Atari800MacX vs Javatari

Atari800MacX is a free macOS application that emulates Atari 8-bit computers and the Atari 5200. It supports the Atari 400/800, 1200XL, XL/XE, XEGS and Atari 5200 systems, with cartridge and machine support, joystick input, full-screen or windowed display and hard-drive emulation. Save states and controller remapping are supported. A native Cocoa interface supplies preferences, menus, file associations and help, while libSDL is bundled in the application package. The emulator needs ROM image files from original Atari systems; those files are not included. Version 6.0.1 is the latest release listed, dated January 22, 2022, and requires OS X 10.12 or newer. Version 6.0.0 added support for ARM-based M1 Macs. Listed updates include synchronized sound, a graphical debugger, VAPI and PRO images, copy and paste, configuration files and a new hard-drive emulation scheme. Downloads include the application and source code. Development is described as sporadic due to work commitments.

Javatari is a free Atari 2600 emulator designed for the Web. Users can load cartridges in a browser, with ROMs opened from local storage, iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox or web links. It runs in browsers tested with Chrome, Firefox and Safari, and can be installed as a WebApp on iOS, Android or desktop for offline play. Savestates can be exported and shared. Playback controls include adjustable speed, pause and frame-by-frame advance; display tools include resizing, fullscreen, screen capture and debug modes. Customizable joysticks, joykeys and touch controllers are available, with haptic feedback on mobile. NetPlay lets multiple users connect to and control one virtual console over the internet, although it does not work on Apple iOS because required WebRTC technologies are unavailable there. Performance depends on network quality. A JavaScript API supports ROM loading and console control, and games can be embedded in webpages or launched with a Javatari page link. The project repository identifies the software as licensed under AGPL-3.0.