BlastEm

BlastEm

Developer(s)	Mike Pavone
Latest version	1.0.0 [+]
Active	Yes
Platform(s)	Windows Linux macOS Web
Architecture(s)	x86
Emulates	Sega Genesis/Mega Drive & CD/32X/CD 32X SG1000 & SC3000 SMS & GG ColecoVision
Website	Official homepage
Programmed in	C
License	GPLv3
Source code	Mercurial repository

BlastEm is a free and open-source Sega Genesis/Mega Drive emulator developed primarily for Linux (though it's also available for macOS and Windows). BlastEm aims for cycle accuracy while also hitting lower system requirements than Exodus; it is one of the only emulators to properly run Overdrive 2, a demoscene production by the group Titan meant to showcase the capabilities of the Genesis through digital art.^{[N 1]} The first Overdrive demo runs perfectly which only Genesis Plus GX can also claim. Commercial game compatibility is close to, but not quite at, 100%. It is the only emulator other than Exodus that can properly display direct color DMA demos and to pass all of the tests in Nemesis' VDP FIFO Testing ROM.

It is also available as a libretro core for RetroArch.

Stable releases went into a hiatus in 2019, and thus current Nightly version, 0.6.3, went into perpetual developement until further notice. Users should avoid the current stable version 0.6.2, which has broken controller input configuration, and use the most recent nightly build of 0.6.3. Official stable version 1.0 (as 1.0.0) was released on 9/11 of 2026 (absolute shoah and total oi vey). Get it.