Emulators on macOS

From Emulation General Wiki
Revision as of 07:28, 19 February 2023 by 172.71.114.39 (talk) (→‎NES/Famicom)
Jump to navigation Jump to search
macOS
1998 apple logo.png
Developer Apple
Type Operating systems
Release date 1984
Latest release macOS Ventura

This page lists emulators for macOS.

The Mac has changed considerably over the years, both in terms of hardware and software.

It has gone through four major cpu architecture changes: Motorola 68k, PowerPC (PPC), x86/x64 and most recently Arm. There have also been minor architectural changes such as the PPC G3, G4 and G5 chip designs, and 32-bit x86 to 64-bit x64. It has also changed from the classic Mac OS to the FreeBSD unix-based macOS (previously Mac OS X).

All this means that to find an emulator that works well for your system you should understand its specs first and choose an emulator that natively supports it where possible. The emulators shown here will indicate the processor architecture it supports.

Another aspect to consider is the graphical backend of the emulator. For many years OpenGL was the main cross-platform standard for developing graphical software. However in recent times this has changed. More modern backends such as Vulkan and Metal are superseding it. OpenGL on macOS has now been marked as deprecated, meaning it is stuck on the older OGL 4.1 and will someday be removed from macOS completely. Apple recommends for developers to create native Metal backends for their apps.

One issue with this is that a lot of emulators are cross platform, and Metal is for Macs only. The Vulkan backend for Windows and Linux is similar to Metal, but does not have support on macOS. So many emulators will develop a Vulkan backend and use the MoltenVK translation layer, which will take Vulkan instructions and convert them into their respective Metal equivalent. However not every Vulkan instruction has a Metal version, so either workarounds have to be designed, or some features cannot be supported at all.

Generally you should choose an emulator that supports Metal where available if you are on a modern Mac. MoltenVK should be more performant than OpenGL, although there may be compatibility issues. OpenGL may work, but some emulators need to use a version newer than OGL 4.1 that macOS doesn't support. In cases like this the emulator will be marked as not having OpenGL support.


Frontends

OpenEmu

Many emulators for macOS can be played very conveniently with OpenEmu which provides an iTunes-like interface for your game collection and uses various different emulator cores to play them, including command line only emulators such as MAME and Mednafen. The systems emulated are listed here. In keeping with their goal of simplicity, some advanced features such as upscaling are generally not available. There is also no Arm build of OpenEmu available at time of writing.

Fightcade

Fightcade is a matchmaking frontend for playing many arcade fighting games online with other players. There is no Arm build at time of writing.


Arcade

Most Arcade Cabinets

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
MAME 0.266 ✗ ✓ ✓ [N 1] ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 2]

Atomiswave

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Flycast Releases ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
MAME 0.266 ✗ ✓ ✓ [N 3] ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 4]

Naomi/Naomi 2

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Flycast Releases ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
MAME 0.266 ✗ ✓ ✓ [N 5] ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 6]


Apple

Apple I + II + III

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
OpenEmulator 1.1.1 ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ~ ✓
MAME 0.266 ✗ ✓ ✓ [N 7] ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 8]


Nintendo

NES/Famicom

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
ares v139 ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
higan v110 ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
Nesemu-iOS git ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Nin git ✗ ✓ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ~ ~
NESMac 0.3.6a 68k
0.3.6a PPC 		✓ ✗ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ [N 9]

Super Nintendo

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
ares v139 ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
Snes9x 1.62.3 git ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ [N 10] ✓ ✓
bsnes
(Official) 		v115 ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
bsnes-hd
(forked bsnes) 		beta 10.6 ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
higan v110 ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
Mednafen (SNES-Faust) 1.32.1 ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 11]
Silhouette 1.0 ✓ ✗ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ [N 12]

N64

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
ares v139 ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 13]

GameCube

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Dolphin Releases ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Wii

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Dolphin Releases ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Wii U

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Cemu Releases ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓

Switch

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Ryujinx Releases ✗ ~ [N 14] ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓

Game Boy/Color/Advance

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal Game Link Support FLOSS Active Recommended
SameBoy 0.16.6 ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
SkyEmu releases ✗ ✓ ✓ ? ? ? ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
ares v139 ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
mGBA 0.10.3 ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
KiGB 2.09 ✗ ✓ ✓ ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ~ ~ [N 15]
Boycott Advance 0.4.4 ✗ ✓ ✓ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ~ ~ [N 16]
Gambatte r571 ✗ ✓ ✗ ? ? ? ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ [N 17]
Gearboy 3.5.0 ✗ ✓ ✗ ? ? ? ✗ ✓ ~ ✗ [N 18]
higan v110 ✗ ✓ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗
VisualBoy Advance-M (VBA-M) 2.1.9 ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ~
GBMac 1.2.6b4 ✓ ✗ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ [N 19]

DS

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
DeSmuME Releases ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ~ ✓
MelonDS Releases ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
Medusa Beta ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ~ [N 20] ✓ ✗

3DS

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Citra Releases ✗ ✓ ~ [N 21] ✓ ~ [N 22] ✗ ✓ ✓ ~

Sega

Dreamcast

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Flycast Releases ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓


Sony

PlayStation

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
DuckStation git ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
ares v139 ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
PCSX-Redux git ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗
Mednafen 1.32.1 ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 23]
PCSX-R git ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗
Connectix VGS 1.4.1 ✓ ✗ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ [N 24]

PlayStation 2

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
PCSX2 Nightly ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
AetherSX2 Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 25] ✓ ✓
Play! 0.65 ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗

PlayStation 3

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
RPCS3 0.0.32 Alpha ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 26]

PlayStation 4

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Obliteration github ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ [N 27]

PlayStation Portable

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
PPSSPP 1.17.1 ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓

PlayStation Vita

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Vita3K Releases ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~


Microsoft

XBox

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Xemu Releases ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓


Commodore

C64

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
VirtualC64 Releases ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Amiga

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
vAmiga Releases ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓


Atari

Atari ST

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Hatari Mac builds ✗ ✓ ✓ ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓


NEC

PC-98

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
SL9821 Website ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ~ ?
Neko Project II Website ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗

Tandy

TRS-80

Sinclair

ZX Spectrum

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
RetroVM Website ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ?
Fuse Releases ✗ ✓ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗
Mac Spectacle Mac Spectacle ✓ ✗ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗


IBM PC Compatible / MSDOS

Name Latest Version PPC Intel ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Boxer Website
Fork 		✗ ✓ ✓ [N 28] ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
86Box 4.1.1 ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
PCem git ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ~ ✓
DOSBox-X 2024.03.01 ✗ ✓ ✓ ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
DOSBox 0.74-3
SVN 		✗ ✓ ✓ ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 29]
MAME 0.266 ✗ ✓ ✓ [N 30] ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 31]
Dapplegrey Website ✗ ✓ ✓ ? ✗ ✗ ? ~ ✗


References

  1. ↑ No official Arm build. Needs to be built from source
  2. ↑ MAME is run through the command line or through a frontend like OpenEmu.
  3. ↑ No official Arm build. Needs to be built from source
  4. ↑ MAME is run through the command line or through a frontend like OpenEmu.
  5. ↑ No official Arm build. Needs to be built from source
  6. ↑ MAME is run through the command line or through a frontend like OpenEmu.
  7. ↑ No official Arm build. Needs to be built from source
  8. ↑ MAME is run through the command line or through a frontend like OpenEmu.
  9. ↑ Classic Mac OS only.
  10. ↑ Due to using a non-commercial license. Source code is still publicly available.
  11. ↑ Mednafen is run through the command line or through a frontend like OpenEmu.
  12. ↑ Classic Mac OS only
  13. ↑ Your mileage may vary depending on the game.
  14. ↑ Some games may work with an Intel Mac, but performance will be sub-par.
  15. ↑ Requires paid add-on to access extra features
  16. ↑ Requires paid add-on to access extra features
  17. ↑ 32-bit Intel only
  18. ↑ Does not launch with Rosetta2
  19. ↑ Classic Mac OS only
  20. ↑ Not open sourced yet, but will likely be opened later in development
  21. ↑ There are no official Arm releases yet, but some beta versions support Arm
  22. ↑ Vulkan/MoltenVK backends are currently in beta
  23. ↑ Mednafen is run through the command line only.
  24. ↑ Mac OS 9 only
  25. ↑ Based on PCSX2, so it is partially FLOSS. The ARM parts are currently closed source.
  26. ↑ Your mileage may vary depending on the title
  27. ↑ Very early in development. There is currently no graphics backend.
  28. ↑ There is a fork of Boxer that supports Arm
  29. ↑ DOSBox is run through the command line or through a frontend like Boxer or DOSBox-X
  30. ↑ No official Arm build. Needs to be built from source
  31. ↑ MAME is run through the command line or through a frontend like OpenEmu.
Retrieved from "https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php?title=Emulators_on_macOS&oldid=53507"