ares vs Eclipse
ares
ares-emu.netEclipse
eclipseemu.meSide by side
| Figure | ares | Eclipse |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Gear Emulators | 9.0 (#1) | 8.0 (#12) |
| Spec score · Game Boy Advance Emulators | 9.0 (#1) | 8.1 (#6) |
| Spec score · Multi-System Emulators | 8.9 (#2) | 8.0 (#20) |
| Purpose | ares is a cross-platform, open-source multi-system emulator focused on accuracy and preservation. | Eclipse is a web based emulator for playing classic games. |
| Supported systems | The catalogue includes Arcade, Atari 2600, WonderSwan, ColecoVision, NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Sega systems, Neo Geo Pocket and PlayStation. | It supports Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, NES, SNES, Sega Master System, and Sega Game Gear. |
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.
Eclipse
Eclipse is a web-based emulator for playing games from classic systems: Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, NES, SNES, Sega Master System, and Sega Game Gear. It is available on Android, iOS, and web, with a free plan. Games can be added from Google Drive, Dropbox, or the Homebrew selection, or loaded from local files. The interface supports touch, keyboard, and controllers, with editable default bindings; controller compatibility depends on the JavaScript Gamepad API and the operating system. Once the site is cached, uploaded local games can be played offline, although some features, including the Library, are disabled. Save behavior differs by system: NES games do not save, SNES and GB/GBC games should save, and GBA games have some incompatibilities. The GBA core lacks Real Time Clock support, and most GBA games with auto-save functionality are unsupported. Eclipse has no multiplayer features, including Pokémon trading. User data is stored locally on the device.