Clock Signal vs Emulicious
Clock Signal
github.com
Emulicious
emulicious.netSide by side
| Figure | Clock Signal | Emulicious |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Sega Master System Emulators | 7.8 (#8) | 8.0 (#4) |
| Spec score · Multi-System Emulators | 7.8 (#30) | 8.0 (#22) |
| Accuracy | CLK attempts cycle-accurate emulation of all supported machines, and its README says this succeeds in some cases. | The maker says Emulicious aims for precision and accurate emulation. |
| License | The GitHub repository identifies the project as MIT licensed. | The license permits binary use, copying and distribution for non-commercial purposes without a fee, subject to retaining license information and the copyright notice. |
| Purpose | Clock Signal is an emulator designed to let users launch classic software directly without first learning how to use an emulator or the original machines. | Emulicious is a free to use multi-system emulator for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Master System, Game Gear and MSX. |
Plans
In their own words
Clock Signal
Clock Signal is a free emulator for running classic software on Linux and macOS without first having to learn the original machine or emulator controls. It supports systems including the BBC Micro, Apple II, Atari 2600, Commodore Vic-20, early Macintosh, MSX, Sega Master System and ZX Spectrum. When you provide disk, tape or ROM media, it can identify and configure a machine, issue the commands needed to start the software, and speed up loading where possible. It does not import or take ownership of your files. The emulator processes video signals such as composite video and generates audio at the emulated machine’s source rate before filtering it for host output. Its README gives typical audio latency as 5–10 ms; display latency depends on host hardware. It aims for cycle-accurate emulation, which it says it achieves in some cases. Acorn Archimedes, Commodore Amiga and early PC compatible emulation is less complete than for the other listed systems. A BIOS is required. The project is MIT licensed, with macOS releases using Cocoa and Metal and Linux builds available through Qt, OpenGL or SDL options.
Emulicious
Emulicious is a free emulator for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Master System, Game Gear, and MSX. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows, as well as Raspberry Pi OS and other systems that support Java SE; Java 1.6 or newer is required. The download does not need an installer: extract the files and run Emulicious.jar, or use Emulicious.exe in the Windows bundle with Java. Its emulation aims for precision, and it includes savestates, IPS patching, automatic updates, and adjustable turbo and throttle controls. For development, the debugger has an interactive disassembler that separates code and data automatically, plus reverse stepping. Other tools include a profiler, tracer, coverage analyzer, memory editor, palette and tile viewers, RAM search and watch, and remote debugging. Emulicious can connect to Visual Studio Code; its linked extension supports source-level debugging for assembler and C code using SDCC. It also runs Analogue Pocket ROMs with the .pocket extension. The free license is for personal use; commercial users should seek permission.