DuckStation vs QuackStation
DuckStation
duckstation.orgQuackStation
github.comSide by side
| Figure | DuckStation | QuackStation |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 2 | 0 |
| Spec score · PlayStation Emulators | 9.1 (#1) | 7.4 (#12) |
| Android support | The maker says no support is provided for the Android app and asks users not to email for help with it. | The Android app is described as currently unmaintained and unsupported. |
| Disc formats | It can read physical CDs and BIN/CUE, CHD, ECM, MDS/MDF, CCD and unencrypted PBP images. | It supports CD playback and disc images including bin/cue, raw bin/img, MAME CHD, ECM, MDS/MDF, and unencrypted PBP. |
| Integrations | DuckStation integrates RetroAchievements, Discord Rich Presence and FFmpeg-based video capture. | It supports RetroAchievements and Discord Rich Presence. |
| License | The maker describes the project as distributed under CC-BY-NC-ND terms and says modified versions may not be published. | The project states it is licensed under GNU GPLv3 or later, while noting that it is effectively GPLv3 only for now. |
| Purpose | DuckStation emulates the Sony PlayStation console, focusing on playability, speed, and long-term maintainability. | QuackStation is a PlayStation 1 emulator with a Qt front end and a fullscreen/TV interface based on Dear ImGui. |
| System requirements | The project requires a supported x86_64, ARM32, ARM64 or RISC-V CPU and a GPU supporting OpenGL 3.1, OpenGL ES 3.1, Direct3D 11 feature level 10.0 or Vulkan 1.0. | The listed CPU architectures are x86_64 with SSE4.1, ARMv7, ARM64, or RISC-V/RV64; hardware rendering requires a GPU supporting OpenGL 3.1, OpenGL ES 3.1, Direct3D 11 Feature Level 10.0, or Vulkan 1.0. |
Plans
In their own words
DuckStation
DuckStation is a free emulator for Sony PlayStation games, available for Android, Linux, macOS and Windows. Its hardware renderer supports D3D11, D3D12, OpenGL, Vulkan and Metal, with upscaling, texture filtering and 24-bit color among the graphics options. Enhancements include PGXP geometry precision, texture replacement, adaptive downsampling and post-processing shader chains. Play options include save states, rewind, runahead, CPU overclocking and multi-disc support, along with memory-card editing and save importing. DuckStation supports RetroAchievements and Discord Rich Presence. It accepts digital and analog controllers, rumble, and up to eight devices through multitap; GunCon and Justifier lightguns can be simulated with a mouse. Supported formats include bin/cue, MAME CHD, single-track ECM, MDS/MDF, CCD and unencrypted PBP. A PS1 or PS2 BIOS image is required but not supplied, and games are not provided. The maker says users should dump a BIOS from their own console. Desktop requirements include Windows 10/11 and macOS 13.3 or newer.
QuackStation
QuackStation is a free PlayStation 1 emulator with a Qt front end and a fullscreen interface for TV use. Its project goals include playability, speed, long-term maintainability, and performance suitable for low-end devices. It supports hardware rendering through D3D11, D3D12, OpenGL, Vulkan, and Metal, as well as software rendering. Hardware graphics options include upscaling, texture filtering, 24-bit true colour, and PGXP geometry precision and texture correction. Playback features include save states, runahead, rewind, fast boot, CPU overclocking, and time-stretched audio. Games can load from CDs and formats including BIN/CUE, raw BIN/IMG, MAME CHD, ECM, MDS/MDF, and unencrypted PBP. It supports digital and analog controllers, lightguns simulated with a mouse, NeGcon, and multitap for up to eight devices. A PS1 or PS2 BIOS ROM image is required and is not included; users must dump it from their own console. The project is licensed under GNU GPLv3 or later. Android is currently unmaintained and unsupported.