bsnes vs OpenEmu
bsnes
bsnes.orgOpenEmu
openemu.orgSide by side
| Figure | bsnes | OpenEmu |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | Yes |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Android | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · SNES Emulators | 8.2 (#7) | 8.1 (#8) |
| Controller support | The site says bsnes supports Xbox, Nintendo, PC, and PlayStation controllers. | Generic HID USB and Bluetooth controllers are supported, with automatic mapping for recognized devices. |
| Purpose | bsnes is an open-source emulator for the 16-bit Super Nintendo Entertainment System. | OpenEmu is open-source video game emulation software for Mac. |
| Security | The homepage calls the emulator reliable and secure but does not identify a security certification or compliance standard. | The GitHub project page displays “Security and quality 0.” |
| Support | The site offers installation guides, a knowledge base, a troubleshooting guide, and email contact for assistance. | The project directs users to read its contributing guide before reporting bugs through GitHub Issues or IRC. |
Plans
In their own words
bsnes
bsnes is a free, open-source emulator for the 16-bit Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is listed for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS. Speed settings range from 50% to 200%, with smooth audio output retained. Its feature list includes Super Game Boy emulation and low-level emulation of SNES coprocessors. Visual options include HD Mode 7 graphics with optional supersampling, OpenGL multi-pass pixel shaders, and built-in software filters. Save-state tools provide screenshot previews and naming, plus undo and redo. The emulator supports Xbox, Nintendo, PC, and PlayStation controllers, as well as screenshot capture and movie recording and playback. It also lists 7-zip decompression and BPS and IPS soft-patching, along with rewind and cheat support. Android setup uses RetroArch: install it from its official website, then add the bsnes core within RetroArch. The project offers installation guides, a knowledge base, troubleshooting information, and email contact for assistance.
OpenEmu
OpenEmu is free, open-source video game emulation software for macOS. It organizes game backups into a unified library, adds box art and supports collections spanning consoles. Users drag and drop backups for scanning and organization. Modular cores from open-source projects emulate systems including Atari, Game Boy, Nintendo, Sega, Sony PlayStation and Super Nintendo; the project lists 31 supported systems. Generic HID-compliant USB or Bluetooth controllers can work immediately, with automatic mapping for recognized devices. OpenEmu is intended for games users already own, and BIOS files are required. The wiki describes an experimental arcade core plugin that is strictly unsupported. The latest release page identifies OpenEmu 2.4.1 binaries as Intel-only. The official site offers a macOS (OS X) application, but the version requirement was not rendered. The project lists save states, CD audio and cheat support, while online netplay is not available.