ares vs DuckStation
ares
ares-emu.netDuckStation
duckstation.orgSide by side
| Figure | ares | DuckStation |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 2 |
| Spec score · Game Console Emulators | 9.0 (#1) | 8.9 (#4) |
| License | The source code is distributed under the ISC license. | The maker describes the project as distributed under CC-BY-NC-ND terms and says modified versions may not be published. |
| macOS requirements | Official macOS binaries require macOS 10.15 Catalina or later and are universal for Intel and Apple Silicon. | The universal macOS build requires macOS Ventura 13.3 or newer. |
| Purpose | ares is a cross-platform, open-source multi-system emulator focused on accuracy and preservation. | DuckStation emulates the Sony PlayStation console, focusing on playability, speed, and long-term maintainability. |
| What it does | ares is a cross-platform emulator for multiple game systems, built around accuracy and software preservation. | DuckStation emulates the Sony PlayStation 1/PSX console, prioritizing accuracy, compatibility, speed and maintainability. |
| Windows requirements | Official Windows downloads support Windows 7 or newer, while AMD64 builds require at least Intel Nehalem or AMD Jaguar architecture. | Current Windows builds require Windows 10 or 11 version 1809 or newer. |
Plans
In their own words
ares
ares is a free, open-source emulator for multiple systems, with a stated focus on accuracy and preservation. It supports systems including Arcade, Atari 2600, WonderSwan, ColecoVision, NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, and PlayStation, though some listed systems are experimental. Playback options include save states, run-ahead, rewind, and fast-forward. Pixel shaders and optional color correction can alter display characteristics, while Virtual Game-Pads let users configure controls for use across emulated systems. The interface framework uses WinAPI on Windows, Cocoa on macOS, and GTK2 or GTK3 on POSIX platforms. Simple debugging features such as trace logging support development of original software for supported systems. Windows builds support Windows 7 or later; AMD64 binaries require at least Intel Nehalem or AMD Jaguar architecture. macOS binaries require Catalina 10.15 and support Intel and Apple Silicon. The project prefers Linux users compile from source and points to third-party packages rather than official Linux binaries. Source code uses the ISC license. Android is not supported, and a BIOS is required.
DuckStation
DuckStation is a free emulator for Sony PlayStation games, available for Android, Linux, macOS and Windows. Its hardware renderer supports D3D11, D3D12, OpenGL, Vulkan and Metal, with upscaling, texture filtering and 24-bit color among the graphics options. Enhancements include PGXP geometry precision, texture replacement, adaptive downsampling and post-processing shader chains. Play options include save states, rewind, runahead, CPU overclocking and multi-disc support, along with memory-card editing and save importing. DuckStation supports RetroAchievements and Discord Rich Presence. It accepts digital and analog controllers, rumble, and up to eight devices through multitap; GunCon and Justifier lightguns can be simulated with a mouse. Supported formats include bin/cue, MAME CHD, single-track ECM, MDS/MDF, CCD and unencrypted PBP. A PS1 or PS2 BIOS image is required but not supplied, and games are not provided. The maker says users should dump a BIOS from their own console. Desktop requirements include Windows 10/11 and macOS 13.3 or newer.