Useful Links#
Emulator Wiki: https://emulation.gametechwiki.com/index.php/Main_Page
What is Emulation?#
Before I start talking about individual emulators, I would like to explain what emulation actually is.
Emulation in relation to console hardware is the imitation of hardware with software. This means that we imitate the individual components of a console using computer software. Hence the name Emulator.
Questions that many ask themselves#
Is Emulation legal?#
Yes emulation is 100% legal. Whatever many people want to tell you, it is completely legal to develop software that imitates the hardware of consoles.
There have been legal disputes in the past. Especially when it comes to Switch emulation. But even Nintendo admits that they are legal, which you can easily find out with a search engine. Here is an example from Duckduckgo:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=nintendo+admits+emulation+is+technically+legal&t=ffab&ia=web
Is it legal to download the games?#
Absolutely not. Some claim that it is legal, but no, it is completely illegal.
What you are allowed to do, depending on the country, is to make a copy of your own games and then use it. You should check your legal system to know exactly what you are allowed to do.
Another thing is also firmware or the BIOS of a console, these are of course also not legal to download. But sometimes necessary, e.g. for PS1 or PS2 emulation.
Do all games work without problems?#
It would be nice if that were the case, but no. Nintendo 64 games in particular are known to have problems to this day.
This has to do with the fact that the Nintendo 64 supported custom microcode for games, which means that the hardware could be completely customized for a game.
More details can be found in this Youtube video from Modern Vintage Gamer. https://youtu.be/OmKjVpVdHDQ
But Emulation has gotten much better over the years. But you should check the compatibility pages of the respective emulators to see how well a game runs.
Which OS is the best for emulation?#
Don’t get me wrong I love Linux but I also know that it’s not for everyone.
Linux is the best OS when it comes to emulation. All emulators are available as a flatpak version which installs the necessary data for the emulator in a container which does not require any system files.
This means that it can update itself independently of the OS. So you always have the latest version no matter which Linux you use. Windows often has an older Version.
In addition, because Linux uses package managers, it is easier to keep all emulators up to date. With Windows you would always have to download and run the new EXE file.
But they don’t run badly on Windows either, it just has small disadvantages which you should be aware of.
Which emulators should you use, with their problems and resources.#
It really depends on what your exact requirements are. I recommend everyone to use the emulation wiki and then read up on it.
There are general emulators but also customized ones. The best example is for the Metroid Prime series. You can use the Dolphine emulator or his Fork Prime hack which is tailored to the Metroid Prime series. It allows out of the box to play the games with mouse and keyboard.
But I can give a few recommendations on what I have used so far.
Nintendo#
Super Nintendo | SNES#
For SNES emulation I recommend Snes9x
I like it a lot because it supports Netplay, so you can play online with your friends
Nintendo 64 | N64#
For Nintendo 64 emulation I recommend Mupen64 or Simple64.
Mupen64 is an emulator that also supports Rom Hacks.
Simple 64 is a fork of Mupen64 which supports Netplay. So you can play online with your friends.
I know that Project 64 is popular and windows users are welcome to download it. But I use Linux and would like to recommend some that run on Windows and Linux.
Gamecube and Wii#
For Gamecube and Wii emulation I recommend Dolphin.
Yes Two consoles in one. The Wii was backwards compatible with the Gamecube.
Absolutely nothing is necessary, no BIOS or anything else, the emulator also allows you to use Netplay.
Gameboy and Gameboy Advance#
For Gameboy and Gameboy Advance emulation I recommend mGBA
Is a great emulator which has no extra requirements.
Nindendo DS | NDS#
For Nintendo DS emulation I recommend DeSmuME
Runs without problems and needs nothing.
Nintendo 3DS | N3DS#
For Nintendo 3DS emulation I recommend Lime3DS
This is a fork of the then popular Citra emulator. But this has been taken down by nintendo together with Yuzu
Wii U#
For Wii U emulation I recommend Cemu
Was proprietary for a while and only for Windows. But that has changed in the last few years. Now it is open source and is also available for Linux.
Switch#
For switch emulation, there is the fork of Ryujinx from Ryubing. This is not an official version it only fixes a few bugs.
Nintendo has successfully removed all good emulators. Ryujinx was one of them. Since not a single Switch emulator is currently in development, I do not recommend any at the moment.
Also a switch emulator needs the decryption keys and the switch firmware in order to run. You can get these from your Switch or download them. As always, the download is illegal.
Playstation#
Playstation 1 | PS1#
For Playstation 1 emulation I recommend Duckstation.
But here comes a problem I mentioned earlier. PS1 needs a BIOS file. You could get this from your original console or download it, but don’t forget that downloading the BIOS is illegal.
Playstation 2 | PS2#
For Playstation 2 emulation I recommend PCSX2.
Terrible name, but a very good emulator. But here comes the same problem as with PS1 you need a BIOS file.
Playstation 3 | PS3#
For Playstation 3 emulation I recommend RPCS3.
The same team that made the PS2 emulator. That’s why the name is terrible again. But therefore again one of the best.
You don’t need a BIOS here either, but this emulator needs a lot of CPU power. The most important thing is that your processor supports AVX512, as it can give you 40% more performance.
In case you’re wondering which ones do. All AMD 7000, 8000, and 9000 CPUs support AVX512. Intel does not.
Support me#
I hope this guide has helped you a lot. I would be very happy if you would join my Patreon or donate with Paypal. I am grateful for any support.
Thank you very much for reading and for your time.
If you like to share this artikel click the icons below.