Master System emulators
Top: Sega Master System. Bottom: Sega Game Gear. | |
Developer | Sega |
---|---|
Type | Home video game console |
Generation | Third generation |
Release date | 1985 |
Discontinued | 1996 |
Predecessor | SG-1000 |
Successor | Genesis / Mega Drive |
Emulated | ✓ |
The Sega Master System (SMS) is an 8-bit console released by Sega on October 20, 1985, in Japan (as "Mark III". In all actuality, the Master System and Mark III differ a bit due to the original Japanese release having more features, such as card functionality and backward compatibility with SG-1000, which the Master System lacks) and in September of 1986 in the US. It was retailed for $199.99. It had a Zilog Z80A at 4 MHz with 8 KBs of RAM and 16 KBs of VRAM. It had a Yamaha YM2602B VDP GPU. It was designed to be a direct competitor to the Nintendo Entertainment System and was technically superior to it in some ways. The Sega Game Gear was released in April of 1991 and was a competitor for the Game Boy. It had a backlit screen, color, and a nice-looking design. It retailed for $149.99. It had a Zilog Z80 CPU at 3.5 MHz with 8 KBs of RAM and 16 KBs of VRAM.
There are a lot of hardware similarities between the SMS and the Game Gear (GG). Notably, SMS game cartridges can actually be played on the Game Gear via an adapter. For this reason, most SMS emulators can also run GG games.
Internally the Master System extends Sega's older SG-1000 by adding more RAM and a single new video mode; since the SG-1000 was built from the same CPU, video, and audio chips as the ColecoVision. Many Master System emulators also run ColecoVision games.
Emulators
Name | Platform(s) | Latest Version | System E |
Game Gear |
libretro | Retro Achievements[1] |
Sprite Replacement |
Accuracy | Netplay | FLOSS | Active | Recommended |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PC / x86 | ||||||||||||
Genesis Plus GX* | libretro core | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | Very high | ✓ | NC | ✓ | ✓ | |
MAME | 0.267 libretro core |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ?* | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
ares | v139 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | High | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
Emulicious | 2024-06-30 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Very high | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | |
BizHawk | Dev builds 2.9.1 |
✓[2] | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | Very high | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | |
Cega | git | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Cycle | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | TBD | |
FinalBurn Neo | libretro core Stable WIP builds |
✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ? | ? | NC | ✓ | TBD | |
Snepulator | git | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | TBD | ||
Mednafen | 1.32.1 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ? | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | |
Phoenix | 2.8.JAG | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Very high | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
higan | v110 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | High | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | |
TwoMbit | 1.0.5 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Very high | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | |
CLK | 2024-06-03 | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Very high | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | |
Gearsystem | 3.5.0 | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | High | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | |
MasterGear | 4.9.3 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | High | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
Pantheon | 14.062 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | High | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
Kega Fusion | 3.64 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Mid | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
PicoDrive | libretro core 1.93 |
✗ | ✗[3] | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | Mid | ✓ | NC | ✓ | ✗ | |
FreezeSMS | 4.6 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Very high | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
DarcNES | 9b0401/9b0313 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Low | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | |
MEKA | 0.8-alpha (2023-08-26) | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ? | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | |
SMS Plus | git | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ? | ✗ | ? | ✗ | NC | ✓ | ✗ | |
Osmose | 1.6 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ? | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | |
HiSMS | 0.01 beta | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓* | ? | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | |
nemulator | 4.4 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ? | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | |
Essgee | git | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ? | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | |
Mobile / ARM | ||||||||||||
Genesis Plus GX* | libretro core | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | Very high | ✓ | NC | ✓ | ✓ | |
Snepulator MS | v23.04-1git | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ? | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
FinalBurn Neo | libretro core | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ? | ? | NC | ✓ | ✓ | |
MasterGear | 4.9.3 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | High | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ~ | |
MasterEmu | 4.0.1 git |
✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | High | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | |
MD.emu | 1.5.77 (Android) 1.5.46.02 (Pyra) |
✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | High | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | |
WonderDroid Ultra | 5.3git | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ~ | ||
PicoDrive | libretro core | ✗ | ✗[3] | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | Mid | ✓ | NC | ✓ | ~ | |
GearMasterPlayer | 1.0.5 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | High | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ~ | |
Consoles | ||||||||||||
PicoDrive | |
libretro core 1.93 |
✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ? | ✗ | Mid | ✓ | NC | ✓ | ✓ |
Genesis Plus GX | |
libretro core 1.7.5 RC1 |
✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ? | ✗ | Mid | ✓ | NC | ✓ | ✓ |
SMS Plus GX | |
libretro core Wii/NGC |
✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | Mid | ? | NC | ✓ (Libretro Core) |
✓ |
PSMS alt+ | 1.2 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | High | ✗ | ? | ✗ | ✓ | |
MasterBoy | 2.10 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Mid | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | |
Virtual Console | N/A | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Mid | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | |
ApprenticeminusDS | 0.4.0 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Mid | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | |
SMS Plus DC | 0.2b | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Mid | ✗ | NC | ✗ | ✓ | |
DrSMS | 6.0 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Mid | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ~ | |
UltraSMS | 2000 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Low | ✗ | ~ | ✗ | ✓ (GG only) | |
MasterGear | 0.2 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | Low | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ~ |
- ↑ Game Gear achievements, Master System achievements
- ↑ Possible with BizHawk's MAME core
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Game Gear emulation doesn't work.
Accessories
Name | Genesis Plus GX | Kega Fusion | Snepulator | MEKA | BlastEm | PicoDrive |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
FM Sound Unit | ✓ | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
Light Phaser | ✓ | ? | ✓ | ✓ | WIP | ? |
Paddle Control | ✓ | ? | ✓ | ✓ | ? | ? |
Sports Pad | ✓ | ? | WIP | ✓ | ? | ? |
Sega Graphic Board | ✓ | ? | ✓ | ✓ | ? | ? |
Keyboard | ✗ | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
Furrtek's Master Tap | ✓ | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
Floppy Disk Drive | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
System Converter | ✓ | ? | ? | ? | ? | ~ |
3-D Glasses | ? | ? | ✓ | ? | ? | ? |
Game Genie | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
Action Replay | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? |
Gear-to-Gear Cable & VS Cable | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
Bike Handle | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
Arcade
Several Master System-based Arcade boards, mainly produced by Sega themselves, do exist:
- Sega System E (actual improvements on sound)
- Sega Shooting Zone
- Sega Mega-Tech (runs converted Master System games through the backward compatibility inherited from Genesis)
- Sega Mega Play (does not run Master System games, but the BIOS itself runs in this mode, again, through the backward compatibility inherited from Genesis)
Additionally, several bootleg arcade/hotel boxes such as Super Game were been reported to be sold in South Korea and Japan, without being licensed by Sega. Some of these also include SG-1000 games or even MSX1 conversions built-in.
Consoles: SG-1000 • Master System • Genesis / Mega Drive • CD • 32X • Pico • Saturn • Dreamcast Handhelds: Game Gear • VMU / VMS Arcade: System series • Model 1 • Model 2 • Model 3 • NAOMI |