Atari 2600 emulators
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| |
| 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 |
Accessories | Accuracy | FLOSS | Active | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PC / x86 | ||||||||
| Stella stella_libretro stella2014_libretro |
   
|
6.7.1 libretro core |
✓[N 1] | ~ | Cycle | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| MAME |
|
git artifacts[N 2] 0.264 libretro core[N 3] |
✗ | ? | Cycle | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pantheon |
|
13.640 | ✗ | ? | High | ✗ | ✓ | ~ |
| ares |
|
v137 | ✗ | ? | ? | ✓ | ✓ | ~ |
| PCAE | 
|
2.6 2.7 |
✗ | ? | High | ✓ | ✗ | ~ |
| z26 |
|
4.07 | ✗ | ? | High | ✓ | ✗ | ~ |
| javatari javatari.js (old) |
|
5.0.3 | ✗ | ? | ? | ✓ | ✗ | ~ |
| BizHawk |
|
Dev builds 2.9.1 |
✓ | ? | ? | ✓ | ✓ | ~ |
| Gopher2600 |
|
0.30.0 | ✗ | ? | High | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| CLK |
|
2024-01-22 | ✗ | ? | Mid | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| EMU7800 |
|
5.4.0.1 | ✗ | ? | Mid | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Stellarator |
|
git | ✗ | ? | ? | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Mobile / ARM | ||||||||
| Z64K | 
|
2.0.0 | ✗ | ? | Cycle | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| stella_libretro stella2014_libretro |
  
|
libretro core | ✓ | ~ | ? | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Stella - Pyra | 
|
0.1 | ✗ | ? | ? | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| 2600.emu |
|
1.5.77 1.5.46.02 Pyra |
✗ | ? | ? | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Ataroid |
|
1.0.4 | ✗ | ? | ? | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| g2600 |
|
7.2.0 | ✗ | ? | ? | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Console | ||||||||
| stella_libretro stella2014_libretro |
        
|
libretro core | ✓ | ~ | Mid | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| StellaDS | 
|
git 1.2 Phoenix Edition |
✗ | ? | ? | ✓ | ✓ (Phoenix Edition) |
✓ |
| Wii2600 |
|
git | ✗ | ? | Mid | ✓ | ~ | ✓ |
| PSP2600 |
|
1.2.0 Source (1.2.0) |
✗ | ? | Mid | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Stella GC | 
|
18-12-2007 | ✗ | ? | Mid | ? | ✗ | ✓ |
| PVCS Reloaded | 
|
0.3 | ✗ | ? | Mid | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Stella DC | 
|
0.2F | ✗ | ? | ? | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| Game | ||||||||
| 1FPS Atari 2600 Emulator | Minecraft | 0.2 | ✗ | ? | ? | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
Accessories support
| 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 | ? |
See also
External links
Internet Archive
 |
Consoles: Atari 2600 • Atari 5200 • Atari 7800 • Atari XEGS • Atari Jaguar • Atari VCS Handhelds: Atari Lynx Computers: Atari 8-bit • Atari ST |
