The best game console emulators for Linux

I represent the third part of a selection of game console emulators. The first part contains the most popular emulators for Android. In the second part - emulators for Windows. And now - Linux console emulators. As in the previous two parts, the programs tested by time and users are collected here.

If something didn’t get into the collection by chance, write about it in the comments. A skipped emulator will be added to the main material.

The principle of work with the console emulator

The game console emulator is a software shell that emulates the operation of the hardware of the device itself. Developing an emulator is not so easy - it requires both programming experience and knowledge of accurate information about the operating principles of the original device. Most emulators can be divided into two groups, including “simple” and “compound” programs. Many emulators provide even more functionality than older consoles (for example, saving in games for Dendy and Sega).

There are no simple problems - you need to install the program, download the image of the game, and that's it - you can enjoy the process of passing. There is a minimum of settings in such programs. "Compound" require additional components - this is the BIOS of the console (usually a .bin file) and various dll plugins. BIOS files are protected by the manufacturer’s rights, so emulator developers cannot embed them - otherwise, such an emulator will not get into the Google program directory. The BIOS needs to be searched on the network - there are many sites where these files are shared.

We need images of games. Their emulator developers also do not have the right to embed in their software. Images, or ROMs, are available on the Internet. For Sega or PlayStation, the number of ROMs reaches many hundreds. Now on the Internet you can find images of even very rare games that were previously difficult to get in the store.

Emulators of the oldest systems

Fuse emulator

Cross-platform emulator ZX Spectrum and some other personal computers of the 80s. The emulator offers a lot of features. It can be found in the repositories of most distributions. There are also system ROMs and specialized utilities.

FS-UAE

And this is an emulator of the well-known Amiga platform for Linux and FreeBSD. The basis here is WinUAE / E-UAE / PUAE with an emphasis on working with floppy and CD games. There is support for gamepads. In order for this emulator to work, you need Kickstart files, you can find them here .

MAME

This emulator is a successful attempt by developers to recreate the gameplay and atmosphere of slot machines. The stated goal is to preserve the history of games and the games themselves. MAME is an abbreviation for Multiple Arcade Machine Emulator. Most repositories have a number of distributions.

Dosbox

An interesting program for running DOS applications. It allows you to play classic games such as Carmageddon, DOOM, Quake, Need for Speed. Management is performed in the same way as in the environment of the original DOS.

Stella

Emulator for Atari 2600. There is everything you need for gamers who would like to remember their past with Atari. To play, you need ROM files. Downloading them, we get any of the available games. And almost all the toys that have ever existed are available.

Installation: sudo apt-get install stella

Atari800

This emulator supports systems such as Atari 800, 800XL, 130XE and 5200. The principle of operation is approximately the same as that of the previous emulator.

Nintendo

Fceux

One of the best NES emulators. It has everything that provides a comfortable game for both a beginner gamer and a professional. In addition to standard game functions, the emulator has debugging, you can record gameplay. Also, if you wish, you can use the tool to record the process of speed passage of the game - speedran.

NESTOPIA

This is a classic NES / Famicom console emulator. The system works almost perfectly - compatibility with a huge number of games, a simple interface, a minimum number of settings. You can save the process, change a number of settings, restore the save at any time.

Zsnes

One of the oldest SNES console emulators. It began to be developed back in 1997, under MS-DOS. Over time, versions for Linux and Windows also appeared. Now the emulator is distributed under the GPL license. He knows almost everything that other emulators, including emulation of a large number of expansion chips, gameplay recording, support for cheat codes.



There is also the possibility of saving anywhere with the subsequent restoration of conservation. SNES games are launched without any problems, graphics, sound and game speed are fully consistent with the original. You can play on the network, there is support for multiplayer.

Installation:
sudo apt-get install zsnes

SNES9X

Great SNES emulator. This is probably one of the most versatile emulators of this system. It works with almost all platform games, including Super Famicom. Despite the relatively simple interface, the developers have provided the ability to customize sound, video, support for cheats and multiplayer. Yes, you can play on the network, which is successfully done by tens of thousands of users of the emulator.

Installation:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa: bearoso / ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install snes9x-gtk

Mupen64plus

This emulator offers the user a large number of supported games and a huge number of settings. To run on Linux, you can put the N64Py graphical frontend written in PyQt. You can work without a graphical interface, why not?

KiGB

This is an accurate and free emulator of three portable consoles at once - Gameboy, Gameboy Color and Super Gameboy. The emulator is compatible with all games. The user gets the opportunity to fine-tune any game - the functionality of the emulator is very good. By the way, this is the only emulator that supports
Game Link Cable mode . That is, you can play most games for 2 players on the network.

Exact reproduction of graphics and sound, there is a saving of passage, video recording and even support for Gameboy Printer. If you wish, you can speed up the game or slow down.

Mednafen

It is a great emulator for a number of older systems, including Atari Lynx, GameBoy (Color), GameBoy Advance, Neo Geo Pocket (Color), NES, PC Engine (TurboGrafx 16), PC-FX, SuperGrafx, and WonderSwan (Color). There is support for saving the passage, recovery of saves. If desired, you can take screenshots - for this you need to click only one point. For convenience, it is better to purchase a game controller, but with a keyboard it is not so convenient.

If you died during the passage, you can return to the “time machine” up to 10 seconds ago to avoid a dangerous moment and pass it unscathed.

Dolphin emu

A great emulator for famous game consoles like Nintendo GameCube and Nintendo Wii. Very convenient interface, game manager. There is support for controllers, including Wii Mote, GameCube gamepad, drums, guitars, and more. The games support high resolution plus surround sound. The emulator is still developing, and will continue to develop. It is best to use test versions of the package, because there are most of the possibilities.

Installation:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa: glennric / dolphin-emu
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install dolphin-emu-master

Package itself: Dolphin-Emu-Master .

Sega

Gens

It is an emulator of a number of platforms from Sega, including Sega Megadrive, MegaCD and 32X. Works perfectly with approximately 90% of all currently existing Sega games. There is support for cheats and codes, the user can save during the passage. Support for OpenGL, it is possible to customize the image. It's about supporting the 2xSaI filter (Kreed).

Dgen

This is an emulator for Unix-like operating systems with support for the Simple DirectMedia Layer (SDL) library. The emulator is quite accurate, it works with a huge number of games for MegaDrive / Genesis. Support for gamepads and joysticks, OpenGL, saving and restoring during the game. Ability to customize video and sound. You can download ROM archives without unpacking - this functionality is in most emulators, with rare exceptions.

Installation: sudo apt-get install dgen

lxdream

This is a Dreamcast emulator, and quite good. It works with most demos and a number of Dreamcast games. Now software continues to evolve, so keep in mind that there may be problems when starting this emulator. The program features are very extensive, there are a large number of audio and video settings, there is support for a laser gun and other original consoles controllers. Plus, you can work with the mouse and keyboard Dreamcast. And of course, there are saves and everything else that should be in a decent emulator.

MEKA

This is a multi-platform emulator, which started with support only Sega Master System. After some time, the developers added support for other platforms, as well as a huge number of features. There is controller support here. The user can select the desired graphics and sound mode.

Now the list of supported platforms is as follows:

• Sega Game 1000 (SG-1000)
• Sega Computer 3000 (SC-3000)
• Sega Super Control Station (SF-7000)
• Sega Mark III (+ FM Unit Extension)
• Sega Master System (SMS)
• Sega Game Gear (GG)
• ColecoVision (COLECO)
• Othello Multivision (OMV)

Controllers supported are:

• Normal two-button
• Light phaser
• Paddle Control (ala Steering Wheel)
• Sports pad
• SK-1100 keyboard
• 3-D glasses
• Terebi Oekaki (TV Draw) graphics tablet

Yabause

Yabause (Yet Another Buggy And Uncomplete Saturn Emulator) is a Sega Saturn emulator. To work, you need to load the console BIOS and ROM of the desired game. Many (but not all) games are supported. The software is written in C using the gtk +, gtkglext and OpenGL libraries.

It is possible to load games from original Saturn discs by inserting a CD into a laptop or PC drive. Emulation of several regions. Support for cheat codes. Support for mouse and 3D gamepad of the original console.

Sony

ePSXe

ePSXe - PlayStation game console emulator. The program was released on October 14, 2000. ePSXe is licensed under freeware.

Like most modern emulators, ePSXe uses plug-ins to emulate the graphic and sound processors, as well as the optical drive of the console. In addition, to run ePSXe, you need a BIOS file obtained as a result of a PlayStation dump, for this reason the emulator developers cannot be accused of violating Sony copyright, and using the emulator is considered absolutely legal if the user independently removed the BIOS from his personal PlayStation or if he had This prefix downloaded it from the Internet.

ePSXe can run games from a CD or from various images on the hard drive. With some exceptions, the program can flawlessly run many games for the PlayStation; plugins and their settings play a role. Supports almost all existing games for this console. Supported images are BIN / CUE, BIN / CCD and MDS / MDF. Here is the latest version for Linux.

pSX

A good emulator of the first PlayStation, supporting most games. There is no plug-in system here, everything is packed into one file, which may appeal to users who just want to install the emulator and play without any special settings.

PCSX

This is an advanced PlayStation emulator that uses plugins to fully support all components of the original game console. Full support for gamepads, graphics, sound, memory cards and other important elements of the console. Almost all games are supported, including hits such as Crash Bandicoot 1, Time Crisis, Mickey Wild adventure, Coolboarders 3, Street fighter EX + a, Street fighter EX2 plus, Breath of fire 3, Breath of fire 4, Quake II, Alone in the Dark 4, Tekken 3.

PCSX2

PS2 emulator. The program is still supported by its developers who are actively developing the project. PCSX2 is compatible with most games for the original console. As in the previous case, it requires a BIOS, plug-ins for video and audio, a drive, as well as images of games (ROM / ISO). The characteristics of the laptop should be on top, otherwise it won’t work out - the emulator and games require a lot of resources.

If the PC configuration meets the requirements of the emulator, then all games run smoothly, the emulation speed is excellent. The color scheme and sound are almost perfect. There is support for memory cards.

Installation:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa: gregory-hainaut / pcsx2.official.ppa
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install pcsx2-unstable

PPSSPP

A great PSP console emulator that supports most games for this device. If the PC specifications are high, then the game will look even better than on the console. The emulator allows you to double the resolution, which removes part of the artifacts on polygonal models. In addition, the emulator corrects and supplements some textures, smoothing them. BIOS is not required here, there are settings, there are a lot of them, but everything works fine by default. PPSSPP is released under Windows, Max, Linux.

Installation:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa: ppsspp / stable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install ppsspp-qt or ppsspp-sdl

Panasonic

Phoenix

Pansonic 3DO console emulator. Perfect compatibility and good quality emulation. Interface - Qt5. The emulator needs an original BIOS console.

Opportunities:

• Hardware rendering
• Built-in annotation editor
• Compressed Image Support
• Working with the image file system
• Built-in debugger (debug version only)
• External graphics filters
• Emulation of non-standard input devices of the console (coin acceptors, guns, Flightstick Pro)
• Walkthrough Recording