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* [[Mupen64Plus]] is a multi-platform open-source emulator based on Hacktarux's Mupen64. As of [https://github.com/mupen64plus/mupen64plus-core/pull/336 July 2017], the codebase has reached compatibility parity with Project64, when both emulators are run with GLideN64. Mupen64Plus lacks a native GUI, instead of being run either from the command line or by dragging and dropping ROMs onto the executable and editing the config with a text editor such as Notepad++. There are several third-party GUIs made for it, of which M64Py may be the most solid. The end-user experience has improved in 2017 with [https://m64p.github.io/ m64p], which combines new versions of Mupen64Plus with GLideN64 and a new Qt5 GUI. This is as compatible as N64 emulation gets as of August 2017, and the package can be played out-of-the-box without having to mess around with plugins. Mupen64Plus has also been ported to a number of different platforms. [[BizHawk]] and [[OpenEmu]] use shallow forks of Mupen64Plus and its plugins for their N64 emulation.

* [[Project64]] is a mostly open-source emulator for Windows. Its official release builds are more up-to-date than Mupen64Plus', and the current version, 2.3.2, is roughly as accurate as the development versions of Mupen64Plus when both are played with recommended plugins. It has a more user-friendly interface than the Mupen64Plus attempts and supports more features such as overclocking and Transfer Pak emulation. However, it doesn't come with GLideN64 out-of-the-box, and the default video and audio plugins aren't even the best in the box. It presently remains confined to Windows, though work is underway to port it to Android and Linux. For the most part, it works well in WINE, but, if you're on a different platform, use Mupen64Plus instead.

* [[Sixtyforce]] is macOS-only, closed-source, and asks you to pay for full access to its features. It was once one of the only choices for Mac users, particularly those with older Macs, since it's the only emulator with a <abbr title="Power PC">PPC</abbr> [[Dynamic recompilation|dynarec]]), but, with the switch to x86 and Mupen64Plus being ported to macOS, it has now become irrelevant.

* [[UltraHLE]] marked a milestone in Nintendo 64 emulation, in that it was the first to play some popular N64 titles at full speed on hardware made at the time of its release through [[High/Low level emulation|high-level emulation]]; it isn't without its drawbacks though - pressure from users, combined with legal threats from Nintendo, forced them to discontinue development. Besides being for historical value, there's not much to expect from this emulator anyway due to compatibility issues.