Super Nintendo emulators
16 bit console released in 1990.
Emulators
Chart
Name | Operating System(s) | Latest Version | Active | Recommended? |
---|---|---|---|---|
bSNES (Higan) | Windows, Linux | ✓ | ✓ | |
Snes9x | Windows, Linux, Mac OS X | ✓ | ✓ | |
Zsnes | Windows, Linux | ✗ | ✗ | |
bZSNES | Windows, Linux | ✗ | ✓ | |
Retroarch | Multiplatform | ✓ | ✓ |
Comparison
1. bSNES (Higan)
- The most "accurate" of the bunch. Should play any and all commercially released games without trouble, assuming you have the power.
- A Core2Duo at 2Ghz is the weakest I've seen run balanced full speed for most games.
- Balanced works. You do NOT need the accuracy build for anything but one game. And I believe it is a minor issue even for that.
- Hacks designed around emulator quirks will most likely not work. Same as with real hardware.
- LLE audio sounds amazing.
2. Snes9x
- Compatible with most games, even many romhacks that make use of emulator quirks.
- Fast enough for pretty much any toaster
- LLE audio, same as bSNES's.
- Often buggy graphical output and shader support in standalone
- Driver/GPU dependent.
- Remember those diagonal lines of offset across older 3D games on certain graphics cards? Yeah. Finding a picture.
- Hit and miss controller support, especially when it comes to Xinput devices.
3. Zsnes
- Will run full speed on ANY toaster, supposedly back to the weakest of Pentium 3s, maybe P2s.
- Assuming it's an x86 toaster, since it's written in ASM.
- Romhacks were often designed around it's malfunctions
- many romhacks won't work properly on anything else.
- Outdated as hell, with seemingly no hope for updating.
- Many bugs and lacked functions for many games, see ZSNES review
4. bZSNES
- A possible alternative with bSNES's core and ZSNES's malfunctionality. For romhacks designed around it.
- Released on April Fool's day, 2011.
- Needs testing.
5. Retroarch, which has bsnes, and Snes9x cores.
- The same points as the emulators themselves
- Amazing graphical output
- At any resolution
- At any fullscreen resolution and refresh rate
- Vast shader support
- Dynamic rate control kills off most any and all audio distortion, such as crackling.
- Does not require Game Folders or anything like Higan standalone.