FinalBurn Neo
github.com
What it is
FinalBurn Neo is a free emulator for arcade games and selected consoles, with builds or ports documented for Android, Linux, macOS and Windows. Its emulation scope includes Capcom CPS-1, CPS-2 and CPS-3, Neo Geo, and Sega System 16. The project is based on FinalBurn and older versions of MAME, and is intended to run vintage games on modern systems. Described capabilities include accurate emulation, high performance, netplay, rewinding and shader effects. The project documents Windows and macOS builds, Linux SDL builds and Raspberry Pi builds; a LibRetro port is also available through RetroArch for many platforms. It recommends SDL2 over SDL1.2, citing a better renderer, on-screen display, game selection and ROM scanning. Linux SDL2 builds can be compiled with make sdl2 and require SDL2, SDL2_image, GCC, make, Perl and NASM. On macOS, the build supports keyboard and mouse input but not joysticks; its launcher imports ZIP and 7z archives. The listed terms allow use, modification and distribution, but prohibit sale or monetary profit; ROM images require legal distribution rights.
Spec sheet
- What it does
- FinalBurn Neo is a multi-system emulator for arcade games and selected consoles, derived from FinalBurn and older MAME code.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Accuracy and speed
- The project says it prioritizes accurate, high-performance emulation for vintage hardware.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Arcade coverage
- The project supports systems including Capcom CPS-1, CPS-2, CPS-3, Neo Geo and Sega System 16.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Company identity
- The official GitHub organization identifies the maker as FinalBurn Neo / Team FBNeo and lists related repositories for cheats, extras, translations and the wiki.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Console coverage
- The Libretro documentation lists drivers for systems such as NES, SNES, Mega Drive, Master System, ColecoVision, PC Engine, Neo Geo Pocket and ZX Spectrum.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.libretro.com
- Contribution policy
- The project welcomes pull requests and other submissions and aims to maintain C++03 compliance as a minimum.Read 1 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Developer portability
- The maintainers target at least C++03 compatibility and invite pull requests and new ports.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Documentation and support
- Users are directed to GitHub issues and the NeoSource forums, with Discord also linked from the repository.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Emulation scope
- It emulates systems including Capcom CPS-1, CPS-2, CPS-3, Neo Geo, and Sega System 16.Read 1 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Extensibility
- The source tree separates emulation, drivers, frontend, CPU code, dependencies and platform interfaces to support ports.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Feature matrix
- LibRetro documentation lists saves, save states, rewind, run-ahead, preemptive frames, netplay, cheats, controllers, multi-mouse, IPS patches, ROM data and multilingual support.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.libretro.com
- Independent project scale
- The NeoSource community wiki describes FBNeo as an active open-source 2D emulator covering more than 8,000 arcade games across about 600 systems.Read 15 Oct 2026 · wiki.neo-source.com
- Key features
- The project describes accurate emulation, high performance, netplay, rewinding, and shader effects.Read 1 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Latest news
- The repository's latest nightly release was published on October 15, 2026 and added Warrior Man support.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Licence
- The bundled licence permits use, modification and redistribution only on a non-commercial basis, requires source sharing and preserves copyright notices.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Limit: controller mapping
- A LibRetro forum report describes an update that mapped one controller button to three actions and made many games unplayable until mappings were adjusted.Read 15 Oct 2026 · forums.libretro.com
- Limit: frontend setup
- A LaunchBox forum user reported that ROM paths had to be configured and saved inside FBNeo before LaunchBox launches worked.Read 15 Oct 2026 · forums.launchbox-app.com
- Limit: macOS controls
- The macOS documentation identifies joystick input as unsupported.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Limit: maintenance by platform
- The October 2026 release notes say standalone macOS and Linux ports are not actively maintained and may miss features, recommending LibRetro or Windows builds through Wine/Crossover.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Limit: RetroArch users
- Google Play reviewers complain about a difficult interface, weak documentation for file naming and netplay, and updates that broke saves or states.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Limit: ROM-set compatibility
- Independent documentation warns that active development can change expected ROM sets, so ROM archives must match the core version and naming rules.Read 15 Oct 2026 · barotto.github.io
- Limit: security documentation
- GitHub reports that the repository has no SECURITY.md policy and no published security advisories.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Limit: setup requirements
- LibRetro documentation requires exact CRC and archive layouts and lists numerous BIOS files for particular arcade and console systems.Read 15 Oct 2026 · docs.libretro.com
- Limit: storage
- Retro Game Corps reports that the current FBNeo ROM set is about 17.6 GB, with a Neo Geo set around 2–4 GB.Read 15 Oct 2026 · retrogamecorps.com
- Linux build
- Linux SDL2 builds can be compiled with make sdl2 and require SDL2, SDL2_image, GCC, make, Perl, and NASM.Read 1 Oct 2026 · github.com
- macOS compatibility
- The macOS emulator has been tested successfully on High Sierra and later versions.Read 1 Oct 2026 · github.com
- macOS limitations
- The macOS build currently supports keyboard and mouse input, while joysticks are unsupported.Read 1 Oct 2026 · github.com
- macOS support
- The macOS build was tested on High Sierra and later, accepts ZIP and 7z archives, and supports keyboard and mouse input.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Netplay
- Netplay is included as a supported emulator feature.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Origins
- The project is based on FinalBurn and old versions of MAME.Read 1 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Praise: playability
- LibRetro documentation credits FBNeo with quality-of-life features such as control alternatives, lightgun support, reduced hardware requirements and playable ROM hacks.Read 15 Oct 2026 · barotto.github.io
- Praise: RetroArch users
- Google Play reviewers praise RetroArch's broad system coverage and report Neo Geo games working with little lag after setup, which includes FBNeo use.Read 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- Praise: speed focus
- Retro Game Corps says FinalBurn Neo emphasizes speed over MAME's broader accuracy focus and recommends it for small-board computers.Read 15 Oct 2026 · retrogamecorps.com
- Product type
- FinalBurn Neo is an emulator for arcade games and select consoles.Read 1 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Rating on EmuApps
- 5.0 out of 5 from 1 reviewRead 15 Oct 2026 · finalburn-neo.emuapps.com
- Rating on Google Play
- 3.8 out of 5 from 47,700 reviews for RetroArch, the host application that distributes the FBNeo coreRead 15 Oct 2026 · play.google.com
- RetroArch integration
- A LibRetro port is available with builds distributed through RetroArch for many platforms.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Rewind
- Rewind support is provided for correcting or experimenting with gameplay.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- ROM formats
- The macOS launcher supports importing ZIP and 7z archives.Read 1 Oct 2026 · github.com
- ROM policy
- The licence and project documentation state that game ROM images are not included and must be obtained separately with appropriate rights.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- SDL builds
- SDL1.2 builds require SDL1.2, GCC, make, Perl and NASM; SDL2 builds require SDL2, SDL2_image, GCC, make, Perl and NASM.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- SDL2 improvements
- The SDL2 port adds a better renderer, on-screen status display, ROM scanning and a game-selection menu compared with SDL1.2.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- SDL2 limitations
- The SDL2 backend lacks ROM interlace support, renders vertical games horizontally, lacks in-game resolution switching and can tear when refresh rates differ.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Security posture
- GitHub reports that the project has no SECURITY.md security policy and no published security advisories.Read 1 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Shaders
- Shader effects are listed among the emulator's built-in features.Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Support channels
- Issues can be reported on the project GitHub issue tracker or the NeoSource forums, and the repository links to a Discord server.Read 1 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Supported platforms
- The repository documents Windows, macOS, Linux SDL builds, Raspberry Pi builds, and a LibRetro port available through RetroArch.Read 1 Oct 2026 · github.com
- Use case
- It is designed for retro gaming enthusiasts and aims to preserve and run vintage games on modern systems.Read 1 Oct 2026 · github.com
Plans and prices
Free and open source Free May be used, modified, and distributed · Cannot be sold or used for monetary profit · ROM images require legal distribution rights Read 1 Oct 2026 · github.com
Free software Free Non-commercial use · source changes must be shared · ROMs are not included Read 15 Oct 2026 · github.com
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- Emulates CPS-1, CPS-2, CPS-3, Neo Geo and System 16.
- Netplay, rewinding and shader effects are described.
- LibRetro port is available through RetroArch.
- Free to use, modify and distribute.
Limits
- macOS joystick input is unsupported.
- Linux SDL2 builds require several development tools.
- Cannot be sold or used for monetary profit.
- ROM images require legal distribution rights.
Who it suits
FinalBurn Neo suits retro gaming enthusiasts looking to emulate supported arcade systems and selected consoles. Linux builders should be prepared to install its documented SDL2 build requirements.
Verdict
FinalBurn Neo covers a range of arcade systems and selected consoles, with ports across desktop and mobile platforms. Check the macOS input limit and the listed distribution and ROM terms before using it.
Where Specifiction places it
- Speedrun Timer Software#1 of 238.9
- Multi-System Emulators#4 of 548.8