BlastEm vs SMS Plus GX

BlastEm is a free, open-source emulator for Sega's 16-bit and 8-bit consoles. It supports Genesis/Mega Drive, Sega CD, 32X, Master System, Game Gear, SG-1000, SC-3000, Sega Pico, and Yamaha Copera. Downloads are listed for Linux, macOS, and Windows, with an experimental web version. Gameplay features include save states, cartridge save RAM and EEPROM support, turbo and slow modes, controller input, and VGM logging. Its integrated debugger can inspect and modify state, set conditional breakpoints, run scripts, and show visual VDP tools. Developers can use the GDB remote debug protocol for source-level debugging of SGDK and other C or C++ projects. The maker describes it as fast enough for older PCs and accurate enough for demanding demos. Most Sega CD and 32X games are playable, but compatibility is not perfect. Yamaha Copera emulation is incomplete: games generally lack music, though Copera-specific ADPCM samples play. The listed macOS download is x86-64 and not notarized; the page directs ARM users to Homebrew.

SMS Plus GX has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.