NES Emulator + 6502 Studio

Overview

NES Emulator + 6502 Studio is ranked #15 of 26 in NES emulators on Specifiction. It runs on Linux, Self-hosted, Web.

Compared on NES emulators

Supported platforms

Web browser; native builds via C++ and CMakegithub.com

Facts

Purpose

NES Emulator + 6502 Studio is a C++ NES emulator compiled to WebAssembly with a browser debugger called NES Studio.github.com · 4 Oct 2026

Debugger

NES Studio includes stepping, running, breakpoints, live disassembly, a memory editor, CPU and PPU state, pattern, nametable and OAM viewers, and full-screen Play mode.github.com · 4 Oct 2026

CPU

The 6502 core implements all 151 official opcodes and documented illegal opcodes, passes nestest and blargg instr_test, and matches the nestest golden log cycle for cycle.github.com · 4 Oct 2026

Graphics and sound

The PPU supports backgrounds, sprites, DMA, scrolling and four mirroring modes; the APU provides two pulse channels, triangle and noise through WebAudio.github.com · 4 Oct 2026

Cartridge support

The emulator supports NROM, MMC1, UxROM, CNROM and MMC3 mappers.github.com · 4 Oct 2026

Game compatibility

The project reports Super Mario Bros. 1-1 as fully playable and Super Mario Bros. 3 as booting with its attract demo playing.github.com · 4 Oct 2026

Known limitation

The PPU renders one scanline at a time, so the blargg ppu_vbl_nmi timing ROM does not pass; the project says dot-based PPU timing is a future accuracy task.github.com · 4 Oct 2026

Headless and deterministic use

A C-ABI shared library exposes independent NES instances with deterministic stepping, and the project includes a Python package with a Gymnasium-style Super Mario Bros environment.github.com · 4 Oct 2026

Agent integration

NES Studio can replay .nesmovie recordings and can show live agent play through a Python streaming server; the live-agent button is hidden in production builds unless a backend URL is configured.github.com · 4 Oct 2026

Setup

The project documents Docker and front-end setup using pnpm and Node 20+, plus a native build requiring a C++17 compiler, CMake 3.14+ and GoogleTest.github.com · 4 Oct 2026

Testing

The project reports 32 native gtest tests and 211 web Vitest tests, with conformance test ROMs fetched on demand and run in CI.github.com · 4 Oct 2026

License

The project is licensed under GPL v3.github.com · 4 Oct 2026

Security and support

The opened project page provides no security or compliance claims and no dedicated support terms.github.com · 4 Oct 2026

Intended users

The project describes its headless library, Python environment and live-agent workflow as suitable for scripting, training agents, development and research.github.com · 4 Oct 2026

Where it ranks on Specifiction

• Best NES Emulators in 2026#15 of 26

Sources

• github.com/MaxwellKnight/nes-emulator· checked 4 Oct 2026