Atari800 vs Virtual Jaguar
Atari800
atari800.github.ioVirtual Jaguar
github.comSide by side
| Figure | Atari800 | Virtual Jaguar |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| iOS | — | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| API | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 3 |
| Spec score · Atari Emulators | 8.1 (#4) | 8.2 (#3) |
| Controllers | It supports real joysticks and emulates paddles, light pens, light guns, mice, trackballs and other controllers. | Supported inputs include standard pads, Pro Controller, Team Tap, ST and Amiga mice, Tempest rotary, analog and driving controllers, 6D stick and light gun. |
| Emulation | It supports cycle-exact 6502, NMI, POKEY, ANTIC and GTIA emulation. | The core emulates the Jaguar’s 68000, GPU, DSP, Object Processor, and Jaguar CD hardware. |
| Platforms | The project lists SDL2 on Linux, macOS and Windows, plus an Android version named Colleen. | Official release builds cover Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, iOS, tvOS, WebAssembly, PlayStation Vita and Nintendo Switch, with additional libretro buildbot targets. |
| Purpose | Atari800 emulates Atari 8-bit computer systems and the Atari 5200 game console. | Virtual Jaguar libretro is an open-source emulator core for Atari Jaguar cartridges and Jaguar CD, designed to run with RetroArch. |
| Security | The project page describes Atari800 as a freely distributable emulator with source code available; it does not state security certifications or compliance claims. | The project requests private GitHub vulnerability reports, publishes build provenance, and supplies SHA-256 checksums for release artifacts. |
| Support | The project directs questions, bug reports and discussions to its user mailing list and invites bug reports or pull requests through GitHub Issues. | Project support is handled through GitHub Discussions for questions and Issues for confirmed bugs and compatibility reports. |
Plans
Virtual Jaguar
- FreeFree
- Virtual Jaguar Android appFree
- Virtual Jaguar libretro coreFree
In their own words
Atari800
Atari800 emulates Atari 8-bit computer systems and the Atari 5200 game console. It supports cycle-exact emulation of the 6502 processor and the NMI, POKEY, ANTIC and GTIA components. The emulator handles ATR, XFD, DCM, ATR.GZ and XFD.GZ disk images, with up to eight emulated drives. It can load Atari executable files and BASIC programs, emulate cassette tapes, and save files to the host computer through the H: device. Users can connect real joysticks or emulate paddles, light pens, light guns, mice and trackballs. Atari800 can save screen snapshots as PCX or PNG and write sound output to WAV files. It runs on Linux, Windows, macOS and Android; source and binary packages are available through GitHub releases, with Linux package instructions for Debian and Fedora. The project describes Atari800 as freely distributable, with source under GPL version 2. Its release notes describe NetSIO and FujiNet support for network SIO over UDP. Atari800 is written in C, and a BIOS is required.
Virtual Jaguar
Virtual Jaguar libretro is a free, open-source emulator core for Atari Jaguar cartridges and Jaguar CD media. It is designed to run through a libretro frontend such as RetroArch, not as a standalone emulator. The core emulates the Jaguar’s 68000, GPU, DSP, Object Processor, and Jaguar CD hardware. It accepts cartridge formats including .j64, .jag, .rom, .abs, .cof, .bin, and .prg, plus Jaguar CD CUE, CDI, and CHD images. Console and Jaguar CD BIOS images are embedded, so external BIOS files are not required. Through its frontend, the core supports save states, cheats, rewind, run-ahead, netplay, shaders, controller remapping, and fast-forward. Optional settings include true-color rendering, 2× internal resolution, overclock controls, and adjustable CD read speed. Link-cable emulation supports TCP transport and a multi-peer hub. The project notes that the blitter is not fully cycle-accurate, GPU/DSP pipeline hazards are not modeled, and some titles can run too fast. Listed platforms include Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows.