Difference between revisions of "PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) emulators"

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{{Infobox console
 +
|title = PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16)
 +
|image = PC-Engine-Console-Set.png
 +
|image2 = SuperGrafx-Console-Set.jpg
 +
|imagecaption = '''Above''': The PC Engine.<br/>'''Below''': The SuperGrafx.ette was eventually made mathematically and with some extra tweaks from the PC Engine's RGB to YUV lookup table afte
 +
|developer = [[NEC|NEC Home Electronics, Hudson Soft]]
 +
|type = [[:Category:Home consoles|Home video game console]]
 +
|generation = [[:Category:Fourth-generation video game consoles|Fourth generation]]
 +
|release = 1987
 +
|discontinued = 1994
 +
|successor = SuperGrafx, [[PC-FX emulators|PC-FX]]
 +
|emulated = {{✓}}
 +
}}
 +
 +
The '''[[gametech:TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine|PC Engine]]''' ('''PCE''') was a 16-bit system released jointly by [[wikipedia:Nec|NEC]] and [[wikipedia:Hudson Soft|Hudson Soft]] in Japan on October 30, 1987 and in the US on August 29, 1989. It was retailed for {{Inflation|USD|399.99|1987}}. It had a Hudson Soft HuC6280 8-bit CPU at 7.16 MHz and 1.79 MHz with 8KB of RAM and 64KB of VRAM. The CPU was teamed up with a 16-bit graphics processor and 16-bit video color encoder chip, both built by Hudson Soft. When it came time to seek other potential markets, the two companies eventually caved to a limited American release in 1989 under a completely different model and name: the '''TurboGrafx-16'''. The European versions varied throughout the countries, being the western version in Spain and United Kingdom and Japanese models in Benelux regions.
 +
 +
The joint venture, formed in North America as TTI, made an add-on called the '''PC Engine CD''' ('''PCE-CD''') / '''TurboGrafx-CD''' ('''TG-CD''') that loaded games from discs instead, much like the Sega CD but better supported. The '''PC Engine Duo''' / '''Turbo-Duo''' combined the add-on into the unit with more RAM as yet another failed attempt to relaunch the failing console in the West.
 +
 +
When it first launched in North America, the TurboGrafx-16 was largely seen as a failure blamed on poor marketing by the manufacturers. The PC Engine, on the other hand, was a whole different story, beating out the [[Nintendo Entertainment System emulators|Famicom]] when it first came out long enough to compete against [[Super Nintendo emulators|its rival's own successor]] and gave little focus for the [[Sega Genesis emulators|Mega Drive]] who was instead posing more of a threat to Nintendo in North America.
 +
 +
NEC planned to enhance the system further, announcing the "PC Engine 2" that would later become the '''PC Engine SuperGrafx'''. However, it was rushed to a 1989 market in Japan lacking much of its promised features with only seven titles exclusively made for it, ending up a commercial failure to be binned and discontinued not long after. The '''PC Engine GT''' / '''Turbo-Express''' was a very rare handheld model of the original hardware, in the same vein as the Sega Nomad (a portable [[Sega Genesis emulators|Sega Genesis / Mega Drive]]). It did include some exclusive features like the TurboLink multiplayer feature (used in games such as the flight sim called ''Falcon'' and ''Bomberman 93'') but wasn't widely supported.
 +
 
==Emulators==
 
==Emulators==
−
 
+
<div style="max-width:100%; overflow:auto;">
−
===Chart===
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
−
{| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" class="article-table article-table-selected" style="width: 500px;"
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
! scope="col"|Name
 
! scope="col"|Name
−
! scope="col"|Operating System(s)
+
! scope="col"|Platform(s)
 
! scope="col"|Latest Version
 
! scope="col"|Latest Version
−
! scope="col"|PCE
+
! scope="col"|PCE-CD<br/>(TG-CD)
−
! scope="col"|PCE-CD
+
! scope="col"|PCE2<br/>(SG)
−
! scope="col"|PC-FX
+
! scope="col"|<abbr title="Games Express CD Card, Bootleg System Card. This was released by Hacker International for play of unlicensed Games Express CD games. The GECD Card is essentially a dongle; a BIOS v3.00 based machine (like a Duo or a Super CD-ROM²) is required for running those games.">GE-CD</abbr>
−
! scope="col"|Recommended?
+
! scope="col"|[[libretro]]
 +
! scope="col"|<small>Retro<br/>Achievements</small><ref group=N>[https://retroachievements.org/gameList.php?c=8 PC Engine achievements], [https://retroachievements.org/gameList.php?c=76 PC Engine CD achievements]</ref>
 +
! scope="col"|[[Emulation Accuracy|Accuracy]]
 +
! scope="col"|<abbr title="Free/Libre and Open-Source Software">FLOSS</abbr>
 +
! scope="col"|Active
 +
! scope="col"|[[Recommended Emulators|Recommended]]
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="12"|PC / x86
 +
|-
 +
|[[Mednafen]]<br/><small>mednafen_supergrafx_libretro</small><br/><small>mednafen_pce_libretro</small><br/><small>mednafen_pce_fast_libretro</small>
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
 +
|[{{MednafenURL|releases/}} {{MednafenVer}}]<br/>[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core'''s''']
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||Cycle<ref group=N name=mednafenAccuracy>[https://www.chrismcovell.com/CPUTest/ mednafen pce core is Cycle accurate]. Another core for PCE system is the "[https://mednafen.github.io/documentation/pce_fast.html pce_fast]" which is an experimental alternative to the pce core. pce_fast is a fork of 0.8.x modified for speed at the expense of unneeded accuracy.</ref> ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 +
|-
 +
|[[ares]]
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS}}
 +
|[https://nightly.link/ares-emulator/ares/workflows/build/master <abbr title="Latest development build version">git Artifacts</abbr>]<br/>[https://github.com/ares-emulator/ares/releases {{aresVer}}]
 +
|{{~}}||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Cycle<ref group=N>[https://www.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/t5ppjf/ares_v127_has_been_released/ As of ares v127], ares developers now provide a new option in the emulator settings: 'Pixel Accuracy'; when this is enabled, any core that supports a pixel accurate mode will use it.</ref> ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 +
|-
 +
|[https://github.com/SourMesen/Mesen2 Mesen2]
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}
 +
|[https://github.com/SourMesen/Mesen2/tags 2.0.0-preview1]
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||High ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
 +
|-
 +
|[[BizHawk]]
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
 +
|[http://tasvideos.org/BizHawk/ReleaseHistory.html {{BizHawkVer}}]
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} || ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||Cycle ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{~}}
 +
|-
 +
|[[higan]]
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
 +
|[https://github.com/higan-emu/higan/releases {{higanVer}}]
 +
|{{~}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||Cycle ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}<ref group=N>Superseded by [[ares]].</ref>
 +
|-
 +
|[[Turbo Engine]]
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
 +
|[http://aamirm.hacking-cult.org/www/turbo.html 0.32]
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} || ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||High ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
 +
|-
 +
|[[MagicEngine]]
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|macOS}}
 +
|[http://www.emuparadise.me/emulators/files/user/Magic-Engine_1.1.3-952.rar 1.1.3]
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} || ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
 
|-
 
|-
 
|[[Ootake]]
 
|[[Ootake]]
−
|Windows
+
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
−
|2.69
+
|[http://www.ouma.jp/ootake {{OotakeVer}}]
−
|✓
+
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} || ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
−
|✓
+
|-
−
|?
+
|pcejin <small>(Mednafen 0.8.x)</small>
−
|✓
+
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
 +
|[https://github.com/TASVideos/pcejin git]
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} || ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
 +
|-
 +
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20071206014650/http://www.dridus.com:80/~nyef/darcnes/ DarcNES]
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux|macOS|FreeBSD}}
 +
|[https://segaretro.org/DarcNES 9b0401/9b0313]
 +
|{{~}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Low ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
 +
|-
 +
|Neco
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
 +
|0.11
 +
|{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Low ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
 +
|-
 +
|[http://takeda-toshiya.my.coocan.jp/ ePCEngine]
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
 +
|[http://takeda-toshiya.my.coocan.jp/common/index.html 12/21/2020]
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} || ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
 +
|-
 +
|[[FinalBurn Neo]]
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|macOS}}
 +
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core]<br/>[https://github.com/finalburnneo/FBNeo/releases/tag/latest nightly]<br/>[https://github.com/finalburnneo/FBNeo/releases/latest stable]
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} || ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||? ||{{NC}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}}
 +
|-
 +
|[[FinalBurn Alpha]]
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows}}
 +
|[http://www.fbalpha.com/downloads/ 0.2.97.43]
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} || ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{NC}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
 +
|-
 +
|[http://zeograd.com/ Hu-Go!]
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Windows|Linux}}
 +
|[http://zeograd.com/hugo_download.php 2.12]
 +
|{{✓}} ||? || ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}}
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="12"|Mobile / ARM
 +
|-
 +
|[[Mednafen]]<br/><small>mednafen_supergrafx_libretro</small><br/><small>mednafen_pce_libretro</small><br/><small>mednafen_pce_fast_libretro</small>
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Android|iOS|Linux|Pandora}}
 +
|[https://buildbot.libretro.com/nightly/ libretro core'''s''']
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||Cycle<ref group=N name=mednafenAccuracy></ref> ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 +
|-
 +
|PCE.emu
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Android|Pyra}}
 +
|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.PceEmu {{.emuVer}}]<br/>[https://pyra-handheld.com/repo/apps/82 1.5.46.02 Pyra]
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 +
|-
 +
|WonderDroid Ultra
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Android}}
 +
|[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.atelieryl.wonderdroid 5.3][https://github.com/williehwc/wonderdroid-x git]
 +
|{{✗}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 +
|-
 +
!colspan="12"|Console
 +
|-
 +
|[[Mednafen]]<br/><small>mednafen_supergrafx_libretro</small><br/><small>mednafen_pce_libretro</small><br/><small>mednafen_pce_fast_libretro</small>
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|PSP|PS3}}<br>{{Icon|Wii|3DS|WiiU|Switch}}
 +
|[https://www.retroarch.com/index.php?page=platforms libretro]
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||Cycle<ref group=N name=mednafenAccuracy></ref> ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}} ||{{✓}}
 +
|-
 +
|[[Virtual Console]]
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Wii|WiiU}}
 +
|N/A ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||High ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}
 +
|-
 +
|HuGo! GX Unofficial
 +
|align=left|{{Icon|Wii|GCN}}
 +
|[http://www.gc-forever.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1208 2.12.1]
 +
|{{✓}} ||{{✓}} || ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}
 
|-
 
|-
−
|[[Mednafen]]
+
|[https://dcemulation.org/index.php?title=PCECast PCECast]
−
|Multiplatform
+
|align=left|{{Icon|DC}}
−
|0.9.28
+
|[http://dcemulation.org/1-newsdump/emulators/pcecast/pcecast.zip 06/01/07]
−
|✓
+
|{{✓}} ||? || ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||{{✓}}
−
|✓
 
−
|✓
 
−
|✓
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
|[[RetroArch]] (Mednafen)
+
|[[HuE]]
−
|Multiplatform
+
|align=left|{{Icon|PSP}}
−
|0.9.28
+
|[https://www.psx-place.com/resources/turbografx-16-hue-0-70.240 0.70]
−
|✓
+
|{{✓}} ||{{~}} || ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||Mid ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}
−
|✓
 
−
|✗
 
−
|✓
 
 
|-
 
|-
−
|MagicEngine
+
|[https://www.gamebrew.org/wiki/NitroGrafx NitroGrafx]
−
|Windows, OS X
+
|align=left|{{Icon|NDS}}
−
|1.1.3
+
|[https://emutopia.com/index.php/item/815-nitrografx-0-7 0.7][https://github.com/FluBBaOfWard/NitroGrafx git]
−
|✓
+
|{{✓}} ||{{✗}} || ||{{✗}} ||{{✗}} ||? ||{{✓}} ||{{✗}} ||{{~}}
−
|✓
 
−
|✓
 
−
|✗
 
 
|}
 
|}
 +
</div>
 +
<references group=N />
  
 
===Comparisons===
 
===Comparisons===
−
Ootake is okay for general purposes.
+
;[[Mednafen]]:Much like its other original cores, it does very well, even having two profiles: "PCE-Accurate" and "PCE-Fast". Despite being CLI-based, a fork of an older version that has a GUI has emerged called pcejin. [[RetroArch]] uses the PCE-Accurate and PCE-Fast cores for its beetle fork.
 +
;Mesen2:After a discontinuation of both Mesen and Mesen S, SourMesen resumed developement of both in 2023 and combines them into a single Mesen. The re-release of Mesen also brought emulation of PC-Engine, SuperGrafx and CD-ROM²/TG-CD
 +
;[[BizHawk]]
 +
:Uses "Nymashock" core for PCE emulation ([https://github.com/TASEmulators/BizHawk/blob/master/waterbox/nyma/pce.cpp ported from mednafen to Bizhawk by zeromus]).
 +
;[[Ootake]]:It's okay for general purposes.
 +
;[[MAME]]:Has a <code>pce</code> driver <small>(and a child driver called <code>tg16</code>)</small>. In all revisions it emulates, MAME reports it as working and the graphics as okay, but the sound is imperfect.
 +
;[[MagicEngine]]:Unfortunately trialware that costs €15 euro. There are better options available for free.
 +
;NitroGrafx:Is a DS TurboGrafx emulator for Nintendo DS. It is included with [[TWiLight Menu++]].
  
−
Mednafen is great. Command line only though.
+
==Emulation issues==
 +
===Color palette===
 +
[[File:PCE_TG16_Composite_RGB_Palette.png|thumb|250px|An example of the color inaccuracy with the regular RGB color palette when compared to the Composite palette. Take note of the second blue gradient in the sky in both images.]]
 +
The color palettes generated by the PC Engine for Composite and RGB actually differ due to its own color tables being non-linear. This can result in colors ending up looking wrong or blended when the system is emulated or played in RGB. A composite palette was eventually made mathematically and with some extra tweaks from the PC Engine's RGB to YUV lookup table after its HuC6270 video chip had been decapped. This palette is used by default in the PC Engine core for the [[MiSTer]]<ref>https://www.retrorgb.com/pc-engine-palette-improvements-the-amazing-people-behind-the-technology.html</ref>. It [https://github.com/Kitrinx/TG16_Palette can be downloaded] for use in other emulators and devices.
  
−
RetroArch can run Mednafen. GUI and other things.
+
==References==
 +
{{Reflist}}
  
−
MagicEngine only has a free demo available. To get the full version costs €15 EUR. There is no reason to buy it when there are better free options available.
+
[[Category:Consoles]]
−
[[Category: Consoles]]
+
[[Category:Home consoles]]
 +
[[Category:PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16) emulators|*]]
 +
[[Category:NEC consoles]]
 +
[[Category:Fourth-generation video game consoles]]

Latest revision as of 06:39, 24 September 2023

PC Engine (TurboGrafx-16)
PC-Engine-Console-Set.png
SuperGrafx-Console-Set.jpg
Above: The PC Engine.
Below: The SuperGrafx.ette was eventually made mathematically and with some extra tweaks from the PC Engine's RGB to YUV lookup table afte
Developer NEC Home Electronics, Hudson Soft
Type Home video game console
Generation Fourth generation
Release date 1987
Discontinued 1994
Successor SuperGrafx, PC-FX
Emulated ✓

The PC Engine (PCE) was a 16-bit system released jointly by NEC and Hudson Soft in Japan on October 30, 1987 and in the US on August 29, 1989. It was retailed for $399.99. It had a Hudson Soft HuC6280 8-bit CPU at 7.16 MHz and 1.79 MHz with 8KB of RAM and 64KB of VRAM. The CPU was teamed up with a 16-bit graphics processor and 16-bit video color encoder chip, both built by Hudson Soft. When it came time to seek other potential markets, the two companies eventually caved to a limited American release in 1989 under a completely different model and name: the TurboGrafx-16. The European versions varied throughout the countries, being the western version in Spain and United Kingdom and Japanese models in Benelux regions.

The joint venture, formed in North America as TTI, made an add-on called the PC Engine CD (PCE-CD) / TurboGrafx-CD (TG-CD) that loaded games from discs instead, much like the Sega CD but better supported. The PC Engine Duo / Turbo-Duo combined the add-on into the unit with more RAM as yet another failed attempt to relaunch the failing console in the West.

When it first launched in North America, the TurboGrafx-16 was largely seen as a failure blamed on poor marketing by the manufacturers. The PC Engine, on the other hand, was a whole different story, beating out the Famicom when it first came out long enough to compete against its rival's own successor and gave little focus for the Mega Drive who was instead posing more of a threat to Nintendo in North America.

NEC planned to enhance the system further, announcing the "PC Engine 2" that would later become the PC Engine SuperGrafx. However, it was rushed to a 1989 market in Japan lacking much of its promised features with only seven titles exclusively made for it, ending up a commercial failure to be binned and discontinued not long after. The PC Engine GT / Turbo-Express was a very rare handheld model of the original hardware, in the same vein as the Sega Nomad (a portable Sega Genesis / Mega Drive). It did include some exclusive features like the TurboLink multiplayer feature (used in games such as the flight sim called Falcon and Bomberman 93) but wasn't widely supported.

Emulators[edit]

Name Platform(s) Latest Version PCE-CD
(TG-CD) 		PCE2
(SG) 		GE-CD libretro Retro
Achievements[N 1] 		Accuracy FLOSS Active Recommended
PC / x86
Mednafen
mednafen_supergrafx_libretro
mednafen_pce_libretro
mednafen_pce_fast_libretro 		Windows Linux macOS FreeBSD 1.31.0-UNSTABLE
libretro cores 		✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Cycle[N 2] ✓ ✓ ✓
ares Windows Linux macOS git Artifacts
v133 		~ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ Cycle[N 3] ✓ ✓ ✓
Mesen2 Windows Linux 2.0.0-preview1 ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ High ✓ ✓ ~
BizHawk Windows 2.9.1 ✓ ✓ ✗ ✓ Cycle ✓ ✓ ~
higan Windows Linux macOS FreeBSD v110 ~ ✓ ✗ ✓ ✗ Cycle ✓ ✗ ✗[N 4]
Turbo Engine Windows 0.32 ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ High ✗ ✗ ✗
MagicEngine Windows macOS 1.1.3 ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ Mid ✗ ✗ ✗
Ootake Windows 3.04 ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ Mid ✓ ✓ ✗
pcejin (Mednafen 0.8.x) Windows git ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ Mid ✓ ✗ ✗
DarcNES Windows Linux macOS FreeBSD 9b0401/9b0313 ~ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ Low ✓ ✗ ✗
Neco Windows 0.11 ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ Low ? ✗ ✗
ePCEngine Windows 12/21/2020 ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ? ✗ ✓ ✗
FinalBurn Neo Windows macOS libretro core
nightly
stable 		✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ? NC ✓ ✗
FinalBurn Alpha Windows 0.2.97.43 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ? NC ✗ ✗
Hu-Go! Windows Linux 2.12 ✓ ? ✗ ✗ ? ✓ ✗ ✗
Mobile / ARM
Mednafen
mednafen_supergrafx_libretro
mednafen_pce_libretro
mednafen_pce_fast_libretro 		Android iOS Linux Pandora libretro cores ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Cycle[N 2] ✓ ✓ ✓
PCE.emu Android Dragonbox Pyra 1.5.73
1.5.46.02 Pyra 		✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ Mid ✓ ✓ ✓
WonderDroid Ultra Android 5.3git ✗ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ? ✓ ✓ ✓
Console
Mednafen
mednafen_supergrafx_libretro
mednafen_pce_libretro
mednafen_pce_fast_libretro 		PSP PlayStation 3
Wii Nintendo 3DS Wii U Switch 		libretro ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Cycle[N 2] ✓ ✓ ✓
Virtual Console Wii Wii U N/A ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ High ✗ ✗ ✓
HuGo! GX Unofficial Wii GameCube 2.12.1 ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ Mid ✓ ✗ ✓
PCECast Dreamcast 06/01/07 ✓ ? ✗ ✗ Mid ✗ ✗ ✓
HuE PSP 0.70 ✓ ~ ✗ ✗ Mid ✓ ✗ ~
NitroGrafx Nintendo DS 0.7git ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ? ✓ ✗ ~
  1. ↑ PC Engine achievements, PC Engine CD achievements
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 mednafen pce core is Cycle accurate. Another core for PCE system is the "pce_fast" which is an experimental alternative to the pce core. pce_fast is a fork of 0.8.x modified for speed at the expense of unneeded accuracy.
  3. ↑ As of ares v127, ares developers now provide a new option in the emulator settings: 'Pixel Accuracy'; when this is enabled, any core that supports a pixel accurate mode will use it.
  4. ↑ Superseded by ares.

Comparisons[edit]

Mednafen
Much like its other original cores, it does very well, even having two profiles: "PCE-Accurate" and "PCE-Fast". Despite being CLI-based, a fork of an older version that has a GUI has emerged called pcejin. RetroArch uses the PCE-Accurate and PCE-Fast cores for its beetle fork.
Mesen2
After a discontinuation of both Mesen and Mesen S, SourMesen resumed developement of both in 2023 and combines them into a single Mesen. The re-release of Mesen also brought emulation of PC-Engine, SuperGrafx and CD-ROM²/TG-CD
BizHawk
Uses "Nymashock" core for PCE emulation (ported from mednafen to Bizhawk by zeromus).
Ootake
It's okay for general purposes.
MAME
Has a pce driver (and a child driver called tg16). In all revisions it emulates, MAME reports it as working and the graphics as okay, but the sound is imperfect.
MagicEngine
Unfortunately trialware that costs €15 euro. There are better options available for free.
NitroGrafx
Is a DS TurboGrafx emulator for Nintendo DS. It is included with TWiLight Menu++.

Emulation issues[edit]

Color palette[edit]

An example of the color inaccuracy with the regular RGB color palette when compared to the Composite palette. Take note of the second blue gradient in the sky in both images.

The color palettes generated by the PC Engine for Composite and RGB actually differ due to its own color tables being non-linear. This can result in colors ending up looking wrong or blended when the system is emulated or played in RGB. A composite palette was eventually made mathematically and with some extra tweaks from the PC Engine's RGB to YUV lookup table after its HuC6270 video chip had been decapped. This palette is used by default in the PC Engine core for the MiSTer[1]. It can be downloaded for use in other emulators and devices.

References[edit]

  1. ↑ https://www.retrorgb.com/pc-engine-palette-improvements-the-amazing-people-behind-the-technology.html
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