Coffee GB vs DocBoy

Coffee GB is a desktop emulator for the original Game Boy and Game Boy Color, with support for Super Game Boy features. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android, and accepts .gb, .gbc, and .rom files, including games inside ZIP and 7z archives. ROM files are not included. For saving and reviewing play, it offers ten slots, named save states with previews, autosave and resume, screenshots, input recordings, and rewind. Rollback netplay supports link-cable games and synchronized infrared communication. Keyboard and controller input are supported, with separate controls for up to four players in compatible Super Game Boy games. Cartridge support includes real-time clocks, rumble, tilt, Game Boy Camera, and Game Boy Printer. Cheats include Game Genie and GameShark, with a searchable libretro database. The project reports 5,858 automated verdicts passing across 17 test suite families. Coffee GB is free and distributed under the MIT License. Netplay uses a direct, unencrypted TCP connection; the project advises using trusted people and networks. On macOS, controllers require compatible system SDL2, though keyboard input and emulation work without it.

DocBoy is a free, open-source Game Boy emulator written in C++17. It emulates the original DMG Game Boy and Game Boy Color, with M-cycle-accurate CPU emulation and T-cycle-accurate PPU emulation using a Pixel FIFO. Supported cartridge types include NoMBC, MBC1, MBC2, MBC3, MBC5, MBC7, HUC1 and HUC3. Its frontends provide save and load, save states, fast-forward, configurable palettes, screenshots and an SDL graphical menu. An optional GDB-style command-line debugger offers disassembly, breakpoints, watchpoints, stepping, rewind and memory viewing. DocBoy can also operate as a libretro core through RetroArch. Releases provide Windows and Linux executables, while the project documents an Android libretro build; RetroArch is described as supporting Android and iOS. Save states, link cable emulation and a real-time clock are listed. The project says perfect emulation remains distant and accuracy can affect performance. It uses the MIT license and accepts bug reports and proposals through issues or pull requests.