OpenEmu

{{Infobox software

| name = OpenEmu

| title =

| logo = frameless

| logo caption =

| screenshot =

| caption = OpenEmu emulating Super Mario Bros. 2 for the NES

| collapsible =

| author = Josh Weinberg

| developer = OpenEmu Team

| released =

| discontinued =

| latest release version = 2.4.1

| latest release date = {{Start date and age|2023|12|30|df=no}}

| latest preview version =

| latest preview date =

| programming language = Objective-C, Swift

| operating system = macOS

| size = 74.0 MB

| language = English

| language footnote =

| genre = Video Game Emulator

| license = BSD

| website = {{URL|openemu.org}}

}}

OpenEmu is an open-source multi-system video game emulator designed for macOS. It provides a plugin interface to emulate numerous consoles' hardware, such as the Nintendo Entertainment System, Genesis, Game Boy, and many more. The architecture allows for other developers to add new cores to the base system without the need to account for specific macOS APIs.

Version 1.0 was released on December 23, 2013, after a lengthy beta testing period.{{Cite web|url=https://github.com/OpenEmu/OpenEmu/releases|title = Releases · OpenEmu/OpenEmu|website = GitHub}} Numerous incremental updates have been released since then, with plans to incorporate support for more consoles in future releases. Some of these in-development cores are available to download in an optional "experimental" cores build (released alongside the regular, "standard" version), containing support for arcade systems using MAME.

History

= Beginnings =

OpenEmu was first released on Wednesday, July 4th, 2007 as OpenNestopia, a Cocoa-port written by Josh Weinberg for then Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger of the NES/Famicom emulator Nestopia (written by Martin Freij).{{cite web|url=http://opennestopia.staulkor.com/|title=OpenNestopia|access-date=2012-10-27|archive-date=2014-10-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021015908/http://opennestopia.staulkor.com/|url-status=dead}} Weinberg and his friend, Ben Devacel, began searching for more developers to port other emulators to macOS, which led to the name change to OpenEmu in 2009, to better describe the multi-system emulator.{{cite web|url=https://archive.vg/blog/openemu-feature|title=The Archive - An Emulator for the Rest of Us—How OpenEmu Changes Everything|access-date=2018-08-17|archive-date=2022-07-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220708190217/https://archive.vg/blog/openemu-feature|url-status=dead}}

= 1.0 =

OpenEmu 1.0 released on Monday, December 23, 2013 with 12 "cores" emulating Nintendo, Sega, NEC, and SNK's home, tabletop, and handheld consoles from the 3rd through 7th video game console generations. OpenEmu 1.0 needed Mac OS X Lion (10.7.x) to run. A Wednesday, October 15, 2014 (296 days later) midstream update to the OpenEmu library (1.0.4) would introduce Stella, a core emulating the 2600, a 2nd generation console from Atari.

= 2.0 =

Introduced on Wednesday, Dec 23, 2015, (exactly two years after 1.0) OpenEmu 2.0 was released. OpenEmu 2.0 began requiring a minimum of OS X El Capitan 10.11, dropping support for Mac OS X Lion (10.7.x) through OS X Yosemite (10.10.x). OpenEmu 2.0 introduced 16 new cores along with hundreds of bug fixes and lesser features. The new cores added several 2nd generation cores, support for optical media-based-image games, additionally emulating systems from Sony, Mattel, Bandai, Magnavox, Milton-Bradley, and Coleco. Another midstream update, 2.0.6.1, released Tuesday, Dec 19, 2017 (727 days after 2.0) added support for Mednafen's Sega Saturn branch, with a suggested quad-core i7 CPU to emulate.

= 2.1 and 2.2 =

OpenEmu 2.1 (Friday, October 15, 2019, 675 days after version 2.0.6.1; "coincidentally," exactly 5 years after the 1.0.4 Stella update) was significant, not for any new cores, but for supporting Metal, Apple's visual API successor to OpenGL and OpenCl, giving OpenEmu significant gains in both performance and battery life.

OpenEmu 2.2 (Friday December 27, 2019, 63 days later) added support for a downstream, Metal-forked version of Dolphin's GameCube branch, building on 2.1's foundation. This brings OpenEmu's number of supported cores to 31.

Limitations

= 32X Hybrid Games =

As confirmed by the OpenEmu developers on their official subreddit, Sega 32X-CD hybrid games (versions of games that could use a 32X cartridge and Sega CD at once, such as Night Trap, Corpse Killer, and Fahrenheit) are not supported. Users are prompted with a "This game requires the Sega 32X attachment" error if attempted.{{Cite web|url=https://www.reddit.com/r/OpenEmu/comments/3zwu0t/32x_cd_support/|title = 32X CD support?|date = 7 January 2016}}

= GameCube Limitations =

At present, GameCube emulation doesn't support Save States (due to continual updates breaking compatibility with saved states); users are encouraged to use in-game saves.

OpenEmu GameCube emulation also does not support the [https://gamicus.gamepedia.com/List_of_GameCube_video_games_with_multiple_discs 22 multi-disc GameCube titles] at present (despite the main Dolphin branch doing so).

Features

OpenEmu features a backend that uses multiple game engines while maintaining the familiar, native macOS frontend UI. It also uses modern macOS technologies such as Cocoa and Quartz.{{cite web|url=http://macscene.net/emulators/item/open-emu|title=MacScene Listing}} A unique feature of OpenEmu is its ROM library, which allows one to import ROM files and view them in a gallery type setting, similar to iTunes. Game info and cover art can be automatically added from OpenEmu's databases.

OpenEmu includes the following features:

High-quality Metal (formerly OpenGL) scaling, multithreaded playback, and other optimizations{{cite web|url=http://createdigitalmotion.com/2009/06/open-emu-free-game-emulation-on-mac-quartz-composer-even-vj-with-games/|title=Create Digital Motion|date=22 June 2009}}
Real-time 3D effects and image processing
Graphic filters to enhance display
Full-screen support
Ability to play multiple ROMs at once
Ability to scan attached disks for ROMs
Automatic downloading of game info and cover art
Ability to use custom cover art
Can play ROM hacks for multiple systems.
A fully featured library, supporting multiple views, collections (categories), and game ratings
Optional automatic organization of ROM files within the library folder
Full save state support, including automatic save states
Enhanced gamepad support for USB controllers and accessibility to Bluetooth (including DualShock 3 controllers, DualShock 4 controllers, Xbox 360 controllers and Xbox One controllers)
Custom cores for custom systems (For systems like Wii)

Compatibility

rowspan="2" \| Video game console \|\| rowspan="2" \| Core \|\| rowspan="2" \| OE Version \|\| colspan="2" \| macOS compatibility
class="wikitable collapsible"
10.7–10.10 \|\| 10.11–10.14
Arcade (experimental version)	M.A.M.E	2.0.8	{{ya}}	{{ya}}
Atari 2600	Stella	1.0.4	{{ya}}	{{ya}}
Atari 5200	Atari800	2.0	{{CNone}}	{{ya}}
Atari 7800	ProSystem	2.0	{{CNone}}	{{ya}}
Atari Lynx	Mednafen	2.0	{{CNone}}	{{ya}}
\|ColecoVision	CrabEmu	2.0	{{CNone}}	{{ya}}
Famicom Disk System	Nestopia	2.0	{{CNone}}	{{ya}}
Game Boy / Color	Gambatte	1.0	{{ya}}	{{ya}}
Game Boy Advance	mGBA	1.0	{{ya}}	{{ya}}
GameCube** \|Dolphin \|2.2 \|{{CNone}} \|{{Ya}}
Game Gear	Genesis Plus GX	1.0	{{ya}}	{{ya}}
Intellivision	Bliss	2.0	{{CNone}}	{{ya}}
Neo Geo Pocket / Color	Mednafen	1.0	{{ya}}	{{ya}}
Nintendo 64	Mupen64Plus	2.0	{{CNone}}	{{ya}}
Nintendo Entertainment System	FCEUX or Nestopia*	1.0	{{ya}}	{{ya}}
Nintendo DS	DeSmuME	1.0	{{ya}}	{{ya}}
Odyssey² / Videopac+	O2EM	2.0	{{CNone}}	{{ya}}
PC-FX	Mednafen	2.0	{{CNone}}	{{ya}}
Sega 32X***	PicoDrive	1.0	{{ya}}	{{ya}}
Sega CD / Mega-CD***	Genesis Plus GX	2.0	{{CNone}}	{{ya}}
Sega Genesis / Mega Drive	Genesis Plus GX	1.0	{{ya}}	{{ya}}
Sega Master System / Mark III	Genesis Plus GX	1.0	{{ya}}	{{ya}}
Sega Saturn	Mednafen	2.0.6/2.0.6.1	{{CNone}}	{{ya}}
Sega SG-1000	Genesis Plus GX	2.0	{{CNone}}	{{ya}}
Sony PlayStation	Mednafen	2.0	{{CNone}}	{{ya}}
Sony PlayStation Portable	PPSSPP	2.0	{{CNone}}	{{ya}}
Super Nintendo Entertainment System	higan or Snes9x*	1.0	{{ya}}	{{ya}}
TurboGrafx-16 / PC Engine / SuperGrafx	Mednafen	1.0	{{ya}}	{{ya}}
TurboGrafx-CD / PC Engine CD	Mednafen	2.0	{{CNone}}	{{ya}}
Vectrex	VecXGL	2.0	{{CNone}}	{{ya}}
Virtual Boy	Mednafen	1.0	{{ya}}	{{ya}}
WonderSwan / Color	Mednafen	2.0	{{CNone}}	{{ya}}

* Default core plugin.{{cite web |title=OpenEmu Wiki - Home |url=https://github.com/OpenEmu/OpenEmu/wiki |website=GitHub |accessdate=16 August 2018}}

** Version 2.1 and lower must have custom system core.

*** Unable to play the six (6) known Sega 32X CD Titles.

Reception

Upon its 1.0 release, OpenEmu was positively received, and subject to much online press coverage, praising the software's UI, features, and ease of use.{{cite web|url=http://lifehacker.com/openemu-emulates-nearly-every-classic-console-on-mac-1489122040 |title=OpenEmu Emulates Nearly Every Classic Console on Mac |publisher=Life Hacker |author=Thorin Klosowski |date=2013-12-24 |accessdate=2014-04-10}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cultofmac.com/259844/openemu-ultimate-old-school-game-emulator-os-x/ |title=OpenEmu Is The Ultimate Old School Game Emulator For OS X |publisher=Cult of Mac |author=Alex Heath |date=2013-12-26 |accessdate=2014-04-10}}{{cite web|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/12/hands-on-with-openemu-1-0-a-gorgeous-classic-console-emulator-for-os-x/|title=ArsTechnica OpenEmu Hands On|publisher=Ars Technica|author=Andrew Cunningham|date=2013-12-28}}{{cite web|title=Play classic video games in style with OpenEmu for Mac|url=https://www.theverge.com/2013/12/26/5245864/openemu-mac-elegant-open-source-video-game-emulator|publisher=The Verge|author=Sean Hollister|date=2013-12-28}} In particular, it was praised by the gaming community for "[bringing] the idea of an emulator for a mainstream, general audience to reality".{{cite web|url=http://archive.vg/blog/12-feature/33-openemu-feature|title=OpenEmu feature on The Archive|access-date=2012-10-27|archive-date=2012-08-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821053324/http://archive.vg/blog/12-feature/33-openemu-feature|url-status=dead}}

As of August 16, 2018, OpenEmu has been downloaded over 10,000,000 times since its version 1.0 release, making it one of the most popular multi-system emulators on macOS.{{cite web|url=https://api.github.com/repos/OpenEmu/OpenEmu/releases|title=Github OpenEmu Release Download Stats}}