Topics / #emulation

Emulation projects on GitHub

Emulating one hardware platform on another

As of , the most-starred Emulation projects on GitHub are UTM (35.9K stars), shadPS4 (33.6K stars) and OSX-KVM (23.7K stars). GitHub.Locker tracks 47 Emulation repositories with 311.6K stars combined. The fastest-growing on October 16 was DroidDeck, with +574 stars in a day.

47Projects
311.6KStars in total
+2.1KStars in a day
Browse in the catalog →github.com/topics/emulation ↗

Hot right now

Most stars gained in a day · Oct 16

+574

DroidDeck

Droid-Deck/DroidDeck · ★ 9.7K

DroidDeck brings the SteamOS Big Picture experience to Android, letting you run Valve's Steam client and Windows games via Valve's ARM64 Proton on an Adreno-powered Android handheld.

+298

uncharted_pc

Supermedo/uncharted_pc · ★ 1K

This is a native Windows port of 'Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection', letting the original PS4 game code for Uncharted 1, 2 and 3 run directly on PC with the graphics translated to Vulkan.

+213

ShadowOfTheColossus-PC

AjncSystem/ShadowOfTheColossus-PC · ★ 871

It is a native Windows port of Shadow of the Colossus (the 2018 PS4 remake by Bluepoint, CUSA08809), letting the PS4's x86-64 game code run directly on a PC's CPU while the PS4 GPU calls are translated to Vulkan.

+156

KytyPS5

KytyPS5/KytyPS5 · ★ 8.7K

KytyPS5 is a free and open-source PlayStation 5 emulator (translation layer) written in C++ for Windows and Linux, with experimental macOS support, based on a heavily modified version of the Kyty project.

The all-time top

47 projects · by stars

  1. #1 · utmapp/UTM

    UTM

    UTM is a full system emulator and virtual machine host for iOS and macOS, built on QEMU, that lets you run Windows, Linux, and other operating systems directly on your Mac, iPhone, or iPad.

    35.9K
  2. #2 · shadps4-emu/shadPS4

    shadPS4

    shadPS4 is an early PlayStation 4 emulator for Windows, Linux, macOS and FreeBSD, written in C++. It lets you run real PS4 game titles on a PC.

    33.6K
  3. #3 · kholia/OSX-KVM

    OSX-KVM

    Scripts and OpenCore configuration for running macOS as a virtual machine under QEMU/KVM on a Linux host, supporting recent macOS versions such as Monterey, Ventura and Sonoma.

    23.7K
  1. 4

    rpcs3

    20.1KRPCS3/rpcs3 · C++

    RPCS3 is the world's first free and open-source PlayStation 3 emulator and debugger, written in C++.

  2. 5

    OpenEmu

    17.8KOpenEmu/OpenEmu · Swift

    OpenEmu is a free, open-source retro game emulator for macOS that aims to make playing classic console games feel like a first-class native Mac experience.

  3. 6

    pcsx2

    15.8KPCSX2/pcsx2 · C++

    PCSX2 is a free and open-source PlayStation 2 emulator that recreates the console's hardware so you can play PS2 games on your PC, with extra features on top.

  4. 7

    dolphin

    15.7Kdolphin-emu/dolphin · C++

    Dolphin is a GameCube and Wii emulator: it lets you play games from those two consoles on PC and Android, with improvements over the original hardware.

  5. 8

    Playnite

    14.2KJosefNemec/Playnite · C#

    Playnite is an open source video game library manager and launcher. It brings games from third-party launchers like Steam, Epic and GOG, plus emulated titles, into one unified interface.

  6. 9

    qemu

    13.9Kqemu/qemu · C

    QEMU is a generic and open source machine and userspace emulator and virtualizer — software that lets one computer run systems and programs built for a completely different one.

  7. 10

    romm

    13.8Krommapp/romm · Python

    RomM (ROM Manager) is a self-hosted web app that scans, organizes, enriches and lets you play your retro game ROM collection, pulling metadata and artwork from multiple providers and covering 400+ platforms.

  8. 11

    darling

    13.5Kdarlinghq/darling · Objective-C

    Darling is a runtime environment that lets you run macOS applications on Linux, without needing a virtual machine.

  9. 12

    pwndbg

    11.1Kpwndbg/pwndbg · Python

    A plug-in for GDB and LLDB that makes debugging far less painful for low-level developers, hardware hackers, reverse-engineers and exploit developers — it adds the utilities vanilla debuggers are missing.

  10. 13

    RetroPie-Setup

    10.4KRetroPie/RetroPie-Setup · Shell

    RetroPie-Setup is a shell script that turns a Raspberry Pi, Vero4K, ODroid-C1, or an Ubuntu PC into a retro gaming console by installing RetroArch, many emulator cores, and the EmulationStation frontend.

  11. 14

    chinese-dos-games

    10.3Krwv/chinese-dos-games · Python

    A collection of 1,898 classic Chinese DOS games, playable directly in the browser. The project hosts the game files themselves and links to a website built around them.

  12. 15

    lutris

    10.3Klutris/lutris · Python

    Lutris is a free, open-source desktop client that helps you install and play video games from all eras and most gaming systems, all from one central interface.

  13. 16

    DroidDeck

    9.7KDroid-Deck/DroidDeck · Kotlin

    DroidDeck brings the SteamOS Big Picture experience to Android, letting you run Valve's Steam client and Windows games via Valve's ARM64 Proton on an Adreno-powered Android handheld.

  14. 17

    KytyPS5

    8.7KKytyPS5/KytyPS5 · C++

    KytyPS5 is a free and open-source PlayStation 5 emulator (translation layer) written in C++ for Windows and Linux, with experimental macOS support, based on a heavily modified version of the Kyty project.

  15. 18

    sharpemu

    6.3Ksharpemu/sharpemu · C#

    SharpEmu is an experimental PlayStation 5 emulator for Windows, Linux and macOS, written from scratch in C#. It is in early development, with the current focus on accuracy and infrastructure rather than game-specific compatibility.

  16. 19

    TOTK-Mods-collection

    3.1Khoverbike1/TOTK-Mods-collection · Shell

    A community repository of mods for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (TOTK), put together for playing the game on a real Switch or in Switch emulators.

  17. 20

    Madeira

    2.5Kwillfaust/Madeira · C

    Madeira runs x86-64 Windows PC games on a non-jailbroken iPhone by combining Wine (ARM64EC), FEX-Emu (x86-64 to ARM64 translation), and DXMT (D3D11 to Metal), all running inside a single Mach process on iOS.

  18. 21

    Husk

    2.1KLeviidev/Husk · Java

    Husk is an Android app launcher for iPhone: drop in an APK, tap it, and the Android app opens full-screen, running either natively or through emulation.

  19. 22

    ares

    1.8Kares-emulator/ares · C++

    ares is a cross-platform, open-source multi-system emulator that focuses on accuracy and preservation of classic game consoles and computers.

  20. 23

    NotProton

    1.7KNotProtonNot/NotProton · Scala

    NotProton unlocks the 'Steam Play' feature of the Linux Steam client inside the macOS Steam app, letting Windows-only games run on a Mac through a ported version of Valve's Proton.

  21. 24

    highball

    1.6Kgauthierpiarrette/highball · Swift

    Highball is a native macOS app (with a companion CLI) that sets up Wine, DXMT, D3DMetal and DXVK so you can run Windows games on Apple Silicon, backed by an open compatibility database that tells you what actually works.

  22. 25

    PS5SX2

    1.3KSwordpdf/PS5SX2 · C++

    PS5SX2 is a native port of PCSX2, the PS2 emulator, that runs directly on a jailbroken PS5. It plays PS2 games upscaled up to 6x resolution on a 4K TV using a modified Vulkan driver for the PS5's GPU.

  23. 26

    darwin-vm

    1.2Kjprx/darwin-vm · Shell

    darwin-vm boots iOS or macOS (Darwin) inside QEMU straight to a root shell, so you can debug the kernel, edit the filesystem, and run your own custom programs. It supports emulating iPhone 12-17 (A14-A19) and M1-M5 Macs.

  24. 27

    uncharted_pc

    1KSupermedo/uncharted_pc · C++

    This is a native Windows port of 'Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection', letting the original PS4 game code for Uncharted 1, 2 and 3 run directly on PC with the graphics translated to Vulkan.

  25. 28

    ps2-web-recomp

    1Ksnuri00/ps2-web-recomp · C++

    It is a project that statically recompiles PlayStation 2 game executables into C++ and WebAssembly so the games run in a browser, with the console's hardware emulated by a runtime that draws through WebGPU.

  26. 29

    WoWee

    977Kelsidavis/WoWee · C++

    WoWee is an open-source, from-scratch World of Warcraft client written in C++ with its own Vulkan renderer — an engine experiment, not the official game.

  27. 30

    martypc

    946dbalsom/martypc · Rust

    MartyPC is a cycle-accurate emulator of early IBM PCs and compatibles, written in Rust. It recreates the original IBM PC, XT, PCjr and Tandy 1000 down to individual CPU cycles.

  28. 31

    ShadowOfTheColossus-PC

    871AjncSystem/ShadowOfTheColossus-PC · C++

    It is a native Windows port of Shadow of the Colossus (the 2018 PS4 remake by Bluepoint, CUSA08809), letting the PS4's x86-64 game code run directly on a PC's CPU while the PS4 GPU calls are translated to Vulkan.

  29. 32

    ProsperoEden

    723blackbearreloaded/ProsperoEden · C++

    ProsperoEden is an unofficial PS5 homebrew port of Eden, an accurate, high-performance emulator, and is not affiliated with the Eden team or Sony. It runs as a native PlayStation 5 app with its own launcher and library.

  30. 33

    pokeheartgold

    716ctrl-cheeb-del/pokeheartgold · C

    It's a full decompilation of Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver for the Nintendo DS, reconstructing the entire games in source code form.

  31. 34

    pinyon-shift

    692arcanite24/pinyon-shift · Python

    Pinyon Shift is a Windows-only playable preview built from a native static recompilation of the Xbox 360 release of Forza Horizon, letting you build and run a working, imperfect version of the game from your own disc.

  32. 35

    emufii

    687jojodogm-ctrl/emufii · Kotlin

    Emufii is an Android app that connects your emulators to your friends' emulators over the internet, letting you play local multiplayer games online using a six-character code instead of sharing IPs or opening ports.

  33. 36

    TriAevum

    493coccofresco/TriAevum · C++

    TriAevum is a native PC AOT (ahead-of-time) recompilation runtime for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D, with a modern NRI/Vulkan renderer, a single-screen UI and customizable graphics options.

  34. 37

    dingusppc

    410dingusdev/dingusppc · C++

    DingusPPC is an experimental emulator for PowerPC Macintosh computers, aiming to accurately emulate Old World and early New World PowerPC Macs (and the Pippin) with a focus on accuracy and debugging rather than just compatibility.

  35. 38

    TheSimpsonsGameRecomp

    358YesterMester/TheSimpsonsGameRecomp · C++

    A native PC port of The Simpsons Game (Xbox 360, 2007) made by statically recompiling the original PowerPC executable into C++ compiled for x86-64, so the game's own code runs directly on the CPU instead of inside an emulator.

  36. 39

    mocktail

    338komaruworld/mocktail · C++

    Mocktail is an experimental compatibility runtime that runs the Android x86-64 Roblox client on Linux, and even on FreeBSD via its Linuxulator. It implements the Android ABI/JNI pieces the client needs and hooks them up to SDL3 and Vulkan or OpenGL on the host side.

  37. 40

    exodium

    330tvollstaedt/exodium · Rust

    Exodium is a cross-platform native frontend for the eXoDOS DOS game collection, letting you browse and stream over 9,000 preserved DOS games without downloading the full ~500GB torrent upfront.

  38. 41

    ra2

    283ra2-games/ra2 · TypeScript

    A fan-made web port that runs the original Red Alert 2 and Yuri's Revenge x86 executables directly in the browser, using the v86 emulator with custom firmware and a Win32/DirectX compatibility layer instead of a real Windows install.

  39. 42

    suyu-v0.0.4

    282suyu-emu/suyu-v0.0.4 · C++

    suyu is a Nintendo Switch emulator and AArch64 native recompiler written in C++, preserved at its final public release v0.04.

  40. 43

    PSPRecomp

    231jessicanataliagta/PSPRecomp · C++

    This is PSPRecomp, a static recompilation framework for PSP (PlayStation Portable) software. It reads an Allegrex/MIPS executable, analyzes the guest code, and emits C++ translation units that run on a native host runtime instead of using a PSP interpreter or JIT.

  41. 44

    Ridge-Racer-Collection

    228wanszai/Ridge-Racer-Collection

    This is a custom emulator for Namco's System 22 arcade boards, letting you play Ridge Racer, Ridge Racer 2 and Rave Racer on PC and Xbox 360/Xbox One/Series consoles.

  42. 45

    deck-as-controller

    215jmedina21/deck-as-controller · Python

    Deck as Controller is a Decky Loader plugin that turns your Steam Deck into a wireless or wired game controller for a Mac, iPad, or PC, showing up as a PS5, Xbox, or Steam Controller without installing anything on the other device.

  43. 46

    frank-386

    210rh1tech/frank-386 · C

    FRANK 386 is an i386 PC emulator that runs as firmware on the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 (RP2350), turning the board into a tiny retro PC with VGA/HDMI video, SD-card storage, keyboard and mouse input, and sound. It is a port of Chunhui He's Tiny386.

  44. 47

    widemelon

    104pruefsumme/widemelon · C++

    WideMelon is a Nintendo DS emulator forked from melonDS that renders supported games' 3D scenes in true widescreen (native 4:3 up to 32:9) while keeping 2D menus, sprites, videos, and the touchscreen at their original proportions.

Often tagged together