Topics / #emulator

Emulator projects on GitHub

Software emulation of hardware platforms and consoles

As of , the most-starred Emulator projects on GitHub are localstack (65.1K stars), shadPS4 (33.7K stars) and floci (26.9K stars). GitHub.Locker tracks 65 Emulator repositories with 566.4K stars combined. The fastest-growing on October 16 was gow3_pc, with +292 stars in a day.

65Projects
566.4KStars in total
+1.6KStars in a day
Browse in the catalog →github.com/topics/emulator ↗

Hot right now

Most stars gained in a day · Oct 16

+292

gow3_pc

FelipePrado0/gow3_pc · ★ 3.2K

A Windows (and experimental Linux) port of God of War III Remastered, a PlayStation 4 game, that lets you run your own legally-owned copy of the game on a PC with a launcher, in-game menu, cheats and performance patches.

+213

ShadowOfTheColossus-PC

AjncSystem/ShadowOfTheColossus-PC · ★ 980

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.

+95

bloodborne_pc

deadinside28/bloodborne_pc · ★ 3.2K

bbport is a native Linux port of Bloodborne (CUSA03173, v1.09) that runs the original PS4 executable directly on an x86-64 Linux PC. It isn't a general emulator — the game's own code executes natively, a small custom runtime replaces the PS4 system libraries, and a Vulkan renderer derived from shadPS4 handles the GPU side, including temporal upscaling with FSR 3.1/4/4.1.1.

The all-time top

65 projects · by stars

  1. #1 · localstack/localstack

    localstack

    LocalStack is a cloud service emulator that runs AWS services like Lambda, S3, DynamoDB, Kinesis, SQS and SNS entirely on your local machine or CI environment, so you can develop and test cloud apps without hitting a real AWS account.

    65.1K
  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.

    33.7K
  3. #3 · floci-io/floci

    floci

    Floci is a free, open-source local AWS emulator: it serves AWS-compatible APIs — S3, SQS, DynamoDB, Lambda, ECS and many more — from your own machine for development, testing, and CI, with no cloud account, auth token, or paid feature gates.

    26.9K
  1. 4

    windows95

    24.3Kfelixrieseberg/windows95 · TypeScript

    The complete Windows 95 operating system, packaged as a desktop app that runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux — the whole thing, boots and all.

  2. 5

    v86

    23.6Kcopy/v86 · JavaScript

    v86 is an x86 PC emulator that runs entirely in the browser. It emulates a Pentium-4-class CPU and classic PC hardware, translating guest machine code to WebAssembly at runtime for decent speed.

  3. 6

    ish

    20.6Kish-app/ish · C

    iSH is an open-source iOS app that gives you a Linux shell on your iPhone or iPad. It emulates an x86 processor in usermode and translates Linux syscalls, so Linux command-line programs run on iOS as they are.

  4. 7

    rpcs3

    20.1KRPCS3/rpcs3 · C++

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

  5. 8

    winlator

    19.5Kbrunodev85/winlator · C

    Winlator is a free, open-source Android app that runs Windows (x86_64) applications and games directly on your phone or tablet, using Wine and Box86/Box64.

  6. 9

    ruffle

    18.7Kruffle-rs/ruffle · Rust

    Ruffle is an Adobe Flash Player emulator written in Rust. It brings Flash content back to life on both the desktop and the web, using WebAssembly for the browser side.

  7. 10

    iTerm2

    18.2Kgnachman/iTerm2 · Swift

    iTerm2 is a terminal emulator for macOS that replaces Apple's Terminal.app with advanced features like tmux integration, deep shell awareness, inline images, and a built-in AI chat window.

  8. 11

    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.

  9. 12

    webvm

    17.4Kleaningtech/webvm · Svelte

    WebVM is a Linux virtual machine that runs entirely in your browser — an unmodified Debian distribution with native development toolchains, fully client-side, no install and no server.

  10. 13

    SDL

    16.8Klibsdl-org/SDL · C

    SDL (Simple DirectMedia Layer) is a cross-platform C library for writing multimedia software such as games and emulators.

  11. 14

    docker-android

    16Kbudtmo/docker-android · Python

    Docker-Android is a Docker image that ships a complete Android emulator in a container, built for Android app development and testing — native, web and hybrid apps.

  12. 15

    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.

  13. 16

    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.

  14. 17

    ppsspp

    14.7Khrydgard/ppsspp · C++

    PPSSPP is a fast and portable PlayStation Portable (PSP) emulator, so you can play PSP games on your own devices. It runs on Android, Windows, Mac, Linux and iOS and is written in C++.

  15. 18

    RetroArch

    14.4Klibretro/RetroArch · C

    RetroArch is the reference frontend for the libretro API, a hub that runs emulators, game engines, and other 'libretro cores' through a unified interface for input, video, and audio.

  16. 19

    romm

    13.9Krommapp/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.

  17. 20

    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.

  18. 21

    daedalOS

    13.1KDustinBrett/daedalOS · JavaScript

    daedalOS is a full desktop environment that runs entirely in your browser, complete with a file explorer, draggable/resizable windows, a taskbar, a start menu, and dozens of built-in apps, emulators, and games.

  19. 22

    Locale-Emulator

    11.7Kxupefei/Locale-Emulator · C#

    Locale Emulator is a Windows utility that simulates another system region and language for individual applications, so programs run as if your PC were set to a different locale.

  20. 23

    GameNative

    11.4Kutkarshdalal/GameNative · Kotlin

    GameNative lets you run the PC games you already own on Steam, Epic, GOG and Amazon directly on your Android device, with no streaming required, and syncs cloud saves between your PC and phone.

  21. 24

    duckstation

    10.9Kstenzek/duckstation · C++

    DuckStation is a PlayStation 1 (PSX) emulator focused on playability, speed, and long-term maintainability, with CPU recompilers for x86-64, ARM32/64 and RISC-V and hardware renderers (D3D11/D3D12, OpenGL, Vulkan, Metal).

  22. 25

    mame

    10.6Kmamedev/mame · C++

    MAME is a multi-purpose emulation framework whose purpose is to preserve decades of software history by documenting vintage arcade hardware, computers, consoles and calculators, with the emulator itself serving to validate the accuracy of that documentation.

  23. 26

    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.

  24. 27

    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.

  25. 28

    mobile-mcp

    9.7Kmobile-next/mobile-mcp · TypeScript

    Mobile MCP is a Model Context Protocol server that lets AI agents automate and scrape native iOS and Android apps - on simulators, emulators, or real devices - through a single platform-agnostic set of tools.

  26. 29

    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.

  27. 30

    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.

  28. 31

    ministack

    5Kministackorg/ministack · Python

    MiniStack is a free, open-source local emulator for AWS that lets you run over 60 AWS services on your machine for development and testing.

  29. 32

    bloodborne_pc

    3.2Kdeadinside28/bloodborne_pc · C++

    bbport is a native Linux port of Bloodborne (CUSA03173, v1.09) that runs the original PS4 executable directly on an x86-64 Linux PC. It isn't a general emulator — the game's own code executes natively, a small custom runtime replaces the PS4 system libraries, and a Vulkan renderer derived from shadPS4 handles the GPU side, including temporal upscaling with FSR 3.1/4/4.1.1.

  30. 33

    gow3_pc

    3.2KFelipePrado0/gow3_pc · C++

    A Windows (and experimental Linux) port of God of War III Remastered, a PlayStation 4 game, that lets you run your own legally-owned copy of the game on a PC with a launcher, in-game menu, cheats and performance patches.

  31. 34

    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.

  32. 35

    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.

  33. 36

    Husk

    2.2KLeviidev/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.

  34. 37

    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.

  35. 38

    NotProton

    1.8KNotProtonNot/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.

  36. 39

    PS5SX2

    1.4KSwordpdf/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.

  37. 40

    Petari

    1.3KSMGCommunity/Petari · C++

    This is an open-source, work-in-progress decompilation of Super Mario Galaxy 1, rebuilding the game's original C++ source code by matching it against the compiled binary.

  38. 41

    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.

  39. 42

    ShadowOfTheColossus-PC

    980AjncSystem/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.

  40. 43

    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.

  41. 44

    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.

  42. 45

    Tyranor-Next

    658Weiss-UltimateSavior/Tyranor-Next · HTML

    Tyranor Next is a multi-engine visual novel (Galgame) launcher for Android. Its engine runtime is a reverse-engineered rewrite based on the Tyranor emulator, and it bundles native runtimes for Kirikiri, ONScripter, Tyrano and Artemis, plus library management, cover fetching, save mirroring, and engine tuning.

  43. 46

    try-omarchy-windows

    633omacom/try-omarchy-windows · Go

    Try Omarchy for Windows runs the full Omarchy Linux desktop (Arch-based, Hyprland) inside a window on Windows 10 or 11, using QEMU on Windows' built-in hypervisor with GPU-accelerated rendering.

  44. 47

    bbhost

    631droogie/bbhost · C++

    bbhost is a translation layer that runs Bloodborne's own unmodified 1.09 PS4 executable on Windows and Linux, reimplementing the PS4's system libraries and translating its GPU work (GCN shaders and draw calls) to Vulkan, aiming for a definitive PC version with any resolution, 60 fps, keyboard/mouse, mods and online play.

  45. 48

    Wind-Waker-Recomp

    543elliotttate/Wind-Waker-Recomp · C

    Wind Waker Recomp is a native port of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker for Windows, Mac, iPhone and iPad, made by statically recompiling the original GameCube game's PowerPC code into native machine code. It is a personal source fork of the BlueWake project with extra features like 60/120 FPS smooth motion, save states and wall climbing.

  46. 49

    Fable-2-Recomp

    464himdo/Fable-2-Recomp · C++

    A native PC port of Fable 2: the Xbox 360 game's PowerPC code is statically recompiled into a Windows executable with the ReXGlue SDK, so it runs on PC without a console.

  47. 50

    omakade

    438btsouth/omakade · C++

    Omakade is a local-first game library app built for Omarchy that gathers your installed Steam, Lutris, Heroic, Faugus, RetroArch, Battle.net, Epic, GOG, and Amazon games into one cover-focused home screen that follows your Omarchy theme.

  48. 51

    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.

  49. 52

    atv-core

    378corvofeng/atv-core · Rust

    atv-core is a high-performance Rust implementation of the Apple TV Companion Link and MediaRemote (MRP) protocols that lets you discover, pair, and control Apple TV targets using the native Apple TV Remote widget in iOS/iPadOS Control Center, without jailbreak or dedicated hardware.

  50. 53

    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.

  51. 54

    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.

  52. 55

    SuperAstra

    291ScottStevenson/SuperAstra · Python

    SuperAstra is a desktop companion that lets an AI agent called Astra investigate and alter a running SNES game in BizHawk through natural-language prompts, writing new memory routines or cartridge patches on the fly.

  53. 56

    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.

  54. 57

    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.

  55. 58

    quicksand

    246microsoft/quicksand · Python

    Quicksand is an async Python API for launching, controlling, and snapshotting QEMU virtual machines, built specifically for sandboxing AI agents.

  56. 59

    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.

  57. 60

    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.

  58. 61

    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.

  59. 62

    dsh-android

    185ZSeven-W/dsh-android · TypeScript

    DSH Android is a plugin for DeepSeek Harness (DSH) that puts a live Android device — an emulator or a USB-connected phone — inside an AI agent conversation, letting the agent view, control, and inspect it entirely through adb.

  60. 63

    RingOut

    163jackpoison-prog/RingOut · C

    RingOut is a native PC port of a GameCube fighting game (disc ID GRSEAF), made by static recompilation rather than emulation: the original PowerPC executable is translated ahead of time into C, compiled for x86-64, and run as native code inside a Dolphin-derived runtime that handles graphics, audio, input and hardware emulation around it.

  61. 64

    ninja-ripper-2.10

    110thienbao1233/ninja-ripper-2.10

    Ninja Ripper is a tool that hooks into a running game's rendering pipeline and extracts the 3D meshes, textures, and shaders exactly as the GPU is drawing them, without needing to reverse-engineer the game's file formats.

  62. 65

    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.

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