PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) emulators

PC Engine / TurboGrafx-16

Original Japanese PC Engine (top) and the North American TurboGrafx-16 (bottom)
Manufacturer	NEC Hudson Soft
Type	Home video game console
Generation	Fourth
Release date	JP: October 30, 1987 NA: August 29, 1989 FRA: November 22, 1989 UK: December 21, 1989 SPA: August 21, 1990
Discontinued	FRA: December 25, 1993 NA: May 11, 1994 JP: December 16, 1994
Successor	PC Engine SuperGrafx
Emulated	✓

For emulators that run on the PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16), see Emulators on PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16).

The PC Engine (PCE) was a 16-bit system released jointly by NEC and Hudson Soft in Japan on October 30, 1987 and in the US on August 29, 1989. It had a Hudson Soft HuC6280 8-bit CPU at 7.16 MHz and 1.79 MHz with 8KB of RAM and 64KB of VRAM. The CPU was teamed up with a 16-bit graphics processor and 16-bit video color encoder chip, both built by Hudson Soft.

Many arcade games after Bloody Wolf use HuC6280 as the audio CPU, also known as PSG (Programmable Sound Generator). According to the author of GCA3A, there is currently no recommended PC Engine emulator that supports those Data East arcade games. Even Bloody Wolf with HuC6280 as the main CPU does not have a recommended emulator support. For example, Game 1 maincpu Motorola MC68000 @14.161 MHz, audiocpu Hudson Soft HuC6280 @8.55 MHz. Game 2 maincpu ARM @7 MHz, audiocpu Hudson Soft HuC6280 @2.685 MHz. Game 3...

When it came time to seek other potential markets, the two companies eventually caved to a limited American release in 1989 under a completely different model and name: the TurboGrafx-16. The European versions varied throughout the countries, being the western version in Spain and United Kingdom and Japanese models in Benelux regions.

The joint venture, formed in North America as TTI, made an add-on called the PC Engine CD (PCE-CD) / TurboGrafx-CD (TG-CD) that loaded games from discs instead, much like the Sega CD but better supported. The PC Engine Duo / Turbo-Duo combined the add-on into the unit with more RAM as yet another failed attempt to relaunch the failing console in the West.

When it first launched in North America, the TurboGrafx-16 was largely seen as a failure blamed on poor marketing by the manufacturers. The PC Engine, on the other hand, was a whole different story, beating out the Famicom when it first came out long enough to compete against its rival's own successor and gave little focus for the Mega Drive who was instead posing more of a threat to Nintendo in North America. This makes the PC Engine the 2nd most popular console in Japan at the time, just behind the Super Famicom.

The PC Engine GT / Turbo-Express was a very rare handheld model of the original hardware, in the same vein as the Sega Nomad (a portable Sega Genesis / Mega Drive). It did include some exclusive features like the TurboLink multiplayer feature (used in games such as the flight sim called Falcon and Bomberman 93) but wasn't widely supported.

The NEC PAC (PAC-N10/PAC-N1) (or its alternative version PC Engine PAC (PCE-LP1)) is the attachable player addon to Pioneer LaserActive which lets it play standard HuCards, NEC CD-ROM² and its own exclusive NEC LD-ROM² games (LaserDisc format used for games featuring analog video background and digital in-game graphics; they need this special player hardware).

Emulators

Before editing, review the Getting involved and Recommended pages. See system requirements page for performance demand of the emulators.
See tables for arcade variants, enhancements, hardware features and peripherals.
For more details such as licensing, programming language, emulation method, visit each emulator’s dedicated page.

Name	Platform(s)	Latest version	Active	License	Compatibility	Accuracy	PACs (PAC-N10/PAC-N1) (PCE-LP1)	Recommended
x86
Mednafen Libretro cores		1.32.1 libretro cores	✓	GPLv2 (Copyleft)		Cycle	✗	✓
ares		git Artifacts v148	✓	ISC (Permissive)		Cycle	✓	✓
Mesen		Development Builds	✓	GPLv3 (Copyleft)		High	✗	✓
BizHawk		2.11.1	✓	MIT GPL		Cycle	✗	~
Geargrafx		libretro core 1.7.22	✓	GPLv3 (Copyleft)		High	✗	~
higan (火眼) byuu (謬/view)		v110	✗	GPLv3 (Copyleft)		Cycle	✗	✗
Turbo Engine		0.32	✗	Proprietary		High	✗	✗
MagicEngine		1.1.3	✗	Proprietary		Mid	✗	✗
Ootake (大竹)		3.06	✓	GPLv2 (Copyleft)		Mid	✗	✗
pcejin (Mednafen 0.8.x)		git	✗	GPLv2 (Copyleft)		Mid	✗	✗
DarcNES		9b0401/9b0313	✗	Non-commercial		Low	✗	✗
Neco		0.11	✗	?		Low	✗	✗
ePCEngine		12/21/2020	✓	Proprietary		?	✗	✗
FinalBurn Neo		libretro core nightly stable	✓	Non-commercial		?	✗	✗
FinalBurn Alpha		0.2.97.43	✗	Non-commercial		?	✗	✗
Hu-Go!		2.12	✗	GPLv2 BSD-3-Clause		?	✗	✗
rew.		rew12stx	✗	?		?	✗	✗
ARM
ares		git Artifacts v148	✓	ISC (Permissive)		?	?	✓
Mednafen Libretro cores		libretro cores	✓	GPLv2 (Copyleft)		Cycle	✗	✓
Geargrafx		libretro core 1.7.22	✓	GPLv3 (Copyleft)		High	✗	~
PCE.emu		1.5.85 1.5.46.02 Pyra git	✓	GPLv3 (Copyleft)		Mid	✗	✓
WonderDroid Ultra		5.5 git	✓	GPLv2 (Copyleft)		?	✗	✓
Provenance		3.3.0 git	✓	?		?	✗	?
Console
Mednafen Libretro cores		libretro	✓	GPLv2 (Copyleft)		Cycle	✗	✓
Virtual Console		N/A	✗	Proprietary		High	✗	✓
TemperPCE 3DS		git	✗	GPLv2 (Copyleft)		Mid	✗	✓
HuGo! GX Unofficial		2.12.1	✗	GPLv2 BSD-3-Clause		Mid	✗	✓
PCECast		06/01/07	✗	?		Mid	✗	✓
HuE		0.70	✗	?		Mid	✗	~
NitroGrafx		0.7git	✗	?		?	✗	~

Comparisons

Mednafen

Much like its other original cores, it does very well, even having two profiles: "PCE-Accurate" and "PCE-Fast". Despite being CLI-based, a fork of an older version that has a GUI has emerged called pcejin. RetroArch uses the PCE-Accurate and PCE-Fast cores for its beetle fork.

Mesen

After a discontinuation of both Mesen and Mesen S, SourMesen resumed developement of both in 2023 and combines them into a single Mesen. The re-release of Mesen also brought emulation of PC-Engine, SuperGrafx and CD-ROM²/TG-CD

BizHawk

Uses "Nymashock" core for PCE emulation (ported from mednafen to Bizhawk by zeromus) and an original core PCEHawk.

Ootake

It's okay for general purposes.

MAME

Has a pce driver (and a child driver called tg16). In all revisions it emulates, MAME reports it as working and the graphics as okay, but the sound is imperfect.

MagicEngine

Unfortunately trialware that costs €15 euro. There are better options available for free.

NitroGrafx

Is a DS TurboGrafx emulator for Nintendo DS. It is included with TWiLight Menu++.

Enhancements

Name		Mednafen	ares	Mesen	BizHawk	Geargrafx
Audio	Alternative audio interpolation methods	?	?	?	?	?
	Higher sample rates	?	?	?	?	?
Graphics	High-resolution affine transformations	?	?	?	?	?
	Resizable internal resolution	For emulation of 2D systems, the resolution can only be upscaled, making the pixels more apparent.
	Sprite replacement	?	?	?	?	?
	Widescreen hacks	?	?	?	?	?
Input	Preemptive frames	~	?	?	?	?
	Run-ahead	?	✓	✓	?	?
	Turbo button	✓	?	✓	?	?
Post-processing	AI-powered filter compatible (Freestyle)	?	?	?	?	?
	Filters	✓	✓	✓	?	?
	Inverse tone mapping compatible	?	?	?	?	?
	Shader chain	~	✓	~	~	?
Quality of life	Automatic emulated controller connect/disconnect Automatically connects or disconnects emulated controllers when a new or current controller is connected or disconnected.	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗
	Automatic updater	✓	?	✓	?	?
	Big Picture Mode	?	?	?	?	?
	Built-in cheat manager	?	?	?	?	?
	Built-in custom resolution/CRTSwitchRes For using this on Windows OS you need CRT Emudriver. Another option is using EDID editor tool such as "Custom Resolution Utility".	Exclusive to libretro cores and GroovyMAME at the moment. Also there is a 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.
	Built-in mod editor and manager	?	?	?	?	?
	Built-in patch manager	?	?	?	?	?
	Capable image format support	✓	?	?	?	?
	Command-line options	?	?	?	?	?
	Pause/resume emulation	✓	✓	✓	?	?
	Per-game profiles	?	?	?	?	?
	Portable and Stealth Useful enhancement feature for non-personal computer use or plug-and-play scenarios. However, the software may still require the necessary prerequisites and dependencies for your operating system if it is not statically linked.	✓	?	?	?	?
	Streamable compression format	?	?	?	?	?
TAS features	Fast-forward/turbo speed	✓	✓	✓	?	?
	Frame step (forwards and backwards)	?	?	?	?	?
	Macros/Scripts/Lua	?	?	?	?	?
	Movie recording/playback	?	?	?	?	?
	Rewind	✓	✓	✓	?	?
	Save states	?	✓	✓	?	?
Misc.	Screen translator Using optical character recognition (OCR) and other techniques, this feature can provide live translation of in-game text, text-to-speech for visually impaired users, and more — either on demand or automatically.	You can use RetroArch's AI Service or the standalone offline bquenin's Interpreter.
	Debug features	?	?	?	?	?
	EmuVR support	Exclusive to libretro cores at the moment.
	Ambient sounds simulation Simulation of audio from original hardware and environments, such as mechanical hard drive, floppy diskette, and optical drive noises (e.g., head seeks, spin-up/down, tray loading, disc spinning, and clicking), variable CRT flyback transformer whine (the classic high-pitched "coil whine" that dynamically changes pitch based on screen brightness and content), arcade cabinet effects (e.g., fan hum or button rattles), and other background ambient noises.	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗
	Audio filters and presets Simulation of characteristic playback limitations and coloration of vintage consumer audio hardware, such as CRT television speakers, arcade cabinets, handheld consoles, early PC sound outputs, and low-fidelity integrated speakers. These filters are not intended to be perfectly accurate recreations, but rather to evoke the tonal qualities, distortion, bandwidth limits, resonance, and compression associated with 8-bit and 16-bit era devices. Examples include mono or narrow stereo output, reduced frequency response, speaker cone distortion, mild saturation, aliasing, and preset lo-fi profiles inspired by classic TVs, portable game systems, radios, and retro multimedia hardware.	Exclusive to libretro cores at the moment.
	Netplay	?	?	?	?	?
	RetroAchievements	~	roadmap	~	~	?
	Rich Presence (RPC) Allows the emulator to share real-time game session details (e.g., current game title, level, boss, playtime, or custom status) with external applications. This enables features such as displaying what you're playing on your profile, inviting friends to spectate, or triggering join-in-progress functionality where supported.	?	?	?	?	?

Hardware features and peripherals

The TurboGrafx-16 has less peripherals and a different controller pin-out compared to the PC Engine.

Name			Mednafen	ares	Mesen	BizHawk	Geargrafx
Hardware features
Peripherals	Arcade Card		✓	?	✓	?	~
	AV Booster		✓	?	✓	?	?
	COM Cable		✗	?	✗	?	?
	Controllers	6-button controller	✓	?	✓	?	✓
		Illust Booster	?	?	✗	?	?
		Mouse	✓	?	✗	?	?
		Pachinko Controller	✗	?	✗	?	?
		TurboStick	?	?	✗	?	?
	Memory	Backup Booster (II)	?	?	✗	?	?
		Memory Base 128/Save-kun	?	?	✗	?	?
		Ten no Koe (2)	?	?	✗	?	?
		Ten no Koe Bank	?	?	✗	?	?
	Multitap		✓	?	✓	?	✓
	PC Engine CD/TurboGrafx-CD		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
	Photo Reader		?	?	✗	?	?
	Print Booster		?	?	✗	?	?
	Unlicensed/unreleased	CD Stupid Card 4.0 with MC-Genjin CD memory mapper	?	?	✗	?	?
		GE CD	✓	✓	✗	?	?
		MC-Genjin memory mapper	✓	?	✗	?	?
		Tsushin Booster Unreleased network adaptor.	?	?	✗	?	?
		Tsushin Booster Keyboard	✓	?	✗	?	?
		Misc.	Horizontal overscan		✓	?	?	?	?
Switch between HuC6280 and HuC6280A sound chips			?	?	?	?	✓

CD-ROM² (TurboGrafx-CD)

TurboGrafx-CD/CD-ROM² and Super CD-ROM²

The System Card 1.0 was included with the launch shipments of the CD-ROM² Interface Unit in 1988 (which did not include the actual CD drive, by the way; that had to be bought separately. Altered Beast requires it as it hangs with the newer BIOS versions, and someone reported an unspecified problem with Populous as well.

The System Card 2.0 was included in later shipments of the CD-ROM² System sometime in 1989 (around the time they started selling the Interface Unit and CD drive as a set). It served as the basis for the TurboGrafx-CD BIOS, which features a different title screen to go along with the different naming of the platform and its add-on in the US. Unlike HuCards, CD-ROM² discs are all region-free.

The System Card 2.1, released in 1990 exclusively in Japan, was the first System Card that was sold as a standalone, intended to be a replacement for users who had their original System Cards lost or damaged. Its only new feature was its ability to auto-detect disc changes.

The System Card 3.0 was launched in Japan in 1991. It was initially available built-in with the PC Engine Duo, a model of the console with an integrated CD drive, but was quickly offered as an upgrade to owners of the original CD-ROM² System in the form of the Super System Card, and later as an updated model of the add-on itself known as the Super CD-ROM² unit. The later models of the Duo (Duo-R and Duo-RX) also have this BIOS built-in. Version 3.0 increases the amount of buffer RAM from 64KB to 256KB, hence the addition of the word Super. Games that required this BIOS, which are labelled Super CD-ROM² discs, will display an incompatibility notice when loaded on a prior System Card.

This BIOS was released in the US in 1992 and was similarly offered built-in with the Turbo Duo (the US version of the PC Engine Duo) or as an upgrade for the TurboGrafx-16/CD in the form of the Super System Card (which was available primarily as a mail order).

The SuperGrafx is also compatible with the CD-ROM² and Super CD-ROM² System add-ons, allowing it to play any CD-ROM² format game with the required System Card.

No official SuperGrafx-specific CD-ROM² titles were produced, just homebrew. The addition of the CD-ROM peripheral adds CD-DA sound (Audio CDs), CD+G, and a single ADPCM channel to the existing sound capabilities of the PC Engine.[1]

• See this dedicated page for more information about home media playback support for emulation softwares.
• See Ripping games.
• See "Emulation of the Disc Drive" section in Copy protection page.

GE-CD

Games Express CD Card, Bootleg System Card. This was released by Hacker International for play of unlicensed Games Express CD games in 2 versions, blue and green. The GECD Card is essentially a dongle.

The GECD Card 1.0 can only access 64KB RAM that is built into the CD unit and only plays earlier titles.

The GECD Card 1.1 can access 64KB RAM + 192KB extra RAM in the way the Arcade Card Duo does, like on the Duo models and the Super CD-ROM² unit with BIOS v3.0 and plays everything.

Arcade Card

On March 12, 1994, NEC introduced a third upgrade known as the Arcade Card, which increases the amount of onboard RAM of the Super CD-ROM² System to 2MB.

It was the final set of upgrades to the PC Engine CD-ROM² System and came in two variants.

The Arcade Card Duo, designed for PC Engine consoles equipped with the Super CD-ROM², adds 16Mb/2MB of D-RAM on top of the 2Mb/256KB of buffer RAM within the hardware. Unlike previous System Cards, the change was purely on a hardware level and there was no BIOS update this time, keeping it strictly on Version 3.0.

People who were still using a PC Engine console with the original CD-ROM² System add-on could opt for the Arcade Card Pro instead, which essentially combines the functionalities of the Arcade Card Duo and the Super System Card into one by adding the 16Mb/2MB of D-RAM from the former on the top of the 1536Kb/192KB of extra buffer RAM and BIOS update from the latter. Arcade CD-ROM² discs, which are games that require an Arcade Card, will display an incompatibility notice after loading if the hardware setup does not meet the requirements.[2]

Some games are exclusive to the Arcade Card:

• Battlefield '94 In Super Battle Dream
• Fire Pro Female Wrestling (WOWOW vs. JWP...
• Fatal Fury 2
• Fatal Fury Special
• Sapphire
• Jong Shin Densetsu
• Far East of Eden: Kabuki Itouryodan
• Mad Stalker Full Metal Force
• Madou Monogatari I Honou no Sotsuenji
• Art of Fighting
• Strider
• World Heroes 2

Some games can run without it but offer enhanced gameplay (e.g. reduced or eliminated loading times, enhanced CD-DA sound, added animations) with it:

• 3 x 3 Eyes Sanjiyan Hensei
• Atlas (The) - Renaissance Voyager
• Brandish
• Eikan Wa Kimini
• Formation Soccer '95
• Gulliver Boy
• J. League Tremendous Soccer '94
• Linda Cube
• Mahjong Sword Princess Quest Gaiden
• Popful Mail
• Princess Maker 2
• Private Eye Doll
• Sexy Idol Mahjong Fashion Monogatari
• Sotsugyou II Neo Generation
• Super Real Mahjong P II & III Custom
• Super Real Mahjong P V Custom
• Tanjou Debut
• Vasteel 2
• Wrestling Angels

Horizontal Overscan

Other console emulators will just let you crop it, like the FC emulators, but this is necessary for PCE. To give a negative example, there is a Darius CD game that displays ZONE A as ZON A in PCE.emu. Even though someone submitted this bug very early, it has not been fixed. Mednafen allows you to modify this value and the displayed picture is complete.

Arcade variants

WIP MAME. FinalBurn Neo?

Emulation issues

Color palette

An example of the color inaccuracy with the regular RGB color palette when compared to the Composite palette. Take note of the second blue gradient in the sky in both images.

The color palettes generated by the PC Engine for Composite and RGB actually differ due to its own color tables being non-linear. This can result in colors ending up looking wrong or blended when the system is emulated or played in RGB. A composite palette was eventually made mathematically and with some extra tweaks from the PC Engine's RGB to YUV lookup table after its HuC6270 video chip had been decapped. This palette is used by default in the PC Engine core for the MiSTer. It can be downloaded for use in other emulators and devices.