Editing Sega Genesis emulators

{{Infobox console
|title = Sega Genesis / Mega Drive
|logo = RS39200_Megadrive.png
|image = Sega-Genesis-Mk2-6button.jpg
|image2 = Sega-Nomad-Front.jpg
|imagecaption = '''Top:''' PAL Sega Mega Drive.<br/>'''Middle:''' Sega Genesis Model 2 with 6-button controller.<br/>'''Bottom:''' Sega Genesis Nomad, portable variation.
|developer = [[:Sega]]
|type=[[:Category:Home consoles|Home video game console]], [[:Category:Handheld consoles|Handheld game console]]
|generation = [[:Category:Fourth-generation video game consoles|Fourth generation]]
|release=1988 (Mega Drive)<br/>1995 (Nomad)
|discontinued=1998 (Mega Drive)<br/>1999 (Nomad)
|predecessor=[[Master System emulators|Mark III / Master System, Game Gear]]
|successor = [[Sega Saturn emulators|Saturn]]
|emulated = {{✓}}
}}
{{Gametech|[[Gametech:Sega Mega Drive/Genesis|Sega Genesis/Mega Drive]]}}
{{for|emulators that run on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive|Emulators on Mega Drive}}

The '''[[gametech:Sega_Genesis|Sega Genesis]]''' ('''Mega Drive''' outside North America and parts of South America) is a 16-bit, fourth-generation console released by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega Sega] in Japan on October 29, 1988 and in the US on August 14, 1989, where it retailed for {{Inflation|USD|189.99|1989}}. It had a Motorola 68000 CPU at 7.6 MHz and a Zilog Z80 at 3.58 MHz. It had several add-ons, including a CD add-on called the '''Sega CD''' (alternatively '''Mega CD''') and the '''32X''' (a 32-bit, cartridge-based add-on).  

The '''Sega CD''' was released on October 15, 1992, and retailed for {{Inflation|USD|299.99|1992}} and had a Motorola 68000 CPU at 12.5 MHz and 64 kbit of RAM. The '''Sega 32X''' was released on November 21, 1994 for {{Inflation|USD|159.99|1994}}. It had 2 SH-2 RISC CPUs at 23 MHz with 256KB of RAM and 256KB of VRAM.

'''Sega Neptune''' was a two-in-one Sega Mega Drive and Sega 32X console announced by Sega but never released to the public.<ref group=N>[https://segaretro.org/Sega_Neptune Sega Neptune] -Sega Retro</ref>

Genesis/Mega Drive emulation is very good, with a high degree of game compatibility (many of them claim nearly 100% compatibility with commercial games, including ''Virtua Racing''). They are available on many platforms. Many Genesis/Mega Drive emulators also feature compatibility with the [[Master System emulators|Sega Master System]] (SMS), and the [[Master System emulators|Game Gear]] (GG) as well as earlier Sega consoles. However, Genesis/Mega Drive-based arcade boards and the [[Sega Pico]] are still sketchy.

;Remember, certain titles for [[Wikipedia:List_of_Sega_CD_games|Mega CD]], [[Wikipedia:List_of_32X_games|32X and CD 32X]] games are dependent on those add-ons. Make sure your chosen emulator [[#Hardware_features_and_accessories|supports those add-ons]] if you want to play them.

==Emulators==
===PC / x86===
<div style="overflow-x:auto;width:100%">
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;width:100%"
! Name
! Platform(s)
! Latest version
! [[#Hardware_features_and_accessories|Hardware features<br/>and accessories]]
! [[#Hardware_variations|Hardware<br/>variations]]
! [[#Enhancements|Enhancements]]
! FLOSS
! Active
! Recommended
|-
|[[BlastEm]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://www.retrodev.com/blastem/nightlies/ Nightly builds] <br/>[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]<br/>[https://www.retrodev.com/blastem/changes.html {{BlastEmVer}}]
|{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[Genesis Plus GX]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD|Web}}
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]<br/><abbr title="Recommended for using with Firecore clone titles. See #Hardware variations section for more info"><small>[https://github.com/karmic64/Genesis-Plus-GX-Cyclone/blob/master/genesis_plus_gx_libretro.dll Cyclone libretro core]</small></abbr>
|{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{NC}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[ares]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://nightly.link/ares-emulator/ares/workflows/build/master <abbr title="Latest development build version">git Artifacts</abbr>]<br/>[https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares/releases {{aresVer}}]
|{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[PicoDrive]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD|Web}}
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]<br/>[http://notaz.gp2x.de/pico.php {{PicoDriveVer}}]
|{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{NC}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[BizHawk]]<br/><small>(Genesis Plus GX)(PicoDrive)</small>
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}
|[https://gitlab.com/TASVideos/BizHawk/-/pipelines Dev builds]<br/>[http://tasvideos.org/BizHawk/ReleaseHistory.html {{BizHawkVer}}]
|{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[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}}]<br/>[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]
|{{~}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[Kega Fusion]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[http://www.carpeludum.com/kega-fusion 3.64]
|{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[Mednafen]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[{{MednafenURL|releases/}} {{MednafenVer}}]
|{{?}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}<abbr title="Supports netplay">*</abbr> ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[[Exodus]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
|[http://www.exodusemulator.com/index.php/downloads/current-release {{ExodusVer}}]
|{{?}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
||[[GENS]]<br/>[http://segaretro.org/Gens/GS <abbr title="derived from GENS">Gens GS/II</abbr>]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD|BeOS}}
|[https://segaretro.org/Gens/GS#Downloads r7 (Gens/GS)]<br />[https://github.com/GerbilSoft/gens-gs-ii git (Gens/GS II)]<br/>[http://gens.me/downloads.shtml <abbr title="GENS">2.14</abbr>]
|{{~}}<ref group=N name=Gens/GS>GENS and Gens/GS supports Sega CD and 32X emulation, MDP plugin, Gamepad and Command line parsing '''but [https://segaretro.org/Gens/GS_II#Features_not_ported_from_Gens.2FGS_yet these features not ported from Gens/GS to Gens/GS II''']</ref> ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}<abbr title="Supports netplay">*</abbr> ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[[higan]] (火眼)<br/>byuu (謬/view)
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[https://github.com/higan-emu/higan/releases {{higanVer}}]
|{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||{{?}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}<ref group=N>Superseded by [[ares]]</ref>
|-
|[[FinalBurn Neo]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://github.com/finalburnneo/FBNeo/releases/latest Stable] <br/>[https://github.com/finalburnneo/FBNeo/releases/tag/latest WIP builds]<br/>[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]
|{{~}} ||{{N}} ||{{~}} ||{{NC}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[http://dgen.sourceforge.net/ DGen]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[http://sourceforge.net/projects/dgen/files/dgen/ 1.33]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[[Genecyst]]
|align=left|{{Icon|DOS}}
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20070205202050/http://www.zophar.net/genecyst/gcystxxx.zip x.xx]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|KGen/KGen98
|align=left|{{Icon|DOS}}
|[https://segaretro.org/KGen 034b]<br/>[https://segaretro.org/KGen98 9804]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|Megado
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}
|[https://github.com/merwaaan/megado git]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|Regen
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}
|[http://aamirm.hacking-cult.org/www/regen.html 0.972]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|Nuked-MD
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}
|[https://github.com/nukeykt/Nuked-MD {{Nuked-MDVer}}]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|jgenesis
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}
|[https://github.com/jsgroth/jgenesis {{jgenesisVer}}]
| || || ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{TBD}}
|-
|clownmdemu
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
|[https://github.com/Clownacy/clownmdemu-frontend {{clownmdemuVer}}]
| || || ||{{?}} ||{{✓}} ||{{TBD}}
|-
|[[RetroCopy]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}
|[https://segaretro.org/RetroCopy 0.960]</br>[https://www.emucr.com/2012/08/retrocopy-v100-beta-5.html 1.00 Beta 5]
| || || ||{{N}} ||{{N}} ||{{N}}
|}
</div>

===Mobile / ARM===
<div style="overflow-x:auto;width:100%">
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;width:100%"
! Name
! Platform(s)
! Latest version
! [[#Hardware_features_and_accessories|Hardware features<br/>and accessories]]
! [[#Hardware_variations|Hardware<br/>variations]]
! [[#Enhancements|Enhancements]]
! FLOSS
! Active
! Recommended
|-
|[[Genesis Plus GX]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Android|iOS|Linux|Pandora}}
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/android/latest/ libretro core]
|{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}} ||{{NC}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|MD.emu
|align=left|{{Icon|Android|Pyra}}
|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.explusalpha.MdEmu {{.emuVer}}] <small>(Android)</small><br/>[https://pyra-handheld.com/repo/apps/77 1.5.46.02 Pyra]
|{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||{{?}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[PicoDrive]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Android|Pandora|Gizmondo|Wiz}}<br/>{{Icon|GP2X}}
|[http://notaz.gp2x.de/pico.php {{PicoDriveVer}}] [https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/android/latest/ libretro core]
|{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{NC}}<abbr title="NDS version uses an open-source license.">*</abbr> ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[FinalBurn Neo]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Android|iOS}}
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]
|{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{NC}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
|}
</div>

===Consoles===
<div style="overflow-x:auto;width:100%">
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;width:100%"
! Name
! Platform(s)
! Latest version
! [[#Hardware_features_and_accessories|Hardware features<br/>and accessories]]
! [[#Hardware_variations|Hardware<br/>variations]]
! [[#Enhancements|Enhancements]]
! FLOSS
! Active
! Recommended
|-
| [[Nintendo Switch Online]] <small>(m2engage)</small>
| align=left|{{Icon|Switch}}
| N/A
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
| [[Sega 3D Classics]]<br/><small>(Gigadrive)</small>
| align=left|{{Icon|3DS}}
| N/A
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}<abbr title="Supports netplay via Local Play on 2-player co-op games.">*</abbr> ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|NeoGenesis
|align=left|{{Icon|Xbox}}
|[https://digiex.net/threads/neogenesis-v25-download-sega-genesis-megadrive-32x-segacd-megacd-emulator.13698 V25]
|{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[Genesis Plus GX]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Xbox|Xbox360}}<br/>{{Icon|GCN|Wii|WiiU|NX}}<br/>{{Icon|PS3}}<br/>{{Icon|Vita|3DS}}
|[https://retroarch.com/?page=platforms {{RetroArchVer}}]<br/>[https://bitbucket.org/eke/genesis-plus-gx/src/master/builds/ git]<br/>[https://bitbucket.org/eke/genesis-plus-gx/downloads {{GenPlusGXVer}}]<br/>[https://digiex.net/threads/retroarch-360-0-9-8-3-download-sega-sens-gameboy-finalburn-emulator-for-xbox-360.12395 RetroArch 360 0.9.8.3]<br/>[https://www.brewology.com/downloads/download.php?id=12472&mcid= 1.2]
|{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{NC}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[PicoDrive]]
|align=left|{{Icon|PS2|Wii}}<br/>{{Icon|PSP}}<br/>{{Icon|PS3|Switch}}<br/>{{Icon|NDS|3DS}}
|[https://retroarch.com/?page=platforms {{RetroArchVer}}]<br/>[http://notaz.gp2x.de/pico.php {{PicoDriveVer}}]<br/>[https://www.ps2-home.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=99&t=1710 PicoDrive 1.51b]
|{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{NC}}<abbr title="NDS/3DS version uses an open-source license.">*</abbr> ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|jEnesisDS
|align=left|{{Icon|NDS}}
|[https://nds.scenebeta.com/noticia/jenesisds v0.7.4]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[Virtual Console]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Wii}}
|N/A
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|PGEN
|align=left|{{Icon|PS2}}
|[https://github.com/AKuHAK/pgen git]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{~}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|Sega Genesis Plus
|align=left|{{Icon|Xbox360}}
|[https://digiex.net/threads/sega-genesis-plus-libexnon-genesis-megadrive-emulator-for-xbox-360-download.9936 Libxenon]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|}
</div>
<references group=N />

===Comparisons===
;[[BlastEm]]
:Aims for cycle accuracy but unlike Exodus, aims for lower system requirements and has substantially higher compatibility. Latest stable release is quite old, use nightly or libretro core. BlastEm's own sound implementation is solid, however [https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/b6ktic/blastem_genmd_emu_062_released/ejlgfi0/ it's still a bit less accurate than Nuked core]. Differences between them are mostly inaudible though and both are way more accurate than the old MAME sound emulation core.
;[[Genesis Plus GX]]:A solid emulator for the Sega Genesis / Sega Master System / Sega CD / Game Gear. Made primarily for the Gamecube, it also has a Wii version and a cross-platform libretro core. The only things it lacks are 32X and Pico support, and a native desktop port. The only way to get this emulator on the desktop is to use the aforementioned libretro core, which allows for all the benefits of libretro like EmuVR support, shader presets, dynamic sync, and other [[#Enhancements|enhancements]]. The version used in [[BizHawk]] adds features for speedrunners but only the version used in [[RetroArch]] supports [https://github.com/nukeykt/Nuked-OPN2 Nuked OPN2 cycle-accurate Yamaha YM3438(YM2612)]. The default option for sound emulation, available in all versions, is the old MAME core, because it's very fast.

:;[https://github.com/libretro/Genesis-Plus-GX-Wide Genesis Plus GX Wide]
:Custom fork of Genesis Plus GX available as a libretro core, it includes experimental widescreen options. Sega CD/Mega CD games are currently unsupported.

:;[https://github.com/karmic64/Genesis-Plus-GX-Cyclone Genesis Plus GX-Cyclone]
:Custom fork of Genesis Plus GX available as a libretro core, it includes support for games with enhanced graphics designed for the Firecore system-on-a-chip made by Digital Media Cartridge Ltd.

;[[higan]] / [[ares]]
:Also developing cycle-accurate Genesis emulation, akin to its own [[Super Nintendo emulators|SNES emulator]] core. v130 version brings [https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares/commits/master/ares/component/audio/ym2612 "YM2612 improvement"] and [https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/xs5tol/ares_v130_released_multi_system_cross_platform/ support for "Mega Mouse"]. [https://ares-emu.net/news/ares-v131-released v131 version] of [[ares]] boasts 95% compatibility with 32X games, while there are still minor glitches, this is leaps and bounds better than other emulators as of late December 2022. [https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/11ltlvu/ares_multisystem_emulator_v132_has_been_released/ v132 version] of [[ares]] brings every single Sega Mega CD game at least boots; with an estimated 86% of the library playable to completion.

;[[PicoDrive]]
:Strongly prioritizes performance over accuracy. Compatibility and accuracy aren't as good as Genesis Plus GX but it's useful on very underpowered systems like the Raspberry Pi Zero. Currently the first and only cross-platform option for Pico games. Libretro and BizHawk versions don't have a stylus or turn page support, while the obsolete standalone version does.

;[[BizHawk]]
:"Just works out of the box" solution for Genesis/Mega Drive, CD & 32X, bundled with two cores (Genplus-GX/Genesis Plus GX [https://github.com/TASEmulators/BizHawk/issues/1528 without Nuked OPN2 support] and PicoDrive), ensuring both excellent compatibility and good speed.

;[[Kega Fusion]]
:The project of an employee with previous experience at Sega. Kega Fusion has high compatibility, is easy to use, and has plugin-based filter support but it is no longer updated. It has been surpassed by better emulators and also has some issues on newer versions of Windows which can be solved with compatibility settings.

;[[Exodus]]
:Exodus is one of the first emulators to attempt cycle accuracy at the high cost of system requirements, but it is no longer updated and far from complete. It is still somewhat useful as a reference for the Genesis hardware, but users will have a faster and more accurate experience with [[BlastEm]] or [[Sega_Genesis_emulators#Emulators|other recommended emulators for Genesis]].

;[http://aamirm.hacking-cult.org/www/regen.html Regen]
:A focus on accuracy has earned its high compatibility with games, but it does not emulate the Sega CD and 32X. It also allows [[overclocking]].

;[[MAME]]
:[[MAME_compatibility_list#Sega_Genesis.2FMega_Drive|Runs most games fine]]. Some don't work that well, but it's got about a [http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/lista_mess.php?software_list_name=megadriv&compatibility= 95% compatibility rate]. Almost all of the C/C-2 arcade games work well in MAME - only the Print Club games don't work. CD emulation not that good, the extra processors throw in more timing problems and 32X emulation has lots of timing issues. There are also suspected SH2 core bugs that come up more frequently on the 32X due to most games being programmed in assembly instead of C like most other SH2 platforms.

;[[mednafen]]
:Mednafen's Sega Genesis/Megadrive emulation is based off of Genesis Plus and information and code from Genesis Plus GX (old GPL-licensed version). The GPL-incompatible CPU and sound emulation cores in the aforementioned projects have been replaced with GPLed or GPL-compatible alternatives; heavily modified and improved YM2612 emulation from Gens, and Z80 emulation core from FUSE.
:Sega Genesis/Megadrive emulation should still be considered experimental; there are still likely timing bugs in the 68K emulation code, the YM2612 emulation code is not particularly accurate, and the VDP code has timing-related issues.

;[[GENS]]
:Close to Kega Fusion in features and compatibility but has largely been surpassed by better emulators. There are many different forks and iterations of Gens, so your experience will differ quite a lot depending on which version you use.

;[[Nuked-MD]]
:Emulates the Mega Drive hardware at the gate-level and is thus extremely accurate, but this accuracy comes at the cost of very low performance. A more practical FPGA port is also available.

; [[Nintendo Switch Online]] (m2engage)
* Genesis support was added to Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack in September 2021, alongside N64 games;
* Users are limited to the selection of games Nintendo chooses to make available on the service;
* Game lineup recycles pretty much everything from Sega Genesis Mini 1 and/or 2 minus the licensed IP (anime, manga, Disney, etc.) and Sega CD games;
* Supports online and Local Play (up to 2 players);
* Different games between regions (Japan and International)

===Sound emulation===
There are several options to emulate the sound hardware of the Genesis, some of them are shared by more than one emulator.
* '''MAME''' - The old variant of this core is very popular but somewhat inaccurate, however it's very fast and still faithful enough to enjoy games for players less aware of the audio intricacies of the Genesis, as the overall sound character is still there. There's also a new variant of this core, supposedly more accurate, but still not as widespread.
* '''ymfm''' - The core aiming to strike a balance between accuracy and performance, aiming for faithful sound reproduction with only inaudible inaccuracies to speed up the emulation considerably.
* '''Nuked''' - Cycle-accurate core, aiming for the highest accuracy while still being usable in actual games. A go-to option for modern machines.
There are also emulator-specific sound emulation codes of varying accuracy, performance and general quality.

==Enhancements==
<div style="overflow-x:auto;width:100%">
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;width:100%"
|- style="font-weight:bold;"
! colspan=2 | Name
! Genesis Plus GX
! Kega Fusion
! BlastEm
! PicoDrive
! ares
! BizHawk
! MAME
! FinalBurn Neo
|-
| rowspan=3 | Graphics
| [[Resolution|Resizable Internal Resolution]]
| colspan=8 | For emulation of 2D systems, the resolution can only be upscaled, making the pixels more apparent.
|-
| [[Texture_packs#Sprite_Replacement_.282D.29|Sprite Replacement]]
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
|-
| [[Widescreen_hacks#Sega_Genesis|Widescreen hack]]
| {{~}}<ref group=N2 name=libretroRA></ref>
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
|-
| rowspan=2 | Performance
| [[30/60_FPS_cheat_codes|Internal Framerate Hack]]
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
|-
| [[Overclocking#Sega_Genesis|Overclock]]
| ?
| ?
| {{Y}}
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
|-
| rowspan=4 | Post-Processing
| [[Shaders_and_filters|Filters]]
| {{Y}}
| ?
| ?
| ?
| {{Y}}
| ?
| {{Y}}
| {{~}}<ref group=N2 name=libretroRA></ref>
|-
|[[Shaders_and_filters#AI-powered filters|AI-powered filter compatible]]<br/><small>([https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/news/gfecnt/nvidia-freestyle-ansel-enhancements-geforce-experience-article/ Freestyle])</small>
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
|-
| [[Shader_Presets|Shader Chain]]
| {{Y}}
| ?
| ?
| ?
| {{Y}}[https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares/pull/1397 *]
| ?
| {{Y}}
| {{~}}<ref group=N2 name=libretroRA></ref>
|-
|[[High_dynamic_range#Inverse_tone_mapping|Inverse tone mapping compatible]]
| {{Y}}[https://www.libretro.com/index.php/category/hdr/ *]
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
|-
| rowspan=5 | [https://tasvideos.org/Emulatorresources/Features TAS features]
| [[Wikipedia:Macro_(computer_science)|Macros/Scripts]]/[https://tasvideos.org/LuaScripting Lua]
| 
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| {{Y}}
| ?
| ?
|-
| Rewind
| 
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| {{Y}}
| ?
| ?
|-
| Fast-Forward/Turbo Speed
| 
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| {{Y}}
| ?
| ?
|-
| Savestates
| {{Y}}
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| {{Y}}
| ?
| ?
|-
| [https://tasvideos.org/Movies Movie recording/playback]
| 
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| {{Y}}
| ?
| ?
|-
| rowspan=1 | Controls
| [[Input_lag|Input lag-mitigating technique]]
| {{Y}}
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
|-
| rowspan=7 | Quality of life
| Built-in [[Mods,_hacks_and_fan-translations#Built-in_graphics_mod_editor.2Fmanager_for_emulators|Graphics mod editor/manager]]
| {{N}}
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
|-
| Built-in [[Cheats_and_patches|Cheat Manager]]
| {{Y}}
| ?
| ?
| ?
| {{Y}}[https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/1ay6fm1/ares_v136_released/krslaki/ *]
| ?
| ?
| ?
|-
| Built-in [http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,106405 Custom resolution/CRTSwitchRes]<br/><small>For using this on Windows OS you need [http://geedorah.com/eiusdemmodi/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1009#p1009 CRT Emudriver].<br/>Another option is using EDID editor tool such as "Custom Resolution Utility".</small>
| colspan=8 | <small>Exclusive to [https://docs.libretro.com/guides/crtswitchres/ libretro cores] and [[GroovyMAME]] at the moment.<br/>Also there is a [https://github.com/psakhis/Groovy_MiSTer project] for achieving software emulators like libretro cores and GroovyMAME send the raw RGB data over a network to a core running on MiSTer, it basically turns the MiSTer into a GPU for the emulator allowing for easy setup and use with CRT TVs/Arcade monitors.</small>
|-
| [[Save_disk_space_for_ISOs|Streamable compression format]]
| {{Y}}
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| {{Y}}
| ?
|-
| Per-Game Profiles
| {{Y}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
|-
| Command Line Options
| {{Y}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
| {{?}}
|-
| Big Picture Mode
|-
| rowspan=5 | Misc
| [[Netplay#Genesis.2FMega_Drive_.26_Peripherals|Netplay]]
|{{~}}<ref group=N2 name=libretroRA>Exclusive to libretro core version. For widescreen hack use [https://www.libretro.com/index.php/genesis-plus-gx-wide-now-available-for-libretroretroarch/ Genesis Plus GX Wide] core.</ref>
|{{Y}}
|{{N}}
|{{~}}<ref group=N2 name=libretroRA></ref>
|{{N}}
|{{N}}
|{{N}}
|{{N}}
|-
| [[Virtual_reality#VR_game_room_simulations|EmuVR support]]
| colspan=8 |  Exclusive to [https://www.emuvr.net/wiki/Installation_Guide#Downloads libretro cores] at the moment.
|-
| AI Service<br/><small>With the help of <abbr title="optical character recognition">OCR</abbr> and other techniques, the AI service can provide a live translation of a game, or text-to-speech capabilities for the visually impaired among other things, either on demand or automatically.</small>
| colspan=11 | Exclusive to [https://docs.libretro.com/guides/ai-service/ libretro cores] at the moment.
|-
| RetroAchievements<br/>[https://retroachievements.org/gameList.php?c=1 Mega Drive], [https://retroachievements.org/gameList.php?c=10 32X], [https://retroachievements.org/gameList.php?c=9 CD]
| {{~}}<ref group=N2 name=libretroRA></ref>
| ?
| {{~}}<ref group=N2 name=libretroRA></ref>
| {{~}}<ref group=N2 name=libretroRA></ref>
| ?
| {{Y}}
| ?
| {{~}}<ref group=N2 name=libretroRA></ref>
|-
| [[Wikipedia:Category:Debugging|Debug Features]]
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
|}
</div>
<references group=N2/>

==Hardware features and accessories==
<div style="overflow-x:auto;width:100%">
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;width:100%"
|- style="font-weight:bold;"
!colspan=2 | Name
! Genesis Plus GX
! Kega Fusion
! BlastEm
! PicoDrive
! ares
! BizHawk
! MAME
! FinalBurn Neo
|-
| colspan=2 | [[#32X, CD and CD 32X|'''CD''']]
|{{Y}}
|{{~}}<ref group=N3 name=Kega>While it supports Sega CD emulation, there is notable audio sync issues. Kega is not recommended for CD emulation.</ref>
|{{~}}<ref group=N3>Experimental support in nightly builds only.</ref>
|{{Y}}
|{{Y}}
|{{Y}}
|{{Y}}<ref group=N3 name=MAME>MAME {{MAMEVer}} version compatibility status: [http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/lista_mess.php?software_list_name=segacd&compatibility= CD], [http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/lista_mess.php?software_list_name=32x&compatibility=NTSC-U 32X] and [http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/dettaglio_mame.php?game_name=32x_scd CD 32X].</ref>
|{{N}}
|-
| colspan=2 | [[#32X, CD and CD 32X|'''32X''']]
|{{N}}[https://github.com/ekeeke/Genesis-Plus-GX/issues/64 *]
|{{Y}}
|{{N}}[https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/b6ktic/blastem_genmd_emu_062_released/ejlgfi0/ *]
|{{Y}}
|{{Y}}
|{{Y}}
|{{~}}<ref group=N3 name=MAME></ref>
|{{N}}
|-
|colspan=2 | [[#32X, CD and CD 32X|'''32X CD''']]
|{{N}}
|{{~}}<ref group=N3 name=Kega></ref>
|{{N}}
|{{Y}}
|{{Y}}
|{{N}}<ref group=N3>[https://github.com/TASEmulators/BizHawk/issues/1563 Issue tracking]</ref>
|{{~}}<ref group=N3 name=MAME></ref>
|{{N}}
|-
| colspan=2 | Six Button Control Pad
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|?
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | Menacer
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|WIP
|?
|{{✗}}[https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares/issues/225 *]
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | The Justifier
|{{✓}}
|?
|WIP
|?
|{{✗}}[https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares/issues/225 *]
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | Sega Mouse<br/>[[List_of_games_with_keyboard_and_mouse_support#Sega_Genesis_Emulation|Mega Drive]], [[List_of_games_with_keyboard_and_mouse_support#Sega_CD_Emulation|Mega CD]]
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|?
|?
|{{✓}}[https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares/pull/721 *]
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | Team Player
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|WIP
|?
|
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | 4 Way Play
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|WIP
|?
|
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | J-Cart
|?
|{{✓}}
|?
|?
|
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | Sega Virtua Processor
|{{✓}}
|{{✓}}
|WIP
|?
|
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | Sonic & Knuckles
|{{✓}}
|?
|{{✓}}
|?
|
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | XE-1 AP
|{{✓}}
|?
|WIP
|?
|
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | Activator
|{{✓}}
|?
|?
|?
|
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | Saturn Keyboard
|{{✗}}
|?
|{{✓}}
|?
|
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | XB∀ND Keyboard
|{{✗}}
|?
|{{✓}}
|?
|
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | Floppy Disk Drive
|?
|?
|?
|?
|
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | [[#MIDI Keyboard|MIDI Keyboard]]
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|WIP
|?
|
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | System Converter
|{{~}}
|?
|?
|?
|
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Early_Online_Services#XBAND_Modem_.28Multi_Platform.29|XBAND Modem]]
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|-
| colspan=2 | [[Early_Online_Services#Sega_Meganet_.28Genesis.29|Mega Modem]]
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|{{✗}}
|-
| colspan=2 | [https://gamehistory.org/segavr/ Sega VR]
| colspan=8 | Only possible with [https://github.com/DickBlackshack/SegaVR-DGenSDL SegaVR-DGenSDL] emulator.
|-
| colspan=2 | TeeVGolf
|?
|?
|?
|?
|?
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | Game Genie
|{{✓}}
|?
|?
|?
|?
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | Action Replay
|{{✓}}
|?
|?
|?
|?
|
|
|
|-
| rowspan=2 | [[#Modes|Modes]]
| [[#Mega_Drive_Plus_.2F_Genesis_Plus_.2F_MSU-MD|MSU]]
|{{Y}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| [[#Extended_VRAM|Extended VRAM]]
|
|
|{{~}}
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| colspan=2 | [[#Lock-On|Sonic & Knuckles]]
|{{Y}}
|?
|?
|?
|?
|
|
|
|-
|colspan=2|Soft Reset and Hard Reset
|{{Y}}
|}
</div>
<references group=N3/>

===32X, CD and CD 32X===
:SegaRetro: [https://segaretro.org/Sega_Mega-CD Mega CD], [https://segaretro.org/Sega_32X 32X], [https://segaretro.org/Sega_Mega-CD_32X CD 32X].
The Sega Mega CD, 32X, and Sega CD 32X were add-ons for the Sega Genesis that expanded its capabilities with Mega CD-ROM playback (It can also play Audio CDs and CD+G discs), enhanced processing power, and a limited library of CD-based games with 32X functionality.

*Ares supports CD+G images[https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/1ay6fm1/ares_v136_released/krslaki/].
*See [[Home_Media_Player#Emulators|this dedicated page]] for more information about home media playback support for emulation softwares.
*See [[Ripping games]].

===MIDI Keyboard===
MIDI keyboards are used in two special cartridges: ''Miracle Piano Teaching System'', released only in US, and ''Wonder MIDI'', released only in Japan and requires a Model 1 Wondermega (either RG-M1 or HWM-5000) to operate. While MIDI keyboards can be operated with ''MPTS'' as usual, ''Wonder MIDI'' also requires a special disc from the [https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/CD-MIDI CD-MIDI] standard to be inserted, as the software itself is not capable to do interactions with the soundchips of both Mega Drive and Mega-CD.

:[[Wikipedia:Miracle_Piano_Teaching_System|Info on ''Miracle Piano Teaching System'' in general]]
:[https://segaretro.org/Wonder_MIDI Info on ''Wonder MIDI'']

===Lock-On===
Lock-On Technology is a unique feature found on Sonic & Knuckles cartridges for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis that allows a player to connect an older game to the cartridge's pass-through port for extended or altered gameplay.

* With Sonic 3: Completes the game, and adds the Sonic and Knuckles levels as intended. This was the original usage.
* With Sonic 2: Unlocks an alternate version of Sonic 2 with playable Knuckles.
* With Sonic 1: Unlocks the Blue Sphere minigame with a level select for all possible levels.

The Sonic & Knuckles cartridge can lock on to other cartridges:

* Smaller than 2MB: Will play a single random level from the Blue Sphere minigame generated from data in the header.
* Bigger than 2MB: Will boot to Sonic & Knuckles.
* Has Battery Pack: All saved data will be wiped out.

Most emulators don't support Lock-On save for Genesis Plus GX, but there are pre-combined ROMs for the Sonic trilogy available online that can be played as a regular Megadrive ROM on any emulator and still work. The Sonic 3 Complete romhack also achieves the same purpose.

Genesis Plus GX's [[RetroArch]] core includes true Lock-On emulation. From the Core Options menu, you can enable the Lock-On feature for either Sonic & Knuckles, Game Genie, or the Action Replay (Pro) -- the latter two using a different technology but with similar effects. Setting this option to anything other than "Off" will enable Lock-on to the cartridge you're currently playing as. After resetting, the game will boot in Lock-On mode.

The following files need to be under the directory for BIOS files (usually "system"):
* sk.bin (Sonic & Knuckles (2 MiB) ROM)
* sk2chip.bin (Sonic & Knuckles UPMEM (256 KiB) ROM): If you can't find it online, extract it with a hex editor from a pre-combined Sonic 2 & Knuckles ROM from offset 00300000 to the end of the ROM.

For GG/AR, the files needed are areplay.bin and ggenie.bin, but most emulators support cheat codes from these natively.

BlastEm also supports the Lock-On Technology for Sonic 3, except when combined with Sonic 2, as it does not support lock-on with the sk2chip.bin.

===Modes===

====Mega Drive Plus / Genesis Plus / MSU-MD====

The Mega Drive Plus / Genesis Plus (sometimes abbreviated as MD+) is a special mode for certain Genesis games that use enhanced CDDA tracks with a Sega CD. This was not used in any official games, however, the mode itself was first used in the first batch of Pier Solar releases. This feature was been [https://downloads.terraonion.com/public/MegaSD_DEV_Manual.pdf documented] to be used on Terraonion's Mega SD flash cartridge, to give similar effects for Genesis games in a way that MSU-1 does in patched SNES games. Another variant was been made for [https://krikzz.com/store/home/59-mega-everdrive-pro.html Mega Everdrive PRO], named [https://github.com/krikzz/msu-md MSU-MD].

Currently, only Genesis Plus GX supports both modes as mentioned [https://github.com/ekeeke/Genesis-Plus-GX/issues/297#issuecomment-918468508 here], while Kega Fusion supports games that can only run in MSU-MD mode.

A variant called 32x Plus (abbreviated as 32x+) made exclusively for Sega 32x games also exists, but again, it is only used by homebrew software, such as ''Doom 32x Resurrection.''

====Extended VRAM====

A 128KB VDP mode from TeraDrive, an IBM PC/Mega Drive combo used on several Teradrive-only software.<ref>https://gendev.spritesmind.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=1368</ref>

On standard Genesis games, it is used in ''Space Harrier'' and ''Space Harrier II'' ports available on Genesis Mini 2 / Mega Drive Mini 2.<ref>https://twitter.com/hor11/status/1568961246707458050</ref> BlastEm has partial support for this mode since version 0.5.0.

==Hardware variations==
<div style="overflow-x:auto;width:100%">
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;width:100%"
|- style="font-weight:bold;"
| colspan=2 | Name
! Genesis Plus GX
! Kega Fusion
! BlastEm
! PicoDrive
! ares
! BizHawk
! MAME
! FinalBurn Neo
|-
| colspan=2 | [[#Firecore|Firecore]]
|{{~}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{N}}
|{{?}}
|-
| colspan=2 | [[#Pico|Pico]]
|{{N}}
|{{~}}
|{{N}}
|{{~}}
|{{N}}
|{{~}}
|{{Y}}
|{{?}}
|-
| colspan=2 | [[#Yamaha Copera|Copera]]
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{~}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|-
| colspan=2 | [[#Advanced Pico Beena|Advanced Pico Beena]]
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{Y}}
|{{?}}
|-
| rowspan=3 | [[#Arcade|Arcade]]
| Mega Play
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{Y}}
|{{?}}
|-
| Mega-Tech
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{Y}}
|{{?}}
|-
| System C-2
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{?}}
|{{Y}}
|{{?}}
|}
</div>

===[https://karmic128.neocities.org/sgflashback/ Firecore]===
Firecore is a system-on-a-chip clone hardware based on the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive system, originating in the late 2000s. Most emulators have not been tested with Firecore-enhanced titles, however it is unlikely that they are supported.

Emulation of this clone only with [https://github.com/karmic64/Genesis-Plus-GX-Cyclone Genesis-Plus-GX-Cyclone] fork. Also there is a [https://github.com/mamedev/mame/blob/master/src/mame/sega/mdconsole.cpp#L1030C103-L1030C103 MAME support] as well but currently it has "MACHINE_NOT_WORKING" flag.

===[[Sega Pico|Pico]]===
PicoDrive standalone version, KEGA Fusion and MAME supports this hardware. Keep in mind that PicoDrive libretro core or BizHawk core version doesn't have a stylus or turn page support, while the obsolete standalone version does. Also there is a [https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares/issues/833 feature request] for ares emulator.
:[http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/lista_mess.php?software_list_name=pico&compatibility= MAME {{MAMEVer}} compatibility list]

:See [[Sega Pico|dedicated page]] for more information.

===Yamaha Copera===
:[https://segaretro.org/Copera SegaRetro: Copera]
The latest BlastEm emulator nightly builds (version 0.6.2 WIP as of March 8th, 2024) introduce preliminary support for Yamaha Copera emulation.[https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/1b9le3j/blastem_062_wip_08032024/]

===[[Sega Pico|Advanced Pico Beena]]===
Latest MAME versions supports this hardware.
:[http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/lista_mess.php?software_list_name=sega_beena_cart&compatibility= MAME {{MAMEVer}} compatibility list]

:See [[Sega Pico#Advanced_Pico_Beena|dedicated page]] for more information.

===Arcade===
Sega released three arcade boards based on the Genesis / Mega Drive hardware:
* [http://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=707 Mega Play]
* [http://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=706 Mega-Tech]
* [http://www.system16.com/hardware.php?id=705 System C-2]

In addition, several Genesis games were converted to stand-alone Arcade machines, either with or without a license from Sega.

MAME emulator supports these arcade boards, {{MAMEVer}} version compatibility status; [http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/lista_mame.php?game_sourcefile=megaplay.cpp&arcade_only=0&current_version=0 Mega Play], [http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/lista_mame.php?game_sourcefile=megatech.cpp&arcade_only=0&current_version=0 Mega-Tech] and [http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/lista_mame.php?game_sourcefile=segac2.cpp&arcade_only=0&current_version=0 System C/C-2]

==External links==
* [http://wiki.megadrive.org/index.php?title=Main_Page MegaDrive Development Wiki] - A Wiki about every technical aspect of the SEGA MegaDrive hardware and software. It aims to provide the most detailed, accurate, and up-to-date information, to help homebrew development and repairs.
* [http://segaretro.org/Category:Mega_Drive_emulators Mega Drive emulators] on Sega Retro
* [https://archive.org/details/sega_genesis_library ARCHIVE.ORG Console Library: Sega Genesis]
* [https://www.romspedia.com/emulators/sega-genesis Genesis emulators] on RomsPedia
{{Sega}}

[[Category:Consoles|!Genesis]]
[[Category:Home consoles|!Genesis]]
[[Category:Fourth-generation video game consoles|!Genesis]]
[[Category:Sega consoles|!Genesis]]
[[Category:Sega Genesis emulators|*]]
[[Category:68000-based|!Genesis]]