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Game Boy Advance emulators

1,368 bytes added, 17:08, 28 March 2023
Special Hardware: added internal links to features
! scope="col"|Platform(s)
! scope="col"|Latest Version
! scope="col"|<abbr title="Game Boy and Game Boy Color backwards compatibility emulation for Game Boy Advance">GB/GBC</abbr>
! scope="col"|NDS
! scope="col"|[https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Game_Boy_Advance_emulators#Connectivity Single <br/>Pak]! scope="col"|[https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Game_Boy_Advance_emulators#Connectivity Multi <br/>Pak]
! scope="col"|[https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Game_Boy_Advance_emulators#Connectivity Wireless]
! scope="col"|[https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Game_Boy_Advance_emulators#GameCube_Connectivity GBA-<br/>to-<br/>GC]
! scope="col"|[https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/GBA_e-Reader_emulators e-Reader]
! scope="col"|[[libretro]]
|-
|[[mGBA]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD|Web}}
|[https://mgba.io/builds/1/ Dev builds]<br/> [https://mgba.io/downloads.html {{MGBAVer}}]
|{{✓}} ||{{~}}<ref group=N name=medusa>Experimental separate build under the name of [[mGBA#medusa|medusa]].</ref> ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} <small>[https://mgba.io/timeline.html#IN+THE+FUTURE (WIP)]</small> ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||Mid-High ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[VisualBoy Advance#VBA-M|VBA-M]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[https://nightly.vba-m.com/ Nightly builds]<br/> [http://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core] <br/> [https://github.com/visualboyadvance-m/visualboyadvance-m/releases {{VBAMVer}}]
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||Mid -High ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[NanoBoyAdvance]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://nightly.link/nba-emu/NanoBoyAdvance/workflows/build/master Dev builds]<br/> [https://github.com/nba-emu/NanoBoyAdvance/releases 1.67]|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||High-Cycle ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}|-|SkyEmu|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|Web}}|[https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu/pull/143 Dev Builds]<br />[https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu/releases/ v2]|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}[https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu/issues/44 *] ||{{✗}}[https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu/issues/44 *] ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}[https://old.reddit.com/r/emulationEmuDev/comments/wnn3pkvvdqyk/nanoboyadvance_16_is_releasedrelease_of_skyemu_10/ik8vreaifjfj7a/ *] ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||High-Cycle] ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[ares]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares/actions/workflows/build.yml git]<br/> [https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares/releases {{aresVer}}]
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||High ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}|Mid-|SkyEmu|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|Web}}|[https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu/releases/ v2]|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}[https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu/issues/44 *] ||{{✗}}[https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu/issues/44 *] ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}[https://old.reddit.com/r/EmuDev/comments/vvdqyk/release_of_skyemu_10/ifjfj7a/ *] ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||[https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu#accuracycompatibility High-Cycle] ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[GBE+]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://github.com/shonumi/gbe-plus/releases {{GBEVer}}]
|{{✓}} ||{{~}} <small>(WIP)</small> ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}[[#Special_Hardware|*]]|-|[[No$|No$GBA]]|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|DOS}}|[http://problemkaputt.de/gba.htm {{No$GBAVer}}]|{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid-High ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[[MAME]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
|[http://www.mamedev.org/release.html {{MAMEVer}}]
|{{✓}} ||{{~}} ||{{✗}} ? || ? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[[higan]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
|[https://github.com/higan-emu/higan/releases/tag/v110 {{higanVer}}]
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||High Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|iDeaS
|[https://github.com/blastrock/meteor 1.4.2]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||Low-Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[[No$|No$GBA]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|DOS}}
|[http://problemkaputt.de/gba.htm {{No$GBAVer}}]
|{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|BoyCottAdvance
|[https://www.zophar.net/macintosh/gba/playboy-advance.html 1.0]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Low ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|Hades
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
|[https://github.com/Arignir/Hades Git]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|GameBeanAdvance
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
|[https://github.com/bmchtech/GameBeanAdvance Git]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{~}} ||{{✗}}
|-
!colspan="15"|Mobile / ARM
|[[mGBA]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Android|iOS|Linux|Pandora}}
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ nightlylibretro core]<ref group=N name=libretro>Only available on mobile as a libretro core (e.g. [[RetroArch]]).</ref>|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||Mid-High ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[VisualBoy Advance#VBA-M|VBA-M]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Android|iOS|Linux|Pandora}}
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ nightlylibretro core]<ref group=N name=libretro />|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||Mid -High ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}|-|SkyEmu|align=left|{{Icon|Android|iOS}}|[https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu/pull/143 v3]|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} || High-Cycle ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}|-|[[gpSP]]|align=left|{{Icon|Pandora|Didj}}|[http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=package.gpsp.notaz 0.9.2.8 Pandora]|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|Pizza Boy GBA
|align=left|{{Icon|Android}}
|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=it.dbtecno.pizzaboygbapro 2.0.5]
|{{~}}<ref group=N name=pizzaboygbc>Separate app called Pizza Boy GBC.</ref> ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ? ||{{✗}} ? ||{{✗}} ||{{}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[https://www.explusalpha.com/contents/gba-emu GBA.emu]<br/><small>(VBA-M 2.1.4 based)</small>
|align=left|{{Icon|Android|Pyra}}
|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.explusalpha.GbaEmu {{.emuVer}}][https://github.com/Rakashazi/emu-ex-plus-alpha git]</br>[https://pyra-handheld.com/repo/apps/75 1.5.46.02 Pyra]
|{{~}}<ref group=N name=gbc.emu>Separate app called GBC.emu.</ref> ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ? ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}|-|SkyEmu|align=left|{{Icon|Android|iOS}}|[https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu/pull/143 v3]|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} || High-Cycle Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}|-|VGBAnext|align=left|{{Icon|Android}}|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fms.emu {{VGBANextVer}}]|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Low ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[https://sites.google.com/site/fastemulator/ My Boy!]
|align=left|{{Icon|Android}}
|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fastemulator.gba 1.8.0]
|{{~}}<ref group=N name=myoldboy>Separate paid app called My OldBoy!.</ref> ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}|-? |[[gpSP]]|align=left|{{Icon|Pandora|Didj}}|[http://repo.openpandora.org/?page=detail&app=package.gpsp.notaz 0.9.2.8 Pandora]|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} Mid ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}
|-
|[https://forums.windowscentral.com/app-spotlight/252987-trio-nintendo-emulators-vba8-vgbc8-snes8x.html VBA10]
|align=left|{{Icon|W10P}}
|[https://forum.xda-developers.com/windows-10-mobile/windows-10-mobile-apps-and-games/app-vba10-emulator-t3588704 1.22]<br/>[https://emulator.games/emulators/gameboy-advance/vba10/ Alt]
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ? || ? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}
|-
|GBA_J2ME|align=left|{{Icon|Java}}|[http://weboldfag.archive.orgtop/webdownloads/20190801135245/http?act=view&id=168 1.0]|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Low ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}|-|VGBAnext|align=left|{{Icon|Android}}|[https://allaboutwindowsphoneplay.google.com/softwarestore/contentapps/VBA8_1details?id=com.fms.php VBA8emu {{VGBANextVer}}]|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} || ? || ? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Low ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}|-|DeeS|align=left|{{Icon|W8PAndroid}}|[https://www.appx4fungithub.com/xapDeeSEmu/15223/ 2DeeS 1.0.276]|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||Low-Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|GBA4iOS
|align=left|{{Icon|iOS}}
|[https://iemulators.com/gba4ios 2.1]
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ? ||{{✗}} ? ||{{✗}} ||{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||High ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
| DeeS[http://web.archive.org/web/20190801135245/http://allaboutwindowsphone.com/software/content/VBA8_1.php VBA8]| align=left|{{Icon|AndroidW8P}}| [https://githubwww.appx4fun.com/DeeSEmuxap/DeeS 115223/ 2.0.627]| {{✓}} ||{{}} ||{{✗}} ? ||{{✗}} ? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} || Low-Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{}} ||{{~}}
|-
!colspan="15"|Consoles
|-
| Nintendo Switch Online
| align=left|{{Icon|Switch}}
| N/A
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}<abbr title="SMA4 only">*</abbr> ||{{✗}} ||High[https://twitter.com/LuigiBlood/status/1624005571815899136 *] ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[mGBA]]
|align=left|{{Icon|Wii|WiiU|Switch}}<br>{{Icon|3DS|PSV|XboxOne|XboxSXS}}|[https://mgba.io/builds/1/ Dev builds]<br/> [https://mgba.io/downloads.html {{MGBAVer}}]|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||Mid High ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[gpSP]]
|align=left|{{Icon|PSP|DC}}<br/>{{Icon|PS2}}<br/>{{Icon|3DS||XboxOne|XboxSXS}}
|?
|? ||? ||{{✗}} ? || ? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||? ||{{✓}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||{{}} <small>(Libretro Only)<small> ||{{✓}} <small>PS2<small>
|-
|[[gpSP#PSP_version|TempGBA4PSP]]
|align=left|{{Icon|3DS|WiiU}}
|8.10
|{{✓}} <small>(abbr title="3DS only)">*<small/abbr> ||{{✓}} <small>(abbr title="Wii U only)">*<small/abbr> ||{{}} <abbr title="Pokemon only">*</abbr> ||{{✓}}<abbr title="Pokemon only">*</abbr> ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} <smallabbr title="Wii U only">(Pokemon only)*</smallabbr> ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} || High-Native (3DS only)||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|[[ReGBA]]
|Align=left|{{Icon|PS2}}
|[https://www.ps2-home.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1332v1.45.5 revision 3]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Low-Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}
|-
|align=left|{{Icon|GCN|Wii}}
|[https://github.com/dborth/vbagx/releases git]
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}<ref group=N>As VBA-Next.</ref> ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{}}
|-
|Gbaemu4DS
|align=left|{{Icon|NDS|3DS}}
|[https://github.com/Gericom/GBARunner2/releases/tag/v20200812-131430_6e4ce45 2020/08/12]
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ? ||{{✗}} ? ||{{✗}} ||{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Low-High ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|-
|[[gpSP|UO gpSP Kai]]
|align=left|{{Icon|PSP}}
|3.4 test 4 build 230
|? ||? ||{{✗}} ? ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||? ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
|}
</div>
===Comparisons===
;[[mGBA]]:Aims for accuracy, speed, and features. For its accuracy, it's gradually becoming the best at that. It's actively developed and has features VBA-M lacks such as a Tilt Sensor, and more recently Game Boy Camera support. It currently does not have an official Android build.
;[[NanoBoyAdvance]]<small class="plainlinks" style="font-weight:normal;"> ([https://github.com/nba-emu/NanoBoyAdvance/blob/master/docs/ACCURACY.md#game-compatibility Compatibility])</small>:[https://github.com/nba-emu/NanoBoyAdvance/blob/master/docs/ACCURACY.md Highly accurate] Game Boy Advance emulator. It aims for cycle-accurate emulation when possible, while also offering enhancements such as improved audio quality. Cycle-accurate emulation of the most components, including: CPU, DMA, timers , PPU(mostly cycle-accurate) and Game Pak prefetch buffer but [https://github.com/nba-emu/NanoBoyAdvance/pull/258 Cycle-accurate PPU emulation is an active topic of research and will be implemented, once the timing has been understood and documented well enough.]
;[[VisualBoy Advance|Visual Boy Advance (VBA)]]:The original GBA emulator. Discovered to have an <abbr title="Arbitrary Code Execution">ACE</abbr> vulnerability detailed below.
:;[[VisualBoy Advance#VBA-M|Visual Boy Advance-M (VBA-M)]]:A fork with additional improvements. It is behind in terms of accuracy and performance compared to mGBA.
::;VBA-Next:A [[RetroArch]] fork from an older revision of VBA-M with added speedhacks and tweaks, making it useful for lower-end devices. A bit less accurate in some respects, but fixes a few games such as Advance Wars 2.
;[[SkyEmu]]:Low level Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance emulator. Its primary focus is to provide a [https://old.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/ybejxv/skyemu_v2_release/itutt2h/ good user experience] through a good mixture of tradeoffs of [https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu/blob/dev/docs/Accuracy.md accuracy], performance, features and usability. Capable of full instruction pipeline, prefetch emulation and first GBA emulator released to support [https://github.com/skylersaleh/SkyEmu#accuracycompatibility Per Pixel PPU Implementation capable of both scan line and mid scan line effects] and Full instruction pipeline and prefetch emulation.;[[higan]] / [[ares]]:It is behind in terms of performance and compatibility compared to mGBA and VBA-M.
;[[MAME]]:Has a <code>gba</code> driver markup as working but both graphics and sound are [http://adb.arcadeitalia.net/dettaglio_mame.php?game_name=gba "imperfect"] as of version 0.249.
;[[gpSP]]:Its last official version was 0.91. There are, however, two forks of interest: [http://dl.qj.net/psp/emulators/gpsp-mod-20090720.html gpSPmod], and [http://filetrip.net/psp-downloads/homebrew/download-gpsp-j-12-06-16-f29570.htmlgpSP-J gpSP-J]. gpSP-J has superior compatibility, while gpSPmod has more options for customization (full screen, cheats, etc). Both are superior to Kai.
To solve this incompatibility, Libretro devs created a
[https://github.com/libretro/vbam-libretro/blob/master25fefc1b3dcdc6362c44845687bea70dd350c33a/src/libretro/gbaconv/gbaconv.c command-line tool] to convert .srm save files made from these cores to raw .sav save data for other emulators. It takes standard input (i.e. just drag and drop the .srm onto the executable) and outputs accordingly. It can also be done in reverse. A 64-bit binary of this tool for Windows can be found
[https://www.mediafire.com/?6bg8ag0bjs1b7ng here].
The [[Wikipedia:Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter|wireless adapter]] has the ability to connect five players<ref>https://www.nintendo.com/consumer/downloads/agbwireless_trilingual.pdf</ref> to each other and includes its own software to download a subset of another player's game that runs when no cartridge is inserted. ''Pokémon Fire Red'' and ''Leaf Green'' came bundled with this accessory but it can also work with ''Pokémon Emerald'' and the ''Classic NES Series''.
[[GBE+]] partially implemented the support of this add-on in v1.6, though it's not fully functional still a work-in-progress, and can only access menus. Support of this add-on is currently on [[mGBA]]'s roadmap.
===GameCube Connectivity===
|-
| [[#Solar Sensor|Solar Sensor]]
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
|-
| [[#Motion Control|Motion Control]]
| {{~}}[https://github.com/shonumi/gbe-plus/issues/131#issuecomment-1197607060 *]
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
|-
| [[#Battle Chip Gate|Battle Chip Gate]]
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
| {{✗}}
|-
| [[#Figurine Readers| Soul Doll Adapter]]
| {{✓}}
| {{✓}}
| {{✗}}
|-
| [[#Figurine Readers| Multi Plust On System]]
| {{✓}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
|-
| [[#Turbo File Advance|Turbo File Advance]]
| {{✓}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
|-
| [[#Power Antenna & Bug Sensor|Power Antenna & Bug Sensor]]
| {{✓}}
| {{✗}}
| {{✗}}
|-
| [[#Official Nintendo Infrared Adapter|Official Nintendo Infrared Adapter]]
| {{✓}}
| {{✗}}
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