EMU7800 vs kat5200

EMU7800 is a free emulator for the Atari 7800 ProSystem and the backward-compatible Atari 2600 Video Computer System. It runs on Windows, Linux, and macOS and supports saved game states. The maker says it runs on Windows 11, and its Windows installer does not need administrator permission. Windows users can connect Stelladaptor, 2600-daptor, 2600-daptor II, and Xbox 360 controllers. Saved game state is kept in the user profile at %USERPROFILE%\.emu7800savedgames. The project lists Linux ARM and ARM64 targets using SDL3; Linux systems may need SDL3, SDL3 image, and SDL3 TTF installed. Its macOS x64 and ARM64 targets are described as experimental and untested. Building from source requires the .NET 10.0 SDK and Git. The project was originally completed in 2003 as a .NET programming exercise, is licensed under GPL-2.0, and is maintained as a non-commercial endeavor. The current release listed is v5.7.0.0, released December 31, 2025.

kat5200 is a free emulator for playing games from Atari 5200 and Atari 8-bit computer systems on a personal computer. It supports Atari 5200, Atari 400, Atari 800, Atari 800 XL and Atari 800 XE systems, with builds listed for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android. The emulator does not include game ROM images or BIOS files, so users must obtain and configure them separately. Controls can use a game controller, keyboard or mouse, and multiple input entries can be assigned to an emulated function. Users can save different input profiles and assign them to games in the Launcher. The Simulate Analog option can help when a game expects controller-axis positions but the player uses a keyboard or digital controller. Initial setup offers ROM-directory scanning and options for trackball, paddle and two-stick games. Version 1.0.0 uses TOML configuration and adds per-ROM profiles. The Android version is provided as an APK, not through the Play Store, and must be sideloaded.