Atari 2600 emulators

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Atari VCS / Atari 2600
Atari-2600-Wood-4Sw-Set.png
Developer Atari, Inc.
Type Home video game console
Generation Second generation
Release date 1977
Discontinued 1992
Introductory price $199.99
HGSF $19.99
Predecessor Home Pong, Super Pong, Video Pinball
Successor 5200 SuperSystem
Emulated

The Atari 2600 (also known as Video Computer System or simply VCS) is a second-generation console released by Atari on September 11, 1977. It had a 6507 CPU at 1.19 MHz with 128 bytes of RAM. It had a 160x192 16-color, out of 128, display.

Despite the apparent simplicity of the console and its games, emulation of the 2600 is surprisingly difficult relative to other early consoles due to its unusual primitive hardware designed as a cost-saving measure, including the complete lack of a framebuffer and resulting need to "race the beam" to display graphics. Despite this, at least two emulators have offered highly accurate 2600 emulation for years.

Contents

Emulators

Name Platform(s) Latest version Retro
Achievements
Hardware features
and peripherals
Accuracy License Active Recommended
x86
Stella
stella_libretro
stella2014_libretro
        7.0
libretro core[N 1]
[N 2] ~ Cycle GPLv2 (Copyleft)
MAME         git artifacts[N 3]
0.272
libretro core[N 4]
? Cycle GPLv2
BSD-3-Clause
Pantheon   14.620 ? High Proprietary ~
ares       v141 roadmap ? ? ISC (Permissive ~
PCAE     2.6
2.7
? High GPLv2 (Copyleft) ~
z26           4.07 ? High GPLv2 (Copyleft) ~
javatari
javatari.js (old)
  5.0.3 ? ? AGPLv3 (Copyleft) ~
BizHawk
(Original)(Stella)
    Dev builds
2.10-rc2
? ?
(Core dependent)
MIT (Permissive)
GPL
~
Gopher2600     0.35.2 ? High GPLv3 (Copyleft)
CLK       2024-10-19 ? Mid MIT (Permissive)
EMU7800   5.5.0.0 ? Mid GPLv2 (Copyleft)
Stellarator         git ? ? BSD-3-Clause (Permissive)
ARM
Z64K   2.0.0 ? Cycle Proprietary
stella_libretro
stella2014_libretro
        libretro core ~ ? GPLv3 (Copyleft)
Stella - Pyra   0.1 ? ? ?
2600.emu     1.5.77
1.5.46.02 Pyra
? ? Proprietary
Ataroid   1.0.4 ? ? Proprietary
g2600   7.2.0 ? ? Proprietary
Console
stella_libretro
stella2014_libretro
     
       
   
libretro core ~ Mid GPLv2 (Copyleft)
StellaDS   git
1.2
Phoenix Edition
? ? GPLv2 (Copyleft)
(Phoenix Edition)
Wii2600   git ? Mid GPLv2 (Copyleft) ~
PSP2600   1.2.0
Source (1.2.0)
? Mid GPLv2 (Copyleft)
Stella GC   18-12-2007 ? Mid ?
PVCS Reloaded   0.3 ? Mid GPLv2 (Copyleft)
Stella DC   0.2F ? ? Proprietary
Game
1FPS Atari 2600 Emulator Minecraft 0.2 ? ? ?
  1. Even though it's updated frequently, some hardware features are exclusive to the standalone version. Therefore, using the standalone version is recommended.
  2. Exclusive to libretro core.
  3. CI-Windows CI-Linux CI-Macos
  4. As 0.251, 0.139 (2010), 0.78 (2003), 0.37b5 (2000)

Hardware features and peripherals

Name Stella
Amiga mouse
Atari mouse
AtariVox
Booster Grip
Driving Controller
Sega Genesis
Atari Keypad
Kid Vid Controller
MindLink
Atari Paddles
SaveKey
Trak-Ball
XE Light Gun
QuadTari
Joy 2B+
Atari 7800 console button
Atari 7800 game
HyperShot ?
Track & Field Controller ?
Atari Space Age Joystick ?
Flight Commander ?
Overlay ?
Space Shuttle ?
Foot Craz ?
Joyboard ?
Kid's Controller ?
Remote Control Joysticks ?
Video Touch Pad ?
MarJac Romscanner ?
Frying

See also

External links