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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 this amazing list. 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.
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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!"
Original Manufacturer | System Name | Year Released | Optimal Emulator |
Atari | Atari 2600 | 1977 | Stella |
Atari | Atari 5200 | 1982 | Atari800 |
Nintendo | NES | 1985 | Mesen |
Sega | Genesis | 1989 | Genesis Plus GX |
Nintendo | Game Boy | 1989 | SameBoy |
Nintendo | SNES | 1991 | bsnes |
SNK | Neo Geo/Arcade | 1991 | MAME |
Microsoft | Windows 95/DOS | 1995 | DOSBox |
Sega | Saturn | 1995 | Kronos |
Sony | PlayStation | 1995 | Mednafen |
Nintendo | Nintendo 64 | 1996 | Mupen64Plus-Next |
Nintendo | Game Boy Color | 1998 | SameBoy |
Sega | Dreamcast | 1999 | flycast_gles2 |
Sony | PlayStation 2 | 2000 | PCSX2 |
Nintendo | Game Boy Advance | 2001 | mGBA |
Nintendo | Gamecube | 2001 | Dolphin |
Microsoft | Xbox | 2001 | xemu |
Nintendo | Nintendo DS | 2004 | DeSmuME |
Sony | PlayStation Portable | 2005 | PPSSPP |
Microsoft | Xbox 360 | 2005 | Xenia |
Sony | PlayStation 3 | 2006 | RPCS3 |
Nintendo | Wii | 2006 | Dolphin |
Nintendo | Nintendo 3DS | 2011 | Citra |
Sony | PlayStation Vita | 2012 | (unstable emulation) |
Nintendo | Wii U | 2012 | QEMU |
Sony | PlayStation 4 | 2013 | (unstable emulation) |
Microsoft | Xbox One | 2013 | (no emulation) |
Nintendo | Nintendo Switch | 2017 | yuzu |
Sony | PlayStation 5 | 2020 | (no emulation) |
Microsoft | Xbox Series X | 2020 | (no emulation) |
Microsoft | Windows NT-Windows 11 | 2000-Present | WINE/unstable emulation |
Atari
Microsoft
Nintendo
Sega
SNK
Sony
System Name | Year Released | Optimal Emulator |
Atari 2600 | 1977 | Stella |
Atari 5200 | 1982 | Atari800 |
Microsoft
System Name | Year Released | Optimal Emulator |
Windows 95/DOS | 1995 | DOSBox |
Xbox | 2001 | xemu |
Xbox 360 | 2005 | Xenia |
Xbox One | 2013 | (no emulation) |
Xbox Series X | 2020 | (no emulation) |
Windows NT-Windows 11 | 2000-Present | WINE/unstable emulation |
Nintendo
System Name | Year Released | Optimal Emulator |
NES | 1985 | Mesen |
Game Boy | 1989 | SameBoy |
SNES | 1991 | bsnes |
Nintendo 64 | 1996 | Mupen64Plus-Next |
Game Boy Color | 1998 | SameBoy |
Game Boy Advance | 2001 | mGBA |
Gamecube | 2001 | Dolphin |
Nintendo DS | 2004 | DeSmuME |
Wii | 2006 | Dolphin |
Nintendo 3DS | 2011 | Citra |
Wii U | 2012 | QEMU |
Nintendo Switch | 2017 | yuzu |
Sega
System Name | Year Released | Optimal Emulator |
Genesis | 1989 | Genesis Plus GX |
Saturn | 1995 | Kronos |
Dreamcast | 1999 | flycast_gles2 |
SNK
System Name | Year Released | Optimal Emulator |
Neo Geo/Arcade | 1991 | MAME |
Sony
System Name | Year Released | Optimal Emulator |
PlayStation | 1995 | Mednafen |
PlayStation 2 | 2000 | PCSX2 |
PlayStation Portable | 2005 | PPSSPP |
PlayStation 3 | 2006 | RPCS3 |
PlayStation Vita | 2012 | (unstable emulation) |
PlayStation 4 | 2013 | (unstable emulation) |
PlayStation 5 | 2020 | (no emulation) |
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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!"
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