Clock Signal vs FS-UAE

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.

FS-UAE is a free Amiga emulator for Linux, macOS, and Windows, with an emphasis on games and support for high-end Amiga systems. It emulates systems including the Amiga 500, 500+, 600, 1000, 1200, 4000, CD32, and CDTV. It accepts floppy images such as ADF and IPF, CD-ROM images such as ISO and BIN/CUE, and computer folders mounted as Amiga hard drives. Its optional graphical Launcher configures the emulator without configuration files and can identify games through the Open Amiga Game Database, retrieving covers and screenshots. The Launcher can also recognize many archived WHDLoad games. An on-screen menu supports gamepad control for tasks such as changing disks and loading save states. FS-UAE supports cross-platform online play and offers graphics options including aspect correction, zoom, shaders, and visual themes. It is free software under GPLv2, with some project parts and dependencies under other open-source licenses. It requires a moderately fast computer with accelerated OpenGL graphics; a gamepad or joystick is recommended, and users should ideally have the Kickstart ROMs for the systems they want to emulate.