Neo Geo and variants

Neo Geo

Neo Geo AES console (top) and 4-slot MVS arcade cabinet (bottom)
Manufacturer	SNK Corporation
Type	Arcade system board Home video game console
Generation	Fourth
Release date	April 16, 1990
Discontinued	1997 (AES), 2004 (MVS)
Successor	Neo Star (cancelled) Hyper Neo Geo 64
Emulated	✓

The Neo Geo MVS (Multi Video System) arcade system was first released by SNK Corporation on January 1990 in Japan and on August 22, 1990 in NA. The Neo Geo (Advanced Entertainment System) home console was released on July 1, 1991. MVS and AES are technically the same systems, but their cartridges are not compatible with each other due to a different layout. The AES was retailed for $649.99 ($1538 in 2026). It had a Motorola 68000 at 12MHz and a Zilog Z80A at 4MHz with 64KB RAM and 84KB VRAM.

Emulators

Before editing, review the Getting involved and Recommended pages. See system requirements page for performance demand of the emulators. See tables for 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	MVS	AES	NG-CD	Recommended
PC
MAME		0.289 libretro core (As 0.251, 0.139 (2010), 0.78 (2003), 0.37b5 (2000))	✓	GPLv2 BSD-3-Clause		✓	~	✓	✓
FinalBurn Neo		libretro core nightly stable	✓	Non-commercial		✓	✓	✓	✓
Geolith		0.5.0 release builds libretro core	✓	BSD-3-Clause (Permissive)	100%	✓	✓	✓	✓
RAINE		0.97.6	✓	Non-commercial		✓	?	✓	~
NeoCD neocd_libretro		libretro core	✓	LGPLv3 (Copyleft)		✗	?	✓	~
ares		git Artifacts v148	✓	ISC (Permissive)	71.23% 156 out of 219 reported titles	✓	?	✗	~
FinalBurn Alpha		0.2.97.43	✗	Non-commercial		✓	?	✓	✗
Xe		2.16.2	✗	Proprietary		✓	?	✓	✗
Kawaks		1.65	✗	Proprietary		✓	?	✗	✗
GnGeo		git	✗	MAME license (Non-commercial)		✓	?	✗	✗
NeoRAGEx		5.4e	✗	Proprietary		✓	?	✗	✗
Nebula		2.25b	✗	Proprietary		✓	?	✓	✗
Mobile
FinalBurn Neo		libretro core	✓	Non-commercial		✓	✓	✓	✓
MAME		libretro core	✓	GPLv2 (Copyleft) BSD-3-Clause		✓	~	✓	~
NeoCD (neocd_libretro)		libretro core	✓	GPLv2		✗	?	✓	~
NEO.emu		1.5.73git	✓	GPLv3 (Copyleft)		✓	?	✗	~
FinalBurn Alpha		libretro core	✗	Non-commercial		✓	?	✓	✗
ares		Git artifacts v148	✓	ISC (Permissive)	71.23% 156 out of 219 reported titles	✓	?	?	~
Provenance		3.3.0 git	✓	?		?	?	?	?
Console
NJ-EMU		git	✗	GPLv3 (Copyleft)		✓	?	✓	✓
Virtual Console		N/A	✗	Proprietary		✗	✓	✗	✓
Arcade Archives ACA NEOGEO		N/A	✓	Proprietary	About 110 titles	✓	✗	✗	✓
AES4ALL		Beta 4	✓	?		✓	?	✗	~
GxGeo		r23	✗	GPLv2 (Copyleft)		✓	?	✗	✓
NEO4ALL		RC4	✗	?		✗	?	✓	~

Comparisons

NeoCD (neocd_libretro)

NeoCD is a S(ingle) A(rcade) M(achine) E(mulator) for libretro, just like Same CDi (same_cdi_libretro) forked from MAME libretro, which is in turn a fork of MAME. It includes only the Neo Geo CD driver, and simplifies the loading of CD content to provide a 'plug-and-play' experience.

ares

Neo Geo emulation has undergone the most dramatic improvement out of any core with v132 version release; with a significant portion of the library jumping from "Nothing" state to "Completable".

Enhancements

Please only include recommended emulators in this table. Do not bump or spam GitHub threads, issues, or feature request pages.

Name		MAME	FinalBurn Neo	Geolith
Controls	Input lag-mitigating technique	✗	?	?
	Turbo button	?	?	?
Graphics	Resizable internal resolution	✗	?	?
	Sprite replacement	?	?	?
	Widescreen hack	?	?	?
Performance	Frame generation technologies (LSFG, DLSS-FG and SM, XeSS-FG, AFMF and FSR FG)	Implementing frame generation technology in an emulator is unfortunately quite challenging and unlikely to be feasible in the near future, however post-processing techniques such as motion interpolation is quite possible. Input latency will be a crucial factor, but its impact likely varies depending on the specific technique employed, it's recommended to use after applying the "Internal Framerate Hack". While AFMF or LSFG can be used with MAME, please be aware that some visual glitches and artifacts may occur at this time.
	Internal frame rate hack	?	?	?
	Overclock	?	?	?
Post-processing	AI-powered filter (Freestyle)	?	?	?
	Filters	✓	?	?
	Inverse tone mapping compatible	?	?	?
	Shader chain	✓	~	?
Quality of life	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 graphics mod editor/manager	✗	✗	?
	Built-in patch manager	?	?	?
	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	?	?	?
	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	✗	✓	?
	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

Please only include recommended emulators in this table. Do not bump or spam GitHub threads, issues, or feature request pages.

Name	MAME	FinalBurn Neo	Geolith
Arcade Mahjong controller	✓	?	✓
Arcade slots 2-6	✓	✗	?
Arcade V-Liner controller	✓	?	✓
Battery-backed RAM	?	?	✓
JEIDA V3 memory card	?	?	✓
Jockey Grand Prix saving The only game to save data on its own cartridge.	?	?	✓
Link cable/VirtualBus Thrash Rally, Riding Hero, and League Bowling used HD6301 microcontrollers + SN75176 differential bus drivers to communicate point-to-point through 3.5mm jack cables for their 2-console 4-player multiplayer mode. Also see this demonstration of League Bowling 8-player gameplay. Cross-linking MVS and AES is possible since their motherboards are the same, only cartridge pinout is different.	✓	?	?
Memory card	✓	✓	✓

Neo Geo CD

Neo Geo CD

The top loading Neo Geo CD system with controller
Manufacturer	SNK
Type	Home video game console
Generation	Fourth
Release date	JP: September 9, 1994 EU: December 3, 1994 AU: December 23, 1994 NA: January 15, 1996
Discontinued	1997
Predecessor	Neo Geo AES
Emulated	✓

Neo Geo CD (NG-CD) was the CD version of the AES (not compatible with the game cartridges) released in January of '96 and $399 ($820 in 2026). It had a Motorola 68k CPU at 12 MHz with another CPU that being a Zilog Z80 at 4 MHz. It had 7MB of RAM. Neo Geo CDZ (NG-CDZ) is its Japan-only later revision featuring exactly the same hardware but with a faster CD-ROM drive, enabling faster loading time.

References

SNK(edit)

• Consoles: Neo Geo AES & CD(Z)
• Handhelds: Neo Geo Pocket (Color)
• Arcade: Neo Geo MVS • Hyper Neo Geo 64