BMC64 vs ViceSharp
BMC64
github.comViceSharp
github.comSide by side
| Figure | BMC64 | ViceSharp |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 0 |
| Spec score · Commodore 64 Emulators | 7.9 (#8) | 7.1 (#21) |
| Limits | It supports Pi Zero, Zero 2W, Pi 2 and Pi 3 devices; Raspberry Pi 4 and later are unsupported. | The repository says C128, PET, and Plus/4 are planned iterations, and notes that some VIC-20 parity, input, and peripheral work remains open. |
| Purpose | BMC64 is a bare-metal Commodore 64 emulator for Raspberry Pi. | ViceSharp is a C# port of VICE, the Versatile Commodore Emulator, targeting .NET 10. |
| ROM requirement | Users must supply required ROM files from a legal source, and BMC64 cannot start without the minimum C64 ROM set. | ViceSharp does not include Commodore ROM images, so users need ROM assets from an installed VICE package or another legal source. |
| Support | The project points users to its official Discord community for support and discussion. | The repository directs users to file regressions in its GitHub issues and asks them to include the commit SHA, .NET SDK version, invocation, and reproduction details. |
Plans
In their own words
BMC64
BMC64 is a free, bare-metal Commodore 64 emulator for selected Raspberry Pi boards. Its bundled release also emulates the C128, VIC-20, Plus/4 and PET, including C64 PAL and NTSC variants. It uses VICE, with Plus4Emu available on Raspberry Pi 3 for more accurate Plus/4 emulation. Frames are timed to 50/60 Hz display refresh for smooth scrolling, and the project advertises low input-to-audio/video latency. A reported C64 boot over composite takes 4.1 seconds, with no shutdown sequence required. Wi-Fi and Ethernet support uses such as BBS access and C64 OS networking. Installation involves writing a release ZIP or image to a FAT32 SD card. Required ROM files must come from a legal source, and the minimum C64 ROM set is needed to start. Supported boards are Pi Zero, Zero 2W, Pi 2 and Pi 3; Pi 4 and later are unsupported. An optional local-network web interface manages status and SD-card files and can use a PIN.