Emulators

Emulation

Preserving the past

Emulators recreate vintage hardware in software, preserving games and enabling development when original machines become scarce—raising complex questions about preservation and legality.

C64zx-spectrumAmigaNES preservationtoolstechnology

Overview

Emulation recreates the behaviour of one computer system on another. What began as technical curiosity became essential for game preservation, homebrew development, and historical research. Modern emulators achieve cycle-accurate recreation of vintage hardware, running original software exactly as it would on real machines.

How emulation works

ApproachMethodAccuracy
InterpretationExecute each instructionModerate
Dynamic recompilationTranslate to native codeHigh
Cycle-accurateEmulate every clock cyclePerfect

Key emulators by platform

Commodore 64

EmulatorFeatures
VICEMulti-system, accurate, active
CCS64Excellent compatibility
Hoxs64Cycle-accurate

ZX Spectrum

EmulatorFeatures
FuseCross-platform, accurate
SpectaculatorWindows, user-friendly
ZXSpinGood debug features

Amiga

EmulatorFeatures
WinUAEGold standard accuracy
FS-UAECross-platform, modern
AmiberryRaspberry Pi optimised

NES

EmulatorFeatures
MesenHighly accurate
NestopiaExcellent compatibility
FCEUXDevelopment features

Accuracy levels

LevelDescriptionUse case
PlayableGames runCasual gaming
CompatibleMost software worksGeneral use
AccurateTiming-correctDevelopment
Cycle-accuratePerfect reproductionPreservation

Preservation role

Emulation enables:

  • Running software on modern hardware
  • Preserving knowledge when hardware fails
  • Studying historical software
  • Educational access to computing history

Development use

Emulators support homebrew:

  • Faster testing cycles
  • Debug features (breakpoints, memory view)
  • State save/load for testing
  • No hardware wear

Complex and jurisdiction-dependent:

ElementStatus
Emulator softwareGenerally legal
Console BIOS/ROMsCopyrighted, distribution illegal
Dumping owned gamesGrey area
HomebrewClearly legal

BIOS requirements

Some systems need original firmware:

  • Amiga (Kickstart ROMs)
  • PlayStation (BIOS)
  • Various arcade boards

Others work without:

  • NES (no BIOS needed)
  • Many 8-bit computers

Accuracy milestones

YearAchievement
2011bsnes achieves SNES cycle accuracy
2015Mesen achieves NES cycle accuracy
2020+Sub-cycle accuracy explored

RetroArch/Libretro

Unified frontend:

  • Single interface for many emulators
  • Core system (libretro) standardises emulators
  • Shaders for CRT effects
  • Achievement integration

See also