Super Nintendo Entertainment System emulators: Difference between revisions

{{for|emulators that run on Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Emulators on Super Nintendo Entertainment System}}

Emulation for the Super Famicom/SNES is robust, with several high-quality emulators for various systems, some of which are [[Emulation Accuracy|cycle-accurate]].

== Comparison ==

=== Standalone emulators ===

|-

|[https://github.com/awjackson/bsnes-classic bsnes-classic]

| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}||{{Na}}

|[https://github.com/awjackson/bsnes-classic git]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}})

|Partial Cycle||{{Na}}

|-

|[[Snes9x]]

| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux|LinuxARM|macOSx86|FreeBSD|Pandora}}||{{Ya}}

[https://github.com/snes9xgit/snes9x/releases {{Snes9xVer}}]

|{{Yellow}} {{License|NC}}

|High||{{Ya}}

|-

| align="left" |{{Icon|Pyra}}||{{Ya}}

|[https://pyra-handheld.com/repo/apps/84 1.5.46.02]||{{Yellow}} {{License|NC}}

|High||{{Dunno}}

|-

| colspan="2" |[[CATSFC]]

|?

|Low||{{Na}}

|-

| colspan="2" |[[Silhouette]]

|Snes9x EX+

| align="left" |{{Icon|Android}}||{{Ya}}

[https://github.com/Rakashazi/emu-ex-plus-alpha git]

|{{Dunno}}

|High||{{Ya}}

|-

|[http://yoyofr92.free.fr/ Little John]

| align="left" |{{Icon|PalmOS}}||{{Na}}

|[https://www.zophar.net/palm-os/multiem/little-john-palmos.html 1.1], [https://pyra-handheld.com/boards/resources/little-john-palm-os.4443 1.2]||{{Dunno}}

[https://github.com/snes9xgit/snes9x/releases {{Snes9xVer}}]

|{{Yellow}} {{License|NC}}

|High||{{Dunno}}

|}

|[[Mesen|MesenCE]]

|

|[https://github.com/nesdev-org/MesenCE#development-builds Dev builds]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}})

|

|-

|[[BizHawk]]

| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}||{{Ya}}

|[https://gitlab.com/TASVideos/BizHawk/-/pipelines Dev builds]

|

|?

|{{~}}

|-

|[[jgenesis]]

|[https://github.com/higan-emu/higan/releases {{HiganVer}}]||{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}})

|

|-

|[[MAME]]

|[https://adb.arcadeitalia.net/dettaglio_mame.php?game_name=snes&back_games=m82p;&search_id=0 snes]

| align="left" |{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}||{{Ya}}

|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv2}}<br>{{License|BSD3}}

|

|[[Provenance]]

|[https://github.com/Provenance-Emu/Provenance/tree/develop/Cores/FCEU ?]

|[https://apps.apple.com/us/app/provenance-app/id1596862805 {{ProvenanceVer}}]

[https://github.com/Provenance-Emu/Provenance/releases git]

|

|?||{{Dunno}}

|-

! colspan="9" |Browser

![[Recommended emulators|Recommended? (overall)]]

|-

|[https://www.libretro.com/index.php/category/bsnes-hd/ bsnes_hd_beta_libretro]

[https://docs.libretro.com/library/bsnes_accuracy/ bsnes_accuracy]

|-

|[[Nintendo Switch Online|Nintendo Classics]]

| align="left" |{{Icon|Switch|Switch2}}||{{Ya}}

|5.0.0||{{Red}} {{License|Proprietary}}

|?

|?||{{Ya}}

|-

|[https://wololo.net/talk/viewtopic.php?t=48157 Snes9xTYL Mod]

| align="left" |{{Icon|PSP}}||{{Na}}

|[https://github.com/esmjanus/snes9xTYL/releases git]||{{Yellow}} {{License|NC}}

|?||{{~}}

|-

[https://github.com/Arisotura/blargSnes git]

|{{Green}} {{License|GPLv3}} ({{License|Copyleft}})

|?||{{Na}}

|-

=== Remaster-at-Runtime Engines ===

{| {{Emulator table}}

!Name

!Platform(s)

:* It is missing many of the improvements to the LLE audio engine that newer versions of Snes9x and higan have.

; [[Mesen]] / [[Mesen S]] / Mesen SX / MesenCE

::* This makes the emulator an ideal choice for the ease-of-use factor; otherwise, better options are available.

; [[ZSNES]]

|{{Dunno}}

|-

|{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

|-

| rowspan="4" |Post-processing

|{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

|-

| rowspan="12" |Quality of life

|{{Na}}

|{{Na}}

|-

|{{Enhancements/Quality of life/Built-in custom resolution}}

|-

|Built-in [[Mods, hacks and fan-translations#Built-in mod editor and manager for emulators|mod editor and manager]]||{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

|-

|{{Dunno}}

|{{Ya}}

|{{Ya}}

|-

|{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

|-

|{{~}}<br><small>There is no Lua scripting support but there is a [https://github.com/alttpo/bsnes-as separate fork] for AngelScript support.</small>

|{{Dunno}}

|-

| rowspan="10" |Misc.

|{{Na}}

|{{Na}}

|{{Na}}

|-

| colspan="4" |Exclusive to [https://github.com/RetroCrisis/Retro-Crisis-Audio-Filters libretro cores] at the moment.

|-

|{{Ya|link=https://github.com/devinacker/bsnes-plus#bsnes-plus}}

|{{Ya}}

|{{Ya}}

|-

|{{Na}}

|{{Ya}}

|{{~}}<ref name="RA" group="note" />

|-

|{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

|-

| colspan="4" |You can use [https://docs.libretro.com/guides/ai-service/ RetroArch's AI Service] or the standalone offline [https://github.com/bquenin/interpreter bquenin's Interpreter].

|}

# Launch with higan/bsnes.

# Patch the original SNES ROM with the IPS patch

[[Overclocking|Overclocking has been a thing in other SNES emulators previously]], but as the bsnes dev explains it;

=== High-Resolution Affine Transformations ===

The SNES had a graphical mode called "Mode 7" that allowed scaling the first background layer. The Super-FX2 added more advanced scaling options, but they're not covered by Mode 7 and, therefore, enhancements for it. The SNES Mode 7 background is limited to 128x128 pixels, and the output resolution is 256x240. As a result, there is heavy aliasing and a general loss of quality with some transformations. However, there have been emulator enhancements to make it look better:

A fork of bsnes, [https://github.com/DerKoun/bsnes-hd/releases bsnes-hd], offers active development of these features. Most of those were ported back to [[higan]].

!Snes9x

|-

|{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

|-

|{{Dunno}}

|-

| rowspan="2" |ASCII Turbo File

| colspan="2" |Turbo File II mode||{{Na}}

|{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

|-

| colspan="2" |Turbo File Twin's Super mode||{{Na}}

|{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

|-

|{{Dunno}}

|-

|Life Cycle 3500X||{{Na}}

|{{Dunno}}

| colspan="2" |[https://www.nesdev.org/wiki/Super_Famicom_NTT_Data_Keypad NTT Data Keypad]||{{Ya}}

|{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

|-

|-

| rowspan="2" |Modem

|{{Na}}

|{{Na}}

|{{Na}}

|-

|{{Na}}

|{{Na}}

|{{Na}}

|{{Na}}

|-

| rowspan="3" |Special cartridges

|{{Ya|link=https://ares-emu.net/compatibility/nintendo-snes-super-famicom}}

|{{Ya|link=https://github.com/bsnes-emu/bsnes/blob/master/bsnes/Database/Sufami%20Turbo.bml}}

|{{Ya}}

|-

|{{Na}}

|{{Na}}

|-

| colspan="3" |BS-X Satellaview SoundLink audio broadcast streaming/playback||{{Na}}

|{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

|-

|{{Na}}

|{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

|-

|-

| colspan="3" |Real-time clock||{{Ya}}

|-

| colspan="3" |[https://consolemods.org/wiki/SNES:SNES_Model_Differences Switch between board revisions]||{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

|{{Dunno}}

=== Super Game Boy ===

Although many [[Game Boy/Game Boy Color emulators]] and [[Game Boy Advance emulators]]<ref>[https://github.com/mgba-emu/mgba/issues/2985 mGBA - Super Game Boy miscellaneous enhancements are not planned].</ref> can somewhat replicate the SGB's added features using certain tricks, a true recreation of the SGB can only be done by a multisys that supports emulating a SNES and a Game Boy simultaneously. [[higan]], and by extension [[ares]], were the first emulators to add proper SGB support, [https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/zwq9fu/ares_crossplatform_open_source_multisystem/j1ys10k/ though it's understandably hardware-intensive even by their usual reckoning.] As of April 2023, Mesen is the only other multi-system emulator that can properly replicate the SGB. Versions of bsnes at and before v073 used the Gambatte core for its Super Game Boy functionality, nowadays, it is using Sameboy for Super Game Boy emulation. byuu eventually made his own Game Boy core for higan, which ended up having pretty good accuracy. Ares has its own GB/GBC core and uses that for Super Game Boy emulation.

=== asciiPad ===

==== Super Scope ====

==== Konami Justifier ====

=== Super Multitap ===

This is a rather obscure Super Famicom game with compatible accessories. ''JRA PAT'' is a horse race gambling game that {{YouTubeVideo|wtMlEcf8x6Q|allowed you to use real money}}. The service is dead. No emulator appears to support the special controller and modem that plugs into the player 1 and player 2 slots.

== Hardware variants ==