Does not run commercial games. Not to be confused with the unofficial Dolphin emulator.
- Hagi - Emulator used for re-releases of GameCube and Wii games on Nintendo Switch. Currently featured in Super Mario 3D All-Stars (for both Sunshine and Galaxy), Pikmin, and Pikmin 2.
- Lingcod - Emulator used for Wii games on NVIDIA Shield units sold exclusively in Mainland China, made by NVIDIA as part of a deal with Nintendo. Does not play standard 1:1 Wii games without modifications and does not run on other NVIDIA Shield units or Android devices.
Game Boy
- Hiyoko - Emulator used for the Game Boy - Nintendo Switch Online app. It always runs games in Game Boy Color mode. No SGB features are supported.
Game Boy Advance
- m2engage - Emulator made by M2 used for GBA titles on Wii U Virtual Console. Shares the name used for other retro projects made by M2, mainly for Sega Genesis re-releases.
- Sloop - Emulator used for the Game Boy Advance - Nintendo Switch Online app. Developed by Panasonic Vietnam.
Nintendo DS
- Ensata - Emulator intended for quick debugging for developers. Can run a small number of commercial games.
- Hachihachi - Emulator made by NERD used for DS titles on Wii U Virtual Console. Does not run DSi-enhanced or DSi-only games.
Sega Genesis / Mega Drive
- m2engage - Emulator made by M2 used on SEGA Genesis - Nintendo Switch Online app.
Microsoft
Multi-System
- Fission - Xbox 360 and original Xbox emulator for Xbox One and Series X/S.
Xbox
- Fusion - Emulator for Xbox 360.
Sega
Multi-System
- m2engage - Acronym of one or multiple emulators used in Sega projects from Japan since SEGA AGES Online series, made by M2:
- Sega Arcade games (SEGA AGES Online, Sega 3D Classics, Switch SEGA AGES, Yakuza / Like a Dragon series)
- SG-1000 (Sega 3D Fukkoku Archives 3: Final Stage)
- Sega Master System (SEGA AGES Online, Sega 3D Fukkoku Archives, Sega 3D Classics Collection, Switch SEGA AGES, Lost Judgment)
- Sega Genesis (SEGA AGES Online, Sega 3D Classics, Switch SEGA AGES, Sega Genesis Mini 1 & 2)
- Sega Game Gear (3DS Virtual Console, Game Gear Micro)
- Sega CD (Sega Genesis Mini 2)
Sega Master System
- PS1.EXE - Partial emulator used inside Phantasy Star Collection for Sega Saturn. Emulates the 1994 Japanese re-release of Phantasy Star for Sega Mega Drive. Does not emulate the sound, which is handled by streamed data files.
Sega Genesis / Mega Drive
- 1MD_EMU.BIN - Emulator used on the Dream Library service, available on Dream Passport 3 and Sega Smash Pack Vol. 1 discs for Sega Dreamcast. Features bad YM2612 emulation.
PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
- PCEMU.BIN - Emulator used on the Dream Library service, available on Dream Passport 3 disc for Sega Dreamcast. Can only play HuCard / TurboChip games. No method of loading ROMs is known.
NEC
PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16
- m2engage - Emulator made by M2 under contract by Konami used in TurboGrafx-16 Mini. It can emulate standard HuCard, CD, SuperGrafx, and Arcade Card games.
- VPCE - Emulator made by D4 Enterprise under contract by Konami used in TurboGrafx-16 titles on 3DS Virtual Console, based on multiple mentions inside the "code.bin" file. It is unknown if it shares source code from the unofficial emulator of the same name.
