Super Nintendo emulators

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES)

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) is a 16-bit, 4th generation console released on 1990 in North America. In Japan, it was known as the Super Famicom. The Satellaview was a subscription based add-on released only in Japan that streamed content to the Super Famicom. The Super Game Boy was a peripheral designed to play Game Boy and black Game Boy Color cartridges on the Super Nintendo. Both the Satellaview and the Super Game Boy are supported by higan.

Emulation for the SNES is robust, with several high quality emulators for various systems, with some even being cycle accurate.

Emulators

PC

Name	OS	Version	Libretro Core	Accuracy	Recommended
bsnes (higan)	Windows, Linux	0.94	✓	Cycle	✓
Snes9x	Multi-platform	1.53	✓	High	✓
BizHawk (bsnes)	Windows	1.7.4	✗	Cycle	✗
Mednafen (bsnes)	Multi-platform	0.9.36.2	✓	High	✗
MESS	Multi-platform	0.154	✓	Low	✗
Silhouette	Macintosh	1.0	✗	Low	✗
ZSNES	Multi-platform	1.51	✗	Low	✗

Mobile

Name	OS	Version	Libretro Core	Accuracy	Recommended
Snes9x-Next*	Multi-platform	1.53	✓	Mid	✓
Snes9x EX+	Android	1.5.19	✗	Low	✗
SuperGNES	Android	r89	✗	Low	✗

*Only available on mobile as a libretro core (e.g. RetroArch).

Console

Name	OS	Version	Libretro Core	Accuracy	Recommended
Snes9x-Next*	Multi-platform	1.53	✓	Mid	✓
Snes9xTYL(me)cm Mod	PSP	r26	✗	Low	✓
Virtual Console	Wii and Wii U	n/a	✗	Cycle	✓

*Only available on consoles as a libretro core (e.g. RetroArch).

Comparisons

1. bsnes (higan)

• The most accurate of the bunch. Should play any and all commercially released games without trouble, assuming you have the power.
• A Core 2 Duo at 2 GHz is the weakest I've seen run the balanced version full speed for most games.
• Balanced works. You do NOT need the accuracy build for anything but one game. And it's just a missing shadow even for that.
• ROM hacks designed around emulator quirks will most likely not work. Same as with real hardware.
• LLE audio sounds amazing.

2. Snes9x

• Compatible with most games, even many romhacks that make use of emulator quirks.
• Fast enough for pretty much any toaster (think Pentium 1 or 2, yes I tested!)
• LLE audio, same as bsnes's.
• Often buggy graphical output and shader support in standalone
  • Driver/GPU dependent.
  • Remember those diagonal lines of offset across older 3D games on certain graphics cards? Yeah. Finding a picture.
• Hit and miss controller support, especially when it comes to XInput devices.

3. RetroArch, which has bsnes, and Snes9x cores.

• The same points as the emulators themselves
• Amazing graphical output
  • At any resolution
  • At any fullscreen resolution and refresh rate
  • Vast shader support
• Dynamic rate control kills off most any and all audio distortion, such as crackling.
• Does not require Game Folders or anything like higan standalone.

5. BizHawk

• Useful for TAS (Tool Assisted Speedruns)
• Written in C#, requires .NET 4.0
• Windows-only

5. Mednafen

• The SNES core is based on bSNES 059 which is rather old from 2010. It pre-dates the performance/balanced/accuracy builds. This version is much faster than the current version.
• Missing many of the LLE audio improvements that newer versions of Snes9x and Higan use currently.
• The version of bsnes that Mednafen is using is missing out on many accuracy updates that particularly impacts a few edge case games such as Air Strike Patrole. The signifigance of this game is it was one of two games known to manipulate the PPU mid-scanline and is notoriously difficult to emulate. Some of the problems Mednafen has versus newer cores is poorly rendered text, flickering lines near the bottom of the screen, and missing shadow during flight.
• While acceptable for many games its recommended to use Snes9x, Higan, or RetroArch instead.

6. ZSNES

• Will run full speed on very old x86 systems such as an early Pentium 1.
• Romhacks were often designed around it's speedhacks and many won't work properly on anything else.
• Though fans have modded this, it is basically a dead emulator with no future.
• Many bugs and lacked functions for many games, see ZSNES review
• Polarizing Graphical user interface (loved by some, hated by others)

Resources

• SNES Development Wiki - SNES Development Wiki for you know, SNES Development.