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Best Emulators as of 2022 + Game Console Timeline
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<p>[QUOTE="Arnox, post: 10423, member: 1"]</p><p>This list will only take into account the more notable consoles of each generation. It includes handhelds. The most optimal emulators listed below for each console have all been chosen from <a href="http://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Main_Page">this amazing list</a>. Most of the emulators listed are also available as a core for RetroArch, which means they can function on a very large amount of devices and operating systems.</p><p></p><p>[SPOILER="Chronologically Sorted"]</p><table style='width: 100%' class='collapse'><tr><td><strong>Original Manufacturer</strong></td><td><strong>System Name</strong></td><td><strong>Year Released</strong></td><td><strong>Optimal Emulator</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Atari</td><td>Atari 2600</td><td>1977</td><td>Stella</td></tr><tr><td>Atari</td><td>Atari 5200</td><td>1982</td><td>Atari800</td></tr><tr><td>Nintendo</td><td>NES</td><td>1985</td><td>Mesen</td></tr><tr><td>Sega</td><td>Genesis</td><td>1989</td><td>Genesis Plus GX</td></tr><tr><td>Nintendo</td><td>Game Boy</td><td>1989</td><td>SameBoy</td></tr><tr><td>Nintendo</td><td>SNES</td><td>1991</td><td>bsnes</td></tr><tr><td>SNK</td><td>Neo Geo/Arcade</td><td>1991</td><td>MAME</td></tr><tr><td>Microsoft</td><td>Windows 95/DOS</td><td>1995</td><td>DOSBox</td></tr><tr><td>Sega</td><td>Saturn</td><td>1995</td><td>Kronos</td></tr><tr><td>Sony</td><td>PlayStation</td><td>1995</td><td>Mednafen</td></tr><tr><td>Nintendo</td><td>Nintendo 64</td><td>1996</td><td>Mupen64Plus-Next</td></tr><tr><td>Nintendo</td><td>Game Boy Color</td><td>1998</td><td>SameBoy</td></tr><tr><td>Sega</td><td>Dreamcast</td><td>1999</td><td>flycast_gles2</td></tr><tr><td>Sony</td><td>PlayStation 2</td><td>2000</td><td>PCSX2</td></tr><tr><td>Nintendo</td><td>Game Boy Advance</td><td>2001</td><td>mGBA</td></tr><tr><td>Nintendo</td><td>Gamecube</td><td>2001</td><td>Dolphin</td></tr><tr><td>Microsoft</td><td>Xbox</td><td>2001</td><td>xemu</td></tr><tr><td>Nintendo</td><td>Nintendo DS</td><td>2004</td><td>DeSmuME</td></tr><tr><td>Sony</td><td>PlayStation Portable</td><td>2005</td><td>PPSSPP</td></tr><tr><td>Microsoft</td><td>Xbox 360</td><td>2005</td><td>Xenia</td></tr><tr><td>Sony</td><td>PlayStation 3</td><td>2006</td><td>RPCS3</td></tr><tr><td>Nintendo</td><td>Wii</td><td>2006</td><td>Dolphin</td></tr><tr><td>Nintendo</td><td>Nintendo 3DS</td><td>2011</td><td>Citra</td></tr><tr><td>Sony</td><td>PlayStation Vita</td><td>2012</td><td>(unstable emulation)</td></tr><tr><td>Nintendo</td><td>Wii U</td><td>2012</td><td>QEMU</td></tr><tr><td>Sony</td><td>PlayStation 4</td><td>2013</td><td>(unstable emulation)</td></tr><tr><td>Microsoft</td><td>Xbox One</td><td>2013</td><td>(no emulation)</td></tr><tr><td>Nintendo</td><td>Nintendo Switch</td><td>2017</td><td>yuzu</td></tr><tr><td>Sony</td><td>PlayStation 5</td><td>2020</td><td>(no emulation)</td></tr><tr><td>Microsoft</td><td>Xbox Series X</td><td>2020</td><td>(no emulation)</td></tr><tr><td>Microsoft</td><td>Windows NT-Windows 11</td><td>2000-Present</td><td>WINE/unstable emulation</td></tr></table><p>[/SPOILER]</p><p></p><p>[SPOILER="Grouped by Original Manufacturer"]</p><p><strong>Atari</strong></p><table style='width: 100%' class='collapse'><tr><td><strong>System Name</strong></td><td><strong>Year Released</strong></td><td><strong>Optimal Emulator</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Atari 2600</td><td>1977</td><td>Stella</td></tr><tr><td>Atari 5200</td><td>1982</td><td>Atari800</td></tr></table><p></p><p><strong>Microsoft</strong></p><table style='width: 100%' class='collapse'><tr><td><strong>System Name</strong></td><td><strong>Year Released</strong></td><td><strong>Optimal Emulator</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Windows 95/DOS</td><td>1995</td><td>DOSBox</td></tr><tr><td>Xbox</td><td>2001</td><td>xemu</td></tr><tr><td>Xbox 360</td><td>2005</td><td>Xenia</td></tr><tr><td>Xbox One</td><td>2013</td><td>(no emulation)</td></tr><tr><td>Xbox Series X</td><td>2020</td><td>(no emulation)</td></tr><tr><td>Windows NT-Windows 11</td><td>2000-Present</td><td>WINE/unstable emulation</td></tr></table><p></p><p><strong>Nintendo</strong></p><table style='width: 100%' class='collapse'><tr><td><strong>System Name</strong></td><td><strong>Year Released</strong></td><td><strong>Optimal Emulator</strong></td></tr><tr><td>NES</td><td>1985</td><td>Mesen</td></tr><tr><td>Game Boy</td><td>1989</td><td>SameBoy</td></tr><tr><td>SNES</td><td>1991</td><td>bsnes</td></tr><tr><td>Nintendo 64</td><td>1996</td><td>Mupen64Plus-Next</td></tr><tr><td>Game Boy Color</td><td>1998</td><td>SameBoy</td></tr><tr><td>Game Boy Advance</td><td>2001</td><td>mGBA</td></tr><tr><td>Gamecube</td><td>2001</td><td>Dolphin</td></tr><tr><td>Nintendo DS</td><td>2004</td><td>DeSmuME</td></tr><tr><td>Wii</td><td>2006</td><td>Dolphin</td></tr><tr><td>Nintendo 3DS</td><td>2011</td><td>Citra</td></tr><tr><td>Wii U</td><td>2012</td><td>QEMU</td></tr><tr><td>Nintendo Switch</td><td>2017</td><td>yuzu</td></tr></table><p></p><p><strong>Sega</strong></p><table style='width: 100%' class='collapse'><tr><td><strong>System Name</strong></td><td><strong>Year Released</strong></td><td><strong>Optimal Emulator</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Genesis</td><td>1989</td><td>Genesis Plus GX</td></tr><tr><td>Saturn</td><td>1995</td><td>Kronos</td></tr><tr><td>Dreamcast</td><td>1999</td><td>flycast_gles2</td></tr></table><p></p><p><strong>SNK</strong></p><table style='width: 100%' class='collapse'><tr><td><strong>System Name</strong></td><td><strong>Year Released</strong></td><td><strong>Optimal Emulator</strong></td></tr><tr><td>Neo Geo/Arcade</td><td>1991</td><td>MAME</td></tr></table><p></p><p><strong>Sony</strong></p><table style='width: 100%' class='collapse'><tr><td><strong>System Name</strong></td><td><strong>Year Released</strong></td><td><strong>Optimal Emulator</strong></td></tr><tr><td>PlayStation</td><td>1995</td><td>Mednafen</td></tr><tr><td>PlayStation 2</td><td>2000</td><td>PCSX2</td></tr><tr><td>PlayStation Portable</td><td>2005</td><td>PPSSPP</td></tr><tr><td>PlayStation 3</td><td>2006</td><td>RPCS3</td></tr><tr><td>PlayStation Vita</td><td>2012</td><td>(unstable emulation)</td></tr><tr><td>PlayStation 4</td><td>2013</td><td>(unstable emulation)</td></tr><tr><td>PlayStation 5</td><td>2020</td><td>(no emulation)</td></tr></table><p>[/SPOILER]</p><p></p><p>-</p><p></p><p>Wasn't sure if I really needed to include the Windows line of "systems", but I decided to anyway for completeness' sake. Also, INB4 "WINE is not an emulator!"</p><p>[/QUOTE]</p>
[QUOTE="Arnox, post: 10423, member: 1"] This list will only take into account the more notable consoles of each generation. It includes handhelds. The most optimal emulators listed below for each console have all been chosen from [URL='http://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Main_Page']this amazing list[/URL]. Most of the emulators listed are also available as a core for RetroArch, which means they can function on a very large amount of devices and operating systems. [SPOILER="Chronologically Sorted"] [TABLE=collapse] [TR] [TD][B]Original Manufacturer[/B][/TD] [TD][B]System Name[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Year Released[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Optimal Emulator[/B][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Atari[/TD] [TD]Atari 2600[/TD] [TD]1977[/TD] [TD]Stella[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Atari[/TD] [TD]Atari 5200[/TD] [TD]1982[/TD] [TD]Atari800[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Nintendo[/TD] [TD]NES[/TD] [TD]1985[/TD] [TD]Mesen[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Sega[/TD] [TD]Genesis[/TD] [TD]1989[/TD] [TD]Genesis Plus GX[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Nintendo[/TD] [TD]Game Boy[/TD] [TD]1989[/TD] [TD]SameBoy[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Nintendo[/TD] [TD]SNES[/TD] [TD]1991[/TD] [TD]bsnes[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]SNK[/TD] [TD]Neo Geo/Arcade[/TD] [TD]1991[/TD] [TD]MAME[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Microsoft[/TD] [TD]Windows 95/DOS[/TD] [TD]1995[/TD] [TD]DOSBox[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Sega[/TD] [TD]Saturn[/TD] [TD]1995[/TD] [TD]Kronos[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Sony[/TD] [TD]PlayStation[/TD] [TD]1995[/TD] [TD]Mednafen[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Nintendo[/TD] [TD]Nintendo 64[/TD] [TD]1996[/TD] [TD]Mupen64Plus-Next[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Nintendo[/TD] [TD]Game Boy Color[/TD] [TD]1998[/TD] [TD]SameBoy[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Sega[/TD] [TD]Dreamcast[/TD] [TD]1999[/TD] [TD]flycast_gles2[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Sony[/TD] [TD]PlayStation 2[/TD] [TD]2000[/TD] [TD]PCSX2[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Nintendo[/TD] [TD]Game Boy Advance[/TD] [TD]2001[/TD] [TD]mGBA[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Nintendo[/TD] [TD]Gamecube[/TD] [TD]2001[/TD] [TD]Dolphin[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Microsoft[/TD] [TD]Xbox[/TD] [TD]2001[/TD] [TD]xemu[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Nintendo[/TD] [TD]Nintendo DS[/TD] [TD]2004[/TD] [TD]DeSmuME[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Sony[/TD] [TD]PlayStation Portable[/TD] [TD]2005[/TD] [TD]PPSSPP[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Microsoft[/TD] [TD]Xbox 360[/TD] [TD]2005[/TD] [TD]Xenia[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Sony[/TD] [TD]PlayStation 3[/TD] [TD]2006[/TD] [TD]RPCS3[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Nintendo[/TD] [TD]Wii[/TD] [TD]2006[/TD] [TD]Dolphin[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Nintendo[/TD] [TD]Nintendo 3DS[/TD] [TD]2011[/TD] [TD]Citra[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Sony[/TD] [TD]PlayStation Vita[/TD] [TD]2012[/TD] [TD](unstable emulation)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Nintendo[/TD] [TD]Wii U[/TD] [TD]2012[/TD] [TD]QEMU[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Sony[/TD] [TD]PlayStation 4[/TD] [TD]2013[/TD] [TD](unstable emulation)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Microsoft[/TD] [TD]Xbox One[/TD] [TD]2013[/TD] [TD](no emulation)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Nintendo[/TD] [TD]Nintendo Switch[/TD] [TD]2017[/TD] [TD]yuzu[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Sony[/TD] [TD]PlayStation 5[/TD] [TD]2020[/TD] [TD](no emulation)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Microsoft[/TD] [TD]Xbox Series X[/TD] [TD]2020[/TD] [TD](no emulation)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Microsoft[/TD] [TD]Windows NT-Windows 11[/TD] [TD]2000-Present[/TD] [TD]WINE/unstable emulation[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/SPOILER] [SPOILER="Grouped by Original Manufacturer"] [B]Atari[/B] [TABLE=collapse] [TR] [TD][B]System Name[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Year Released[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Optimal Emulator[/B][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Atari 2600[/TD] [TD]1977[/TD] [TD]Stella[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Atari 5200[/TD] [TD]1982[/TD] [TD]Atari800[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [B]Microsoft[/B] [TABLE=collapse] [TR] [TD][B]System Name[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Year Released[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Optimal Emulator[/B][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Windows 95/DOS[/TD] [TD]1995[/TD] [TD]DOSBox[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Xbox[/TD] [TD]2001[/TD] [TD]xemu[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Xbox 360[/TD] [TD]2005[/TD] [TD]Xenia[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Xbox One[/TD] [TD]2013[/TD] [TD](no emulation)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Xbox Series X[/TD] [TD]2020[/TD] [TD](no emulation)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Windows NT-Windows 11[/TD] [TD]2000-Present[/TD] [TD]WINE/unstable emulation[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [B]Nintendo[/B] [TABLE=collapse] [TR] [TD][B]System Name[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Year Released[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Optimal Emulator[/B][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]NES[/TD] [TD]1985[/TD] [TD]Mesen[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Game Boy[/TD] [TD]1989[/TD] [TD]SameBoy[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]SNES[/TD] [TD]1991[/TD] [TD]bsnes[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Nintendo 64[/TD] [TD]1996[/TD] [TD]Mupen64Plus-Next[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Game Boy Color[/TD] [TD]1998[/TD] [TD]SameBoy[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Game Boy Advance[/TD] [TD]2001[/TD] [TD]mGBA[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Gamecube[/TD] [TD]2001[/TD] [TD]Dolphin[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Nintendo DS[/TD] [TD]2004[/TD] [TD]DeSmuME[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Wii[/TD] [TD]2006[/TD] [TD]Dolphin[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Nintendo 3DS[/TD] [TD]2011[/TD] [TD]Citra[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Wii U[/TD] [TD]2012[/TD] [TD]QEMU[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Nintendo Switch[/TD] [TD]2017[/TD] [TD]yuzu[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [B]Sega[/B] [TABLE=collapse] [TR] [TD][B]System Name[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Year Released[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Optimal Emulator[/B][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Genesis[/TD] [TD]1989[/TD] [TD]Genesis Plus GX[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Saturn[/TD] [TD]1995[/TD] [TD]Kronos[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Dreamcast[/TD] [TD]1999[/TD] [TD]flycast_gles2[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [B]SNK[/B] [TABLE=collapse] [TR] [TD][B]System Name[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Year Released[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Optimal Emulator[/B][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]Neo Geo/Arcade[/TD] [TD]1991[/TD] [TD]MAME[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [B]Sony[/B] [TABLE=collapse] [TR] [TD][B]System Name[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Year Released[/B][/TD] [TD][B]Optimal Emulator[/B][/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]PlayStation[/TD] [TD]1995[/TD] [TD]Mednafen[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]PlayStation 2[/TD] [TD]2000[/TD] [TD]PCSX2[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]PlayStation Portable[/TD] [TD]2005[/TD] [TD]PPSSPP[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]PlayStation 3[/TD] [TD]2006[/TD] [TD]RPCS3[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]PlayStation Vita[/TD] [TD]2012[/TD] [TD](unstable emulation)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]PlayStation 4[/TD] [TD]2013[/TD] [TD](unstable emulation)[/TD] [/TR] [TR] [TD]PlayStation 5[/TD] [TD]2020[/TD] [TD](no emulation)[/TD] [/TR] [/TABLE] [/SPOILER] - Wasn't sure if I really needed to include the Windows line of "systems", but I decided to anyway for completeness' sake. Also, INB4 "WINE is not an emulator!" [/QUOTE]
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