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Game Boy Advance emulators

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Native
|release = 2001
|discontinued = 2010
|predecessor = [[Game Boy/Game Boy Color emulators|Game Boy (Color)]], [[Virtual Boy emulators|Virtual Boy]]|successor = [[Pokémon mini emulators|Pokémon mini]], [[Nintendo DS emulators|Nintendo DS(i)]]
|emulated = {{✓}}
}}
 {{for|emulators that run on the Game Boy Advance|Emulators on GBA}}  The '''[[wikipedia:Game_Boy_Advance|Game Boy Advance]]''' (often shortened to GBA) is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on the 21st of March 212001, 2001; in North America on the 11th of June 11, 2001; and in Australia and Europe on the 22nd of June 22, and retailed for {{Inflation|USD|99.99|2001}}. It has a ARM7TDMI CPU at 16.78 MHz and a Zilog Z80 CPU at 8 MHz and 4 MHz. It has 288KB of RAM and 96KB of VRAM.
==Emulators==
===PC / x86===<div style="overflow-x:auto;width:100%">{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;width:100%"
|-
! scope="col"|Name
! scope="col"|Platform(s)
! scope="col"|Latest Version
! scope="col"|GB[[#Hardware_features_and_accessories|Hardware features<br/GBC! scope="col"|NDS! scope="col"|Game Link Support! scope="col"|e-Reader>and accessories]]! scope="col"|[[libretro#Enhancements|Libretro CoreEnhancements]]! scope="col"|[[Emulation Accuracy|Accuracy]]Compatibility
! scope="col"|<abbr title="Free/Libre and Open-Source Software">FLOSS</abbr>
! scope="col"|Active
! scope="col"|[[Recommended Emulators|Recommended]]
|-
!colspan|[[mGBA]]<br/><small>[https://docs.libretro.com/library/mgba/ mGBA_libretro]</small>|align="13"left|{{Icon|Windows|PC Linux|macOS|FreeBSD|Web}}|[https://mgba.io/builds/1/ Dev builds]<br/>[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]<ref group=N>[https://old.reddit.com/x86r/emulation/comments/12x3fsm/mgba_0102_released/jhigow4/ endrift confirming the libretro core is tracking the master branch]</ref><br/>[https://mgba.io/downloads.html {{MGBAVer}}]|{{~}} ||{{~}} || ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[mGBAVisualBoy Advance#VBA-M|VBA-M]]<br/><small>[https://docs.libretro.com/library/vba_m/ vbam_libretro]</small><br/><small><abbr title="VBA Next is a Game Boy Advance emulator based on VBA-M 2011 with backported patches for performance and compatibility improvements.">[https://docs.libretro.com/library/vba_next/ vba_next_libretro]</abbr></small>
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[https://mgbanightly.iovba-m.com/downloads.html {{MGBAVer}}Nightly builds]|{{✓}} ||{{✓}}<ref group=N name=medusabr/>Experimental separate build under the name of [[mGBA#medusa|medusahttp://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core'''s''']].<br/ref> ||[https://github.com/visualboyadvance-m/visualboyadvance-m/releases {{VBAMVer}} |]|{{~}} ||{{~}} ||Mid-High ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[higanNanoBoyAdvance]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[httphttps://byuunightly.orglink/emulationnba-emu/higan NanoBoyAdvance/workflows/build/master Dev builds]<br/> [https://github.com/nba-emu/NanoBoyAdvance/releases {{higanVerNanoBoyAdvanceVer}}]|{{n}} ||{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||Cycle ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[VisualBoy Advance#VBA-M|VBA-MSkyEmu]]|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSDWeb}}|[https://github.com/visualboyadvance-mskylersaleh/SkyEmu/pull/321 Dev Builds]<br/>[https://github.com/skylersaleh/visualboyadvance-mSkyEmu/releases / {{VBAMVerSkyEmuVer}}]|{{n}} ||{{~}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓~}}
|-
|[[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}}]|{{?}} ||{{~}} || ||{{✓}}||{{✓}} ||{{~}}|-|[[GBE+]]|align=left|?{{Icon|Windows|Linux|?macOS}}|[https://github.com/shonumi/gbe-plus/releases {{GBEVer}}]|{{~}}||{{?}} || ||{{✓}}||{{✓}}||?{{~}}|-|[[No$|No$GBA]]|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|DOS}}|[http://problemkaputt.de/gba.htm {{No$GBAVer}}]|{{~}} ||{{~}} || ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}[https://problemkaputt.de/gbanew.htm *] ||{{~}}
|-
|iDeaS[[BizHawk]]<br/><small>(mGBA 0.10.0)</small>
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}
|[https://webgitlab.archive.orgcom/TASVideos/webBizHawk/20150311100053-/pipelines Dev builds]<br/>[http://ciacintasvideos.site90.comorg/BizHawk/ideas.php 1.0.4ReleaseHistory.0]|html {{BizHawkVer}} |]|{{~}} ||{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||{{}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[GBE+Mesen|Mesen]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://github.com/shonumiSourMesen/gbeMesen2#development-plus builds {{GBEVerMesenVer}}]|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗~}} ||{{~}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}WIP
|-
|[https://fms.komkon.org/VGBA VGBA[MAME]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|<abbr title="Latest development version">git artifacts</abbr><ref group=N>[https://fmsnightly.komkonlink/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/VGBA release.html {{VGBAVerMAMEVer}}]|{{?}} ||{{~}} ||[http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/lista_mess.php?software_list_name=gba&compatibility= ?] ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} |-|[https://docs.libretro.com/library/gpsp/ gpSP_libretro]|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}} |[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]|{{~}} ||{{~}} ||[https://docs.libretro.com/library/gpsp/#compatibility ? ] ||{{}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[[MAMEMednafen]]<br/><small>[https://docs.libretro.com/library/beetle_gba/ mednafen_gba_libretro]</small>
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[http{{MednafenURL|releases/}} {{MednafenVer}}]<br/>[https://wwwbuildbot.mamedevlibretro.orgcom/release.html {{MAMEVer}}nightly/ libretro core]|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||Cycle ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|Meteor[https://hades-emu.org Hades]|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}|[https://github.com/blastrockhades-emu/Hades/releases/tag/meteor 1v1.40.2]|0 {{HadesVer}} |]<br/> [https://nightly.link/hades-emu/Hades/workflows/build/master Nightly builds]<br/> [https://github.com/hades-emu/hades Git]|{{?}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||Low-Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[[NanoboyAdvancehigan]](火眼)<br/>byuu (謬/view)
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://github.com/fleroviuxhigan-emu/NanoboyAdvance git]|higan/releases/tag/v110 {{higanVer}} |]|{{?}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||High ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}<ref group=N>Superseded by [[ares]].</ref>
|-
|[[No$|No$GBA]]iDeaS|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|DOSLinux}}|[https://web.archive.org/web/20150311100053/http://problemkaputtciacin.site90.decom/gbaideas.htm php {{No$GBAVeriDeaSVer}}]|{{?}} || || ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} |-|[https://fms.komkon.org/VGBA VGBA]|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}|[https://fms.komkon.org/VGBA/#Downloads {{VGBAVer}}]|{{?}} || || ||{{}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} |-|Meteor|align=left|{{Icon|Mid Linux}}|[https://github.com/blastrock/meteor {{MeteorVer}}]|{{?}} || || ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|BoyCottAdvance
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[http://boycottadvance.emuunlim.org/Downloads.htm 0.2.8]|{{BoyCottAdvanceVer}} ||{{✗}} |]|{{?}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Low ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|PlayBoy Advance
|align=left|{{Icon|macOS}}
|[https://www.zophar.net/macintosh/gba/playboy-advance.html 1.0]|{{PlayBoyAdvanceVer}} ||{{✗}} |]|{{?}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Low ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[[AloneGBA]]GameBeanAdvance
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
|[https://standalonesgithub.dev 1.0.2com/bmchtech/GameBeanAdvance Git]|{{?}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{}} ||{{~}} ||Mid ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||?
|-
!colspan|[[NooDS]]|align="13"left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}|[https://github.com/Hydr8gon/NooDS/releases git]|{{?}} || || ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}|}</div> ===Mobile / ARM===<div style="overflow-x:auto;width:100%">{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;width:100%"
|-
! scope="col"|Name! scope="col"|Platform(s)! scope="col"|Latest Version! scope="col"|[[mGBA#Hardware_features_and_accessories|Hardware features<br/>and accessories]]<ref group! scope=N name=libretro>Only available on mobile as a libretro core (e.g. "col"|[[RetroArch#Enhancements|Enhancements]]).! scope="col"|Compatibility! scope="col"|<abbr title="Free/Libre and Open-Source Software">FLOSS</refabbr>! scope="col"|Active! scope="col"|[[Recommended Emulators|Recommended]]|-|[[mGBA]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Android|iOS|Linux|Pandora}}
|[https://mgbagithub.iocom/downloads.html {{MGBAVer}}huhao1987/mGBA_Android unofficial android version]|{{✓}} ||{{✓}}<ref group=N name=medusa br/> ||{{✓}} |[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]|{{~}} ||{{~}} ||Mid-High ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[VisualBoy Advance#VBA-M|VBA-M]]|align=left|{{Icon|Android|iOS|Linux|Pandora}}|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]|{{~}} ||{{~}} || ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}|-|[[SkyEmu]]|align=left|{{Icon|Android|iOS}}|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.sky.SkyEmu v3.2] (Play)[https://www.amazon.com/SkyEmu-GBC-GBA-NDS-Emulator/dp/B0CGHK8QP5 v3.2] (Amazon)[https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu git]|{{n}} ||{{~}} || ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}|-|[[gpSP]]|align=left|{{Icon|Android|iOS|Pandora}}<br/>{{Icon|Didj|Symbian}}|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]<br/>[http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=package.gpsp.notaz 0.9.2.8 Pandora]<br/>[https://github.com/Summeli/gpSP4Cute Symbian]|{{~}} ||{{~}} ||[https://docs.libretro.com/library/gpsp/#compatibility ?] ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}<ref group=N name=gpsp>Libretro Core Only.</ref> ||{{~}}|-|Pizza Boy GBAA Basic
|align=left|{{Icon|Android}}
|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.dbtecno.pizzaboygbapro pizzaboygba 1.3112.01]|{{✓}}<ref group=N name=pizzaboygbc>Separate app called Pizza Boy GBC.</ref> ||{{✗}} ||{{✓~}} ||{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[httphttps://www.explusalpha.com/ contents/gba-emu GBA.emu]<br/><small>(VBA-M r1097 2.1.4 based)</small>
|align=left|{{Icon|Android|Pyra}}
|[https://github.com/Rakashazi/emu-ex-plus-alpha/releases/tag/Pre-release Pre-release]<br/>[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.explusalpha.GbaEmu {{.emuVer}}][https://github.com/Rakashazi/emu-ex-plus-alpha git]</br>[https://pyra-handheld.com/repo/apps/75 1.5.46.02 Pyra]|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{~}} ||{{✓}}|-|VGBAnext|align=left|{{Icon|Android}}|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fms.emu {{VGBANextVer}}]|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Low ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓~}}
|-
|[https://sites.google.com/site/fastemulator/ My Boy!]
|align=left|{{Icon|Android}}
|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fastemulator.gba 1.82.0]|{{✓}}<ref group=N name=myoldboy>Separate paid app called My OldBoy!.</ref> ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}|-|[[gpSP]6]|align=left|{{Icon|Pandora|Didj}}|[http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=package.gpsp.notaz 0.9.2.8 Pandora]|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓~}}
|-
|[https://forums.windowscentral.com/app-spotlight/252987-trio-nintendo-emulators-vba8-vgbc8-snes8x.html VBA10]
|align=left|{{Icon|W10P}}
|[https://forum.xda-developers.com/windows-10-mobile/windows-10-mobile-apps-and-games/app-vba10-emulator-t3588704 1.22]<br/>[https://emulator.games/emulators/gameboy-advance/vba10/ Alt]
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓?}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}
|-
|GBA_J2ME|align=left|{{Icon|Java}}|[http://web.archiveoldfag.orgtop/webdownloads/20190801135245/http://allaboutwindowsphone?act=view&id=168 1.com/software/content/VBA8_1.php VBA80]|{{?}} || || ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}|-|VGBAnext|align=left|{{Icon|W8PAndroid}}|[https://wwwplay.appx4fungoogle.com/xapstore/15223apps/ 2details?id=com.fms.27emu {{VGBANextVer}}]|{{?}} || || ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} |-|[[NooDS]]|align=left|{{Icon|Android}}|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.hydra.noods 0.1]<br/>[https://github.com/Hydr8gon/NooDS/releases git]|{{? }} || ||Low-Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|GBA4iOS
|align=left|{{Icon|iOS}}
|[https://iemulators.com/gba4ios 2.1]
|{{?}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||High ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[[VisualBoy Advance#VBA-M|VBA-Mhttp://web.archive.org/web/20190801135245/http://allaboutwindowsphone.com/software/content/VBA8_1.php VBA8]]<ref group=N name=libretro />|align=left|{{Icon|Android|iOS|Linux|PandoraW8P}}|[https://githubwww.appx4fun.com/visualboyadvance-mxap/15223/visualboyadvance-m 2.1.427]|{{?}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||? ||{{}} ||{{}} |}</div> ===Consoles===<div style="overflow-x:auto;width:100%">{|{{✗}}class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;width:100%"
|-
!colspanscope="13col"|ConsolesName! scope="col"|Platform(s)! scope="col"|Latest Version! scope="col"|[[#Hardware_features_and_accessories|Hardware features<br/>and accessories]]! scope="col"|[[#Enhancements|Enhancements]]! scope="col"|Compatibility! scope="col"|<abbr title="Free/Libre and Open-Source Software">FLOSS</abbr>! scope="col"|Active! scope="col"|[[Recommended Emulators|Recommended]]
|-
|[[mGBA]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Wii|WiiU|Switch}}<br>{{Icon|3DS|PSV}}|[https://mgba.io/builds/1/ Dev builds]<br/> [https://mgba.io/downloads.html #homebrew {{MGBAVer}}]<br/>[https://www.retroarch.com/?page=platforms libretro core]|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗~}} ||{{~}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[gpSPNintendo Switch Online]] <small>(Sloop)</small>|align=left|{{Icon|Switch}}|N/A|{{~}} ||{{~}} ||[[Wikipedia:List_of_Nintendo_Switch_Online_games#PSP_versionGame_Boy_Advance|TempGBA4PSPOnly for selected titles]] ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} |-|[https://docs.libretro.com/library/vba_next/ VBA Next]|align=left|{{Icon|PSPNGC|Wii|NX}}<br/>{{Icon|PS3}}<br/>{{Icon|PS4}}<br/>{{Icon|Vita}}<br/>{{Icon|Xbox|Xbox360}}|[httphttps://www.mediafireretroarch.com/download/41ny5xrwxizalx4/TempGBA4PSP-26750221.zip 26750221?page=platforms libretro core]|{{?}} ||{{~}} || ||{{}} ||{{}} ||{{✓}} |-|Mid [[gpSP]]|align=left|{{Icon|DC|PSP}}<br/>{{Icon|PS2|NGC|Wii}}<br/>{{Icon|3DS|Vita}}|[https://www.retroarch.com/?page=platforms libretro core]<br/>[[GpSP#PSP_Version|TempGBA4PSP]]|{{~}} ||{{~}} ||[https://docs.libretro.com/library/gpsp/#compatibility ?] ||{{✓}} ||{{~}} <ref group=N name=gpsp></ref> ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[Virtual Console]]
|align=left|{{Icon|3DS|WiiU}}
|8.10
|{{~}} <small>(3DS only)<small> ||{{n}} ||[[Wikipedia:Virtual_Console#Titles_2|Only for selected titles (3DS)]]<smallbr/>[[Wikipedia:Virtual_Console#Titles_3|Only for selected titles (Wii U only)<small> ]] ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} <small>(Pokemon only)</small> |-|Game Boy Player|align=left|{{Icon|GCN}}||{{~}} ||{{n}} || ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}|-|ReGBA|Align=left|{{Icon|PS2}}|[https://www.ps2-home.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1332 v1.45.5 revision 3]|{{? }} || || ||{{}} ||{{}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[https://www.gc-forever.com/wiki/index.php?title=Enhanced_mGBA emGBA]
|align=left|{{Icon|GCN|Wii|WiiU}}
|[https://files.extremscorner.org/gamecube/apps/mgba/latest git]
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗?}} ||{{✓}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[VisualBoy Advance#VBA-GX|VBA GX]]
|align=left|{{Icon|GCN|Wii|WiiU}}
|[https://github.com/dborth/vbagx/releases git]
|{{?}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}<ref group=N>As VBA-Next.</ref> ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}|-|[[gpSP]]|align=left|{{Icon|PSP}}|0.91|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗~}}
|-
|Gbaemu4DS
|align=left|{{Icon|NDS}}
|[https://ichfly.github.io/gbaemu4DS Alpha 2 fix 4][https://github.com/ichfly/gbaemu4DS git]
|{{?}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Low ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[[GBARunner2]]
|align=left|{{Icon|NDS|3DS}}
|[https://github.com/Gericom/GBARunner2/releases/tag/v20200812-131430_6e4ce45 2020/08/12]
|{{?}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Low-High ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[[gpSP|UO gpSP Kai]](UO gpSP改)
|align=left|{{Icon|PSP}}
|3.4 test 4 build 230
|{{? }} ||? ||? ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}|-|[[NooDS]]|align=left|{{Icon|Switch|Vita|WiiU}}<br/>{{Icon|PSP}}|[https://github.com/Hydr8gon/NooDS git]<small> (Switch/Vita/WiiU)</small><br/>[https://github.com/Xiro28/NooDS_PSP git] <small>(PSP port)</small>|{{? }} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||{{}} ||{{✗}}
|}
</div>
<references group=N />
==Native=Comparisons=<div style="overflow-x:auto;width:100%">{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;width:100%"! scope="col"|Name;! scope="col"|Platform(s)! scope="col"|Latest Version! scope="col"|[[mGBA#Enhancements|Enhancements]]:Aims for accuracy, speed, and features. For its accuracy, it's gradually becoming the best at that. It's actively developed and has features VBA-M lacks such as a Tilt Sensor, and more recently Game Boy Camera support. It currently does not have an official Android build.;! scope="col"|[[VisualBoy Advance#Hardware_features_and_accessories|Visual Boy Advance (VBA)Hardware features<br/>and accessories]]:The original GBA emulator. Discovered to have an ! scope="col"|<small>Compatibility</small>! scope="col"|<abbr title="Arbitrary Code ExecutionFree/Libre and Open-Source Software">ACEFLOSS</abbr> vulnerability detailed below.:;! scope="col"|Active! scope="col"|[[VisualBoy Advance#VBA-MRecommended emulators|Visual Boy Advance-M (VBA-M)Recommended]]:A fork with additional improvements. It is behind in terms of accuracy and performance compared to mGBA.::;VBA-Next:A [[RetroArch]] fork from an older revision of VBA-M with added speedhacks and tweaks, making it useful for lower|-end devices. A bit less accurate in some respects, but fixes a few games such as Advance Wars 2.;[[gpSP]]:Its last official version was 0.91. There are, however, two forks of interest: [http://dl.qj.net/psp/emulators/gpsp-mod-20090720.html gpSPmod], and [http://filetrip.net/psp-downloads/homebrew/download-gpsp-j-12-06-16-f29570.htmlgpSP-J gpSP-J]. gpSP-J has superior compatibility, while gpSPmod has more options for customization |Nintendo 3DS (full screen, cheats, etcAGB_FIRM). Both are superior to Kai.;[[higan]]:Its GBA core is cycle-accurate as of v095|align=left|{{Icon|3DS}}|?| || {{✗}} ||No documented issues, but it is behind in terms of performance compared to mGBA and VBA-M.games that use special cart hardware are not supported ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}|};[[MAME]]:Has a <code>gba</codediv> driver markup as working but both graphics and sound are "imperfect".
'''NOTE==Comparisons==;[[mGBA]]:''' There's a ''huge'' <abbr title="Arbitrary Code Execution">ACE<Free and open-source Game Boy/abbr> vulnerability affecting VBA Color and most of its forksGame Boy Advance emulator developed by endrift. Being written from scratch, except it aims for VBA-Mspeed, [[Emulation Accuracy|accuracy]], and portability. The function for adding GameShark codes ("Import > Gameshark code file") doesnAs of yet, it't check if s the file's size is within 1024 kilobitsmost complete GBA emulation effort with [[#Enhancements|enhancements]] and [[#Hardware_features_and_accessories|feature support]], meaning cheat code files from dubious sources can be engineered with malware in mindpassing the older project VBA and its forks. There It is good news; VBA-M still doesn't do also available as a sanity check Libretro core for those files, but it just crashes instead RetroArch. As of letting the code wreak havoc. So, depending on your use case, avoid using:# Cheat code files bigger than 1024Kb that you got online from untrustworthy sources0.# The import code files feature9.# The old emulator altogether0, and settle for other options like mGBA or VBAwith a stripped-M. All of them support the same SRAM save data the cartridge usesdown GUI has been integrated into Dolphin recently for games supporting [[#Hardware_features_and_accessories|connectivity features]].
'''List of recommended GBA emulators for Android;[[NanoBoyAdvance]]:'''* Highly [[Emulation_accuracy|accurate]]<ref>[https://www.androidauthoritygithub.com/bestnba-game-boy-emulators-for-android-368530emu/NanoBoyAdvance/blob/master/docs/ACCURACY.md mGBA suite comparison]</ 10 best ref> Game Boy AdvancedAdvance emulator. It aims for [[Emulation Accuracy|cycle-accurate]] emulation when possible (CPU, DMA, timers, PPU and Game Boy ColorPak prefetch), while also offering enhancements such as improved audio quality. Very high compatibility, and including games that require emulation of [https://github.com/nba-emu/NanoBoyAdvance/blob/master/docs/ACCURACY.md#Game Boy emulators for Android-compatibility peculiar hardware edge-cases] (SEPTEMBER 2. Unfortunately, following the release of the next major update, 2018developer "[https://github. Includes some emulators not found in above chartscom/fleroviux fleroviux]" will step down from actively developing the project. Reviews may be subjective[https://old.)reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/1auz9c9/nanoboyadvance_180_is_released_plus_announcement/]
;[[VisualBoy Advance|Visual Boy Advance (VBA)]]:The original GBA emulator. Discovered to have an <abbr title==Emulation issues=="Arbitrary Code Execution">ACE</abbr> vulnerability detailed below.
===Oversaturation===[[File:1406913527173-1-.png|400px|thumb|right|'''Left:''' The default game.<br/>'''Right:''' The "Gameboy Colors" mode on ;[[VisualBoy Advance#VBA-M|Visual Boy Advance-M (VBA-M)]]:A fork with additional minor improvements.It is behind in terms of [[Emulation Accuracy|accuracy]]The screen on the original Game Boy Advance is not backlit and can be hard compared to see in some conditions. To compensatemGBA or other recommended GBA emulators, game developers often used oversaturated colors by default so that the result would look normal on hardware. On standard computer screens, saturation but is not an issue so this can look jarring and undesirable still useful for gameplay. Some games made after 2003 may have also taken the Game Boy Advance SP <abbr title="AGS-001">model</abbr> into account since its screen was actually <abbr title="A newer model, AGS-101, was released in 2005 robust debugging features and sound interpolation that was actually backlit">frontlit</abbr>reduces hissing. For everything else though, emudevs have given some solutions:
====Emulator Options===='''No$GBA:''' Under "Emulation Options":;VBA-Next:A [[RetroArch]] fork from an older revision of VBA-M with added speedhacks and tweaks, select "GBA Mode"making it useful for lower-end devices. There are four modesA bit less accurate in some respects, but fixes a few games such as Advance Wars 2.
* '''GBA (no backlight);[[SkyEmu]]:''' Strong desaturation* '''GBA SP (backlight)Low level Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance emulator. Its primary focus is to provide a [https:''' Strong desaturation* '''Nintendo DS in GBA mode//old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/ybejxv/skyemu_v2_release/itutt2h/ good user experience] through a good mixture of tradeoffs of [[Emulation_accuracy|accuracy]]<ref>[https:''' Some desaturation* '''VGA Mode (poppy bright)//github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu#accuracycompatibility SkyEmu:''' No desaturationAccuracy and Compatibility], [https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu/blob/dev/docs/Accuracy.md SkyEmu: Accuracy on Difficult to Emulate Games].</ref>, performance, features and usability. Capable of full instruction pipeline, prefetch emulation and per pixel PPU Implementation capable of both scan line and mid-scan line effects.
''';[[higan]] / [[ares]]:[[Emulation Accuracy|Accuracy]] wise it is behind compared to NanoBoyAdvance, SkyEmu (and maybe mGBA:''' Under Tools > Settings > Shaders) but it has dot-based instead of scanline-based renderer and doing better job compared to VBA-M. Also it is behind in terms of compatibility compared to mGBA, NanoBoyAdvance and SkyEmu, you will find three customizable '''Desaturation''' parametersbut Ares stands out being [[Multi-system_emulators|multi-system emulator]] and supports some useful [[#Enhancements|enhancements]] like shaders/filters and simple debug features.
'''VBA-M;[[Mesen]]:''' (nightly only): Under Options > Game Boy Advance, you will find It has potential to being the best GBA debugger in the option, '''LCD Filter'''future.placeholder text
'''higan;[[MAME]]:''' Under Settings Has a <code> Video Filtergba</code> driver markup as working, you will find the but both graphics and sound are [http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/dettaglio_mame.php?game_name=gba "Color Emulationimperfect" checkbox] as of version 0.261.
* '''Color Emulation off;[[gpSP]]:Originally made for the PSP, its last official version was 0.91. There are, however, two forks of interest: [http:''' No desaturation* '''Color Emulation on//dl.qj.net/psp/emulators/gpsp-mod-20090720.html gpSPmod], and [http://filetrip.net/psp-downloads/homebrew/download-gpsp-j-12-06-16-f29570.htmlgpSP-J gpSP-J]. gpSP-J has superior compatibility, while gpSPmod has more options for customization (full screen, cheats, etc). Both are superior to Kai. TempGBA is another good fork. For other platforms, there's a libretro port of gpSP with fast x86 and ARM dynarecs. While it'' Gamma correction and adjusted color ranges behind the best GBA emulators in terms of accuracy, its great performance makes it a viable option for old/underpowered machines or for using extreme fast-forward in games.
====Shaders====Cg ;Pizza Boy A:Likely due to the [[Shaders and FiltersYuzu#Lawsuit|shadersyuzu situation]] can be used , the project was pulled from the Play Store by its developer after seven years of development and was presumed dead in 2024[https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/1b97uus/emulator_pizza_boy_for_gba_and_gbc_removed_from/][OpenEmu]https://old.reddit.com/r/EmulationOnAndroid/comments/1ba5h5g/pizzaboy_emulator_is_gone/] or [[RetroArchhttps://www.theverge.com/2024/3/7/24093867/another-emulator-is-shutting-down]] that adjust the colors to those of a real GBA screen. However, as well as other screen types. These are available in GLSL<ref name="GLSL">April, the project was renamed and development has resumed[https://githubwww.theverge.com/libretro2024/glsl-shaders4/tree23/master24138403/handheldspeaking-of-turning-your-phone-into-a-nintendo-emulator][https:/shaders/color<gbatemp.net/threads/ref> for OpenGL, pizza-boy-a-basic-emulator-back-into-google-play-store-free-and Slang<ref name="Slang">-without-ads.654652/][https://githubold.reddit.com/libretro/slang-shadersr/treeemulation/mastercomments/handheld1cbp2fx/shaderspizza_boy_is_back/color</ref> for Vulkan].
For ; [[Nintendo Switch Online]] (Sloop)* GBAsupport was added to Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack in February 2023, there is <code>gba-color.cg</code><ref>alongside GB games exclusive to the normal tier;* Users are [[Wikipedia:List_of_Nintendo_Switch_Online_games#Game_Boy_Advance|limited to the selection of games]] Nintendo chooses to make available on the service;* Can support Local Play with other Switch Online users (up to 4 players, Local Play must be with individual Switch systems);* [https://githubtwitter.com/libretro/common-shaders/blob/master/handheld/shadersLuigiBlood/color/gba-color.cg<status/ref>, which simulates 1624005571815899136 Accurate enough] at the color profile point of being able to pass any of the ''AGB Test Cartridge'' (v10) tests without a GBA screen under an external light source more accurately than VBA-M single failure;* Video filters can be applied;* Allows exchange of regional variants in the International version of the app (USA and/or No$GBA color optionsEuropean versions);* Allows rumble support for games that had such function back when played in a Game Boy Player (''Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. If you prefer the darker color options that those emulators have3'', then use <code>vba-color.cg</code><ref>https''Mario & Luigi://github.com/libretro/common-shaders/blob/master/handheld/shaders/color/vba-color.cg</ref> instead. Superstar Saga'')* Different games between regions (Japan and International)
'''NOTE:''' There is also 's a ''huge'' <codeabbr title="Arbitrary Code Execution">nds-color.cgACE</codeabbr><refvulnerability affecting VBA and most of its forks, except for VBA-M. The function for adding GameShark codes ("Import >https://githubGameshark code file") doesn't check if the file's size is within 1024 kilobits, meaning cheat code files from dubious sources can be engineered with malware in mind.com/libretro/commonThere is good news; VBA-shaders/blob/master/handheld/shaders/color/nds-colorM still doesn't do a sanity check for those files, but it just crashes instead of letting the code wreak havoc.cg</ref> and <So, depending on your use case, avoid using:# Cheat code>psp-colorfiles bigger than 1024Kb that you got online from untrustworthy sources.cg</# The import code><ref>https://githubfiles feature.com/libretro/common# The old emulator altogether, and settle for other options like mGBA or VBA-shaders/blob/master/handheld/shaders/color/psp-colorM.cg</ref>, which simulates the color profiles All of them support the original Nintendo DS frontlit screen and same SRAM save data the PSP-1000/PSP-2000 backlit screen, respectivelycartridge uses.
===Horrible Sound Quality==='''List of recommended GBA emulators for Android:'''As a handheld rushed to the market (because of the WonderSwan Color competition), the * [https://www.androidauthority.com/best-game-boy-emulators-for-android-368530/ 10 best Game Boy Advance had some cut corners. The sound hardware was affected the hardest: while it could play Advanced, Game Boy Color sound in addition to samples , and sequenced music like what would be heard on the SNESGame Boy emulators for Android] (SEPTEMBER 2, the actual sound playback quality is awful compared to the actual higher quality sound samples stored internally 2018. Includes some emulators not found in the ROMabove charts. Reviews may be subjective.)
There were ==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! mGBA! VBA-M! No$GBA! SkyEmu! NanoBoyAdvance! Mesen! Game Boy Player! Virtual Console! BizHawk! ares! GBE+! gpSP! Pizza Boy GBA (Pro)! MAME! Nintendo Switch Online (Sloop)|-| rowspan=3 | Graphics| [[Resolution|Resizable Internal Resolution]]| colspan=14 | For emulation of 2D systems, the resolution can only be upscaled, making the pixels more apparent.|-| [[Texture_packs#Sprite_Replacement_.282D.29|Sprite Replacement]]|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|-| [[Widescreen_hacks#Emulators_.282D.29|Widescreen Hack]]||||||||||{{N}}||||||-| rowspan=2 | Performance| [[Overclocking|Overclock]]|{{N}}[https://github.com/mgba-emu/mgba/issues/2833 *]|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{?}}[https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/65j3c3/can_a_emulated_game_run_better_then_the_actual/dgau7ck/ *]|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{Y}}[https://wwwold.romhackingreddit.netcom/r/emulation/comments/8nw23h/gba_emulator_w_overclock_support/utilitiese02nnn6/881*]|{{N}}|-| [[30/ tools60_FPS_cheat_codes|Internal Framerate Hack]] made to extract the internal high|||||||{{N}}|{{N}}||{{N}}|||||{{N}}|-| rowspan=6 | Post-Processing| [[Wikipedia:Category:Anti-aliasing_algorithms|Post-quality music rendering AA]]<br/><small>(as midi files plus a sound fontFXAA, to be played on foobar2000TXAA and MLAA/SMAA)</small>| {{Y}}|||||||||||{{Y}}||||-| [[Wikipedia:Comparison_gallery_of_image_scaling_algorithms|Post-rendering scaling]]<br/><small>(Sharp bilinear, however, interest remains limited in implementing its Lanczos and [[Wikipedia:GPUOpen#FidelityFX_Super_Resolution|FSR 1]])</small>|{{Y}}|||||||||||{{Y}}||{{Y}}||-| [[Shaders_and_filters|Filters]]|{{Y}}|{{Y}}|||{{Y}}|{{Y}}||||{{Y}}||{{Y}}|{{Y}}|{{Y}}|{{Y}}|-|[[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>| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{N}}| {{N}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{N}}|-| [[Shader_Presets|Shader Chain]]|{{~}}<ref group=N3 name=lrExclusive></ref>|{{~}}<ref group=N3 name=lrExclusive></ref>|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{Y}}[https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares/pull/1397 *]|{{N}}|{{Y}}|{{N}}|{{Y}}|{{N}}|-|[[High_dynamic_range#Inverse_tone_mapping|Inverse tone mapping compatible]]| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{N}}| {{N}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{N}}|-| rowspan=5 | [https://tasvideos.org/Emulatorresources/Features TAS features]| [[Wikipedia:Macro_(computer_science)|Macros/Scripts]]/[https://tasvideos.org/LuaScripting Lua]|{{Y}}<ref group=N3 name=ExStandalone>Exclusive to standalone version.</ref>||||{{N}}|{{?}}|{{N}}|{{?}}|{{Y}}|{{N}}|{{Y}}|||{{Y}}[https://docs.mamedev.org/plugins/inputmacro.html *]|{{N}}|-| Rewind|{{Y}}|||{{Y}}|||||{{Y}}|||{{Y}}|{{Y}}||{{Y}}|-| Fast-Forward/Turbo Speed|{{Y}}||||||||{{Y}}|||{{?}}|{{Y}}|||-| Savestates|{{Y}}|||{{Y}}|{{Y}}||||{{Y}}|||{{Y}}|{{Y}}|||-| [https://tasvideos.org/Movies Movie recording/playback ]| {{?}}[https://forums.mgba.io/archive/index.php?thread-4910.html]||||||||{{Y}}|||{{?}}||||-| rowspan=1 | Controls| [[Input_lag|Input lag-mitigating technique]]|{{~}}<ref group=N3 name=lrExclusive></ref>|||||||||||{{?}}|||{{N}}|-| rowspan=6 | Quality of life| Built-in real-time [http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,106405 Custom resolution/CRTSwitchRes]<br/><small>For using this on emulatorsWindows OS you need [http://geedorah.com/eiusdemmodi/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1009#p1009 CRT Emudriver]. It's worth noting it exists <br/>Another option is using EDID editor tool such as "Custom Resolution Utility".</small>| colspan=14 | <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 very experimental feature 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>| {{N}}|-| Built-in [[mGBACheats_and_patches|Cheat Manager]]|{{Y}}|||||||||||{{?}}|{{Y}}|{{Y}}||-| [[Save_disk_space_for_ISOs#Game_Boy_Advance_.2F_Nintendo_DS_.2F_Nintendo_3DS|Streamable compression format]]|{{Y}}||||{{Y}}||{{N}}|{{N}}|{{Y}}|||{{?}}|{{Y}}|{{Y}}|{{N}}|-| Per-Game Profiles||||||||||||{{Y}}||{{Y}}||-| Command Line Options||||||{{Y}}||||||{{Y}}||{{Y}}|{{N}}|-| [[Frontends#Graphical_User_Interfaces_.28GUIs.29|Big Picture Mode]]|||||||||||||||{{Y}}|-| rowspan=6 | Misc| [[Netplay|Netplay]] (nightly versions) under Enhancements as "XQ <br/><small>You can use either yuzu/Ryujinx for playing GBA games online via netplay.<br/>This enhancement shouldn't be confused with GBA connectivity features emulation.</small>|[https://mgba.io/faq.html#glossary WIP]|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{?}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{Y}}[https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/game-boy-advance-nintendo-switch-online-switch/ *]|-| [https://github.com/ipatix/gba-hq-mixer High Quality Audio", but very buggy and still limited to Mixer]<br/><small>HQ audio mixer for games using the standard which use Nintendo's MusicPlayer2000 sound engine, </small>|{{~}}||||{{Y}}|||||{{N}}||{{?}}|||{{N}}|-| [[Virtual_reality#VR_game_room_simulations|EmuVR support]]| colspan=15 | Exclusive to [https://www.emuvr.net/wiki/Installation_Guide#Downloads libretro cores] at the somoment.|-called | AI Service<br/><small>With the help of <abbr title="Sappyoptical character recognition" engine>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, which either on demand or automatically.</small>| colspan=15 | Exclusive to [https://docs.libretro.com/guides/ai-service/ libretro cores] at the moment.|-| [https://retroachievements.org/gameList.php?c=5 RetroAchievements]|{{~}}<ref group=N3 name=lrExclusive>Exclusive to libretro core. There is still also a big part [https://github.com/RetroAchievements/RAVBA modified version of the GBA's software libraryVBA-M] for RetroAchievement support. [https://github.com/mgba-emu/mgba/issues/2232 Feature request: RetroAchievements integration in mGBA standalone].</ref>|{{~}}<ref group=N3 name=lrExclusive></ref>|{{N}}|{{N}}[https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu/issues/36 *]|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|{{Y}}[https://retroachievements.org/download.php#bizhawk *]|{{N}}||{{Y}}|{{Y}}|{{N}}|{{N}}|-| [[Wikipedia:Category:Debugging|Debug Features]]|{{Y}}[https://mgba.io/2021/03/28/mgba-0.9.0/#more-debugging-improvements *]|{{Y}}|{{Y}}||{{Y}}|{{Y}}||||{{Y}}|||||{{N}}|}</div><references group=N3/>
===High Resolution Affine Transformation Graphical EffectsHardware features and accessories==:''[https://shonumi.github.io/articles/art34.html Shonumi: The State of Emulation - 2024]''<div style="overflow-x:auto;width:100%">Similar Where should Multiboot be added? Mini-games transferred from GC to the scaling effects used on the Super NES known commonly as "Mode 7" graphics, the Game Boy Advance has affine transformation effects for some backgrounds and individual sprites that GBA. Only mGBA can be done in hardwarerun them directly. All other Libretro cores do not support Multiboot. The extension is .gba. Due Billy Hatcher's mini-game is exclusive to the GBA:+If it's lower resolutionpossible to use with real hardware add hardware features and accesories section, some detail may be lostif not then add it to enhancements section.{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;vertical-align:middle;width:100%"|- style="font-weight:bold;"The ! colspan=2 | Name! mGBA! VBA-M <br/>[[mGBAVisualBoy_Advance#VBA_Link_e-Reader|VBA 1.73 Mod]] emulator added an Enhancements menu where you can change the resolution of those graphical effects, for a smoother effect. The graphical render engine will need to be OpenGL for those to take effect. It won't work on games where those effects are done in software instead of the hardware scaling features ! No$GBA! SkyEmu! NanoBoyAdvance! Mesen! Game Boy Player! Virtual Console! BizHawk! ares! GBE+! gpSP! Pizza Boy GBA! MAME! Nintendo Switch Online (like the 3D environment in Asterix & Obelix XXLSloop)|-|colspan=2 | [https://www.copetti.org/writings/consoles/game-boy-advance/#operating-system GBA BIOS]|{{Y}}|{{Y}}|{{Y}}|{{Y}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{Y}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{Y}}|{{?}}|{{Y}}|-|colspan=2 | [[#GB.2FGBC_backwards_compatibility_emulation.2FEnhanced_Mode|GB/GBC backwards compatibility emulation/Enhanced Mode]]|{{?}}|{{?}}[https://www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php?topic=Save formats21831.0 *]|{{n}}|{{?}}|{{n}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}<abbr title="3DS only">*</abbr>|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{X}}<abbr title="Plays GB/GBC games through a separate app">*</abbr>|-| colspan=2 | [[#Game_Boy_Advance_Video|Game Boy Advance Video]]|{{y}}|{{y}}|{{?}}|{{n}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{n}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}Originally|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|-|rowspan=5 | [[#Connectivity|<abbr title="There are five different kinds of connectivity, when saves were implemented, nobody settled support varying by game.">Connectivity</abbr>]]|[https://squallsnake.com/blog-gba-single-pak-multiplayer-game-list/ Single Pak]|{{✓}}<ref group=N2 name=libretro>Does not work on a formatLibretro core. Feature Requests: [https://github.com/libretro/vbam-libretro/issues/114 GBA Game Link Support], so the Visual Boy Advance devs made their own[https://github.com/libretro/vbam-libretro/issues/87 e-Reader support] for for VBA-M libretro core. Because other emulators often went with raw data, having to exchange different saves caused problems</ref>|{{✗}}[https://github. The original Visual Boy Advance tries to figure out which format a given save is but often fails at itcom/visualboyadvance-m/visualboyadvance-m/issues/831 *]|{{✓}}|{{✗}}[https://github. By explicitly telling the emulator to read it as a specific type using a file called com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu/issues/44 *]|{{✗}}|{{?}}|{{y}}|{{~}}<abbr title="Pokemon only">*<code/abbr>vba|{{✓}}|{{?}}|{{✗}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{✗}}|-over|[[#GBA_Multi_Pak_Link_Multiplayer_.ini281.7E4GBA.29|Multi Pak]]|{{✓}}<ref group=N2 name=libretro /code>, VBA complies|{{✓}}|{{✓}}|{{✗}}[https://github. VBAcom/skylersaleh/SkyEmu/issues/44 *]|{{✗}}|{{?}}|{{y}}|{{~}}<abbr title="Pokemon only">*</abbr>|{{✓}}|{{?}}|{{✗}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{✗}}|-M includes this config file by default, but older revisions like VBA 1|[[#Connectivity|Wireless]]|{{✗}} [https://mgba.7io/timeline.2 and VBALink do nothtml#IN+THE+FUTURE *]|{{~}}|{{✗}}|{{✗}}|{{✗}}|{{?}}|{{y}}|{{✗}}|{{✗}}|{{?}}|{{~}}|{{Y}}[https://www.davidgf.net/2024/01/13/gba-wireless-adapter/ *]|{{Y}}|{{?}}|{{✗}}|-|[[#GameCube Connectivity|<abbr title="The VBANintendo GameCube – Game Boy Advance link cable (model DOL-Next and VBA-M cores in Libretro have 011) is a link cable that links the GameCube to the Game Boy Advance, the file baked into Game Boy Advance SP, the binary so that it can load raw .sav filese-Reader, but converts or even a second GameCube via the format Game Boy Player. The Game Boy Micro is not compatible due to its own derivative at exactly 136 KB every timedifferent connector. The Wii, however, is compatible with save type info contained within the file. This completely avoids cable due to the previous issues at the cost of incompatibility Wii's backwards compatibility with standalone VBA GameCube games and most otherscontrollers.">GameCube communication</abbr>]]|{{✓}}<ref group=N2 name=libretro />To solve this incompatibility, Libretro devs created a |{{✓}}<ref group=N2 name=libretro />|{{✗}}|{{✗}}[https://githubold.reddit.com/libretror/vbam-libretroEmuDev/blobcomments/mastervvdqyk/srcrelease_of_skyemu_10/libretroifjfj7a/gbaconv/gbaconv.c command*]|{{✗}}|{{?}}|{{y}}|{{✗}}|{{✗}}|{{?}}|{{✗}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{✗}}|-|[[Wikipedia:Game_Link_Cable#Third_generation|<abbr title="The third generation started with the release of the Game Boy Advance which was released alongside its own link cable called the Game Boy Advance Game Link Cable (model AGB-line tool] to convert .srm save files made from these cores to raw .sav save data for other emulators005). It takes standard input (ifeatures yet another new type of link cable port which is used on the Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Advance SP and Game Boy Player.The e. just drag -Reader also uses the third generation link cable port, but since it is incompatible with Game Boy and drop Game Boy Color games, it is not backwards compatible with the second generation Game Link Cable.srm onto the executableAnother option is Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter (model AGB-015) for Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Advance SP, and outputs accordinglyGame Boy Player. It can also be done in reverse. A 64-bit binary of this tool for Windows can be found ">Link Cable</abbr>]]|{{✓}}<ref group=N2 name=libretro />|{{✓}}<ref group=N2 name=libretro />|{{✓}}|[https://wwwold.mediafirereddit.com/r/emulation/comments/15pvssg/the_skyemu_v3_gbgba_and_newly_nds_emulator_is_now/jw1785m/ WIP]|{{✗}}|{{?}}|{{y}}|{{✗}}|{{✓}}|{{?}}|{{✓}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?6bg8ag0bjs1b7ng here}}|{{✗}}|-| rowspan=3 | [[GBA_e-Reader_emulators|e-Reader]].| [[GBA_e-Reader_emulators#Emulators|e-Reader Alone]]|{{✓}}<ref group=N2 name=Connectivity=libretro /> |{{~}}|{{✓}}|{{TBD}}|{{✗}}|{{?}}|{{y}}|{{~}}<abbr title="Wii U only">*</abbr>|{{TBD}}|{{?}}There are five different kinds of connectivity, support varying by game:|{{TBD}}*Single Pak|{{?}}*Multi Pak|{{?}}*Wireless|{{?}}*GameCube|{{✗}}*Nintendo DS|-Purple end in | [[GBA_e-Reader_emulators#Emulators|e-Reader/GBA means player 1Game]]|{{✓}}<ref group=N2 name=libretro />|{{~}}<ref group=N2 name=e-Reader-GBAGame>incomplete: this emulator will not recognize the games they're connected to. Normally, after choosing "Connection/to Game Boy Advance", while the e-Reader should have "(Game Name) Game Data" pre-loaded in its internal EEPROM memory and appearing in a grey end tiny black box on-screen, but this can't happen in either No$GBA means P2, P3VBA-M, or P4VBA e-Reader mods. DaisyWithout this step done, scanning e-chaining up to three cables Cards will set up the additional P3 and P4 just yield an error message. e-Reader/GBA game pack emulation in this emulator can be still reached by connecting ripping a save game from real e-Reader hardware, with this step already done. Using this save with the purple end e-Reader BIOS, it's possible to connect to the GBA game pack, and scan e-Cards... though it's a purple midsectionvery less-than-ideal solution and there are only pre-baked e-Reader save files for Super Mario Advance 4 (U), Pokémon Emerald (J), LeafGreen (J) and FireRed (J)."</ref>|{{~}}<ref group=N2 name=e-Reader-GBAGame></ref>|{{TBD}}|{{✗}}|{{?}}|{{y}}|{{✓}}|{{TBD}}|{{?}}|{{TBD}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{~}}<abbr title="SMA4 only">*</abbr>|-| [[GBA_e-Reader_emulators#Emulators|e-Reader/GCN Game]]|{{✓}}<refgroup=N2 name=libretro />|{{✗}}|{{✗}}|{{✗}}|{{✗}}|{{?}}|{{y}}|{{✗}}|{{✗}}|{{?}}|{{✗}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{?}}|{{✗}}|-|rowspan=3 | Inputs|Rumble Feature| {{y}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| | {{?}}| {{?}}|||| {{y}}[https://wwwgithub.com/shonumi/gbe-plus#read-the-manual *]|| {{y}}|| {{~}}<abbr title="Allows rumble support for games that had such function back when played in a Game Boy Player (Super Mario Advance 4: Super Mario Bros. 3, Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga)">*</abbr>|-|[[#Inputs|Solar Sensor]]| {{~}}<ref name=manual-switch group=N2>Only the Nintendo Switch port allows use of the Switch's light sensor.nintendo</ref>| {{~}}<ref name=manual group=N2>Only manual configuration.comNo automatic detection via light sensor/camera input/consumerweather forecast/downloadsGPS location/agblinkother.pdf</ref>| {{~}}<ref name=manual group=N2 />| {{~}}<ref name=manual group=N2 />| {{~}}<ref name=manual group=N2 />| {{?}}||||| {{~}}<ref name=manual group=N2 />|| {{y}}| class||-|[[List_of_games_that_support_tracked_motion_controllers#Game_Boy_Advance_Emulation|Motion Control]]| {{y}}| {{y}}<ref group="wikitable" styleN2 name="textRetroArch>Motion Control support present on RetroArch VBA-alignM core.</ref>| {{n}}| | {{n}}| {{?}}||||| {{y}}[https:center;"//github.com/shonumi/gbe-plus#read-the-manual *]|| {{y}}|||-|rowspan=11 | [[#Special_hardware|Special hardware]]|Battle Chip Gate| {{y}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{y}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{n}}| {{n}}|-|Soul Doll Adapter| {{y}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{y}}| {{?}}| {{?}}| {{n}}| {{n}}|-|Multi Plust On System| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{y}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}|-|Turbo File Advance| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{y}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}|-|Power Antenna & Bug Sensor| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{y}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}
|-
! scope="col"|NameOfficial Nintendo Infrared Adapter| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}! scope="col"|Platform(s){{n}}! scope="col"|Supported Version{{n}}! scope="col"|Single Pak{{n}}! scope="col"|Multi Pak{{n}}! scope="col"|Wireless{{n}}! scope="col"|GameCube{{y}}! scope="col"|Nintendo DS{{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}
|-
!colspan="8"|PC Jukebox| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{y}}[https:/ x86/shonumi.github.io/articles/art31.html *]| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}| {{n}}
|-
|[[mGBA]]Virtureal Racing System|align=left{{n}}|{{Iconn}}|Windows{{n}}|Linux{{n}}|macOS{{n}}|FreeBSD{{n}}|[https://mgba.io/downloads.html {{MGBAVern}}]|{{n}} |{{n}}|{{n}} |{{y}}[https://shonumi.github.io/articles/art24.html *]|{{n}} |{{n}}|{{n}} ||{{n}}
|-
|[[VisualBoy Advance#VBAPlay-MYan|VBA-M]]{{n}}|align=left{{n}}|{{Iconn}}|Windows{{n}}|Linux{{n}}|macOS{{n}}|FreeBSD{{n}}|{{n}}| {{n}}|{{n}}| {{~}}[https://shonumi.github.com/visualboyadvance-mio/visualboyadvance-marticles/releases {{VBAMVer}}art32.html *]|{{n}} ||{{n}} ||{{n}} ||{{✓}} ||{{n}}
|-
|[[No$Campho Advance|No$GBA]]{{n}}|align=left{{n}}|{{Iconn}}|Windows{{n}}|DOS{{n}}|{{n}}|[http://problemkaputt.de/gba.htm {{No$GBAVern}}]|{{n}} |{{n}}|{{n}} |[https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/141mm66/glucoboy_found_and_dumped/jn0p5jr/ (WIP)]|{{n}} |{{n}}|{{n}} ||{{n}}
|-
|[[DeSmuME]]Glucoboy|align=left{{n}}|{{Iconn}}|Windows{{n}}|Linux{{n}}|macOS{{n}}|[https://ci.appveyor.com/project/zeromus/desmume {{DeSmuMEVern}}]|{{n}} |{{n}}|{{n}} |{{n}}|{{y}} [https://shonumi.github.io/articles/art33.html *]|{{n}}|{{n}} |{{n}}|{{n}}
|}
</div><references group=N2/> ===GB/GBC backwards compatibility emulation/Enhanced Mode===Game Boy Advance is backwards compatible with GB/GBC, resulting in some of the [https://cheapergamer.co.uk/gba-enhanced-gbc-games/ GB/GBC games enhanced if you play on GBA]. Having said that, this shouldn't be confused with [[Game Boy/Game Boy Color emulators|Game Boy/Game Boy Color emulation]] or [[Super_Nintendo_emulators#Hardware_features_and_accessories|Super Game Boy 1/2]]. Some of the multicore emulators supports both GB/GBC and GBA emulation, however they do not have support for "backwards compatibility/GBA mode" emulation. ===Game Boy Advance Video===:''See also: [[Wikipedia:Game Boy Advance Video|Game Boy Advance Video]] on Wikipedia''GBA Videos were officially released cartridges with movies/shows on them for viewing on GBA hardware. Most recommended GBA emulators should be able to play this type of cartridge if its 32MB, although [https://youtu.be/o9XmB43bN5w?t=540 not all of it supports 64MB ones].*[https://old.reddit.com/r/Gameboy/comments/byos8r/watching_gameboy_advance_video_on_a_gamecube/ Game Boy Player is not compatible with this feature]*mGBA support both 32MB and 64MB video cartridges.:See [[Home_Media_Player#Emulators|this dedicated page]] for more information about home media playback support for emulation softwares.:See [[Ripping_games|Dumping/ripping]]. ===Connectivity=======GBA Multi Pak Link Multiplayer (1~4GBA)====
;VBA-M: This doesn't work with old VBA versions.
:Just disable "Pause when Inactive", configure all four Joypads each with their own button layout, enable "Link, Enable GBA Link". Now open VBA-M again as many times needed for each player, and have them each use their separate Joypad configuration. Each player will have a separate SRAM save file.
;No$GBA:Set the number of Emulated Gameboys in the Emulation setting to be 2 or more, and the Link Gamepaks Options to Gamepak in all GBAs.
==='''Note''': Purple end in GBA Wireless Multiplayer===The [[Wikipedia:Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter|wireless adapter]] has means player 1, while a grey end in GBA means P2, P3, or P4. Daisy-chaining up to three cables will set up the additional P3 and P4 by connecting the ability purple end to connect five playersa purple midsection.<ref>https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/agbwireless_trilingualagblink.pdf</ref> to each other and includes its own software to download a subset of another player's game that runs when no cartridge is inserted. ''Pokémon Fire Red'' and ''Leaf Green'' came bundled with this accessory but it can also work with ''Pokémon Emerald'' and the ''Classic NES Series''.
No emulator has currently implemented this add-on. ====GBA Wireless Multiplayer====The only project whose developers put this on its roadmap is [[mGBAWikipedia:Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter|wireless adapter]]has the ability to connect five players<ref>https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/agbwireless_trilingual.pdf</ref> to each other and includes its own software to download a subset of another player's game that runs when no cartridge is inserted. ''Pokémon Fire Red'' and ''Leaf Green'' came bundled with this accessory, but it can also work with ''Pokémon Emerald'' and the ''Classic NES Series''.
===GameCube Connectivity===The Game Boy Advance can also connect to libretro core of [[gpSP]] has successfully emulated the GameCube.wireless adapter<ref>https://www.nintendodavidgf.comnet/2024/consumer01/downloads13/gba-wireless-adapter/agbgcncable.pdf</ref> e-Reader functionality with GC games has now been emulated thanks to mGBA. [[DolphinGBE+]] supports connectivity through rudimentary joybus emulation made (in parallel with v1.6) and VBA-Mpartially implemented the support of this add-on, though it's still a work-in-progress, and can only access menus. Because Support of this emulator has fallen behind, the feature was recently added to add-on is currently on [[mGBA]], a more accurate emulator. They showcased early higan support in a video, but nothing has been released as of yet's roadmap.
====GameCube Connectivity====[https://nintendo.fandom.com/wiki/Game_Boy_Advance_to_Nintendo_GameCube_Link_Cable#List_of_Supported_Games The Game Boy Advance can also connect to the GameCube].<ref>https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/agbgcncable.pdf</ref> e-Reader functionality with GC games has now been emulated thanks to mGBA. [[Dolphin]] supports connectivity through rudimentary joybus emulation made in parallel with VBA-M. Because this emulator has fallen behind, the feature was recently added to [[mGBA]], a more accurate emulator. They showcased early higan support in a video, but nothing has been released as yet. =====Dolphin/mGBA or VBA-M=====
:''Requires mGBA 0.9.0 or newer or VBA-M r947 or newer.''
* If you are using mGBA, open up the File menu, and click Connect to Dolphin.
* In the dialog box that appears, press Connect. mGBA will boot up the GBA BIOS if no rom has been selected.
* If you are using VBA-M, uncheck Pause When Inactive in Options > Emulator. Then, under Options > Link > Joybus Options, Make make sure to the "Enable Joybus Connection" is on and set "IP/Hostname" to use default settings, that is <code>127.0.0.1</code> or <code>localhost</code>.
* Dolphin will freeze.
* Open the GBA BIOS in VBA-M as if it were a regular GBA ROM. The regular splash screen will stutter a bit.
* In either emulator, Dolphin should recognize the Joybus Link by then , and the GC game will detect that a GBA was connected.
* To connect other units, open another emulator instance and repeat its process.
Notable games that work:
*[https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=The_Legend_of_Zelda:_Four_Swords_Adventures The Legend of Zelda Four Swords Adventures]: Both two modes are available for the US/PAL version work. The third Japan-only Navi Trackers mode works as well, but the game crashes after the naming screen due to a bug in the GC/GBA connectivity.
*[https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=Final_Fantasy_Crystal_Chronicles Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles]
*[https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=Billy_Hatcher_and_the_Giant_Egg Billy Hatcher and the Giant Egg]: You can download games to your GBA. Amusingly, a RAM dump from VBA-M can be opened as a functional GBA ROM.
*[https://wiki.dolphin-emu.org/index.php?title=Mr_Driller:_Drill_Land Mr. Driller: Drill Land]
*lots more
 
===GBA/DS Connectivity===
:''Main section: [[Nintendo_DS_emulators#GBA.2FDS_Connectivity|Nintendo DS § GBA/DS Connectivity]]''
===e-Reader===
This device can read content off e-Card paper stripes either as standalone content, or additional content to GBA/GC games. Can be thought of as DLC.
==Special Hardware=Inputs=Emulation of these is spotty, apart from GBE+, which supports almost all GBA peripherals. {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"|- style="font-weight:bold;"! Name! GBE+! mGBA! VBA-M! No$GBA! My Boy!|-| Solar Sensor| {{✓}}| {{✓}}| {{✓}}| {{✓}}| {{✓}}|-| Motion Control| {{✗}}| {{✓}}| {{~}}| {{✗}}| {{✓}}|-| Battle Chip Gate| {{✓}}| {{✓}}| {{✗}}| {{✗}}| {{✗}}|-| Soul Doll Adapter| {{✓}}| {{✓}}| {{✗}}| {{✗}}| {{✗}}|-| Multi Plust On System| {{✓}}| {{✗}}| {{✗}}| {{✗}}| {{✗}}|-| Turbo File Advance| {{✓}}| {{✗}}| {{✗}}| {{✗}}| {{✗}}|-| Power Antenna & Bug Sensor| {{✓}}| {{✗}}| {{✗}}| {{✗}}| {{✗}}|-| Official Nintendo Infrared Adapter| {{✓}}| {{✗}}| {{✗}}| {{✗}}| {{✗}}|} ===Solar Sensor=======1. Emulation====: This feature has been emulated in mGBA, VBA-M, No$GBA 2.6 onwards, and My Boy!:* mGBA: In the shortcuts editor, shortcuts can be configured to raise/lower the solar level incrementally or to set any particular brightness level. The Nintendo Switch port of mGBA also allows use of the Switch's light sensor.
* VBA-M: This emulator uses the keys of the lateral motion controls to change the Solar Sensor levels. You can find those keys and modify them in Options -> Input -> Configure... -> "Special" tab.
* No$GBA: Under '''Options/Emulation Setup''', you can find the Solar Sensor Level option. You are given the choice between only three brightness levels though: Darkness, 100 Watts, and Bright Sunlight.
* My Boy! : This emulator uses a button combination or the device's light sensor to check the brightness level. You can change this under Settings -> Input -> Cartridge Features -> "Solar Emulation By" menu.* Pizza Boy GBA: Uses the device's light sensor to check the brightness level.
====2. ROM Patches====: Fixes applied directly to the ROM by various scene release groups to make it compatible with any emulator/flashcard, making the in-game brightness level controllable with L+Left/Right. It's argued this makes for a better experience actually, but sadly not all releases are covered.
* '''Boktai 1:''' [http://www.advanscene.com/html/Releases/dbreleases.php?id=1567 JP], [http://www.advanscene.com/html/Releases/dbreleases.php?id=1145 US], <s>EU</s>.
* '''Boktai 2:''' [http://www.advanscene.com/html/Releases/dbreleases.php?id=1567 JP], <s>US</s>, [http://www.advanscene.com/html/Releases/dbreleases.php?id=1992 EU].
* Combinations of Boktai 4 JP with earlier solar sensors to get solar sensor bonuses aren't emulated yet in any DS emulator.
===;Motion Control===1. Emulation: This feature has been emulated in mGBA, VBA-M has an option for Motion controls "Input, Set, Motion". It currently works with all versions of My Boy! and Pizza Boy:* mGBA includes full motion control support using the GBC title Kirby Tilt'n Tumble, which also was a special cartridge with a motion sensor built-present in to control movement in-game. But VBA-M does not support motion controls for GBA games yetcontrollers like DualShock 4, DualSense and Switch Pro Controller.====Emulation====
* VBA '''doesn't''' emulate this feature, and its "Motion Control" option (with keys mapped to each tilt direction) covers the GBC title Kirby Tilt'n Tumble.
* mGBA VBA-M core on RetroArch includes full motion control support in latest dev builds by using the motion sensor present in controllers like DualShock 4, Switch Pro Controller, etc.a controller stick (left or right)
* My Boy! uses the device's accelerometer to emulate this feature. You can change the sensitivity under Settings -> Input -> Cartridge Features -> "Motion sensitivity" menu.
* Pizza Boy GBA also used the device's accelerometer to emulate this feature for games like WarioWare: Twisted and Yoshi's Universal Gravitation.
====2. ROM Patches====: Fixes applied directly to the ROM (with the Lunar IPS utility, or at runtime using mGBA or VBA-M and naming them the same as the ROM in the same directory) by various scene release groups to make it compatible with any emulator/flashcard. D-Pad controls substituting motion controls don't work as well here as they tilt it "too much" at times to be very playable.
* Yoshi Topsy Turvy/Universal Gravitation: [http://www.advanscene.com/html/Releases/dbreleases.php?id=1799 JP], [http://www.advanscene.com/html/Releases/dbreleases.php?id=1947 EU], [http://www.advanscene.com/html/Releases/dbreleases.php?id=2001 US]
* WarioWare Twisted! (Patch: [http://www.advanscene.com/html/Releases/dbreleases.php?id=1682 JP], [http://www.advanscene.com/html/Releases/dbreleases.php?id=1979 US])
===;Rumble Feature===
There are various rumble features found in GBA/GBC cards:
* '''GBC Rumble:''' GBC games which came on special cartridges with additional hardware for the rumble feature. It was actually used by dozens of releases, and some games like Tarzan 2 GBC were programmed to have rumble support but shipped on regular cartridges. Emulated by VBA-M GX (Wii-only), which also cover the dummied-out rumble games. Not emulated anywhere else.
* '''GBA Gyro Rumble:''' WarioWare Twisted was shipped on a cart with rumble support. It would rumble when you tilt to one "extreme". Emulated by VBA-M GX (Wii-only, functional), mGBA has this feature but it's not enabled in current builds,
* '''GBA Variable Rumble:''' Drill Dozer has rumble support, with variable force and speed depending on the rock type you drill through in-game. Partially emulated by VBA-M GX (Wii-only, functional), mGBA has this feature but it's not enabled in current builds.
* '''Game Boy Player Rumble:''' Many regular GBA games, shipped on regular cartridges, enable rumble during gameplay when played on GB Player hardware (which is essentially GBA hardware). These include Super Mario Advance 4, Summon Night Hajimari no Ishi, Mario & Luigi 1: Superstar Saga, Shikakui Atama wo Marukusuru Advance (both releases), Pokémon Pinball, as well as Drill Dozer which disables its original cartridge rumble scheme and enables this one instead. None of the emulators support this, though it's being under development for the mGBA emulator.
===Special hardware===Emulation of these is spotty, apart from GBE+, which supports almost all GBA peripherals. ;Turbo File Advance===
The Turbo File Advance was a peripheral for the GBA which allowed certain games to write data to it, acting as an external memory card. Developed by Sammy Corporation, it was compatible with only 2 games, RPG Tsukuru Advance and Derby Stallion Advance.
GBE+ supports this add-on.
===;Power Antenna & Bug Sensor===
The Power Antenna & Bug Sensor were small plastic peripherals that interfaced with the GBA's serial port and contained LEDs that flashed in response to certain events within Keitai Denjuu Telefang 2, the only supported GBA game.
GBE+ supports this add-on.
===;Official Nintendo Infrared Adapter===
As the GBA did not have native infrared connectivity, Nintendo released an official IR adapter called the AGB-006 to restore this functionality. However, it only saw use in Cyber Drive Zoids: Kiju no Senshi Hyuu to control specific Zoid toy models.
GBE+ supports this add-on.
===;Figurine Readers===
Some GBA games/series had figurine reader add-ons, essentially precursors to the likes of Skylanders and Amiibo.
* '''Soul Doll Adapter''' (Legendz: Island of Ordeal/Sign of Nekuromu)
GBE+ has support for both the Soul Doll Adapter and Multi Plust On System, while mGBA supports the Soul Doll Adapter.
===;Battle Chip Gate===
A peripheral device by Capcom and Takara compatible with ''Mega Man Battle Network 4'' (Japanese edition). It can be connected to the Game Boy Advance and allow the player to transmit real-life toy Battle Chips to the NetNavis in the game. It's also compatible with toy Advanced PETs and ''Rockman.EXE 4.5 Real Operation''. It can also unlock minigames in ''Mega Man Zero 3''.
[[mGBA]] and [[GBE+]] support this add-on.
===;Glucoboy===* '''Glucoboy:''' An obscure medical peripheral designed to monitor a child's blood glucose levels and reward them for keeping tabs on their condition. No known emulator supports this so far, especially given the niche nature of this accessory. Not to mention that [https://assemblergames.com/threads/glucoboy-for-gameboy-is-this-the-rarest-game-accessory-for-gameboy-advance.41853/page-2 Bayer Healthcare destroyed all unsold stock] making it hard to find.It's emulated in GBE+ since version 1.8. ==Emulation issues=====Oversaturation===[[File:1406913527173-1-.png|400px|thumb|right|'''Left:''' The default game.<br/>'''Right:''' The "Gameboy Colors" mode on [[VisualBoy Advance#VBA-M|VBA-M]].]]The screen on the original Game Boy Advance is not backlit and can be hard to see in some conditions. To compensate, game developers often used oversaturated colors by default so that the result would look normal on hardware. On standard computer screens, saturation is not an issue, so this can look jarring and undesirable for gameplay. Some games made after 2003 may have also taken the Game Boy Advance SP <abbr title="AGS-001">model</abbr> into account, since its screen was actually <abbr title="A newer model, AGS-101, was released in 2005 that was actually backlit">frontlit</abbr>. For everything else though, emudevs have given some solutions: ====Emulator Options===='''No$GBA:''' Under "Emulation Options", select "GBA Mode". There are four modes. * '''GBA (no backlight):''' Strong desaturation* '''GBA SP (backlight):''' Strong desaturation* '''Nintendo DS in GBA mode:''' Some desaturation* '''VGA Mode (poppy bright):''' No desaturation '''mGBA:''' Under Tools > Settings > Shaders > Load New Shader, select "gba-color.shader" '''VBA-M:''' (nightly only): Under Options > Game Boy Advance, you will find the option, '''LCD Filter'''. '''higan:''' Under Settings > Video Filter, you will find the "Color Emulation" checkbox. * '''Color Emulation off:''' No desaturation* '''Color Emulation on:''' Gamma correction and adjusted color range.'''NanoBoyAdvance''': Enabled by default. Under Config > Video > Color Correction > GBA '''SkyEmu''': Color Correction is set by default to 1.00 force in this emulator, and there are 2 types of desaturation methods. The first one is named SkyEmu and is selected by default, and the other one is named Higan and, as it's name suggests, is based on higan's color correction. Change the desaturation type by pressing the ≡ button, then select GBA Color Correction Type. You can also change the intensity of the desaturation: slide the slider to 0.00 to brighten the screen a tad bit. ====Shaders====Cg [[Shaders and Filters|shaders]] can be used in [[OpenEmu]] or [[RetroArch]] that adjust the colors to those of a real GBA screen, as well as other screen types. These are available in GLSL<ref name="GLSL">https://github.com/libretro/glsl-shaders/tree/master/handheld/shaders/color</ref> for OpenGL, and Slang<ref name="Slang">https://github.com/libretro/slang-shaders/tree/master/handheld/shaders/color</ref> for Vulkan. For GBA, there is <code>gba-color.cg</code><ref>https://github.com/libretro/common-shaders/blob/master/handheld/shaders/color/gba-color.cg</ref>, which simulates the color profile of a GBA screen under an external light source more accurately than VBA-M or No$GBA color options. If you prefer the darker color options that those emulators have, then use <code>vba-color.cg</code><ref>https://github.com/libretro/common-shaders/blob/master/handheld/shaders/color/vba-color.cg</ref> instead.  There is also <code>nds-color.cg</code><ref>https://github.com/libretro/common-shaders/blob/master/handheld/shaders/color/nds-color.cg</ref> and <code>psp-color.cg</code><ref>https://github.com/libretro/common-shaders/blob/master/handheld/shaders/color/psp-color.cg</ref>, which simulates the color profiles of the original Nintendo DS frontlit screen and the PSP-1000/PSP-2000 backlit screen, respectively. For Game Boy Advance shader presets, see the "Shader Presets" page;{{Main|Shader_Presets}} ===Horrible Sound Quality===As a handheld rushed to the market (because of the WonderSwan Color competition), the Game Boy Advance had some cut corners. The sound hardware was affected the hardest: while it could play Game Boy Color sound in addition to samples and sequenced music like what would be heard on the SNES, the actual playback quality is awful compared to the sound samples stored internally in the ROM. There were [https://www.romhacking.net/utilities/881/ tools] made to extract the internal high-quality music (as midi files plus a sound font, to be played on foobar2000), however, interest remains limited in implementing its playback in real-time on emulators. It's worth noting that NanoBoyAdvance includes [https://github.com/ipatix/gba-hq-mixer High Quality Audio Mixer] and there's a very experimental feature exists on [[mGBA]] (nightly versions) under Enhancements as "XQ GBA Audio", but it's very buggy and still limited to games using the standard sound engine, the so-called "Sappy" engine, which is still a big part of the GBA's software library. ===High Resolution Affine Transformation Graphical Effects===Similar to the scaling effects used on the Super NES known commonly as "Mode 7" graphics, the Game Boy Advance has affine transformation effects for some backgrounds and individual sprites that can be done in hardware. Due to the GBA's lower resolution, some detail may be lost. The [[mGBA]] emulator added an Enhancements' menu where you can change the resolution of those graphical effects, for a smoother effect. The graphical render engine will need to be OpenGL for those to take effect. It won't work on games where those effects are done in software instead of the hardware scaling features (like the 3D environment in Asterix & Obelix XXL) ===Save formats===Originally, when saves were implemented, nobody settled on a format, so the Visual Boy Advance devs made their own. Because other emulators often went with raw data, having to exchange different saves caused problems. The original Visual Boy Advance tries to figure out which format a given save is but often fails at it. By explicitly telling the emulator to read it as a specific type using a file called <code>vba-over.ini</code>, VBA complies. VBA-M includes this config file by default, but older revisions like VBA 1.7.2 and VBALink do not. The VBA-Next and VBA-M cores in Libretro have the file baked into the binary so that it can load raw .sav files, but converts the format to its own derivative at exactly 136 KB every time, with save type info contained within the file. This completely avoids the previous issues at the cost of incompatibility with standalone VBA and most others. To solve this incompatibility, Libretro devs created a [https://github.com/libretro/vba-next/blob/master/libretro/gbaconv/gbaconv.c command-line tool] to convert .srm save files made from these cores to raw .sav save data for other emulators. It takes standard input (i.e. just drag and drop the .srm onto the executable) and outputs accordingly. It can also be done in reverse. A [https://thysbelon.github.io/gbaconv-web/ website version of this tool can be found here]. For more information about Game Boy Advance hardware and reverse engineering; <br/>* Rodrigo Copetti: [https://www.copetti.org/writings/consoles/game-boy-advance/ Game Boy Advance Architecture Practical Analysis]* MVG: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R43k-p9XdIk The Story of Quake on the Game Boy Advance], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Qqg4VCZ0k8 How the Game Boy Advance knew it was running a Game Boy Game], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GVSLcqGP7g Tomb Raider on the Nintendo Game Boy Advance is incredible], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpNWEbZdXNw How Graphics worked on the Nintendo Game Boy Advance]* martin korth: [https://problemkaputt.de/gbatek-contents.htm gbatek]* [https://akkera102.sakura.ne.jp/gbadev/ akkera102.sakura gbadev (Japanese)]* [https://gbadev.net/gbadoc/ gbadev - gbadoc]* [https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/GBA_Development/Resources WikiBooks - GBA Development Resources]
==References==
[[Category:Sixth-generation video game consoles]]
[[Category:Game Boy Advance emulators|*]]
[[Category:ARM-based]]
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