ESPectrum vs Spectaculator

ESPectrum is free, GPL-3.0 emulator firmware for Sinclair ZX Spectrum computers on Espressif ESP32 boards. It emulates Spectrum 48K, 128K, +2A, and Pentagon 128K systems, plus Microdigital TK90X and TK95 models. Supported boards include Lilygo TTGo VGA32 and Olimex ESP32-SBC-FabGL. Video output offers standard VGA, machine-rate VGA, and 15 kHz CRT modes in 16:9 or 4:3. Emulation includes the Z80, AY-3-8912 sound, beeper and microphone behavior, contended memory, and floating-bus effects. Users can connect PS/2 keyboards, joysticks, DB9 joysticks through a converter, and a PS/2 mouse acting as a Kempston mouse. It reads TAP, TZX, SNA, Z80, SP, TRD, and SCL files. Installation uses an online web flasher or release binaries. A FAT16- or FAT32-formatted micro SD card stores programs, disks, snapshots, and captures. PlatformIO builds are described for Windows, GNU/Linux, and MacOS/X.

Spectaculator is a Sinclair ZX Spectrum emulator for Windows, iOS, and Android. It supports TAP and TZX tape formats and SZX, SNA, and Z80 snapshot formats, with a built-in debugger and support for a range of peripherals, including joysticks, mice, Microdrives, printers, and Multiface models. The Windows debugger includes projects, complex breakpoints, watches, an inline assembler, memory inspector, call stack, screen inspector, and graphics inspector. Windows version 9.1 can save or copy screenshots at configurable sizes as PNG or BMP, and includes joystick and controller configuration enhancements. The iOS app accepts games in.tap,.tzx,.dsk,.szx, and.z80 formats, with customizable controls and artwork. On iOS 13.4 and later, an external keyboard can be used for games and BASIC programs; devices on iOS 12 and earlier are limited to text adventures. The Android 2.6 release requires Android 6.0 Marshmallow or later. Spectaculator is paid, with listed one-time plans from $2.99, paid once and a 30-day trial for the Windows plan.