Emulation News and Articles

Playnite allows you to unify game libraries from multiple platforms and emulators

Playnite is a free, open-source game library manager and launcher for Windows. It consolidates games from various platforms, such as Steam, Epic, GOG, Origin, Battle.net, and emulators into a single, unified interface.

By Ivan Franco, June 12, 2025, 11:50 AM

AI Gaming

ChatGPT gets crushed at chess by a 1 MHz Atari 2600

Editor's take: Despite being hailed as the next step in the evolution of artificial intelligence, large language models are no smarter than a piece of rotten wood. Every now and then, some odd experiment or test reminds everyone that so-called "intelligent" AI doesn't actually exist if you're living outside a tech company's quarterly report.

Full story By Alfonso Maruccia, June 10, 2025, 12:50 PM 25 comments

Gaming Mobile

RedMagic 10S Pro phone includes Windows emulation for Steam and Epic PC gaming

Joining the growing trend of Android devices supporting native PC games

By Daniel Sims, May 28, 2025, 8:16 AM

Gaming Software

Programmer gets a NES to emulate a PC, and it's as ridiculous as it sounds

"We heard you like emulation so we put a PC emulator into your emulator"

By Alfonso Maruccia, February 20, 2025, 1:57 PM 7 comments

Download of the Week Software

Wine 10.0 arrives with a performance and compatibility boost

Wine 10.0, the latest release of the compatibility layer for running Windows applications on Linux, brings improved 64-bit x86 emulation, full ARM64EC support, and revamped high-DPI scaling, as well as an initial revision of a Bluetooth driver.

By Ivan Franco, January 22, 2025, 10:25 AM

Gaming Software

Switch modder arrested in Japan as Nintendo admits emulation is technically legal

This is the first arrest for selling a modded Nintendo Switch, setting a new precedent

By Daniel Sims, January 19, 2025, 8:16 AM 11 comments

Software Apple

Parallels introduces x86 emulation for Apple Silicon Macs

The tool previously only supported Arm-based Windows on M-series Macs

By Zo Ahmed, January 17, 2025, 8:16 AM

Gaming Software

GPU-based shader simulates motion clarity of classic CRT monitors, courtesy of Blur Busters

Emulators could enjoy a new renaissance in pixel-perfect, blur-free gaming

By Alfonso Maruccia, December 27, 2024, 1:27 PM 10 comments

Gaming Software

An unofficial PC port of Star Fox 64 has arrived just in time for Christmas

One of the greatest games of all time is now playable in high definition

By Alfonso Maruccia, December 23, 2024, 6:38 PM 11 comments

Gaming Hardware

The 3dfx VoodooX project gets dressed in white for Christmas

A new PCB and minor bugfixes for a slowly progressing custom 3D accelerator

By Alfonso Maruccia, December 17, 2024, 2:09 PM 11 comments

Software Gaming

BlueStacks Air is a new Android emulator that natively runs mobile games on Mac

Running Arm code on Arm processors should significantly improve the emulation experience

By Alfonso Maruccia, December 16, 2024, 9:13 AM

Software Gaming

PlayStation 3 emulator now supports Arm devices, including the Raspberry Pi 5

Windows on Arm gets it, too

By Zo Ahmed, December 12, 2024, 12:05 PM

Software Microsoft

Latest Windows 11 preview build features improved x86-64 emulation for games and apps

Prism layer technology for emulating the x86 ISA on Arm systems is getting better

By Alfonso Maruccia, November 7, 2024, 2:09 PM

Mobile Hardware

Snapdragon 8 Elite arrives with Linux support, potentially unlocking PC gaming on phones and tablets

Running full-fledged PC apps on phones and tablets could become a lot easier

By Daniel Sims, October 30, 2024, 6:59 AM

Gaming

Nintendo, famed for hating emulation, likely using Windows PCs to emulate SNES games at its museum

Nintendo only hates third-party emulators, it seems

By Rob Thubron, October 15, 2024, 5:18 AM

Software Gaming

Asahi Linux distro can now run AAA games like Cyberpunk 2077 or The Witcher 3 on Apple Silicon chips

Highly anticipated: A few years after introducing Linux support for Apple's custom-designed Arm chips, Asahi developers are now shifting their focus to gaming. Getting modern Windows games to run on Apple Silicon isn't exactly a straightforward task, but the devs are clearly enjoying the challenge.

Full story By Alfonso Maruccia, October 14, 2024, 12:13 PM 10 comments

Download of the Week Gaming

Multi-platform Atari 2600 emulator Stella hits version 7.0

Stella lets you relive the Atari 2600 days by playing your favorite classic games on Windows, macOS, and Linux – for free.

By Ivan Franco, October 7, 2024, 1:08 PM

Gaming Software

Retro revival: Atari Jaguar console reborn as an iPhone emulation app

A developer has shared progress on an emulator app for iOS

By Zo Ahmed, September 29, 2024, 8:50 AM

Gaming Software

Emulation of PS4 and Xbox One games on PC is showing promising results

Bloodborne with ray tracing?

By Daniel Sims, September 11, 2024, 6:56 AM

Gaming Software

A RISC-V "PC" can now run a choppy rendition of The Witcher 3

In context: The RISC-V chip architecture is just ten years old, while the x86 standard was first introduced in 1978. Yet, someone is trying to bring a somewhat working emulation of Intel's CPU technology to the newer, open-standard instruction set with moderately successful results.

Full story By Alfonso Maruccia, August 29, 2024, 11:55 AM

Apple Software

The iPhone 15 Pro can run Windows 11 – if you can tolerate the 20-minute boot time

Emulation lets Windows break into Apple's walled garden

By Zo Ahmed, July 23, 2024, 9:04 AM

Apple Software

Apple approves first mobile PC emulator, but restrictions severely hinder performance

Available for free in the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and Vision Pro

By Shawn Knight, July 15, 2024, 3:03 PM 8 comments

Download of the Week Gaming

PCSX2, the PlayStation 2 emulator, hits 2.0 release offering better performance and wider compatibility

PCSX2 2.0 brings big picture mode, enhanced performance, and broader compatibility. It now supports over 99% of the PS2 library with an updated UI, automatic game fixes, and better visual and audio support.

By Ivan Franco, July 15, 2024, 12:48 PM

Download of the Week Gaming

Dolphin Emulator gets a major new release after 8 years

Dolphin is an emulator for the Nintendo GameCube and Wii. This new version features a new logo and versioning scheme, with new releases expected on a monthly cadence. It's available for Windows, macOS and Android.

By Ivan Franco, July 2, 2024, 2:40 PM

Software Apple

Apple rejects a couple of PC emulator apps for iOS, confusing developers

iOS emulation policies remain unclear despite App Store changes

By Zo Ahmed, June 25, 2024, 9:12 AM