Emulators on macOS

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macOS
1998 apple logo.png
Developer Apple
Type Operating systems
Release date 1984
Latest release macOS Ventura
This page is about emulators that run on macOS.
For software that emulates macOS (previously Mac OS X) on other hardware, see Macintosh line.

The Mac has changed considerably over the years, both in terms of hardware and software. It is important to understand these changes so you can choose the best emulators for your Mac.

CPU Architecture:

The Mac has gone through four major cpu architecture changes: Motorola 68k, IBM PowerPC (PPC), Intel x86/x64 and most recently Apple Silicon (Arm64). There have also been minor architectural changes such as moving from Intel's 32-bit x86 to 64-bit x64. Each time there was a hardware transition, Apple provided ways to continue to support older software on the new systems. Rosetta was a software emulation layer that helped PPC applications to run on x86/x64 Macs, but was dropped in macOS 10.6 Snow Leopard. Rosetta 2 currently facilitates x64 software to run on Arm Macs. While Rosetta performs very respectably for most software, it adds extra overhead which can reduce performance on demanding games and emulators.

Operating System:

The Mac has had two main operating systems over its history. The original System/Mac OS, which is now referred to as “Classic" macOS, was closed-source and proprietary. It had 9 major versions. However it had severe technical limitations, so Apple developed macOS which is Unix-based. The first several releases up to 10.4 Tiger contained support for Classic applications, but this was later dropped. Another major event for compatibility was the dropping of support for 32-bit x86 software in macOS 10.15 Catalina.

Graphical Backend:

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. It doesn't receive any support or bug fixes 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 and other Apple products 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.

Using one of these backends is not mandatory, of course. Some emulators may use a different backend or handle graphics themselves.

Choosing an Emulator:

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

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.

Lastly, remember that emulators can have different levels of completion or compatibility. If a game you are trying to run does not work properly with a recommended emulator, try a different one.

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 x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
MAME 0.264 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ [N 1] ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 2]

Atomiswave

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Flycast Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
MAME 0.264 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ [N 3] ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 4]

Naomi/Naomi 2

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Flycast Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
MAME 0.264 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ [N 5] ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 6]

SNK Neo Geo AES/MVS

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
FinalBurn Neo Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
MAME 0.264 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ [N 7] ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 8]
ares v137 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 9]

Apple

Apple I + II + III

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
OpenEmulator 1.1.1 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ~ ✓
CLK Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
MAME 0.264 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ [N 10] ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 11]

Nintendo

NES/Famicom

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
ares v137 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
higan v110 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
Nesemu-iOS git ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Nin git ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ~ ~
NESMac 0.3.6a 68k
0.3.6a PPC 		✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ [N 12]

Super Nintendo

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
ares v137 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
Snes9x 1.62.3 git ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ [N 13] ✓ ✓
bsnes
(Official) 		v115 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
bsnes-hd
(forked bsnes) 		beta 10.6 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
higan v110 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
Mednafen 1.32.1 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 14]
Silhouette 1.0 ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ [N 15]

N64

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
ares v137 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 16]

GameCube

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Dolphin Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Wii

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Dolphin Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Wii U

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Cemu Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓

Switch

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Ryujinx Releases ✗ ✗ ~ [N 17] ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓

Game Boy/Color

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal Game Link Support FLOSS Active Recommended
SameBoy 0.16.3 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
SkyEmu releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ? ? ? ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
ares v137 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
mGBA 0.10.3 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
KiGB 2.09 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ~ ~ [N 18]
Gearboy 3.5.0 ✗ ? ✓ ~ [N 19] ? ? ? ✗ ✓ ~ ✗ [N 20]
higan v110 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗
VisualBoy Advance-M (VBA-M) 2.1.9 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ~
Gambatte r571 ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ? ? ? ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗
GBMac 1.2.6b4 ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ [N 21]

Game Boy Advance

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal Game Link Support FLOSS Active Recommended
SkyEmu releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ? ? ? ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
ares v137 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
mGBA 0.10.3 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Boycott Advance 0.4.4 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ~ ~ [N 22]
Gearboy 3.5.0 ✗ ? ✓ ~ [N 23] ? ? ? ✗ ✓ ~ ✗ [N 24]
higan v110 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗
VisualBoy Advance-M (VBA-M) 2.1.9 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ~

DS

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
DeSmuME Releases ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ~ ✓
MelonDS Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
Medusa Beta ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ~ [N 25] ✓ ✗

3DS

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Citra Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ~ [N 26] ✓ ~ [N 27] ✗ ✓ ✓ ~

Sega

SG-1000

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
ares v137 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
RetroVM Website ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ?

Master System

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
ares v137 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
CLK Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
RetroVM Website ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ?

Mega Drive/Genesis

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
ares v137 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓

Mega CD

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
ares v137 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓

32X

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
ares v137 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓

Game Gear

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
ares v137 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓

Dreamcast

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Flycast Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓

Sony

PlayStation

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
DuckStation git ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
ares v137 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
PCSX-R git
MacGarden 		✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓
PCSX-Redux git ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗
Mednafen 1.32.1 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 28]
Connectix VGS 1.4.1 ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ [N 29]

PlayStation 2

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
PCSX2 Nightly ✗ ~ [N 30] ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
AetherSX2 Releases ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 31] ✓ ✓
Play! 0.63 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗

PlayStation 3

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
RPCS3 0.0.31 Alpha ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 32]

PlayStation 4

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Obliteration github ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ [N 33]

PlayStation Portable

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
PPSSPP 1.17.1 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓

PlayStation Vita

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Vita3K Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~

Microsoft

XBox

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Xemu Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓

Commodore

C64

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
VirtualC64 Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Amiga

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
vAmiga Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
FS-UAE Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
CLK Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗

Atari

Atari 2600

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
CLK Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Atari ST

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Hatari Mac builds ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
CLK Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

NEC

PC-98

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
SL9821 Website ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ~ ✓
Neko Project II Website ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗

Tandy

TRS-80

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
TRS80GP Website ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
SDLTRS2 git ✗ ✗ ✓ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗
TRS-80 Emulator for Mac OS v1.6 ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗

Sinclair

ZX Spectrum

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
RetroVM Website ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ?
Fuse Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗
Mac Spectacle Mac Spectacle ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗

Amstrad

Amstrad CPC

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
CLK Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
RetroVM Website ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ?

Acorn

Electron

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
CLK Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

BBC Micro

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Horizon 2.1.1 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓

RISC PC

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
RPCEmu Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✗ ~

Thompson

MO5

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
MO5 2.6.7 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓

TO7

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Thom 1.6.5 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓

TO8

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
TEO 1.8.7 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ? ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓

IBM PC Compatible / MSDOS

Name Latest Version PPC x86 x64 ARM OpenGL MoltenVK Metal FLOSS Active Recommended
Boxer Website
Fork 		✗ ✓ ✓ [N 34] ✓ [N 35] ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
86Box 4.1.1 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
DOSBox Staging Releases ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
DOSBox-X 2024.03.01 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓
DOSBox 0.74-3
SVN 		✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~
MAME 0.264 ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ [N 36] ? ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ~ [N 37]
Dapplegrey Website ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ? ✗ ✗ ? ~ ✗
PCem git ✗ ✗ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✓ ~ ✗

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. ↑ Less compatible, but has controller support.
  10. ↑ No official Arm build. Needs to be built from source
  11. ↑ MAME is run through the command line or through a frontend like OpenEmu.
  12. ↑ Classic Mac OS only.
  13. ↑ Due to using a non-commercial license. Source code is still publicly available.
  14. ↑ Mednafen is run through the command line or through a frontend like OpenEmu.
  15. ↑ Classic Mac OS only
  16. ↑ Your mileage may vary depending on the game.
  17. ↑ Some games may work with an x64 Intel Mac, but performance will be sub-par.
  18. ↑ Requires paid add-on to access extra features
  19. ↑ Must be built from source at time of writing.
  20. ↑ v3.4.0 does not work with Rosetta. 3.4.1 should work when it is released.
  21. ↑ Classic Mac OS only
  22. ↑ Requires paid add-on to access extra features
  23. ↑ Must be built from source at time of writing.
  24. ↑ v3.4.0 does not work with Rosetta. v3.4.1 will have Arm support when released.
  25. ↑ Not open sourced yet, but will likely be opened later in development
  26. ↑ There are no official Arm releases yet, but some beta versions support Arm
  27. ↑ Vulkan/MoltenVK backends are currently in beta
  28. ↑ Mednafen is run through the command line only.
  29. ↑ Mac OS 9 only
  30. ↑ Unofficial 32-bit builds available here.
  31. ↑ Based on PCSX2, so it is partially FLOSS. The ARM parts are currently closed source.
  32. ↑ Your mileage may vary depending on the title
  33. ↑ Very early in development. There is currently no graphics backend.
  34. ↑ There is a fork of Boxer that supports x64
  35. ↑ There is a fork of Boxer that supports Arm
  36. ↑ No official Arm build. Needs to be built from source
  37. ↑ MAME is run through the command line or through a frontend like OpenEmu.
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