BGB vs ChillyGB
BGB
bgb.bircd.orgChillyGB
github.comSide by side
| Figure | BGB | ChillyGB |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · Game Boy Emulators | 7.9 (#6) | 8.3 (#2) |
| Debugger | The debugger includes a disassembler, assembler, breakpoints, watchpoints, tracing, and tools for viewing memory and registers. | The listed debugger includes instruction, memory, stack, and register viewers, plus LCDC, STAT, IE, and IF editors. |
| Purpose | BGB is a Game Boy and Game Boy Color emulator and debugger for playing games and inspecting emulation. | ChillyGB is a Game Boy (DMG) and Game Boy Color (CGB) emulator written in C that aims for simplicity and accuracy. |
Plans
In their own words
BGB
BGB is a free Game Boy emulator and debugger for playing games and examining emulation. It emulates Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Super Game Boy, with gamepad support, rewind, save states, low latency, and high-quality sound and graphics. ROMs can be loaded from ZIP and GZIP files. The debugger can analyze emulation, help create or modify ROMs, and create, search, load, and save cheat codes; supported formats include GameGenie and GameShark. BGB can also emulate the Game Boy Camera using an image file, test pattern, or webcam. TCP/IP linking connects BGB instances, while Super Game Boy multiplayer supports up to four gamepads. BGB is listed for Windows, and its maker says it also runs under Wine on Linux and macOS; 32-bit and 64-bit versions are provided. The listed current release is version 1.6.6, dated 2025-07-20. Game linking may not work with every game and requires a modern PC with very low lag. AVI recordings omit sound, which is recorded separately to WAV. The manual states that the program has no warranty and is used at the user's own risk.
ChillyGB
ChillyGB is a free Game Boy (DMG) and Game Boy Color (CGB) emulator written in C. It is listed for Windows, Linux, and Nintendo Switch, and the project links to a WebAssembly browser version. Supported cartridges include no MBC, MBC1, MBC2, MBC3 with a real-time clock, MBC5, MBC7, and Pocket Camera. Features include Game Boy Color and BootROM support, BESS-compliant save states, a palette editor, integer scaling, a pixel grid, color correction, and GameGenie and GameShark cheats.
Players can use basic gamepads and edit inputs; Pocket Camera support can use a webcam. The debugger includes instruction, memory, stack, and register views, plus editors and status information for listed PPU registers. The project excludes SGB functions, MBC6, HUc1, HUc3, and infrared communication. Link cable emulation and netplay are not supported. The browser port's audio is noted as buggy. ChillyGB is licensed under GNU GPL v3.0; release 0.3.2 is listed as latest, and save states from before version 0.3.0 do not work with it.